adventures on a bicycle

Yesterday highlighted my last lengthy bicycle adventure with my father before I leave for Africa. I am writing this blog to honour the individuals agreeing to accompany me on these bicycle endeavours or who have hesitantly allowed me to pursue this activity, and as a reminder of the many bicycle adventures I have appreciated during the past seven years. Beginning notably with the two-and-a-half day bicycle journey from Rodney to Waterloo, Ontario, my father and I initiated our seasonally appropriate bicycle trips. Among the countless trips, my father and I have:

- tested the limits of the unity of our aerobic and muscular capacities in the steep hills near Talisman, Ontario while abruptly being reminded of our inability to control the hydrological cycle

- explored extensively the gravel roads and rocky trails of Collingwood, Blue Mountain and beyond including parts of the Blue Spruce Trail, using our sense of spontaneity and my need for off-road detouring and adventuring

- disappointingly retreated from Luther Marsh in search of longer, more challenging bicycle routes

- appreciated the beauty of Grand River and surrounding small villages using a slower and environmentally sensitive mode of transportation

- battled each other up and down hills, mostly resulting in me defeating him to the top only to realize his speed downhill supersedes mine

- too frequently confirmed our geographical location on a map then discover we've actually traveled much farther than anticipated

- covered more kilometers in tourist populated areas on bicycle than attainable inside a motorized vehicle

In addition to my bicycle adventures with my father, I fondly remember my spontaneous early morning or afternoon bicycle explorations of Waterloo Region: leading me towards fertile agricultural land, being chased by property-protective dogs, pedaling harder to pass the relaxing cyclist or slow moving vehicle so that I could be accompanied with the powerful drugs known as adrenaline and endorphins, and more recently adopting a mountain cyclist perspective from within the forested area surrounding the landfill adjacent to the hydro lines only to realize the inadequacies of a simple bicycle to overcome geological formations. Last year was especially memorable because of my bicycle trip from Waterloo to Collingwood, a trip lasting no less than nine hours. A special thank you to Mom, Dad, and my sister Laura for being persuaded to allow me this privilege and for picking up my exhausted body at the end of the day, and an equally special thank you to Doug for energetically agreeing to bicycle with me!

And so, I am sad that next year will not permit me to continue this tradition with my father. Instead, I am praying I will befriend someone in Africa who will agree to share the joys of enduring a five hour plus bicycle trip, adventuring through the wonders of God's creation. Or, more favourably, I will be able to ascend the embankments of a mountain or numerous mountains in Africa. As some of you know, I promised myself that when I return to Africa I will climb a mountain. Even though Mount Kilimanjaro is especially appealing and must be climbed before the snow melts entirely, Mount Kenya has been recommended to climb. Hike anyone?