Brought the bike in for much needed repairs and when I got it back, they put the wrong gear on the back; found out it was wrong when I was climbing a hill and had no low gear.... Makes flat pavement easier but hills are LOADS harder..., anyways will go in again this week when the right gear comes in and get it replaced.
Now we all know how lean those bike racers are, if only the part came with a guarantee that it would make me a lean mean biking chick.
Now on to the bear story, we headed to Banff on Friday for a relaxing day of cycling and enjoying the mountains. We started out at Cascade ponds and cycled into Banff and than headed to Vermilion Lake drive, we stopped at Fenland trail for a bathroom break, and when I came out I noticed some large animal droppings, mentioned it to Wes who made no comment... off we went to explore Vermilion Lake drive. We passed a cyclist near the beginning and enjoyed the views, it was a cool, cloudy and windy day so no great pictures of Mount Rundel. When we stopped for a break at the end before turning back, the cyclist we passed caught up to us and asked "did you see the bears?" Which we both quickly answered no. He was a biologist from Banff and told us about the two grizzly sows with their cubs in the area. One had two cubs and the other three. The sow with 3 cubs had been caught and collared so they could monitor where she was but the other one wasn't. He told us he had seen them the day before and told us where they had been spotted all week, and that they just opened Fenland trail that day as the bears had been eating in the area. I know knew what the large black animal droppings were! There was lots of dumps on the road we cycled as well!
I asked if there was a different way to go and he said we could cycle a few hundred yards and hit the highway, but I was very proud of myself as I decided to go back the same way I was nervous but not frightened enough to bail to the highway.
On the way back as I was riding in the middle of the road, looking both ways and feeling a pit in my stomach as I dodged the large droppings on the road, I looked in my rear mirror and there is my husband way behind me tootling around looking for the grizzlies! When he caught up to me I said I'm nervous lets go faster, he than tells me that they are living near a town so they won't be dangerous... as he figures they would be more used to seeing humans.... I didn't buy it! (He was just hoping to see them and get a picture) Just after we got through cycling through Banff and heading back to Cascade ponds, I got a flat tire, all I can say is if that had happened a few miles back there would of been more than bear droppings on the road!
I was planning on cycling from Cascade ponds to Canmore, but we decided to head home as we figured something was wrong with my tire, not just the tube as I had a flat just before I went to Winnipeg..
I am looking forward to going back a few times this summer, especially when the bears move to higher ground.
When we got home and bought a tire, I changed the tube and tire myself, and here's hoping I don't have to use that new knowledge anytime soon or least not when I'm alone cycling.
I did a long ride the next day (Saturday) it was a great day for cycling. The weather was perfect, cloudy and threatening to rain which kept most people home so you could get your speed up, and I love it when I feel like I'm alone on the trails, it can be quite calming and a great time to be just with yourself. I did 34 kms, and then came home and crashed. I cycled 100 kms from Thursday to Sunday. The MS clinic told me that doing this would bring up all my symptoms to the surface but shouldn't do any damage, on Saturday I was cycling with two numb hands and a numb left foot, and Sunday when I was determined to hit the 400 kms. mark was the hardest 20 kms I have ever done, no energy and fatigued, but I knew that rain was in the forecast for this week so I could take a couple days off and relax and be lazy. I cycle so much better in the morning why do I leave it for mid afternoon, when I'm tired?
In my dream world I am in Saskatchewan in the lovely town of Flaxcombe and even on a bicycle if you blink twice you would miss it! Kindersley here I come! There is a lovely quilt shop there and
plus I get to see the large goose roadside attraction. I do have a gory story about Kindersley but it will have to wait for the next posting....
Enjoy your day and thanks for all the support.
Theresa
good on you!..hope you were ringing your bike bell!
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