This past weekend was a really busy one with a visit to the optometrist for a checkup on Saturday and then, not finding any glasses that I liked at the mall, Sage and I ended up going out to another store on Sunday to find a pair that we liked. (And we did! It’ll be 2-3 weeks before they come but I will share a photo. I really like them!)
Sunday was an incredibly packed day. I woke up raring to go at 4:00 AM and thought for a minute that I might just head out on a bike ride then and there. However, Sage was still asleep and I didn’t want to crash around the bedroom looking for gear and getting ready. It was probably really a good plan because by the time she woke up at 8:00 AM or so I was ready for a nap of almost two hours!
And believe it or not, with all that plus heading all the way downtown to get glasses, I still found time for a really lovely bike ride. I had been both looking forward to this and a little trepidatious after the last ride. I mean, what if I don’t actually like riding anymore? Yeah, I also have a nonsense-brain that likes to give out discouragement from time to time. It didn’t matter, though. The time was right to have a ride and see.
When we lived closer to downtown I used to like riding out to Beare Hill at the far edge of Scarborough. The old route was a really nice one with lots of bike lanes and trails to get there. It actually is just as far from our new place though there’s more road riding so I put off trying it for a long time.
The first part of the trip was along the Finch Hydro Corridor, a dedicated trail that goes across most of the north side of the city. The trip started with a bit of whimsy when a cyclist slowly passed me going the other direction on a mountain bike. He had a little dog in a baby sling.
Much of the road through Scarborough was pretty busy but drivers were really respectful. I mean really, out of well over 300 cars that passed me that day, every single one gave me space and was fine. As a side note, nothing helps remind me that most drivers are relatively decent than getting to the end of a ride knowing exactly how many people passed me and how fast they were going. I usually go “Really? 450 cars? None of them was even memorable.
There were some nice spots along the way, though. They are clearly expanding the Finch Hydro Corridor. Some of it is just gravel and blocked off but lots of it is ready. Like this:
Here the path crosses a road. Bicycles have a dedicated light to cross safely.
The path itself is a delight to ride. Smooth, fast, and no cars. Only a few pedestrians and other cyclists very rarely. (You might be able to see a runner below though!)
For all my talk about stopping for snacks and all in that previous ride’s entry, I didn’t do anything of the sort. I did try to stop at a Sri Lankan takeaway along the way, thinking vadai might be good cycling fuel but I didn’t get to try. There was no secure bike parking where I could leave the bike even for a minute. So I ate a chocolate energy bar, washed it down with some water and off I went. Just about an hour after I left home – right next to a subway stop and busy streets, I found myself here.
Out here cars pass every few minutes. It’s funny to think that the photo below was also taken on Finch Avenue – the same street I left from that is a low-grade freeway near where I live.
It even feels rural out here:
Wait what’s that sign say…?
Does that say what I think it says?
Snake Habitat! I’ll be giving that area a bit of space even though milk snakes are harmless. You can definitely see lots of wildlife out in this part of town. I’ve seen coyotes, foxes, and deer out this way before. On a trip last summer, Daegan and I saw an otter cross the road and there are even signs warning about bears though I’ve been lucky not to ever see them here.
Being near the Rouge river there’s one thing I can count on in this area and that’s hills. I’m so glad I got the new bike for these. The bike has a carbon frame so it’s lighter but also has better gears for climbing. This made the hills much more manageable this time than previous visits. On one of the biggest and longest hills of the trip I did ride past a man who was walking down the hill on my side. As I passed he shouted “You can do it!” Isn’t it funny that even random encouragement from a stranger can feel good.
Riding back I tried another Sri Lankan takeaway on the other side of the street and found the same thing was true. At least this time the snacks would wait until I got home. I pushed to the end, achieving 4 personal records on various segments before pulling in the driveway. Another ride done. Here are the stats for the curious:
But thanks to some of the tech I have on the bike (in this case a cadence meter), I can also tell you that I spun the pedals around 10,933 times in that ride. Who knew?! And another cool statistic I got via wandrer.earth: I rode on 22.1 kilometres of road that I’ve never biked on before.
And the verdict? I had a great time. I loved having no rules for speed and not even pressure from within. This meant that if I felt like stopping for a photo
And though I didn’t actually get to stop and enjoy some food along the way as I might’ve preferred, I loved having the option.
We’ve got a long weekend coming up and though it might be crazy, I’m giving serious thought to trying for the 200+ kilometre ride I tried a couple weeks ago. This time, though, it’ll be solo with stops anywhere I like at whatever pace I like. And there will be stops for photos.
Hey there are also great things happening in the world too! Check it out:
EV battery waste is being mined in China to create a “circular economy”, reducing the need for mining of new materials and environmental damage from waste.
As people are watching the ports and shipping traffic, we’re all becoming more aware of how much is shipped via container ship. Meanwhile one company is looking at using traditional sailing vessels for delivery. Not only that, even more exciting is the fact that wind power is being looked at to reduce the energy usage of traditional cargo ships.
Cities can be really noisy and stressful places for anyone but for neurodivergent people they can be especially trying. This is why it’s really cool that an organization called Kulturcity has mapped New York City to promote inclusivity – identifying lower stimulus calming spaces. The site is called “Let’s Map Neu York” and you can see it here. I’m actually a bit inspired to look at doing something here in Toronto. Last weekend’s ride was a great example of many of the places that are calm and relaxing.
I think even some of the busiest places have calming spots. I remember even in Delhi, places like Lodi Gardens or the Mehrauli Archaeological Park are free and quiet spaces.
What places do you go to in your city when you need peace and quiet?
