“it was a rainy day in Pizzaville…”

after many weeks of drought, I was actually happy to see the welcomed rain, despite my plans for a long bike ride. we need it. badly. however, for the people previously considering joining me for the fifth annual Southwood Road Ramble, the rain wasn’t attractive. nevertheless, seven other riders decided to join me, despite the unfavourable forecast. as I rolled into Meridian Place just ahead of the 8 am departure, I was greeted by a soaking wet Bryson, standing in his bare feet, attempting to dry out his footwear a little before we rolled out. Bryson, hellbent on doing a 400 km epic ride today, left his home in Stouffville at 4 am, in the pouring rain, so that he could be in Barrie in time to join us for the Ramble! now that’s one determined rider. Impressive.

well, the rain had stopped falling and we headed out of Barrie on wet roads and under grey skies. the 20c temperature made for reasonably comfortable riding. the roads slowly dried as we headed east, helped by the increasing wind that blew from the northeast. as we neared the planned escape route, five riders decided to split off towards Orillia, while 3 of us rode north, to Hamlet near the southern end of Sparrow Lake. in Hamlet, Kevin said farewell to us and then he headed back on the swing bridge,  over the Severn River, on his way home to Orillia. Bryson and I stopped in at the general store for some water and chocolate bars before heading north along the banks of the Severn, towards Southwood Road.

For the next six hours, Bryson and I traded wheels making really good time over the remaining two-thirds of the Ramble route. As we rolled through Torrence, Gravenhurst, Housey’s Rapids, Cooper’s Falls, Washago, Rama, Atherly, Orillia and Oro, on our way to Barrie, we marveled multiple times what a beautiful part of the province we live in! the peaceful roads and natural surroundings were so enjoyable to ride through. both of us, wannabe photographers, enjoyed stopping for some good photo ops, provided by the backdrop of eclectic properties and natural surroundings that we pedalled past.

Bryson was still feeling remarkably strong when we reached Barrie, with over 300 km already under his belt for the day! we parted ways, thanking each other for sticking it out for the full Ramble and being able to work well together to make the previous six hours much more enjoyable!

for me, the arrival in Barrie signaled the fifth completion of this remarkably beautiful route. very satisfying, I must say.

Bryson, who less than two years ago thought 60 km was a long ride, successfully completed his 400 km dawn to dusk adventure, arriving back home with his headlight on, fighting the August twilight. he endured worse weather and greater elevation than any of us ever had when, at different times, we completed the 400 km Hairshirt North+ ride. and, he did it at an impressive 32.1 km/h average pace, almost half of it solo, achieving four leaderboard position along the way! amazing fitness, determination and grit, realizes amazing results. well done, Bryson. you are a beast.