This is just a short post that’s a bit of a placeholder as I get through all the photos from the last month or so. It’s been a busy stretch, and I do have lots to share. In the meantime, here’s a quick one from this weekend. I’m currently training for the RBC Gran Fondo, which is a long distance bike race from Vancouver to Whistler. Justine and I did it back in 2011, but were not able to train for it properly that year. This time, I have been good about the training, and this weekend I did the longest ride I’ve ever done - 123 km, 2,100 m of elevation gain over 5 1/2 hours. I thought I’d share…
Here is is - it was a long one!
I started at home, heading east towards the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. While I’ve driven over it a bunch of times, I’ve never ridden over it.
Looking down off the Ironworkers Bridge.
This ride was a bunch of firsts actually. Once over the bridge it was a bit of a slog up the hill and into the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. There’s a great paved road that goes way up into the reserve. I’ve ridden it many times - just never as part of a much bigger ride!
After that, I worked my way across North and West Vancouver to the long ride up to the top of Cypress Mountain.
As part of the ride across North Van, I had to ride across the top of the Capilano Dam. It was a bit odd.
It was another first - I’d climbed part of the mountain in the past, but never all the way up. It was brutal. But the way back down was fun!
Elevation profile of the whole ride.
Proof at the top of Cypress!
From there, I worked my back over to Horseshoe Bay, before the long ride back to home along Marine Drive, up over the Lion’s Gate Bridge and back through Stanley Park.
At Horseshoe Bay!
It was a massive ride - I went further than the Fondo distance, and climbed more elevation. Hopefully I’m ready!