My touchstone bike route

[shootingstar]

Yesterday I rode from northeast end to southwest end of Toronto through a route that goes through residential areas, interconnected ravin park bike routes and along a lakefront, etc. It is about 25 kms. one way but it's been over 10 years I've done this route in its entirety since I moved to VAncouver to live.

A slow ride because I was loaded down with 4 panniers and parts of route was rutted with leftover soil and sand due to flooding.

But brought back many memories...it was a route I used to do often on weekends with a round trip loop, parts I used for different bike commute routes to different employers located in different parts of Toronto. It was a route where I started off when I returned to cycling as an adult over 17 yrs. ago.

route where my dearie helped me improve my cycling skills when I first knew him.

It is a touchstone bike route. The memory of every corner,bump and turn came back to me since the route intersects several other bike routes. The ride was pleasant, but also abit more emotional for me than expected.

[Blue_Fedora]

Awwww... what a wonderful experience for you - and such memories :)

[redrhodie]

That was lovely, shootingstar.

I still ride my touchstone route occasionally. It's a local bike path. When I first started cycling in 2004, I'd ride it back and forth, over and over again, until I knew every crack and every bump. When I finally got secure enough with my bike skills to ride on the road, I realized the bike path was more hazardous than the road in many respects, especially due to dogs and children. Now, I only ride on the path at odd times, when I know it won't be crowded. There have been long stretches where I haven't gone on it, so I know that feeling you described.

[Crankin]

I have that same feeling on roads that were part of my 13 mile loop I always did from my old house, when I first started riding. I ride some of these roads fairly often, still, but never the exact loop. Yesterday I got to ride down South Acton Road 1.5 times and I never get sick of that road! It's the closest thing to flat around here, about 3.5 miles long, good for intervals and going fast. It was also part of my commute the last 2 years I taught.
Yesterday I also rode on the road where I used to see the "smoking Japanese man," who would ride extremely slowly, up this street, up a little hill, while puffing on a cigarette! He looked about 90 years old.
Then there was the "mean guy," who would run by us on part of this route, right by my old house. He would never smile, look up, or say hi when we said hi. A few years later we found out it was Bill Rodgers :eek:. He started being friendly after he had an injury and he had to walk for a few months!

[shootingstar]

Kinda neat Crankin, about that "mean" guy.

Yes, redhodie, it is riding a route over and over that becomes part of oneself. When I started cycling, I was so psyched that I would rush home, jump on bike and ride 53+ kms. for an evening.

This touchstone route or parts of it, is unavoidable if one is cycling east-west or north-south or across 3-4 quadrants across the whole city. Even when we went a long touring rides 100 kms. out of town, the trips would touch a segment of this touchstone route.

It's like a cycling "spine" or vertebrae for me in this city where I used to live and cycle 10 yrs.

Here in Vancouver, there is a different spine/touchstone bike route for me.