Coffeeneuring #7 – Coffee Outside at Hog’s Back

 

• Date: 2023-11-03
• Where to: Hog’s Back Falls
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 14.51 km
• Bike: Rawland Olaf

Over my usual two little bridges on the Brookfield path, up the Sawmill Creek path and across the Airport Parkway Bridge, then over to Mooney’s Bay and down to Hog’s Back Falls for coffee. Continued along the path by the river and back home via Data Centre Road. Nice to be out for a ride first thing in the morning.

 

Coffeeneuring #6 – East along the Rideau

 

• Date: 2023-10-29
• Where to: Tim Horton’s St. Laurent and Donald
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 25.28 km
• Bike: Rawland Olaf

Went along Rideau River Eastern Path and then over to St. Laurent and return. Passed the Adàwe Crossing Bridge and other bridges over the Rideau. Coffee at the Tim Horton’s at Rideau and Donald. Bought some leg warmers because it is getting cold. Nice ride under a gloomy sky.

 

Coffeeneuring #5 – After Work Coffee

 

 

 

 

• Date: 2023-10-25
• Where to: Bridgehead Bank and Grove
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 10.24 km
• Bike: Rawland Olaf

A quick ride after work. A short and uneventful but pleasant ride. Dropped off a library book then went down Bank to Bridgehead. Went home via Carleton, the Canal and Hog's Back/Brookfield.Went over Billings Bridge on the way to the coffee and over Hog's Back and the two little bridges on the Brookfield track on the way home.

 

 

Coffeeneuring #4 – Through the Experimental Farm

 

 

 

• Date: 2023-10-17
• Where to: Starbucks Preston St.
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 14.33 km
• Bike: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross

Nice ride through the Experimental Farm to the Civic, a quick appointment, over to Preston St. for coffee, another Starbucks, then rode back along the canal. Went over a little bridge and a lock gate.

 

Coffeeneuring #3 - Happy Goat coffee and a wiggly route home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Date: 2023-10-14
• Where to: Happy Goat Bank Street
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 10.69 km
• Bike: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross

On this ride it occurred to me that I could have A Theme: bridges. There were two bridges on the previous two rides (same two bridges on each) but I didn’t think to take pictures of them. I hope that doesn’t invalidate the whole theme idea. There were many more on this ride. The fun of this route is that you go through Brewer Park then under the Bronson Bridge then over the little wooden bridge leading into Carleton. But going along the Rideau through the Carleton campus you pass more bridges: the new bike and pedestrian bridge and the older railway bridge. Then, as you follow the canal north you go under the Heron Road bridge. Once you get to Hog’s Back it’s over another bridge. Finally, past the Brookfield roundabout there are the usual two little bridges on the way home.

 

The new, not quite finished, bike and pedestrian bridge over the Rideau River.

 

 

Another view of the new bridge, with the older railway bridge behind it.

 

 

Coffeeneuring #2 - library pickup + coffee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm completely behind on actually posting about the coffeeneuring rides, so here's the start of the catch-up.

• Date: 2023-10-12
  
• Where to: Heron Park Second Cup
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance: 6.67 km
  
• Bike: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross

A second less than idyllic coffee spot, right on Bank Street, but decent coffee and a good fit with my route to and from the library and a pleasant ride.

Coffeeneuring #1 - coffee and groceries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm resuscitating the moribund blog as part of my attempt at coffeeneuring. I've attempted coffeeneuring in previous years and circumstances or inertia have always prevented me from seeing it through to the end. I've always enjoyed the rides, and coffee, I did manage though. We'll see how this year goes 

Ride #: 1 

• Date: 2023-10-08 
• Where to: Starbucks South Keys 
• Drink: dark coffee with cream
• Distance:  10.97 km
• Bike: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross 

Not my favourite coffee spot, you're sitting in a parking lot, but I needed to get something at Loblaws and the actual ride along the Sawmill Creek path is nice. I should have taken some pictures along the ride. 

Bus Today

Had to take the bus to work this morning. Pumping up my rear tire before leaving I noticed a cut through the sidewall with the tube bulging out. It seemed likely to pop sooner rather than later and the prospect of fixing a flat and booting the tire on a cold morning and being late for work into the bargain wasn’t very appealing. I would have had to make sure I actually had something to boot the tire with along with me too. This is the second time on the bus this week, as on Wednesday I took the kids to the dentist and then took the bus to work. I can put on my Pari-Motos to replace the damaged tire but I think I’ll want to get something cheaper and more robust for fall commuting.

What to buy?

The first fall commute

Dark and pouring rain. Must dig out the shoe covers. Labour Day past. Everyone back to school. Deadlines approach.

Nice ride home though.

Back on Fixed

Yesterday was my first ride on fixed gear since the disintegration of the rear hub bearing on my Voodoo Dambala in the spring. It went surprisingly smoothly; I don’t seem to have picked up too many pernicious coasting habits since April. The saddle needs to go up a little and I think I may raise the gearing from 42 x 17 to 42 x 16. The Dambala came into service last year after the discovery of a crack in the head tube of my Kuwahara (a touring bike set up as a fixed gear.) In the early spring the rear hub bearing fell to pieces and I started commuting on the Marinoni. I think the ability to change gears made my commute a little faster but I’m not sure it improved my fitness any. I was forced to actually get something done by a horrifying discovery about the front wheel of the Marinoni. Last week I noticed the braking feeling a bit grabby and by Friday it was really, really grabby. I took off the front wheel to have a look and discovered that the rim was beginning to split along the brake track. So one bike is back in service and another is out. I really need to get more than one bike going at one time.

A fall commute

Not as cold this morning as it was on Friday (6 degrees C rather than 2) which was a good thing, as I discovered that I’d only brought home one of my leg warmers. My tights have completely disappeared and I couldn’t find my Bicycle Fixation knickers this morning. Confusion reigns. I did find proper fleece gloves, which was nice. My hands were frozen by the time I got to work on Friday.

Saw a nice Surly LHT locked outside the RA Centre when we came out tonight. SON hub, shellaced bars, Brooks saddle, etc.