VeloWeb  »  Blog

Full Circle: A return to the West Kootenays

July 28, 2008

More than 27 years had gone by since I last bicycled the undulating roads of the West Kootenays. That was too long, I’d recently decided, and made a visit part of my holiday itinerary, following duties at the Lake Louise control of the 2008 Rocky Mountain 1200 randonee. In Nelson, B.C. (533m), I readied my Rivendell Blériot bicycle […]

Read the full article →

BC Randonneurs’ Rocky Mountain 1200, 2008

July 27, 2008

Icefields Parkway, Alberta The Rocky Mountain 1200 is Canada’s premiere 1200km randonnée, traversing some of the most sublime mountain terrain in British Columbia and southwestern Alberta. It made it’s debut in 1996 and is now held every four years, in the year following Paris-Brest-Paris. In 2008, Amanda Jones and I travelled to Alberta to help administer […]

Read the full article →

Eagles, bears and intrigue on Vancouver Island

June 1, 2008

“Back down the highway, mortals were dodging Zeus’s own fireworks display—punctuated by peals of thunder and sheets of rain.” Having seen eight cyclists off at 6AM, on the 70 kilometre southward leg of the newly-created “Northward Ho!” 600 km brevet, Amanda Jones and I scurried back to the motel for breakfast. At 7:30, we headed […]

Read the full article →

Rivendell Blériot: Maiden Flight, November 14, 2007

November 14, 2007

On the road less-travelled Today, I piloted my newly-built Rivendell Blériot on its first adventure—a 100 kilometre tour over chip-sealed rural roads, rain-softened gravel trails, debris-strewn highway shoulders and pot-holed industrial areas. This was also the first occasion to test the new 650b Grand Bois “Hetre” tyres.¹ First impressions are positive: great flotation, confidence-inspiring in the […]

Read the full article →

Entering the zone: Tsunami randonée, 2007

June 30, 2007

The route known as “Tsunami” was my first go at mapping, as nascent Vancouver Island route coordinator. Stephen Hinde encouraged me to create a 300 kilometre brevet that snaked up to Port Renfrew, north of Victoria, I think, as a kind of “parting gift” as he contemplated retirement from the position. At any rate, I […]

Read the full article →

Slipslidin’ away to a snowy cycling destination

November 27, 2006

I had begun to resemble an alpine larch, having built up a rather substantial layer of rime on my north side. On fat tires, after the storm The rain had just turned to sleet, as I left the house at 9a.m., and the inclination to spend half-an-hour switching from one inch Conti Gran Prix tyres […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →