this grandma rides her bike in the winter

I recently read this article about winter cycling.

The whole article is interesting, but what really caught my attention was this quote from Tom Babin's book Frostbike, in regard to Oulu, Finland:

But what really opened my eyes was being at the grocery store and seeing a grandma come out with a bag of groceries and pop it into her basket and ride off into the snow. You never see that in Canada.

Well, I hate to contradict the expert, but... on a visit to the small prairie city of Spruce Grove on a Friday or Saturday during the winter you just might see a grandma come out of the grocery store with a bag of groceries -- or two or three -- and pop them into her panniers and ride off into the snow. That grandma would be me, doing my part to normalize the idea of winter biking.

the full-to-bursting panniers

True, at first glance you might not realize that I am a grandma. I don 't have grey permed hair and a bulging midsection. I don't wear aprons. I don't even have very many wrinkles. But I do have two little grand-daughters, so that makes me a granny. 

And I ride my bike in winter. 

I ride about 17 km each day for work, and on my days off I use my bike to do all my errands around town -- grocery shopping, library, you name it. 

If it's warm, like today, I add on some extra riding on the trails in the woods.

If it's minus 30-ish, like it was earlier this month, I bundle up and sometimes make my ride a little shorter. 
But I ride almost every day. 

Why do I ride in the winter? I don't do it with the goal of normalizing the idea of winter biking; I don't do it to save money on transportation; I don't do it to make other people feel lazy -- I do it because it's fun and I love it! 
It makes me feel strong and tough and fit and happy. What other reason could I need?
 

I am Canadian and I am a grandma who rides her bike in winter!

catch-up

I can't believe it's really been more than a month since I wrote anything here.

The weekend of August 9-10 we went down to Calgary to meet up with my brother. Of course, I saw the opportunity for a good long bike ride. I started out fairly early Saturday morning and met up with Hubby in Millet, 90 km from home. If I'd known the distance, I would have ridden another 10K to make it 100 km, but oh well. Aside from a couple of inconsiderate guys behind the steering wheels of trucks -- one delivery truck and one pick-up truck -- and a dog that chased me, barking the whole time, for about 1/2 a kilometer, it was a good ride. Gorgeous sunny day. Smooth, fast pavement. Wide shoulders. Gorgeous scenery, but I didn't take many photos.

Sheep, just south of Devon

 

I stopped here to text Hubby and tell him to bring the stuff I'd forgotten!

We stayed at the Delta South in Calgary, where they cheerfully kept my bike in a locked storage room. After a superb buffet breakfast Sunday morning, we picked up my brother and went to Fish Creek park, where we walked for about 9 km. It was unexpectedly hot and there is virtually no shade on the trail, so we were ready for some cold drinks afterward. We had a most enjoyable visit and then headed home.

The summer session of ESL ended on Thursday, August 23, but I checked out a bit early, On the Tuesday, as I was riding back to the car after work, zipping along and enjoying the beautiful weather, a young kid, maybe 13 or 14, threw his skateboard out onto the shared pathway, right in front of my bike. It all happened so fast that the next thing I knew I was on the ground and blood was pouring onto the pavement. I sat there for a while, feeling stunned, then finally got up the courage to ask the kid what was bleeding. He told me I had a cut on my chin and another under my left eye.  My hands were also scraped-up and swelling rapidly. I instructed the kid to get my sweater out of my pannier and used it (white sweater, no less) to stem the flow. 

Still shaking, I finally stood up and assessed my condition. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could walk without keeling over, so I asked the kid to take my bike and come with me to my car. He obliged, but after a couple of blocks, I realized that I was OK on my own, so I sent him on his way and walked my bike the remaining 2 or 3 blocks to the car. Somehow I even managed to load the bike into the back, then I sat down behind the wheel and called Hubby. I was still shaking and was scared to drive, so we left the car where it was and Hubby drove me home. 

It was a bit of a shock to look in the mirror and realize that I had a doozy of a black eye, along with the not unsubstantial cut on my chin. But there was nothing that a few bandaids and some ice couldn't take care of, so I took the necessary steps and then lay down for the rest of the evening. It didn't take me long to conclude that I was not going to be able to teach the next two days, so I called to arrange a sub.

Wednesday and Thursday I felt pretty shaky and didn't do much of anything, but by Friday I was feeling much better, well enough to agree to a visit from my three Buddhist monk students. They came after lunch, bearing fruit and flowers, and stayed for about an hour. Youngest Son was home, so he sat in on the conversation and was entertained by stories about life in a remote Laotian village.

On Monday I was ready to get back on the bike. I went for a short ride on the trails, figuring that between my helmet and sunglasses, I could hide the worst of my injuries. The bike was in pretty good nick, except that the front brake was a bit off. So on Tuesday I rode to the bike shop, where I impressed the guys with my war wounds and listened to their crash stories. And got the bike fixed.

I'd had great plans for my two weeks off -- lots of cleaning, plenty of long bike rides, hours of sewing. But thanks to my sore right hand, extensive cleaning was out of the question. I did organize my study and do some other light cleaning, but the blinds and windows are still waiting to be attended to. I did a little sewing, but fine handwork, required for the Waldorf doll I was planning to make, has had to wait. I did some cycling, but again, because of my sore hand I didn't dare ride for more than an hour or so, and I was afraid to ride the road bike, because the shifting and braking techniques are difficult and painful. I didn't want to go out much, because I looked so awful, so I mostly stayed at home. I did a lot of walking on the treadmill, reading, and preparing for next session. I was a little sorry to have spent my break in this way, but...

My predominant feeling about this crash is one of thankfulness. It could have been so much worse -- I could have had a concussion, broken my wrist(s), done more damage to my eye... Instead I came out with a sprained hand, some scrapes and bruises, a few cuts and of course the pro boxer-style eye. Not only that, but it happened just before I was due for time off. I had to take only 2 sick days (the first I've taken since I started working.) 

And I learned a most valuable lesson: don't ride so fast on the shared pathways!

san francisco - wednesday a.m.

Let's try again for the Golden Gate Bridge. 

That's what we said after breakfast Wednesday morning. After all, we're in San Francisco. We've rented bikes. You can't rent bikes in San Francisco and not ride across the Golden Gate Bridge.

And so we made our way back down to the Bay Trail, which even at this rather early hour, was busy with cyclists and pedestrians. 

It's not easy to ride to the Golden Gate Bridge on a warm and sunny July morning.

There are the slow-moving crowds -- tour groups on bikes, couples on bikes, families on bikes...

 

There are the Trail Blockers -- people who stop smack-dab in the middle of the trail because they want to take photos or because they need to discuss their plans or just because they can.

 

And then there's Obama. Yes, I mean President Barack Obama, who just happened to be in San Francisco at the same time we were, and who just happened to be heading to a luncheon fundraiser at a private home at the same time we were heading for the Golden Gate Bridge.

We had to stop, but this was something worth stopping for -- the full motorcade, with motorcycles and fire trucks and sirens and multiple limos, followed by VTOL aircraft taking off in front of the bridge. Sadly, I am not a videographer, and while I thought I was filming the whole thing, apparently I was holding up my camera and watching the procession on the LED screen. I did get one lone photo:

After this excitement was over, the Park Rangers opened the trail and we rode onward and upward. Once again, I was ridiculously pleased to be the first to reach the top of the hill. 

This time we followed the right people and found the entrance to the bridge without any difficulty. But, if we'd thought the trail down by the shore was busy, we had to find another word to describe the multi-use path on the bridge. Very busy just doesn't cut it.

When we came here last time, about 12 years ago, it was October. We were not alone on the bridge by any means. There were some other tourists. But it was nothing compared to now. The path was so packed with people, we both agreed that we didn't even want to walk across, let alone try to ride a bike. 

Proving that you can indeed rent bikes in San Francisco and not ride across the Golden Gate bridge, we turned around and headed back down.

Being big fans of Alfred Hitchcock movies, we had to visit this spot from "Vertigo" -- the place where Kim Novak jumps into the water, to be rescued by a bedazzled Jimmy Stewart.

 And one more shot of the bike path and Hubby forging a trail through the crowd.

san francisco - Tuesday

Of course, the day began with a trip to the Bike and Roll rental shop. And of course the guy working there had no idea why no one answered the phone when I called the day before. But he was sweet about giving me a different bike, complete with a flat repair kit, and we rode away happy.

Hubby and I had different ideas about what would be interesting, so we decided to split up for a couple of hours. He'd go his way; I'd go mine. Funny enough, last night as we walked back to the hotel after dinner, I heard another couple making similar plans -- she wanted to go shopping while he was going to some museum. It's always nice to know you are, in some ways, like your fellow man, right?

What I wanted to do was just ride my bike around, exploring the streets, looking at shops, watching the people. So I ventured a little off the beaten track and rode up and down some hills and somehow ended up at the Crookedest Street. Another overrated sight. We went there last time we were in San Francisco, and it didn't seem so bad, but that was in October. This time it was so crowded, a person could barely walk. I had to walk the bike down, as it would have been insane to try to weave my way through the pedestrians. This street is the approach to the Crookedest Street:

 

 After lunch, we decided to take the ferry to Sausalito and ride up to the Golden Gate Seminary area. My friend from Wisconsin attended this seminary many years ago, and she told me that this area is a must-see. 

So we rolled the bikes onto the ferry and rode across the bay.

Alcatraz, seen from the ferry

The bike route in this area is simply amazing. First, there is a wide multi-use path that winds along the shore, past some charming houseboat-type cottages and crane-inhabited marshes. That would be crane as in bird, not the construction cranes we see all over Edmonton. 

Houseboats, Sausalito-style

hello, Kath! I made it here!

 The Seminary Road is not a dedicated bike path, but traffic is light and it's marked as a bike route, so we felt safe and comfortable riding there. We stopped for a photo at the entrance to the seminary grounds, but hubby declined the option of riding uphill to the actual building. The road winds around, up and down hill, turning into Strawberry Road, and offering a great view of the bay or whatever water is down there. My favourite bit along this road was when we passed "The Club at Harbor Point" where the sign for the Nourish Grill says, "Public and Bicyclists Welcome." Unfortunately, the timing was wrong -- we were not hungry or thirsty at this point. But it was tempting to go just in response to that sign!

It's always a bit hard riding in places like this as a newbie, as you don't know exactly how long it will take to get back or what awaits you on the trail ahead. Being cautious in nature, I tend to play it safe and often wish I could go back and do it again, stopping along the way, or taking that side road that I passed up. It was like that this time; we headed back to the ferry landing earlier than we needed to --  sort of wish we had gone on to Tiburon. But maybe next time we're down that way... It was an amazing ride, nonetheless, and I felt a wee bit envious of the many road cyclists we saw, who can enjoy that route any time. 

And this made me laugh -- reminded me of the shared pathway I ride on my way to work each day. It was the second shopping cart I saw along here.

While waiting for the return ferry, we struck up a conversation with a family from Flanders who are taking three weeks to tour California, Nevada and Utah. Their English was excellent, and the teen girl told me they study it in school from age 14 on, but that the real secret of their success is English TV and music! Her little 9 year old brother, she told me, can't really speak English yet, but he can understand quite a lot. Who says TV isn't good for anything?

san francisco

When we left for San Francisco on Sunday, I knew we were planning to rent bikes. Having visited the city before, I also knew that there are lots of steep hills. Oh well, I thought, if the hills are too hard to ride up, I'll just walk the bike. No big deal.

glad to see he's working on it

Our flight was delayed (yes, it was as bad as it looks and took almost 3 hours to fix!) and the ride from the airport took longer than expected, so it was late afternoon when we finally got settled in our hotel, and we decided to pick up the bikes the next day. On foot, we visited Chinatown and had dinner at the Mona Lisa restaurant in Little Italy.

I wish she'd quit smirking at us!

Early Monday morning, we headed (uphill) to Bike and Roll to pick up our Trek Verve Comfort Hybrids. I had never ridden anything quite like it -- even my Trek FX 7.2 step-through has a less upright seating position. But it turned out to be a pretty decent ride.

It was raining. A light rain, but steady. Not exactly what we expected, but ah well... it's just water. We set off (downhill) to the bike trail, thinking we'd ride up to the Golden Gate Bridge. As we rode, the rain increased until soon it was a steady downpour. The fog was so dense we couldn't even see the Golden Gate Bridge, so we were pretty sure that we wouldn't be able to see anything from the bridge. It was wet and cold and miserable. We stopped in at a sporting goods store, where Hubby bought some cycling gloves,  and then we turned around and rode back to the hotel, hoping the rain would stop.

After downing some tasty Louisiana shrimp at Bubba Gump's (we chose to eat here because one of my students absolutely loves the movie "Forrest Gump"-- and because, even in the fog, it offers a nice view of the bay) we started out again.

foggy first full day in San Fran

The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing, so after a detour to Telegraph Hill and the Coit Tower...

halfway up to Coit Tower

 ...we decided to try again for the Golden Gate Bridge.

It's a bit of an uphill climb to the bridge, and I was quite pleased with the bike. I tackled the hill as if it was one of the River Valley climbs and found myself passing everyone else. When I reached the top I felt good and not even out of breath.

We weren't sure exactly where to go from this point, so we followed some loud-mouth guy who sounded as if he knew what he was doing. He probably did, but clearly he had a different destination in mind -- NOT the bridge.

Up another hill, around a bend, and this breathtaking vista was before us...

I caught my breath when I came around the bend...

We didn't know exactly where we were, but it was a marked bike route and beautiful, and we could see that we had left the bridge behind us...

Our goal -- behind us! How did that happen?

... so we decided to keep going. Finally, thanks to some friendly natives and our less-than-adequate tourist map, we ended up on the road to Golden Gate Park.

In my opinion, this park is overrated. It's pretty, with gorgeous flower gardens and large exotic-looking trees, but it was so crowded with cars and pedestrians that cycling was not very pleasant. The bike lane is placed between parked cars and the sidewalk, so that people who wanted to reach their cars had to cross the bike lane, often in large groups with strollers, kiddie bikes, etc. So I was not altogether sorry when I saw the Dutch windmill on the right, because I knew that marked the westernmost edge of the park. Pretty lousy shot, with the street lamp right in front, but oh well...

the Dutch windmill

Now it was time to ride along the ocean front -- fantastic! We saw a lot of surfers (wearing wetsuits) and I was almost tempted to stick my feet in, but as it wasn't very warm out, I thought I'd hold off.

too cold to swim

Another fairly decent climb awaited us, and then another. Hubby was not impressed when we hit the second climb so soon after the first! I think it reminded him of riding in the River Valley.

And then, downhill -- and a flat tire for me. Somehow I managed to ride over a long, twisted, rusty nail that went into the bottom of the tire and came out on the side. Bummer.

But - the guy at the bike rental shop had assured us that if we got a flat, all you have to do is call and I'll be there... Oh, wait, I'm getting it mixed up with that James Taylor song. But he did say they would come to the rescue.

Problem: we didn't have our cell phones. Taking out our not-so-trusty map, we discovered that fortuitously, we just happened to be at an intersection shown thereon. And, it was just a short walk to a more or less main drag, where surely there would be some place we could make a phone call. Maybe there'd even be a bike shop? If nothing else, we figured, we could catch a bus.

It was about four or five blocks -- amazingly not up or down hill -- to California Street, where there was a gas station  on the corner. Not much else, though, and certainly no bike shop. But the gas station attendant was friendly and helpful and made several calls from his own phone. First call -- to Bike and Roll. No answer. I left a message on the voice mail, but didn't have a lot of hope. Next, he called two different bike shops, but both were closed.

What about the bus, we asked? He was only too happy to tell us how to get back to our hotel by bus, and an equally friendly customer confirmed the directions. The bus stop was nearby, so that's what we did. We had to take two different buses; both bus drivers were super helpful with the bikes and with directions, and we made it back with no trouble.

I have to confess that after this, I was a little discouraged about the whole bike idea. But we decided that when we took the bike in to get a replacement, we'd also ask for a flat repair kit. That way, at least we wouldn't be stranded if we had another flat. And of course, as any Murphy's Law adherent knows, as long as we had the flat repair kit on hand, we wouldn't get a flat tire anyway.

from Telegraph Hill

River Valley East

Since Hubby and I had been stymied in our efforts to get past Wayne Gretzky Drive a couple of nights ago -- we weren't sure about the best way to go -- last night we decided to drive all the way to Capilano and enter the River Valley from there.

We went later in the day, and it was hot, hot, hot. 27 C with Humidex of 30. There was not really any wind to cool us off. We rode up lots of hills, which made us feel the heat even more. But it was a good ride.

First we rode east to Rundle Park. Not exactly pleasant on a hot Saturday afternoon -- there were so many people on the trail, we felt like we were a nuisance.

So we turned around and rode west to the Cloverdale foot bridge and then back up to Wayne Gretzky Drive. This time, we had our map, so after looking it over, we decided to climb out of the valley on to Ada Boulevard, following that as far as the Rundle foot bridge. From there it was back to the parking lot and the air conditioned ride home.

i take what i can get

It really is true -- you can't have everything in this life. 

Hubby outright refuses to ride the country roads -- range roads and township roads -- with me. But he is happy to drive into the city and ride around in the River Valley. So that's what we did. We spent about 3 hours exploring various trails -- some old, some new. Up Emily Murphy hill, up Forest Heights hill, up the hill to 142 Street. Lots of downhills, too.

It was a warm evening, sunny, but sort of hazy. I had to stop at this lookout point in Forest Heights park and take some photos. 
I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place, even if the weather is like the girl with the curl: 

When it's good, it's very, very good;

But when it's bad, it's horrid.

Fortunately, right now we are having quite a long spell of the very, very good, and I intend to make the most of it!

River Valley Ride

 

 Another evening of riding in our beautiful, amazing River Valley. In preparation for riding in San Francisco later this month, Hubby and I rode just over 42 km, from our parking spot in Callingwood to Wayne Gretzky Drive, mostly on trails. 

It was about 27 degrees and sunny, but in the valley you don't notice the heat. It was also rather windy, but in the valley you don't notice the wind. 

In other words, the valley is pretty much the perfect place to ride.

 And of course, you come out of the valley and all around are views like these.

We ate at Old Spaghetti Factory. It is not my favourite place, but -- as Paddington Bear would say -- it is very good value indeed. 

From there we rode back to the car on the city streets and at one point I thought I'd died and gone to cyclists' heaven. But no, it was just Stony Plain Road with new pavement. I think someone who counts heard my cries of anguish as I rode over all those cracks and crevices and puddles and ridges and other bone-jarring stuff during the past three years. I never like to think about winter when the weather is like this, but I have to say that I feel like I have something to look forward to. 

first bike ride

Today was an important day in the life of Little Granddaughter -- her first bike ride! We've had the child seat in place for a while, in anticipation of this day. Since her daddy is away with the military (in Hawaii, of all places) and her mummy works as an RN, and since I am off work this week, LGD is joining us from 6:30-3:30 each day. I drove in at 6:00 a.m. to pick her up and couldn't wait for it to warm up a bit so we could go for a ride.

After a helmet fitting, we started off at about 10:00, and before we'd even left the driveway, she was saying "Whoo!" I wasn't sure if it was a happy sound or a scared sound, so I stopped to check and was pleased to see a big smile on her face. We rode all around the trails, stopping at the playground so she could try out the slides and swings. 

We were bouncing up and down on the bouncy thing -- sort of like a teeter-totter -- when the bike, which I had parked against a post, caught her eye and she pointed, asking to get down. As soon as I lifted her off the seat, she ran to the bike, waiting to be lifted into the seat. I was happy to oblige.

We rode a little more, past a pond ("Duck! Duck!) and then up the hill and back home for a nap.

losing a pedal

The good news -- it wasn't my own bike.

The bad news -- it was Hubby's bike, on Sunday, while we were riding together along the river. 

We had reached Rossdale and were preparing to rejoin the riverside trail, when Hubby announced he had to pull over at the first convenient spot. We stopped and he showed me his pedal, dangling from the post at a most awkward angle. At least it was the pedal and not his arm or leg or head. But it did mean that our ride was interrupted and we had to walk from 96 Avenue down at the bottom of the hill to MEC, about 4.5 km away. I did ride up the hill to 107 Street, something I've always wanted to try, but then we walked together across the Legislature grounds over to Ezio Faraone Park before heading north on 112 Street. At MEC they gave us the bad news: they couldn't fix the bike right then and there.

So, I rode to the car and drove back down to pick up Hubby and his disabled bike.

Until that time, it had been a good ride. It was a beautiful day, all too rare in these parts. 

We rode through Laurier Park and Hawrelak Park and up Emily Murphy Hill in front of the U of A. This was a first. Not only was it the first time I'd ridden up that hill; it was the first time I'd seen the Uni from that side. I'd always considered the campus to be kind of ugly, but it looks quite nice from that vantage point.

Our plan was to ride to Capilano bridge, but we'll have to keep that road for another day, as the poet says, knowing that we will surely be back. 

Strangely enough, as we walked our bikes to MEC, we saw a guy fixing his chain, another guy changing a flat and a third guy walking his bike because he had problems with his derailleur. Apparently we were not the only ones whose ride was thwarted.

Saturday River Valley Ride

I was thrilled last Saturday (June 14th) that Hubby agreed to come with me for a 45 km ride in the River Valley. I'd like to think it was the thought of spending the day riding with me that made him so willing, but I suspect that the fact that I bribed him agreed to stop for a Turkish dinner of iskender at Kebab Express on Whyte Ave. might have helped a bit.

We started at my Callingwood parking spot and rode along Wolf Willow, into Patricia Heights and through Rio Terrace to the pink bridge across the Whitemud. From there it was down the steep and winding trail to Laurier Park. We rode across the bridge into Hawrylak Park and from there to Emily Murphy park where we took an unpaved trail east. I found this trail a bit unnerving. There are a few sudden turns and hills, and the surprise factor combined with the rough surface made for a bit of an adventure. But we made it and finally came to a nice paved trail that led to the LRT (blue) bridge across the river. That was a first. We came out at the bottom of Fortway hill, which looks pretty formidable from down below. Looking up, I felt rather proud to think I ride up this incline almost every morning.

 

From here, we continued east through the Rossdale neighbourhood and along the river , stopping for a photo shoot at the Edmonton Queen viewing platform.

Since it was getting close to dinner time, we looked for a place to cross back to the south side of the river. Spotting the Walterdale Bridge, we rode across, only to find that the trail was closed. Back we went, continuing east to this brown footbridge.

Once on the south side, we rode west and uphill to a set of stairs that took us to Saskatchewan Drive. From there it was a short ride to Whyte Avenue and the Turkish restaurant.

After our meal -- which was as stellar as always -- we rode back to Sask. Drive, across the High Level Bridge and down  via a route that was new for me. Instead of riding down Fortway or Victoria Park Road, we descended on a paved trail that twists and turns and ends up behind the Royal Glenora Club and crosses to the River Valley Road trail. I had suspected such a trail existed, but didn't know exactly where it was or what it would be like to ride on, so I was glad to have a chance to try it.

We took my usual route up into the Crestwood neighbourhood. I wanted to try to find the pedestrian overpass that crosses the Whitemud into Patricia Heights. Easier said than done. We rode around some residential streets and finally ended up crossing the Whitemud on 156 Street. When we reached the south end of the elusive pedestrian overpass, Hubby surprised me by suggesting we ride across to the northside and find out where exactly it is. So we did that. I still am not completely sure how to get to it from the north side, or even whether it would be worth using, but it was a bit of an adventure anyway. To finish our ride, we took 87 Avenue to the shared pathway across from Target, which takes one to another pedestrian overpass not far from our parking spot.

Total distance -- 45 + km. The temperature was around 20 and it was sunny, so it was a good day for riding. There was a brisk southeast wind, but in the valley it is not very noticeable, so it was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. And yet another chance to be reminded of how lucky we are to have such an amazing area to ride.