I'm glad we went for a ride last night

The weather forecast for the next few days look dismal and it's getting colder, as it is supposed to be anyway.


The bike path isn't as crowded as it usually is on a bright, warm, summer's day. Lots of fallen leaves cover portions of the bike path, a reminder that soon they will be covered with a blanket of snow themselves.


empty benches

It's time to take out our cold weather riding gear, long sleeves jersey, the full length tights, over booties, windbreaker jackets, full length riding gloves, ear muffs, etc.


We're glad to have discovered this Tim Horton's coffee shop a couple of blocks above De La Commune St. A great place to stop, rest, warm up, and just simply hang out for a bit before turning back. Early morning rides- breakfast, mid-day rides- soup, evening rides- coffee, hot chocolate, maybe a bowl of soup on a cold night.

Check out the rest of the photos on my Facebook album.

Later dudes!!

Bike Ride, September 9,2007

Bike Ride, September 9,2007, our threesome of Uncle Pilo, Uncle Marv, and myself. Departure time, early Sunday morning, 7:30am, round trip arrival time was 9:45am. Destination, St. Anne De Bellevue, via Senneville Rd, return via Chemin St. Marie, to Kirkland, DDO, and finally Pierrefonds

[Picasa Album Link for the rest of the photos]

Happy riding!!

Tito Lits

Two Ferries Ride - 2007

For the first time, this year (we rode it twice last year) , we rode the Two Ferries Tour, a total of 75 kms, round trip.

Our group was composed of our trio of Paul, Pilo and myself.

Departure time was around 9:00am. Arrival time was around noontime, possibly around 1pm.

Why 'Two Ferries'? Ferry # 1, from Ile Bizard to Laval side, across Riviere des Prairie and Ferry #2, from Oka to the Hudson side, across Lake of Two Mountains.

Municipalities that we passed along the way: Pierrefonds, St. Genevieve, Ile Bizard, Laval, Deux Montagnes, Oka, Hudson, Vaudreuil, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, Ile Perrot, St.Anne de Bellevue, Senneville, back to St. Genevieve and finally back to Pierrefonds. Wheeewww!!

It's a beautiful route, beautiful scenery along the way, always bring your camera, and also the route offers a few thrills along the way- two hills to climb in Oka (and of course, when you go up you must come down, and come down super fast) and let's not forget the #12 grade hill of Senneville.

A couple years ago, between Two Mountains and Oka, along the Route Verte, we had to slow down to a stop to allow a good size turtle to cross over to the other side of the swamp.

Today, we narrowly missed running over a snake trying to clear the bike path, crawling so fast for its life ;-)

We've got more photos to share and some videos too. Check back later, will you?

Thanks!

Tito Litsto

[ Photos at Picasa Photo Album Site ]

Sunday Morning Bike Ride To Hogs Back

Just slightly confused I think, but wasn't there a movie, a novel, made, written, about the Hogs Back of Ottawa? ;-)

While the rest of the household were asleep and the Manotick Inn was moving and swaying to the beat of the household guests' snoring, Uncle Marvin, Uncle Pilo and I snuck out for a bike ride.

Other than the fact that we love and enjoy riding, we also wanted to escape the chores associated with breakfast preparation for 20 or more people. ;-)

The route of this morning's ride was decided just as we mounted our bikes - ride to Hogs Back Rd. or Ave. or St. via Prince of Wales.

Undulating roads (TDF inspired word) of Manotick and some wind made the ride even more interesting to our knees. Oh, let's not forget the flat tire Uncle Marv had, but thanks to our speedy roadie, Speedy Felino, a spare tube was put back in place of the punctured one, air pumped into it, in no time flat ;-)

It was a beautiful sunny and warm morning perfect for a bike ride for the tres amigos bisiklistas.

From Hogs Back we rode through the 'Experimental Farm'; we're still not sure what kind of experiments they do over there. On one stretch of the bike path I noticed this sorry looking creature up ahead which I thought was a dog, all alone by itself, no one walking along side it- it turned out to be a cat. Then there's this person on a bike who we could not figure out whether it was male or female, LOL ;-) I just hope that we did not breath too much of the air around the farm, hehehehe.

On the way back we stopped by a Timothy coffee shop for some caffeine transfusion, some sugar as well through a single raspberry muffin the three of us shared. We also stopped by a Filipino owned and operated store on the way back to the Manotick Inn where, among other things, advertised on the store window, was "cow foot'. The heat and the undulating roads were starting to zap our energy so we decided to go inside and pick up a couple of pop soft drinks and we were pleasantly surprise to find out they had Sarsi (root beer like drink from the Philippines) in their cooler. So that was a treat in itself. We were burping as we rode back home ;-), must be highly carbonated that Sarsi, but it was goooood.

In all, we rode for 45 kilometers and some on this beautiful Sunday morning.

We did escape preparing, cooking breakfast but breakfast almost escaped from us, there were a few pieces of breakfast sausages, scrambled eggs, and rice left for the weary bisiklistas, but, lots of coffee, it wasn't so bad after all.


by the restrooms at Hogs Back park, my hair soaking wet from sweat


Uncle Mrvin showing off his new cycling jersey and knicker 'capri' bib ;-)


Kodak (kodakan) moments


caffeine and sugar transfusion stop at Timothy's Coffee Shop along Woodroffe Rd.


Tito Lits


bright sunshine reflecting off the coffee shop's chair

and finally


loyal cycling fans that we took on a shopping spree at the Bayshore Mall's 'Dollar Store" ;-)

Garmin date from today's ride

Data collected by Uncle Pilo's new toy, gadget, instrument, tool, device, etc., etc. - the Garmin Edge 305.

First Ride This Season, 2007 - Old Port of Montreal

Uncle Pilo and I got together and rode to the Old Port of Montreal and back - Lachine, 55th Ave for me. I logged 36 kms for this ride.

It felt so good to ride once again.

I could not find my over booties. I was concerned that my pair of wool socks won't hold the cold weather from freezing my feet, but, nevertheless, did pretty good sans le booties.

Mild tail wind heading towards the Old Port, averaging 30 kph, but headwinds on the way back, felt much colder, we manage to average 20 something kph. What wind?! This will only make us stronger when we get to the hills and inclines, right Uncle Pilo?!


Stopped for coffee and to de-ice our feet, Montreal Science Centre Cafe at the Old Port. Lots of people lining up to catch an Imax movie.


As you can see, there is still ice and snow here in Montreal.


Care for a snowball fight? :-)


Corner of St. Patrick and Lasalle Blvd, by the entrance to Rene Levesque Park.


Corner of St. Patrick and Lasalle Blvd, by the entrance to Rene Levesque Park. We appreciated the cold weather and the overcast skies which most likely kept the bike path practically empty; just die hard cyclists like Uncle Pilo and myself. :-))


Loading up the bike on to the bike rack.


odometer reading


bike gear all set up and ready in the trunk of Tito Lito's car :-)

How Fast, How Far, How Steep, How, How?

Uncle Pilo's maiden voyage with his new riding companion, his all new Garmin Edge 305









Upper two photos - Garmin cycling computer

Bottom two photos - Ice on the water, Lachine Canal, near Rene Levesque Park, Lachine, QC