Michael Richardson
It’s rest day eve, fools! But before we could enjoy a leisurely ride along Lake Erie to our WarmShowers host in Welland, we had one final scuffle with the raccoons. In the odd hours of the night, we were ambushed by about ten of them. Usher spotted them climbing through the canopy and working together to infiltrate our bike bags. Fortunately, this attack was mostly a flop, except for one clever raccoon who figured out how to open my handlebar bag and stuff its face with the bananas and Clif bars stashed inside. Altogether, these rascals have made off with over $50 worth of food from me in the last 48 hours, and my trip budget is already running low. Suffice to say, I’m keeping a close eye on my food these next two weeks.
Michael’s now banana-less handlebar bag
Our route today kept us riding along Lake Erie, and we got to spin through the many beautiful neighborhoods that line the shore. On a sunny Saturday like today, yard sales are all the rage in these communities. Everyone was out and about, either selling trinkets and board games or just walking around and chatting with the neighbors. It was clear they are a lively bunch.
Saturday morning yard sales near Lake Erie
Once we broke out into the countryside, our touring DJ—Friend—suggested we start a Spotify Jam. What on earth is that? Allow me to explain. A Spotify Jam enables the four of us to sync our phones so that we’re all listening to the same song at the same time with our own set of earbuds. Furthermore, we all have the ability to add songs to the queue and pause/unpause the music for everyone. On the bike, whoever added the current song rode at the front of the pace line and would rotate to the back when the next song came on. The issue with four people continuously adding songs to the queue is that you never know what’s coming next. One moment you’re listening to slow-paced folk music and the next you’re putting down 300 watts to Bad Bunny. I would highly recommend you give Spotify Jam a try.
After a languorous lunch in Port Colborne, we took a bike path north for our last few kilometers of the week. We cruised along the South Welland Canal which just so happened to be hosting a rowing regatta all day. It was quite exhilarating to watch the teams of four move in perfect harmony and try to race them from the bike path. Speaking of races, today also marks the first stage of Le Tour de France, and we managed to watch the full recording over dinner. After averaging 10 mph for the last eight weeks, I could not believe the speed at which these athletes were going, but I did pick up a few drafting techniques I want to try with the squad.
Usher races the rowers through the Old Welland Canal
We’re spending the night with Dawn and Roger, WarmShowers hosts that Brian and Evan stayed with on their 2019 trip, and who are delighted to host another BikeLoud crew (for two nights! 🫶). Since the last visit, Dawn has extended her property to include a cabin, outhouse, and outdoor shower to accommodate cyclists. In fact, another cyclist—Cam—is also pitching his tent and sharing a meal with us at their humble abode this evening. Like me, Dawn is a mountain biker at heart, so I’m looking forward to chatting about that and exploring some of her local recommendations tomorrow.
Accommodations for the next two nights
Dawn and Roger’s WarmShowers guestbook (try to find the two Bike Loud entries)