Took a new bike route today, and did a total of 34km!
Total pedaling time - 1:57:32
I left my place at 12:30pm, and didn't get home until 2:50pm
It was a great ride!
I love how I get to explore the area. I found a very beautiful pond at Mills Street. It was amazing!
That's partly the reason why i took so long. I spent 10mins at the pond, biking very slowly through the trail so I could soak up the beauty a little longer. I did get a seemingly unfriendly look by a man in his mid-thirties pushing a baby carriage, and walking with a young girl (she was about 3-5yrs). But, no one said anything, and I didn't see any signs that said "please do not bike".
Well, it turns out that I fell on Elgin Mills, between Yonge and Bayview. Good thing it was on the sidewalk, and not on the road. Last thing I'd want is to end up as a 'Jane Doe' in the hospital. I think I should get one of those ID tags for when I'm riding alone.
Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biking. Show all posts
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Back from my 25Km Excursion
I made it to Eglin Mills today!!!
And, being so proud of myself, I decided to bike the big road, Leslie back down home.
I'll post the map of it later :p
The ride makes me hungry, so I popped 2 pizza pops into the microwave. Nothing's as fast as microwave dinners :P
Oh, and hei, your book came in from chapters today!
update: I actually diverged from the previous post a bit, because I didn't turn onto South Park Road. Hence, the Beaver Creek detour.
The maps don't seem to be working, so i'm adding the link to the map of my ride.
my ride took: 1hr, 40mins. It seems that I'm biking (rather consistently) at 15km/h.
And, being so proud of myself, I decided to bike the big road, Leslie back down home.
I'll post the map of it later :p
The ride makes me hungry, so I popped 2 pizza pops into the microwave. Nothing's as fast as microwave dinners :P
Oh, and hei, your book came in from chapters today!
update: I actually diverged from the previous post a bit, because I didn't turn onto South Park Road. Hence, the Beaver Creek detour.
The maps don't seem to be working, so i'm adding the link to the map of my ride.
my ride took: 1hr, 40mins. It seems that I'm biking (rather consistently) at 15km/h.
Monday, August 11, 2008
My 15km Ride
I had my first 15km bike ride today. Having my Minoura Handlebar Bottle cage was definitely helpful, now i don't need to strap the bottle to my waist. But, my water bottle proves to be not that helpful. I can't drink from it without stopping, since it's an old Nalgene one, and you need to unscrew the cap to get it open, and I couldn't do that with one hand.
From (one of) my previous blog posts, I mentioned MapMyRide.com. I'm using it as a measure of how far I've biked, and as a site to log all the different routes I've taken.
Here's a map of the route I biked today, it took 1hr.
From (one of) my previous blog posts, I mentioned MapMyRide.com. I'm using it as a measure of how far I've biked, and as a site to log all the different routes I've taken.
Here's a map of the route I biked today, it took 1hr.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Adjusting
I've decided to take Chris' advice and try something new. I hope to keep this up and stick to this new scheduling this year, including this coming school year. Hopefully it will help me wake up in the morning, and help me be more productive.
So, the new thing is: taking showers which included washing my HAIR in the morning instead of saving those showers for late in the night (and i don't end up sleeping until late late in the might, more like early morning since I don't like blow-drying my hair, and i like to sleep with my head relatively dry). I've been doing this for the past 3 days, and it seems to be working. At least I have somewhat of a 'morning'. I've been sleeping more consistently as well. I get sleepy at around 11:30pm, and usually get to bed by 12:45 - 1:30am. Yes, i take a while getting to bed.
oh, and I've been doing some research on cycling in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
I've also made my own maps from mapmyride.com it utilizes google maps to plot your bike routes and rides. It gives you the KM/Mi calculations. I think it's great that I get to see how far I biked, since I don't have a speedometer yet.
Speaking of Cycling, I've also looked into cycling charities such as Ride for Heart, Wheels for Wellness, and MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Bike Tour. All these have one thing in common: you register to cycle for distances of 25km - 100km, and of course you get to contribute through donations. But, i like the idea of getting to cycle such distances. I also found out about the Toronto Bicycling Network. I'm pretty sure that the group of 25-30 people we saw biking were with the TBN. I found from their website that they have Saturday morning/weekend cycling trips. Maybe I'll join them ... next year.. maybe :P
So, the new thing is: taking showers which included washing my HAIR in the morning instead of saving those showers for late in the night (and i don't end up sleeping until late late in the might, more like early morning since I don't like blow-drying my hair, and i like to sleep with my head relatively dry). I've been doing this for the past 3 days, and it seems to be working. At least I have somewhat of a 'morning'. I've been sleeping more consistently as well. I get sleepy at around 11:30pm, and usually get to bed by 12:45 - 1:30am. Yes, i take a while getting to bed.
oh, and I've been doing some research on cycling in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
I've also made my own maps from mapmyride.com it utilizes google maps to plot your bike routes and rides. It gives you the KM/Mi calculations. I think it's great that I get to see how far I biked, since I don't have a speedometer yet.
Speaking of Cycling, I've also looked into cycling charities such as Ride for Heart, Wheels for Wellness, and MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Bike Tour. All these have one thing in common: you register to cycle for distances of 25km - 100km, and of course you get to contribute through donations. But, i like the idea of getting to cycle such distances. I also found out about the Toronto Bicycling Network. I'm pretty sure that the group of 25-30 people we saw biking were with the TBN. I found from their website that they have Saturday morning/weekend cycling trips. Maybe I'll join them ... next year.. maybe :P
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Differing Views
is what I have with my parents at times. Perhaps a lot of times, and it is this time, as well as during camping too. But, ah... bikes.
and, long term planning. I know and understand the situation, which is fine, and I respect that.
But, what I would appreciate, and would want my sibling to be able to have is an explanation of what and why you say what you say. Of the reasons why he must listen and execute your wishes.
I really don' think nor agree that it's a good idea to ask someone "So, are you going to do X?", which is the exact thing that he was told he 'shouldn't do' just 2 minutes prior to asking the question. the reply is "Hmm... probably not". I interject and say "ask him why, to make sure he understands". the parent asks "why are you not going to do X?". The response that I applauded to "because you said so."
what a wonderful answer to show that my dear sibling does NOT understand why he should listen to the advice given, or do anything that is told to him. There was no reasoning included in the instructing of prohibited actions. There was no reasoning as to why i should be classified as 'prohibited' in the first place.
I can't stand rules without reason.
and, long term planning. I know and understand the situation, which is fine, and I respect that.
But, what I would appreciate, and would want my sibling to be able to have is an explanation of what and why you say what you say. Of the reasons why he must listen and execute your wishes.
I really don' think nor agree that it's a good idea to ask someone "So, are you going to do X?", which is the exact thing that he was told he 'shouldn't do' just 2 minutes prior to asking the question. the reply is "Hmm... probably not". I interject and say "ask him why, to make sure he understands". the parent asks "why are you not going to do X?". The response that I applauded to "because you said so."
what a wonderful answer to show that my dear sibling does NOT understand why he should listen to the advice given, or do anything that is told to him. There was no reasoning included in the instructing of prohibited actions. There was no reasoning as to why i should be classified as 'prohibited' in the first place.
I can't stand rules without reason.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Looking for a Bottle Cage
that fits on the saddle. But, these are hard to find. Perhaps i will need to make do with one that fits on the seat post. Here are a few that Chris and I (mostly Chris) has found so far:
Minoura - SBH-80
Saddle: i really like this one - but, seems to be available in.. japan?
Profile Design - Aqua Rack
This is a seat post one, it attaches onto that post situated under the seat. Two bottle racks!
Beaker Concepts: Hydrotail. It has 2 water bottle racks and two straps for you to pack something. What would you strap there? Your other pair of shoes?
Minoura - SBH-80
Saddle: i really like this one - but, seems to be available in.. japan?
Profile Design - Aqua Rack
This is a seat post one, it attaches onto that post situated under the seat. Two bottle racks!
Beaker Concepts: Hydrotail. It has 2 water bottle racks and two straps for you to pack something. What would you strap there? Your other pair of shoes?
Sunday, July 27, 2008
My Biking "Adventure", re-lived
I am still sweating, panting, my thighs still shaking and my heart still racing from my bike ride.
I took the path that Chris and I went down the other day - Friday afternoon. It starts of as a nicely paved road, large enough to make way for a rural two lane road, and leads into a dirt path about half a foot wide. The path changes from smooth and even, to pebbly, then gravelly and finally rocky and dirty. Today, it was a bit muddy from the heavy rain over the past few days.
Before I headed out for my bike ride, i decided to bring my camera along to take a few snap shots of what my adventure entails. I only took photos of the trail though. I didn't get to capture a 'First" moment that I had!
I'll share the photos, then talk about the my exciting, and breath-taking (literally, it left me panting and exhausted) moment.
This is where the journey begins.
And, of course I need to take a picture of my bike! Well, at least as much of it as possible without getting OFF the bike.
This Picture is taken along the way to the 'trail'. see that slope? It's actually quite steep. And, not as easy as you think to bike back up.
This is not 'the trail'. The gates, as usual are locked, and instead of breaking the lock, or sawing through the chains, taking this little path here is a slightly easier way to gain access to the trail.
And, this is what I mean by 'locked'.
See the nicely paved road? Well, this HUGE puddle was gorgeous!
You can see the reflection of the scenery in it!
The road gets a bit narrower, but is still nicely paved. I'm holding the camera in my had as I bike. Not something I would recommend.
Then, I can no longer hold the camera as I bike. Se the pebbles and gravel on the road? It gets better!!
Now, this is some path that we're looking for!!!
Wait, there's more!
see the path getting really narrow?
It's really nice there though. I'm not sure if you can see it, but near the back, you can see that the path goes down ad then back up again. This slope doesn't look that steep, but really, you get enough momentum to rush all the way back up without pedaling at ALL.
This is a picture of the same part of the trail in the previous picture. But, after I rush down it, and back up!
It was exhilarating. It's strange, the first time I went down it, I lit up my eyes and gave me this sort of excitement. You're sitting on a bike, you might get thrown off and all scratched up. The path is really bumpy. I Didn't know whether to brake, or to hold onto the handlebars for dear life. I ended up holding onto the handles FULLY. I felt that I needed to hold onto it so tightly, hoping to at least be able to steer it, even if I couldn't control the speed. it was fun!
after the rush up.
And, the end. So many branches. This is where I got bitten. Probably because I kept stopping to take pictures. Well, at least the mosquitoes here are nicer than the ones that reside in the visitor's parking outside my house. The swelling and itching are gone already!
Getting out was difficult. I couldn't bike up this slope.
Shot of the same slope from the other side.
great to know!!
The trail leads me to a Golf Club. Before Chris and I biked here last time, I had no idea I lived that close to a Golf Club. some photos of the club.
So after the trail, I decide to head home. From the trail, I suppose it's around a 3km ride home. I bike along the side walk, since Steeles is an extremely busy street. When I reach the next intersection, I head North for home. I reach a traffic light, and passing it, I continue on the sidewalk. Then, it occurs to me that, it's nice and clam, not too many cars: I can bike on the road! So, I did!
This is the first time that I bike on a large road. Steelecase, does not count as a large road, since it's like a residential road (no traffic lights etc. Speed Limit is probably 50kmh). Anyways, my new challenge. That uphill that you saw in the first few pictures, was the uphill that I needed to bike on the road to get home. And, it was a long, hard bike (for me), but I made it! I feel so proud of myself!
note: uploading these pictures takes EONS. I don't think i'll be uploading so many for blogs now.
I took the path that Chris and I went down the other day - Friday afternoon. It starts of as a nicely paved road, large enough to make way for a rural two lane road, and leads into a dirt path about half a foot wide. The path changes from smooth and even, to pebbly, then gravelly and finally rocky and dirty. Today, it was a bit muddy from the heavy rain over the past few days.
Before I headed out for my bike ride, i decided to bring my camera along to take a few snap shots of what my adventure entails. I only took photos of the trail though. I didn't get to capture a 'First" moment that I had!
I'll share the photos, then talk about the my exciting, and breath-taking (literally, it left me panting and exhausted) moment.
This is where the journey begins.
And, of course I need to take a picture of my bike! Well, at least as much of it as possible without getting OFF the bike.
This Picture is taken along the way to the 'trail'. see that slope? It's actually quite steep. And, not as easy as you think to bike back up.
This is not 'the trail'. The gates, as usual are locked, and instead of breaking the lock, or sawing through the chains, taking this little path here is a slightly easier way to gain access to the trail.
And, this is what I mean by 'locked'.
See the nicely paved road? Well, this HUGE puddle was gorgeous!
You can see the reflection of the scenery in it!
The road gets a bit narrower, but is still nicely paved. I'm holding the camera in my had as I bike. Not something I would recommend.
Then, I can no longer hold the camera as I bike. Se the pebbles and gravel on the road? It gets better!!
Now, this is some path that we're looking for!!!
Wait, there's more!
see the path getting really narrow?
It's really nice there though. I'm not sure if you can see it, but near the back, you can see that the path goes down ad then back up again. This slope doesn't look that steep, but really, you get enough momentum to rush all the way back up without pedaling at ALL.
This is a picture of the same part of the trail in the previous picture. But, after I rush down it, and back up!It was exhilarating. It's strange, the first time I went down it, I lit up my eyes and gave me this sort of excitement. You're sitting on a bike, you might get thrown off and all scratched up. The path is really bumpy. I Didn't know whether to brake, or to hold onto the handlebars for dear life. I ended up holding onto the handles FULLY. I felt that I needed to hold onto it so tightly, hoping to at least be able to steer it, even if I couldn't control the speed. it was fun!
after the rush up.
And, the end. So many branches. This is where I got bitten. Probably because I kept stopping to take pictures. Well, at least the mosquitoes here are nicer than the ones that reside in the visitor's parking outside my house. The swelling and itching are gone already!
Getting out was difficult. I couldn't bike up this slope.
Shot of the same slope from the other side.
great to know!!
The trail leads me to a Golf Club. Before Chris and I biked here last time, I had no idea I lived that close to a Golf Club. some photos of the club.
So after the trail, I decide to head home. From the trail, I suppose it's around a 3km ride home. I bike along the side walk, since Steeles is an extremely busy street. When I reach the next intersection, I head North for home. I reach a traffic light, and passing it, I continue on the sidewalk. Then, it occurs to me that, it's nice and clam, not too many cars: I can bike on the road! So, I did!
This is the first time that I bike on a large road. Steelecase, does not count as a large road, since it's like a residential road (no traffic lights etc. Speed Limit is probably 50kmh). Anyways, my new challenge. That uphill that you saw in the first few pictures, was the uphill that I needed to bike on the road to get home. And, it was a long, hard bike (for me), but I made it! I feel so proud of myself!
note: uploading these pictures takes EONS. I don't think i'll be uploading so many for blogs now.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Biking Trip to Highway 7
Came back from my biking trip to Highway 7 and Leslie.
And... I just plugged some addresses into Google Maps to find hat i only biked a total of 6km!??!?! That was it?! I thought it more was more than that! But, I took a heck of a long time biking a total of 6km today! It was def. more than 30mins. I wonder if I should blame it on the hills, or blame it on my oral surgery.....
But regardless, the feeling of biking with the sun shining above me, and biking into the wind (made it hard to move fast) was so nice. It is refreshing and makes me feel free. Well, I guess anyone would feel free when they glide down a slope at around 35km/hr on two 26" wheels!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
And... I just plugged some addresses into Google Maps to find hat i only biked a total of 6km!??!?! That was it?! I thought it more was more than that! But, I took a heck of a long time biking a total of 6km today! It was def. more than 30mins. I wonder if I should blame it on the hills, or blame it on my oral surgery.....
But regardless, the feeling of biking with the sun shining above me, and biking into the wind (made it hard to move fast) was so nice. It is refreshing and makes me feel free. Well, I guess anyone would feel free when they glide down a slope at around 35km/hr on two 26" wheels!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
My first photo upload on blogger!
OH, I hate how "A Beautiful Mind" always makes me cry - especially near the ending! It's so good! I love it!
So, here's a preliminary photo view of my bike - this is how I lock it up:
Doesn't look too good without a seat. HAHA.
So, here's a preliminary photo view of my bike - this is how I lock it up:
Doesn't look too good without a seat. HAHA.
Friday, July 18, 2008
My Biking Needs Met!
Before I jump into my VERY excited speech about my biking needs, I want to talk about the weather. How 'boring' of me to talk about the weather, but really, I think it's an essential part of today. The Weather Network fore casted thunderstorms in Toronto... but, that is far from what we actually received this afternoon, up until 9.10pm. Anyways, I want to say (from my bright and bubbly point of view) that I thought today's gloomy, yet very warm and humid weather was just dandy!
Earlier this afternoon, I headed downtown (well, mid-town - Davisville/Eglinton and Yonge area), hoping that it wouldn't rain. We went to the Trek Bicycle Store to take a look at things, checked out a few bikes, gawked at the carbon-fibre $6,000CDN road bicycle. It was really nice, and light. Also checked out their hybrid and comfort bikes, took a seat on them and sort of pedaled it in the store. No, luckily I did not hit anything.
Decided to head to another store: Cyclepath, the one where Chris saw the Norco Plateau bike I posted before. And, I took the Bike out for a spin! We were out for quite a while. It was a nice ride, a very easy ride. So easy to pedal up hills. But, wow, was it springy! I rode over some grass, and bounced like a little yo-yo on a string, except I didn't roll back up the string. More like those po-go sticks. My little flaps of meat were flapping their wings - anyways, you get the picture. So, other than that 'springy' sensation, the bike was not bad!
Well, wanting to think about it and to take a Trek Bike out for a test-run, we went back to the Trek store (about 30meters away from Cyclepath). I decided to take the Navigator 2.0 WSD out for a spin. It's a step-through sort of bike, so I don't need to swing my other leg over to hop on, which means I can ride this wearing a skirt!!
After taking for a really good spin, which the sales person suggested so that I could see all it's potential, I really liked it. And, I mean really. I wanted to get it today! I don't think Chris was expecting me to get a bike today. Really, the biking is so smooth, you barely hear a thing when you're pedaling - except for the hum of the spin of the wheels, of course. The bike that I got has different colors than the bike that's linked above. THe guy said it's only been in th store for a week or so. No worries, I'll put up a picture of it when I get the chance to take a picture of it.
And, I got a nice helmet too! Gotta snap another picture of it for you to gawk at. There's hot pink on it. :P
First bike purchase!
Earlier this afternoon, I headed downtown (well, mid-town - Davisville/Eglinton and Yonge area), hoping that it wouldn't rain. We went to the Trek Bicycle Store to take a look at things, checked out a few bikes, gawked at the carbon-fibre $6,000CDN road bicycle. It was really nice, and light. Also checked out their hybrid and comfort bikes, took a seat on them and sort of pedaled it in the store. No, luckily I did not hit anything.
Decided to head to another store: Cyclepath, the one where Chris saw the Norco Plateau bike I posted before. And, I took the Bike out for a spin! We were out for quite a while. It was a nice ride, a very easy ride. So easy to pedal up hills. But, wow, was it springy! I rode over some grass, and bounced like a little yo-yo on a string, except I didn't roll back up the string. More like those po-go sticks. My little flaps of meat were flapping their wings - anyways, you get the picture. So, other than that 'springy' sensation, the bike was not bad!
Well, wanting to think about it and to take a Trek Bike out for a test-run, we went back to the Trek store (about 30meters away from Cyclepath). I decided to take the Navigator 2.0 WSD out for a spin. It's a step-through sort of bike, so I don't need to swing my other leg over to hop on, which means I can ride this wearing a skirt!!
After taking for a really good spin, which the sales person suggested so that I could see all it's potential, I really liked it. And, I mean really. I wanted to get it today! I don't think Chris was expecting me to get a bike today. Really, the biking is so smooth, you barely hear a thing when you're pedaling - except for the hum of the spin of the wheels, of course. The bike that I got has different colors than the bike that's linked above. THe guy said it's only been in th store for a week or so. No worries, I'll put up a picture of it when I get the chance to take a picture of it.
And, I got a nice helmet too! Gotta snap another picture of it for you to gawk at. There's hot pink on it. :P
First bike purchase!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Love for the Outdoors
Today was such a beautiful day, I'm so glad that I decided to go outside to a run, and then outside again for another walk. I wish I had my bike to rip down the sidewalk (because I'm not ready to go on the road yet).
I want to bike on a dirt road, and go over bumpy things. It woudl be so m=nice to be able to do this with my biking partner. And, i want to Kayak too! The last time I kayaked, and had an awesome time was about a year ago in Windsor. Ever since Pelee Wings (the Kayak rental shop), I've been chasing after that feeling of Kayaking into the open waters. Of course, not that I would really, unless I'm sure I can Kayak 10km back to shore. Or, unless I have a motor in the Kayak, so I can dump it in the water and motorize myself back to shore. :P
I'll be heading downtown to Cylepath to check out my bike, well, hopefully my bike. If all goes well. And then, a good lock to go with it. And, a helmet. W000t! Then, my biking partner will need to get a bike rack, to put the bikes on the car - to take them to nice biking places. So many things to do - so little time!
I want to bike on a dirt road, and go over bumpy things. It woudl be so m=nice to be able to do this with my biking partner. And, i want to Kayak too! The last time I kayaked, and had an awesome time was about a year ago in Windsor. Ever since Pelee Wings (the Kayak rental shop), I've been chasing after that feeling of Kayaking into the open waters. Of course, not that I would really, unless I'm sure I can Kayak 10km back to shore. Or, unless I have a motor in the Kayak, so I can dump it in the water and motorize myself back to shore. :P
I'll be heading downtown to Cylepath to check out my bike, well, hopefully my bike. If all goes well. And then, a good lock to go with it. And, a helmet. W000t! Then, my biking partner will need to get a bike rack, to put the bikes on the car - to take them to nice biking places. So many things to do - so little time!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Biking Needs
I'm looking to get a bike, and this was a suggestion. ^^
Norco's Women's Plateau makes pedaling fun for riders of any age and ability. Add the upright, back-friendly position, plush comfort saddle and easy-spinning 21-speed drivetrain and you might find cycling to be even easier than your fondest memories.
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