Working from home has forced me to abandon my daily cycling commute. New company policy is responsible for that. The early morning routine of rolling along the bike trail to work is gone. No more excitement at the end of the day knowing that I’ll be ridding home in the late afternoon sun. Cycling has become a deliberate activity. Commuting vs. leisurely ridding is very different in terms my decision of where to cycle. The former only required me to deviate the route from time to time and equip myself with what was needed. The latter is quite unfamiliar. I do know, I need to upgrade my equipment.
My urban hybrid is well suited for the Montreal roads and bicycle paths. It is heavy and has a solid frame. My luggage rack was customized to support a garment bag. The sprocket, chain, bearings, breaks and tires have all been worn-out and changed several times. It is a great bicycle for commuting. A true testament to what is practical. But I need something better suited for athletic cycling.
Road bike or touring bike, or both. I really don’t know. There will be a bicycle show in Montreal next February. It will be a good opportunity for research. My budget is about $3,000. There are many new gadgets that I have never used. The shoes that clip to the pedals will be something new for me. From what I have seen cyclists take matching their clothing to the bikes seriously. There is also getting fitted for your bike. That is something new to me. There are disk breaks and wireless gear shifters. I have never bothered with even having a water bottle attached to my bike.
In the meantime, my intention is to continue cycling into the late fall. There are hundreds of kilometers of bicycle trails in and around LaSalle. Many of them have kilometers of new asphalt and I intend to find all of them. It is comforting to know that I can cycle on pothole free paths. Even the main street near my home has been repaved. Only a small section needs to be completed to provide me with a pothole free access to the pothole free bicycle path.
The bicycle path in LaSalle along the riverbank was resurfaced this spring. It is in fantastic shape. The repaired trail starts at the intersection of the western edge of LaSalle, Lachine Canal bicycle path, and Lachine bicycle path. This path is described by many as the jewel of the Montreal cycling network. The LaSalle section is scenic and has some nice downhill sections. Travelling down river you will pass a belvedere look-out, a historical windmill, a rail and road bridge, a small park around Quenneville Bay, a landing where surfers surf a static wave, a large nature reserve, and finally a beautiful view of the Lachine Rapids.
There are other paths that have been or will be repaired shortly. I plan to make them part of my Leisure cycling in the near future.