ride to Devon

Today I rode to Devon and back -- 66.4 km. 

This wasn't my longest ride ever, but I felt like it was my most adventurous. I google-mapped my route, printed the directions and set off, unsure of exactly how things would go. 

The wind was southeast at 20-40 km per hour, so I was glad I had to go south first, while I had lots of energy. And it was quite a wind. For most of the way to Devon, I had to go south, and I really felt it. The occasional stretches riding east came as such a relief. 

Sometimes when I've used Google Maps to plan out a country bike ride, I find it disappointing, as it directs me onto gravel roads, but this time it was pretty good. There was one place where I changed the plan slightly, but other than that I followed it quite closely.

It was an absolutely fabulous day -- the temperature was right around 25 C and the sky was blue, and though the wind was fierce, it did help to keep me cool.

Alberta farmland at its best

I rode straight south of town, battling the wind all the way, and was quite happy when I came to my first left (east) turn. That road was shady and cool, and there was almost no traffic.

welcome shade

And this friendly creature was watching me from the sidelines.

Like all good things, this lovely road came to an end and I had to head south again, into the wind. That was okay until I suddenly felt an insect collide with my lip. There was a bitter taste and then a sharp pain -- apparently it was a bee, and it stung me. This was my first bee sting since I was a wee nipper, so of course my imagination ran away with me: what if I experienced an anaphylactic reaction and keeled over out in the middle of nowhere? 

I stopped riding and held some ice from my water bottle on the lip, hoping to alleviate any swelling. I don't know if it helped, but I didn't feel my airway closing or my face growing hot, so I decided I was going to be fine and continued on my way.

After a short jaunt east on a busy secondary highway, I headed south again on a quiet road winding through a scenic stretch of acreages and farmland. This brought me to the township road that connects with the main highway. 

And then the Big Hill, my reason for this ride. I didn't particularly want to visit the town of Devon; I wanted to try riding down through the North Saskatchewan River valley and up on the other side, into the town. Hubby said he thought these hills were about the same size as the hills I ride on north of town, but I wasn't so sure. I'm still not sure. 

Riding into Devon, the climb felt pretty tough, but I had a headwind and because it was my first time attempting this hill, I wasn't sure about the gearing. But I made it without much difficulty and rode to the first set of lights, where I turned into the town and stopped for a drink in the shade of the tree-lined main street, before heading back again.

Going in this direction, I started with the hill. This photo was taken just as I prepared to head down. And the downhill was downright scary; I confess I used my brakes more than once. The uphill was a breeze, but of course now I had a tailwind, and I think the incline is less on this side. 

I turned left, back onto the township road I'd ridden in on, and headed north and west from there. The riding was comfortable and easy in this direction, even with the sometimes daunting crosswinds. I arrived home a little bit hot and sweaty (and with an Angelina Jolie-esque lower lip) but also with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. 

After all, now I know what it's like to ride a bike up and down the Devon hill!