The Enigma Machine!
I see the headlines.
PSYCHIATRIST REQUIRES THERAPY AFTER INTERVIEW WITH CONDUCTORE
REFUSES TO TOUCH THE GROUND WITH HIS FOOT. CLAIMS IT BURNS!
Sadly, I am off to Anacortes again mañana and rain is forecast for the foreseeable future, but I will be back cycling by the next nice day in Vancouver.
I have of course been cycling. We just did our Victoria weekend. Juan and I baled Saturday though to watch Eurocup.
Intersting note. Just watched the Czechs lose 0 - 1 to Portugal in the 1/4 finals. A player was subbed out at 60 minutes and one of the stats was he had run 8.82 kilometres. Shortly after, another player was subbed out after running 10.8 kilometers. 10K is like 50 times up and down the entire field, usually going with all thrusters engaged. And we stopped for lunch and ice cream on a flat 30K bike ride ...
OK, but I don't care! Hopefully El Psycho can cure Señior OCD from his afflictions, aspecially resistance to lattes.
Hi Lads!
Sarge is interested in joining us domani. Any suggestions for departure
times and destination?
This is what a I relayed to Ragin' earlier:
Hi Ragin' et al!
The Peleton will be pleased to learn that I am "gradually" overcoming my
phobia! After having the faulty wiring replaced on my trust odometer on
Thursday, I went for a spin to check calibration. Around Science World to
Canada Place and then Siwash Rock. Fighting my better instincts, I took a 2K
dipsy doodle back towards Coal Harbour, once original circumcyclation was
complete, to give me 42.33K by the time I was back at Heartbreak Terrace.
Sad to report my feet didn't touch the ground once. I was sorely tempted but
couldn't, just couldn't bring myself to risk the burning inferno.
Tursday's ride was another matter altogether, however. Robo Ray and I,
(Whirlygig "bailed", (Note spelling, Ragin'!), claiming a free jazz gig at
GI), headed out at 9:00am. taking Adanac to Second Narrows, about 10K, and
thence along Dollarton Highway to Deep Cove. Great ride and not overly much
traffic so it was quite pleasant. A few good grades but nothing overly
punishing. We made it to roundabout at the bottom of Deep Cove Village at
10:33am, 21.33K on the poifectly calibrated odometer! Didn't stop for a
latte at Deep Cove Pizza but made our way up Gallant Avenue back to Deep
Cove Road and past Mt Seymour Pkwy where it turns back into Dollarton
Highway. Past Cates Park and into the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation Reserve
and the Burrard Cemetary where Chief Dan George is interred.
We decided we'd return via Lions Gate as I wanted to show Robo Man the
latest extension to the Spirit Trail. Making our way onto Main Street and
then Cotton Drive we took Low Level Road past the grain elevators and then
onto Esplanade Ave past Lonsdale Quay to 3rd Street. Up the slight hill on
Forbes Ave, turning left onto 3rd St at the top. Here, Dear Reader, I mist
admit that my right foot touched the ground, for the second time! (The first
had been at Union and Main when we had to wait for the extended light
there.0 At the top of the hill there were quite a few cars and small vans
waiting to make their own turns. I was able to weave between vehicles to
make it to the front of the line but by the time I was at the crest of the
hill, just before the crosswalk, I was in too high a gear for the speed I
was now traveling and had to put my right foot on the sidewalk to prevent
myself from falling over! The Fire of Purgatory tore through the sole of my
sneaker and the Fire of Hell sizzled my cycling soul!
Once the light changed I moved into the turning lane when traffic thinned
and had to wait, yet again, for the left-turn light to change. (By this time
I was resigned to my fate so the third contact was not as painfull,
physically or psychologically, as the earlier traumas!) Once e we had a
green, we proceeded but a short distance to Berwicke Ave, turning right here
to wait for the light. It is too difficult to make a left hand turn at this
point as traffic is usually very heavy and there is no separate turning
lane. I was able to circle while waiting for the green so felt a tad better
after my most recent humiliations. Once heading south on Berwicke we made a
right onto Gostick Place and then south to intersect with Harbourside Drive.
West on it until Fell Avenue and then south again to Harbourside Place where
one can rejoin the Spirit Trail.
As the ride is fairly close to the water at this point, we enjoyed some
fascinating glimpses of the North Shore industrial park, in particular, the
two huge, shining mounds of sulphur and one of sawdust, I believe. As well,
one is afforded a spectacular view of Vancouver's skyscape, almost directly
opposite Canada Place, from this location. North along Mackay Creek to the
spiffy Harbourside West Pedestrian and Cycle Overpass to W 1st and then to
Welch. Close to Pemberton, the Spirit Trail runs parallel to Welch but is
separate from it all the way to Kwukwum Road leading from the Capilano
Indian Reserve No. 5. From Wikipedia:
"Xwemelch'stn usually anglicized as Homulchesan, is a large community within
the Squamish Nation of the Sḵwxwú7mesh people, who are a part of the Coast
Salish ethnic and linguistic group. The name Xwemelch'stn, translates to
"Fast Moving Water of Fish", relating to the Capilano River. The village is
one of the oldest and major villages of the Sḵwxwú7mesh and continues to be
so, being the Squamish Nation's most populated reserve. The community is
also known as Capilano Indian Reserve, named like the adjacent Capilano
River after Chief Joe Capilano. The community to date hold more than 500
hundred houses, along with the newly named Chief Joe Mathias Centre, the
"Little Ones School", the Squamish Nation Youth Center, as well as many
small businesses."
Here one turns left under the Lions Gate Bridge to cross the Capilano River
on Bridge Road/Wardance Street to turn right onto Taylor Way, north to
Marine Drive and thence up the long grade of the Lions Gate itself. We
enjoyed whizzing along Stanley Park Drive and the thrilling descent,
starting the just past the Prospect Point Picnic Site. Made 49.8kph but
couldn't push myself past 50K as wind was a bit too strong. Once we neared
Second Beach our thought turned to Piston Man and his terrible accident
thereabouts, last Tuesday. Ray had seen the article in the Vancouver Sun
that morning and mentioned it to me when we talked on the phone, prior to
riding, to set departure time.
Lee Bacchus, (Dionysios from squash playing days), doesn't really know what
happened but believes that there might have been a crack in the front carbon
fork. Traveling along at between 25-30k he was pitched face first onto the
pavement, his helmet, fortunately, sharing some of the impact. Nevertheless,
when the dust finally settled, after being ambulanced to St Paul's, he was
fitted with a neck brace to to help stabilize the torn ligaments in his neck
and a fractured vertabrae. He also suffered a broken cheekbone and a
dislocated finger. He looks like he has gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali
after being used as a punching bag for Jake LaMotta! His new nickname is
Erich von Stroheim after his role in La Grande Illusion, as a German aviator
and aristocrat, Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain) von Rauffenstein.
By the time I was back at the Heartbreak Parkade I had logged 57.33K, Robo
Ray probably over 61K by time he was at home. A grand ride and longest, for
me, since returning. Furthermore, we outfoxed the rain forecast with only
but a few drops as we made our way out of North Van and then again around
Science World. Once we have our "cycling legs" back, (Raymundo, for his
part, has not been riding regularly since I've been away.), we hope to
include a jaunt to Seymour Demonstration Forest, coming back from Deep Cove,
into the mix. I imagine with that additional distance total might be edging
close to 100K so we spit on luncheon partakers and ice cream devourers!
Give me a shout when you are back from Anacortes. We need computer advice
and help in exchange for a meal and malt. Cheers, Il Conduttore!
Let me know what you think about tomorrow's ride. I'm keen for Seymour but
Steveston is another possibility. Around 10:00am? Cheers, Patrizzio!
10's good for me although I will have to tape the England/Italy game on at
11. Any interest in the Horseshoe Bay run? I'm easy and can meet at
Heartbreak.
Ray
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