So do you think you’ll keep biking? Maybe it’s time to find a new hobby. eh?
Those are just a few of the comments that I have heard in the last two months. But let me assure you, I won’t be hanging up the helmet anytime soon.
Alright, let me back up a bit. Two months ago, took a bit of a tumble.
A friend and I had headed to Joyride 150 to get a bit of a mid winter mountain biking fix. Unfortunately, the day did not end with chilled beer and some tacos like all rides should, but with a ride in the back of an ambulance and a plaster cast. I don’t exactly remember what happened, but the gist of it is I did something that ended with a science experiment of “What material is stronger, concrete or bone?” (spoiler alert, it isn’t bone). One surgery and now many sessions of physio later, things are starting to get back to normal.
Some might think that a situation like this would make me second guess the sport I love, but that is not the case.
See, things can happen no matter what you are doing with your life. The weekend that I broke my elbow was also the same weekend as one of the iciest days we had all winter. So the other people in the fracture clinic had just been walking to and from their car, or walking down the street. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there is no avoiding injuries no matter what you do. So why not live you life in the way you enjoy most?
So yes, I am going to keep biking. And no, I am not going to let this injury hold me back. I’m already planning the next bike trips and what events I want to try.
P.S. Curious what a broken elbow looks like? Take a look!
The weather here in Southern Ontario can’t quite make up its mind, so mountain biking is off the table for the time being. To help combat the itch to ride trails, my friend Andrew and I made the trek up to Markham, Ontario to check out Joyride 150.
Joyride 150 is a two-wheeled refuge from the harshness of Canadian winter. Housed in a warehouse are a beginner’s skills area, an 800m xc loop, jump lines (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert), pump tracks, skinnies, a street plaza, and a vert park. More than enough to entertain both the most beginner and the most advanced riders seeking adrenaline. Check out the video below for a quick lap around the xc loop, pump tracks, and skinnies.
Setting Goals
One of the main reasons why I wanted to check out Joyride 150 was so I could have a controlled environment to build up my bike skills. After a few laps to get my bearings, and check out the whole complex, I spent most of my day whipping around the xc loop and working on my bike handling skills on both the pumptracks and the skinnies.
The skinnies were a great place for me to work on my bike control. There were at least 6 distinct lines, with more than a dozen different transfers and additions that could be made to the lines to keep things interesting. The skinnies had everything from wide boardwalks, to rocks and logs, and even a couple teeter-totters.
The first time I rolled through the skinnies, I noticed this maze of 2-4s that seemed nearly impossible. After a little studying, Andrew pointed out that the wide turns are for your front wheel, while your back wheel follows along on the more straight path. This skinny line became my new goal for the day.
It took a hell of a lot of trust in both my personal abilities and the fact that my bike could even follow through the maze properly, but I had to try it. The biggest thing I was scared that my front wheel would get stuck in a gap and send me tumbling down in front of all the “cool kids” that knew how to ride the whole park perfectly.
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Progression
The first number of tries ended with me simply dropping a foot before I even got to the part (as usual, the hardest part is the mental game). A few tries later, I was slowly rolling through the first corner, but getting unnerved as soon as I needed to try and pedal through to the next corner. The progression went like this throughout the day, inching closer and closer to completing it. However, in the end, I never quite managed to cleanly ride the entire line. The furthest I managed to get was to the last corner before my rear wheel skidded off and got stuck in the middle of the mess. Happy with my progression for the day, we decided to call it a day, but not before one last stop.
Foam Pit Fun
Andrew getting some jumping advice.
There is no way we were leaving Joyride without at least one of us jumping into the foam pit. Andrew was the lucky one, as he was riding flats and I was riding clips (that’s definitely the only reason I didn’t do it, I swear!). At the risk of ending our friendship… here is the glorious footage of Andrew attempting his first jump into the foam pit. As you can see, it wasn’t the smoothest!
Bottom Line: Should you go?
Hell yeah! It’s a little pricey, but definitely worth the trip to escape from the cold and ride bikes for a day.
The roads are covered in salt and snow, the sun seems to drop behind the horizon even faster than the thermometer, and here I am curled up under blankets letting all my summer gains shrink.
Keeping myself motivated during the winter is probably one of the hardest parts of cycling for me. It takes every fibre of my being to put on my kit and get on the trainer. If you struggle with this as much as I do, here are a few of the things that help me.
1. Put Your Kit On
The hardest part of training for me is turning off Netflix and coming out from the blanket cocoon I’ve formed. However, I’ve found that once I suck it up and put my cycling gear on, I’m a lot more motivated to go get on the trainer. Just be careful, long trainer sessions can wear out kit faster than you might think, so maybe don’t wear that favourite jersey you just got for Christmas!
2. Pick the right playlist
Sure, it can’t beat the sun on your face and the wind at your back, but a good playlist can get you in the mood to put the power to your pedals and put the work in. Look for a mix of decent tempo music with parts that get you stoked. For the best results, use music that is heavy on the bass and can be cranked up to 11 (sorry neighbours). Here is one of the playlists that has helped me.
3. Have a goal
The only thing worse than being stuck inside on a trainer is aimlessly spinning away on your trainer with no end goal. Pick a reasonable goal for your winter training. Maybe it’s to increase your FTP by a certain percentage, or you want to be able to destroy your riding buddies in the town sign sprints, or maybe you just want to be able to make it to the coffee shop without feeling like your lungs are going to explode.
As all my professors have drilled into my head, ensure that your goals are SMART goals. Make them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely goals. For example, don’t just say that your goal is simply to have a higher FTP. Instead set a goal of increasing your FTP by 5% by June 1st.
4. Quality Time With Your Bike
Spending some quality time with your bike, but off of it. Maybe you need to replace your chain, put new grip tape on, or want to learn how to properly index your gears. It seems a little convoluted, but spending time with your bike, in general, will remind you why you got into cycling in the first place. Plus, you’ll emerge in the spring with a cleaner, quieter, more efficient bike!
5. Give yourself rewards
Who doesn’t love treating themselves every once and a while? Sometimes a shiny new piece of kit or tech is exactly what you need to get you back on the bike. Have you been eying up a shiny new heart rate monitor? A power meter? A new pair of shorts? Hell, even just a box of your favourite bars or gels could be just the thing you need to regain your motivation.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if the goal that you set for yourself doesn’t come to fruition. It sucks to not achieve a goal that you have set for yourself, but the reality is that it sometimes won’t work out.
I hope these tips might have helped someone else out there who is sick and tired of the cold and snow getting in the way of their riding. Don’t worry, summer will be here soon enough.
Most people that have had more than a five-minute conversation with me would probably tell you that I’m absolutely obsessed with cycling. Hell, a quick scroll through any of my social media accounts betrays how deep bikes have infiltrated my life. If it has two wheels and is pedal powered, I’m happy.
So, the question is this: “Why Cycling?” Well, there are two answers. If you don’t want to read a whole blog post of me ranting and raving about how much cycling has changed my life and how much it means to me, here’s the simple answer: Everyone needs a passion in life, mine just happens to be cycling. Keep reading if you want to know the full cheesy answer.
Focus
Over the last few years, I’ve struggled with varying degrees of anxiety and depression. The one thing that has helped the most is cycling. Cycling takes the bundle of nerves and energy that I can turn into and gives me something to focus on.
When I’m out on a bike, the only thing left in my head is a sense of calm focus on my pedalling, my breath, and enjoying the sights and sounds of where I may be riding. No matter what is in my head, getting out to ride helps distill it down to the most basic parts. After a ride, I feel much more relaxed and able to face the other aspects of my life. I’m a firm believer in Cycology!
Discovery
One of the best things about cycling is being able to explore new places and discover new things. While I haven’t had the chance to go anywhere out of the ordinary yet, cycling has helped me to discover the hidden little corners of Ontario that normally I would speed past if I were in a car.
Taking time to slow down and observe the world from another perspective is amazing. There is nothing greater than some of the sunsets, sunrises, meadows, and wildlife I’ve been lucky enough to witness.
Community
Last season, I signed up for my local cycling club. I was pretty nervous showing up for my first group ride. Coming from a mountain biking background I was worried about the stereotype that road bikers are elitist and reluctant to put up with newbies. Instead, I was welcomed by a group of some of the kindest people I’ve ever shared a road with. They were eager to share their passion for cycling with new people and took the time to explain every aspect of the sport at a speed that everyone was comfortable. I went from dreading the first Wednesday night group ride, to counting down the days until the next time I ‘d be in a rotating pace line.
Conclusion
I guess that what I’m trying to say with all this longwinded talk about cycling is; it’s important to find your passion. Whether it’s cycling, running, sewing, drawing, or anything else, if you can find the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, everything else will fall into place. I promise.
The Bearded Gear 