Cross Ride

[wonger]

I'd like to do a slightly longer ride Friday morning the 27th if people think they can pull that off. Planning to head north by the Cedar Hill golf course, through Reynolds over to Lochside, through Broadmead over to Elk/Beaver lakes, back to town on the Colquitz trials and if we have time, join the gang for coffee.

It's gonna take about two hours, maybe a bit less. I propose that we meet at the Petro-Canada station at Shelbourne and Hillside/Lansdowne for a prompt 6:00 am departure. And we should plan to pedal fast for this one. Please post here if you are interested in joining me.

[mfarnham]

I'm planning to ride tomorrow (Tues). Post if you're coming to ride cross. Geoff, I can probably do the longer Friday ride.

Martin

[Rolf]

Skipping tomorrow, out Wednesday for FarmCross, and I really like your Friday idea, Geoff: count me in!

[Greg F]

Don’t know about Friday but we’ll both be riding Tuesday.

[esilnarson]

I will be out on Tuesday and likely Friday too.

[Alan]

I'm in. I have a new bike and so I have no excuse not to ride the crap out of it...

[Rolf]

I’m sufficiently excited by your idea, Geoff, that I’m going to thieve it and try it tomorrow (Wednesday), starting at 6 am from the church at Richmond and Richardson. I’m not counting on making coffee; I *am* counting on riding briskly, without stopping much and being downtown by 8:30 at the latest. I’m also counting on moisture.

Hoping to explore a climb between Grant and Royal Oak Burial Park. Along with Elk/Beaver Lake, this is all new terrain to me.

Here's an approximate route. It's about 40km, only 10km of which are on paved road.

[mfarnham]

Sounds great but I made the mistake of showing up to the youth program's coached session in BHP this afternoon and participating. Now I can't move. Hopefully I'll recover by Friday.

Martin

[mfarnham]

Forgot to mention...I took a tumble the other day on the arched, clattery, wooden bridge that crosses the creek near the bottom of the Colquitz Trail (west side of Interurban between McKenzie and Burnside). Combination of wet leaves on wood is pretty treacherous.

Martin

[JTyre]

Geoff’s ride sounds great but my evil calendar tells me that I have a 7 am videoconference. Next time.
John Fyfe

[Rolf]

Thanks for the reminder, Martin. We took extra care over "Martin's Bridge"; but it was much safer in dry conditions.

Really fun dry loop with Alan this morning (Paul C. joined us on road tires until CHGC) based on some of Geoff's idea. It's amazing how one can ride as far as Brookleigh and back (42K), 75% on trails, and still get a coffee in before work. We got lost a couple times and suffered one flat, but then rode pretty fast whenever we could. Also: a group of two doesn't need to regroup much.

Some notes:

• Playfair Park offers nice, short-run, smooth loops with dense, tunnel-like gardens—but despite cycling being technically permitted here, I wouldn't want to go in daylight with dog-walkers;

• "riding" up the Grant Park singletrack from Lochside to the top of the Cordova Bay moraine sucked: shades of the CrossFondo, with lots of pushing the bike up stupid grades;

• BUT, it led to enjoying some fun, proper MTB downhill with berms on the way to the Royal Oak Burial Park;

• the straight-line blast up the west side of Beaver/Elk Lake is primo, leaf-strewn, gravel-grinding at its best;

• that swoopy up-and-down return to town along Elk Rd., HCP, and then Colquitz River is fast becoming my favourite trail system around;

• why would our only flat come in the Panama Flats ;

• really looking forward to Friday.

Finally: for the next two weeks, starting tomorrow, four portions of the Goose and Lochside will be closed, or slowed for asphalt repairs [details in the link].

[LouiseF]

Rolf, that uphill you rode is a primo CX downhill, especially in the dark. Sorry I didn't make it out this morning or I would definitely have talked you out of that. But I am interested in the berm-y downhill you found in the burial grounds area.

The good man I married is going to make Friday morning work for me so I should see you guys (guys in the generic sense; I really dislike the word gal so I won't use it...almost as much as I hate the word p_ _ _ i_ s. I can't even write it but had to give you a few letters so you get the idea), at the Petro Can.

[LouiseF]

No the word is not an alternate name for cats.

[Rolf]

Thanks, yes, it occurred to me that it would be fun coming down.

Dollars to doughnuts it’s American for knickers! I’ve met others like you, challenged by undies. Let me guess: you also can’t stand “moist” and you have an irrational hatred of cilantro.

[wonger]

Super psyched for a rip tomorrow! It’s going to be another stellar fall day in Victoria. Don’t forget to charge your lights and set the alarm ten minutes earlier, or later as the case may be. Mandy and I will be rolling through Fort/Foul Bay about ten to six and leaving the Hillside/Shelbourne Petro-Canada at six. Stealth mode. Hope to see you there!

[burtonbikes]

I plan to be there Geoff. I look forward to it.

(I'm bringing a spare "charged" battery with me this time )

Tom

[esilnarson]

See you in the am

[JTyre]

Jet lagged all to hell but good chance you’ll see me at the Petrocan, don’t wait for me though past 6 am.
John F

[Rolf]

Fantastic extended cross ride this morning. Thanks to Geoff for leading us down so many sweet sweet trails with nary a wrong turn.

13 made it out. 12 on cross rigs, and then there was this guy

Andrew blew through nearly 50K with us (of which at least 75% was off-road) riding these road tires, proving that a great just-get-out-there attitude is more important than specialized gear and labels.

[AJ Neale]

I'd like to add my thanks to Geoff for leading a FUN, varied, challenging and all round amazing start to the day. I hope you realize how spoiled we are to have a route laid out and all we have to do is smile and ride the roller coaster in the dark by following your enthusiastic lead. Alan and I agreed that living in Victoria for 30+ years does NOT mean that you know all of the roads and trails!

I would definitely recommend the use of a road bike for the CX rides when conditions are dry, and the route is not so technical. And now all of the hard core CXers will tell me that it's not really a CX ride if it's dry and easy!

I might just leave the tire pressure way down at 70 psi and join in again next week.

Andrew