Sunday, August 29th
Join us for a ride to Jordan and Back:
See you at Runners’ Edge at 8:00am.
Sunday, August 29th
Nice ride through the lands east of the Welland Canal this Sunday, with a climb up the escarpment and a quick dash back down near St. Davids.
See you all at Runners’ Edge at 8:00am.
Sunday, August 22nd
Here’s a nice loop up through Effingham for Sunday’s ride, called South Sixteen.
I will be at the Simcoe Shores Relay this Sunday, but Ian will be there to lead the ride starting at Runners’ Edge at 8:00am.
Sunday, August 15th
A new direction for our cycling this week - east to St. Davids and though the farmlands of Niagara on the Lake.
Same start time of 8:00am at the new Runners’ Edge on Sunday morning. See you there!
Sunday, August 8th
This Sunday is the Grimsby Tri/Du, so if you’re remotely interested in trying a tri or a du, this is the closest one we have. Spots are still available. At the very least come on over to Grimsby and see what it’s all about. Everything centers around Nelles Park on Lake Street in Grimsby.
If you must cycle on Sunday, here’s a medium size route suggestion for those who will meet at Runners’ Edge at 8:00am.
Sunday, August 1st
Two rides this Sunday, one short and one long:
The short is called Effingham Village and is 31k
and
The long is called Beamsville Ride and is 62k
Join us for one or the other at 8:00am Sunday at Runners’ Edge.
Sunday, July 25th
Two routes again this Sunday:
Shorter thru Balls Falls or Longer to Welland
Join us at 8:00am at Runner’s Edge.
Sunday, July 4th
A nice loop with some ups and downs for this Sunday morning.
Sunday, June 20th
Lots of new bikes appearing among our friends, so hopefully we’ll have some new and keen riders this Sunday. The proposed route is out to Jordan, and then up the escarpment and a fast downhill from Rockway. Come out and help our new riders!
Sunday, June 6th
Join us for an easy, mostly flat ride this Sunday at 8:00am at Runners’ Edge.
The forecast is great, and depending on the number of riders, we can split into groups.
Sunday, May 30th
Riders, I can’t join you this Sunday, because it’s moving weekend.
Please gather at Runners’ Edge at 8am and make a group decision on a ride route. Here’s a suggestion.
The weather forecast is great. Have a good ride and I’ll see you next Sunday.
Sunday, May 23rd
What is it with Sunday weather this month? The forecast is calling for chance of showers this Sunday for the umpteenth Sunday in a row, but let’s plan a great cycling trip anyway - -
See you on Sunday at 8:00am.
Sunday, May 16th
Some of us will be in Cleveland this weekend for the Cleveland Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10K. However, those of you still in Niagara on Sunday should take advantage of what is forecast to be a nice morning. I suggest this loop out through Jordan and back through Rockway with a nice climb up 19th Street and the chance to zoom back down Pelham Road. It’s a nice ride!
Scott Stevens said he’d lead the group, so look for him at Runners’ Edge at 8:00am, and have a great ride.
Sunday, May 9th
Join us this Sunday for a nice easy ride out to Vineland and back.
It’s Mother’s Day, so bring your Mom if she has a 10 speed!
Like last week, we’ll start at 8:00am, and new riders are welcome. With the number of people who are showing up, we should be able to break the group up into sections according to riding ability, so come out and join us.
Sunday, May 2nd
Let’s try the Effingham Village route this Sunday that we were unable to do last Sunday due to the rain.
We’re going to move the start time to 8:00am, so that we finish in time to let everyone do other things on Sunday.
New riders are welcome - - you just need a road bike, a helmet and a willingness to try. The route is 32km and the climbs are not too aggressive, so come on out and try cross-training on the bike.
Sunday, April 25th
This Sunday’s ride is called Effingham Village and it involves a ride up 5th and Effingham Rd. The ascent is gradual, but it’s a good climb. We’ll meet at RE at 9:00am unless it’s bucketing rain. Weather updates will be on our Facebook page, Runners’ Edge Cycling Club, the morning of the ride.
Sunday, April 18th
It looks like this Sunday may be cooler than what we have been enjoying, but it should still be perfect for cycling. Here’s the plan for this Sunday, April 18, a moderate 35K to Jordan and back along the Lakeshore .
We’ll stick to the same 9:00am start this week and will meet at Runners’ Edge. New riders are certainly welcome.
We’ve had lots of questions about what kind of bike you need. You need a road bike, easily identified by skinny tires and dropped handlebars. It’s not that you can’t bring other bikes, but the gearing on a road bike is set up for going fast on smooth roads, and you might have trouble keeping up on a hybrid or a mountain bike. We have had new riders every week, so if you have a road bike and a helmet, don’t be afraid to jump in. There is no charge and we do ride in two groups to accommodate experienced and newer riders.
Sunday, April 11th
Join us on Sunday for a beautiful ride through Rockway and through Balls Falls. Naturally, this ride will include a mandatory stop at the falls!
We had a great turnout of riders last Sunday, including some brand-new riders, so don’t be hesitant, we welcome new cyclists. The only criteria is a helmet and a willingness to ride for an hour and a half.
Easter Sunday Cycle
Join us for our first spring ride this coming Sunday at 9am at Runners’ Edge. We’re doing an easy trip to Jordan and back. Remember, these rides are for every level of rider - - we set the pace to accommodate everyone. So come out and give cycling a try. It’s a great cross-training for your running, and you get to see parts of Niagara you never knew existed!
Easter Sunday
Sunday cycling should begin as soon as we get accommodating temperatures. Hopefully our next ride can be April 4, which is Easter, but a cycle before the big dinner might be a good idea. Watch the website for ride updates - - we’ll post as soon as we have a weather forecast for the weekend. This coming Sunday, March 28 is the Around the Bay road race in Hamilton, and I know many of our cyclists will be competing in this classic road race around Burlington Bay.
In the meantime, try to catch a 45 minute spin on your bike with an indoor trainer. It’s boring, but it helps condition the big leg muscles.
And if you’re shopping for a new bike, this bike shops are bursting with new 2010 models and there’s lots of choice at some very reasonable prices.
First Sunday Bike Ride!
This Sunday, March 7th promises to be one of the first warm Sundays of this year, so we’re planning on our first RE Riders cycle.
Join us this Sunday at Runner’s Edge at 9am, and we’ll ride to Jordan and back. Here is the route:
http://geoapp1.geosmartniagara.ca//Hyperlink_Data/BikeRoutes/153.pdf
New riders are welcome. You should have a road bike and you must wear a helmet.
Come on out and join us for the first ride of the season!!
Spring Cycling
Hopefully in a few weeks we’ll be able to start our Sunday morning cycling rides. If you’d like to try cycling as a form of cross-training or if you’ve always wanted to try a triathlon or duathlon, join us. We meet at 8:00am in the parking lot at Runners’ Edge and beginners are welcome.
What kind of bike do I need is a common question? You need a road bike or tri-specific bike. That means skinny tires and dropped handle-bars. These bikes are made to go fast on smooth roads, and the reality is that a trail bike or a hybrid is just too heavy to keep up. Road bikes are light and amazingly responsive. If you haven’t tried one, you’re in for a big surprise. They’re agile and going fast is a treat! In addition to a bike, you’ll need pedals, cycling shoes and padded shorts. It can add up, but remember, the more you pay, the higher the quality and the lighter the bike.
If you’re bike shopping here’s a couple of ideas - - The Toronto Bike Show is coming up on March 5 and 6. It’s at the Toronto Exhibition and it’s a great place to see a lot of bikes under one roof. And there are usually some crazy deals on cycling accessories and last year’s cycling jerseys.
If you prefer to shop locally (a good idea for after-sales service), try BikeFit on Scott Street. They have a wide-range of bikes at reasonable prices. Ask for Ian, he rides with us on Sunday mornings and knows all about RE runners who want to get into cycling.
The other good local cycling shop, Liberty, had a fire last fall, and the rumour is that they’re going to have a fire-sale, but their re-opening is much delayed. How patient are you?
As for competitions, there are two tri/du tours in southern Ontario. One is the Multi-Sport series, which includes events very close in Binbrook and Welland. The other is the Subaru series, which includes a race in Grimsby. The first nearby event is Binbrook on June 13, so think about putting it in your calendar. Some of us are already registered.
If you have any training questions, or bike questions, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email. See you in a couple of Sundays!
