Hi - ate - us
for the next few weeks I'll not be posting. I'm moving to a new home and making some changes.
Saint John awards pact for Trails and Bikeways Strategic Master plan
The Terrain group will study the previous reports and survey existing and proposed trails and routes while in engaging users for feedback and opinion. I talk to people everyday in the shop and the majority are afraid to bike in the city or do so with little confidence, out of necessity. Add on several more barriers like weather, hills and lack of political will for bicycle facilities and you get the picture. It’s a challenge and we could use some professional help. It’s worth it, as my friend Dean says in this TJ article – Bicycle User welcomes plans for trails
Next month we’re moving to our new home 11 km from the city center, where I work, so I’ll be putting in some commuting miles on my bike until the snow flies at which point I’ll take the bus.
Where the pavement ends – a mountain bike ride down Old Black River Road
My vacation week is drawing to a close and I wanted to get at least one “discovery “ride in before I go back to the bike shop so I looked at my Backroads Mapbook and this is what I came up with - Old Black River to West Beach “Road” route map. There’s a little bit of history and some photos here – Lawton Family. It took about 4.5 hours for this ride and to my suprise I met Doug, to whom I sold a mountain bike earlier this summer, enjoying the view from a remote hill with his new ATV at his side. He told me that the area we were in was full of wildlife – Bobcat, Coyote, Black Bear, Eagles, Falcons and Moose to name a few. This ride was 56km long and I suggest you take a good topo map with you or get a copy of the Backroads Mapbook at the Scout Shop or a local bookstore.
If it gets too chilly go to Lily’s Cafe at the Pavilion for some hot coffee and a bowl of soup after your ride.
Day trip to Hampton and KenVal via Comex – 35km by bus 35km by bike
My partner Sandra and I put our bikes on the Comex bus to Hampton where we had a light breakfast and a quick ride through Main Street. We then turned back and rode to Fairvale where we ate lunch at Pomodori Artisan Pizza and Gelato. This place serves a very tasty pizza fired in a wood oven and I highly recommend it if you’re in the area. Don’t skip the Gelato! The day was ended by stopping in East Saint John to shop at our favorite thrift store – Value Village
We were aiming for a longer ride but rain hit us just before Mispec so we turned back once we reached the park. The Redhead Road has a “false flat” climb which starts a few hundred meters past Debly Avenue and continues east for about 1.5km. If you want to try it out go to the 9km mark on this map
This is a 45 minute performance where Professor Squealy Deetbum plays his “bicycle music”. It was just yesterday that I strummed the spokes of a bike wheel on the repair stand and heard a most magical sound. I came home yesterday to find the annual Imperial Theater magazine in my mailbox and leafed through hoping to find something cool. I did. Sneak Preview
I decided to do my annual solo ride into the wooded area northeast of Glen Falls this morning and it was as wet as ever. It’s basically a bunch of ATV and Jeep trails that either lead to a lake or a powerline corridor or highway. You have to cross washed out sections and navigate bouldery, rutted sometimes steep trails. It’s not all that much fun but provides a workout and an appreciation of the singletrack you usually find yourself riding on. According to this GMAP I got in about 35 km.
