Issue #242 Refresher Course | It’s, Road, Which, Get, Riding

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Issue #242 Refresher Course

Written by Nancy Irwin
Friday, 15 August 2008
Each new year truly begins only at the moment we get our bikes out for the season’s first ride. That’s the real spring, when there’s a spring in our step and smiles on our faces. That’s also when we realize that our moves are a bit slow and our bike’s not quite as familiar as it was last year when the weather turned cold. It’s time for a refresher course. I don’t know about anyone else but I have things that I do each year to get myself back into riding shape. My approach is easy because it’s meant to factor in the seasonal weather. For those of us who live in the frozen tundra, the moment the road is free of salt is the time we start to ride. But it’s much too cold to travel far because that involves speed, which only adds windchill factor to already sub-zero temperatures. Early season rides, for me, are shorter and deliberately slow-paced because I know my ability to react is not at its peak, nor are the drivers of four-wheeled vehicles yet used to seeing motorcycles on the road. I also keep it dialed back because there are bound to be pockets of loose gravel hiding around many corners. Slow is my favourite speed for cold weather riding. It helps keep the body heat in and it’s a great way to get back into correct riding habits. My routine includes picking a destination and riding there for fun, not because I need to be somewhere. My destination is my route. I live in Toronto and so pick places such as Rosedale, Forest Hill, the Kingsway or the Beaches; these are high end neighbourhoods with mansions built on twisty, looping roads with many minor stops and turns. This routine has at least three benefits. The first is that you travel slowly while touring side streets. Secondly, you get to practice slow speed turning and stopping, which is an excellent skill refresher, and much more involved that simply traveling in a straight line. Third, you get to see the most beautiful houses in town and learn your way around them, which inspires future tours during the other seasons. Then there’s added bonus number four, which is that you know where to take new riders for their post-training school rides. Most people realize that getting their licence through a reputable riding school is only the beginning. And with luck, it’s the beginning of a great adventure. The art of skilful riding is mastered in time, and the time spent on two wheels is a dream for those of us who love to ride. This means the pleasure is in the riding and the more we ride, the better we get—every year. The earlier we start, the sooner we get our groove back. Leading others along a slow-speed scenic route is a great way to help share the experience while refreshing our own skills—good at any time of year, but especially effective in the early season. You can practise getting your own moves smooth while leading a new rider, who can practise their own and not worry about getting lost. There’s another important lesson you might pass on to new riders, or riders new to your area. Are there any specific road hazards to the area? In Toronto, the infrastructure for the street car system comprises some 300 kilometres of narrow-gauge track, planted in asphalt. These are treacherous under certain conditions, rain being the worst of them. Toronto natives learn about them on bicycles because the tires fit perfectly inside the cup of the track and have caused many single vehicle bicycle accidents. They’ve also caused plenty of motorcycle wipe-outs when there are no other vehicles around. There should be a big warning sign regarding street car tracks when you first enter Toronto, but there isn’t one. Beware! Gripping and stopping power is reduced significantly on slick metal. There’s another thing visitors should know about street cars. They can’t pull over to the curb for passengers. They run and stop in the left-hand lane. People pass them on the right. However, you never pass them on the right when they’re picking up or discharging passengers! These days the doors have little stop signs that show only when the door is open. The fine for blasting by an open door is huge—there really should be special Toronto driving information prior to entering the city. What about particularly interesting roads? Where I live we’re told it’s flat. Well, it is flat, generally speaking. So the hills, especially hills with curves, become high points and get worked into many bikers’ preferred routes. Ride Toronto and don’t know Pottery Road? Not likely. Rosedale Valley Road leads to Pottery Road and back again. The Don Valley Parkway has some nice curves in it as there are around Bayview and the Brick Works. The DVP exit ramp onto Don Mills south from southbound on the DVP provides an almost full circle curve before heading up the hill—at which point you can turn right on to O’Connor which turns into Broadview which leads back to Pottery Road ... and so on. Many of my short scenic tours include Rosedale and the Don River valley. Beautiful in spring, summer and fall, it’s a great route that provides plenty of curves, gorgeous houses with landscaped gardens and the valley forest turns from spring green to autumn reds. Roads with scenery are a bonus. I’m sure everyone has their favourite local rides. You can go on your own, take a friend or meet other bikers out doing the same thing. We all stop at the lights or the coffee shops. You can find clubs to ride with listed in magazines, online or in brochures in bike shops if you live in a town that still has one. You can always try Main Street on a Saturday night. We are everywhere and those of us who are forced by ice and snow to put our bikes away make up for it on summer days. Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.