Cycling Saddlemen Bicycling Club

Apr.10.2009 - Posted By:John Laidlaw

Initially, the punctuation after "Eh" was a big question mark. Not anymore, please note the bold and beautiful EXCLAMATION point! We did it!!!

On Saturday, June 30th, eight, slightly psychotic Saddlemen accepted the challenge to ride 230 miles (370 km) from Windsor to Downtown Toronto in a single day. The Saddlemen were: Ben Cline, Al Duncan, John Laidlaw, Dave Reinowski, Ken Riddle, Mark Robson, Kitty Selva and Tom Zempel. Martha Riddle and Shirley Zempel provided SAG support. Jim Horn and Larry McCune joined in on the fun as they escorted us to London (half way).

We met bright and early at the Windsor Train Station and created quite a stir with everyone dressed in their Saddlemen jersey. A kid was overheard asking, "What are they about?..." After unloading the bikes and taking a few group pictures, we began our trek promptly at 6:00. A stream of yellow/orange jerseys cruised along Riverside drive. The day started to take form as we rode the first 10 miles along the waterfront. A red sun arose over Lake St. Clair shaded by clouds. The air was comfortably warm and humid with still winds. We passed our first Tim Horton's (Donut/Coffee shop) in Belle River (Mile 16) and waved to Martha and Shirley in the parking lot. Martha claims it was pure coincidence they stopped there because they did not see the arrow to turn at the corner. After Belle River, it was all farmlands for quite awhile. We took our first break at 40 miles. There was a porta-potty located in the middle of a field which was perfect. Martha complimented my meticulous planning but I swear I had nothing to do with the porta-potty location. It just worked out.

The next major town came at mile 50 as we passed through Chatham. A classic car show was taking place with highly-polished vehicles lining the street. Within a few miles, we were back out into farmlands. The miles passed by as we took turns at the front of the single pace line. The sun was shining brightly through high clouds and a tailwind started to develop. The next break came at a church (80 miles). Water bottles were filled, GU guzzled, necks were stretched and then back on the bike. The traffic increased very suddenly as we entered London which marks the half-way point. The saying 'safety in numbers' proved to be true as we commandeered a lane. The cars were extremely courteous without any horn-blowing or 'bird'-sightings. Kitty had quite a conversation with two young boys in the back of a pick-up truck as we shuffled from red-light to red-light. The red-lights and traffic gradually diminished and we were back in the country, again. Soon we passed through a small town named Thamesville where Martha and Shirley were waiting. They had purchased subs and directed us to a park they discovered. We took a longer break for lunch (40-45 minutes) to recharge the batteries. Overall, everyone still looked good at 130 miles into the ride. Only another Century remained.

Immediately after lunch, we encountered road construction. For the next five miles we shook and shimmied over diamond-ground concrete. Several water bottles vibrated loose. Soon (but not soon enough) we were back on smooth pavement. Then, the terrain started to become hilly and we split into two groups for the remainder of the ride. Shirley and Martha became increasingly more vital as they leap-frogged down the road to supply us with water and food. By this time, the day was heating up and water bottles were emptying quickly. As we neared Hamilton, the temperature started to drop and we encountered a little bit of rain. Fortunately, we saw just enough rain to cool off without being miserable or risking danger.

The last few miles going into Hamilton is all downhill. Dave Reinowski was in front pedaling like a madman as Mark and I coasted behind at a leisurely 34-35 mph...poor Dave! There was a last finale of undulating hills as we skirted Hamilton. Soon we were back on flat land as we entered the final stage of the ride which follows Lakeshore Drive (parallels Lake Ontario) up to Toronto. Traffic was amazingly light as we entered the city and caught our first glimpse of the CN Tower.....almost there!!

With five mile to go, a local cyclists asked if he could draft off us for awhile. We said, "...sure, but we're a little tired". He then asked how many miles we had in. His jaw dropped when I responded, "ummm...let's see....two hundred twenty-five".

After 13-1/2 hours of being on the road, we arrived in Toronto (Novotel). Despite the break into two groups, there was not much of a time gap. After settling into our respective hotels and showering, we met for a celebration dinner at 'The Spaghetti Factory'. Every plate was licked clean. If it wasn't, Mark gladly volunteered to assist.

Congratulations to everyone!!...it was an amazing ride. You definitely earned your 'stinkin' T-shirt on Saturday. We had incredibly ideal conditions for the ride; good tailwind, warm weather, light traffic....the list goes on. Originally, the ride date was slated for the previous Saturday (June 23rd). However, Ben Cline requested we move the date early in the planning stages. Thankfully, we did because there would've been a very strong headwind the entire day. We can argue the existence of fate, but everything worked out so remarkably well that I have to wonder.

Finally, a million-billion 'Thanks' to Martha and Shirley for all their help, support, motivation and smiles. There's no way we could've made it to Toronto without your help....absolutely no way. Just when we were sucking the last drops of water from the bottle...BAMM!...along came one of the vans. You must have ESP, or something. I cannot express my gratitude for making this all possible! And, once again, Martha scraped me from the pavement and resurrected me from the living dead.

I hate to tell you this, but I was joking when I first suggested doing this ride, last year. At the time, I thought it was so insanely far that no one would take me seriously. I have since learned my lesson and will keep my big mouth shut. Al Duncan has aptly renamed us the 'Psych'-ling Saddlemen. You're a wonderful bunch of people and I'm grateful for having the privilege to share this ride with you. Thanks to everyone!