Rides and Races - Toronto Fixed

Yeah, it's a big roadie-in-spandex, carbon fiber parade type ride, 70-90 km, every Saturday and Sunday. In the summer there are 200+ riders. Starts at 9am, at Laird and Eglinton, and heads north of the city. Stops mid ride at a bakery-thus "donut".

Do let me know if you're planning on showing up for that. I am not riding that by myself. I still haven't gotten around to wearing (just) my tight bike shorts in public.

If i'm outta here by 5-5:15 I can be DT pretty quick. I have this big rock climbing bag I got from my sister inlaw and it's the bomb I love it. Rubberized shoulder strap with chest strap to prevent slippage, tons O' pockets, and gobs of storage. DEsigned for all the ropes and gear a climber has to carry so pretty accessable while you're wearing it as well. My wife has a Cryptos(?) DJ backpack I use sometimes. Fits albums perfectly and plenty squared and padded. Could be awesome for a laptop.

****ing double posts.

Do let me know if you're planning on showing up for that. I am not riding that by myself.

Have you shaved yet? Don't sweat the spandex dude, riding is what it's designed for. Now if you wore to your grandmother's birthday dinner.....
Back in the messin' days I've had many an afterwork bar scene in me shorts.:D

yeah, my bag is just my ever day bag (I'm a nerd by trade). I currently have a large Timbuk2 bag, but it's been annoying me. Nothing seems to sit right in it, and stuff is always jabbing me in the back. Plus I find the parts where the strap attaches are somewhat stabby as well. Some extra pockets would be nice also. I'm not opposed to just finding a different 1-shoulder affair, but it just seems like a backpack would help with some of those things also (especially one with a lightly padded back).

re: CM: Does anyone want to meet up before? I get off at 5:00 and I work at Bay & Davenport. I'm thinking about just going someplace for a coffee to kill time.

i used to have a timbuk2 and had the same issues. they're pretty sturdy, but really not that comfortable to wear. i would bet that if you plunked down some cash for a push the envelope or a pac you would feel a big difference in comfort, especially the push which are designed to be worn over a specific shoulder. most of the Pacs have a padded back, BTW. they sell them at urbane, you can do and try em on.

***** click edit repeat

Do let me know if you're planning on showing up for that. I am not riding that by myself. I still haven't gotten around to wearing (just) my tight bike shorts in public.

Do it in a 70's style track suit that clashes with your frame, just to piss them off. Or a freeride mountain bike. At this point I'm 90% sure I will do it. I think you can probably pick up the ride somewhere farther north, they pick up riders somewhere north of steeles IIRC.

hey guys - i got passed by a guy on a purpleish, brakeless cyclops track bike on my way to work today (army pants, push messenger bag). that anyone here?
That would likely be Radek.

i used to have a timbuk2 and had the same issues. they're pretty sturdy, but really not that comfortable to wear. i would bet that if you plunked down some cash for a push the envelope or a pac you would feel a big difference in comfort, especially the push which are designed to be worn over a specific shoulder. most of the Pacs have a padded back, BTW. they sell them at urbane, you can do and try em on.
I have had my current PAC for 8+ years. I own a Timbuk, Crumpler, Zo, Ortlieb and Ostro as well as some other obscure brands. None of these are close in durability or comfort to the PAC. One feature I like about PAC's over PUSH or UTW..the other local bag makers....is the waterproof liner is sandwiched between 2 layers of fabric. With the other bags the waterproof liner is essentially the inside of the bag. I have seen enough of these bags with torn, flaking, cracked or disintegrating liners to appreciate this subtle difference. My PAC is still 95% waterproof after all the use I have put it thru. Most bags are decent to good quality. PAC's are the total BOMB!!
Oh....and Reba (PUSH) learned how to make bags from Pat (PAC) and most of the design features of a PUSH are just recycled PAC ideas.

I'll definitely try out the local shoulder bags before I go with a backpack. The one thing that makes me want to avoid a backpack is the sweat-factor. :P

Do it in a 70's style track suit that clashes with your frame, just to piss them off. Or a freeride mountain bike. At this point I'm 90% sure I will do it. I think you can probably pick up the ride somewhere farther north, they pick up riders somewhere north of steeles IIRC.

i saw them fly by as i was outside of a bakery at keele and major mackenzie waiting for another group ride to start last sunday.

Do it in a 70's style track suit that clashes with your frame, just to piss them off. Or a freeride mountain bike. At this point I'm 90% sure I will do it. I think you can probably pick up the ride somewhere farther north, they pick up riders somewhere north of steeles IIRC.

...i've also seen guys waiting on bayview, north of eglington for the group...

we should get a bunch of fixies together to do the doughnut ride, just to see if we can keep up. and to support each other when we don't.

I'd be interested in doing the donut eventually, but at this point just going 70km at any speed is probably going to be a bit of a challenge. :D How hilly is the route?

I just realized that in all my mental planning for tonight I didn't include eating. That's really f'ing weird since I usually think with my stomach. I guess we'll just wing it and see where we end up after CM.

I brought my rain pants and booties, but I'm only wearing a short nylon jacket that doesn't cover my lower back when I'm riding. I bet the ass of my pants fills up with rain water. That's sexy.

yea. I did the doughnut ride on my garage sale benotto in shorts and t-shirt last year with my friends. They were fine in the beginning but once they hit hwy 7 EVERYONE started hammering.
We were chasing the pack for the rest of the ride.
+ We felt so queer because everyone there had sick bikes and dressed in tights/jerseys/helmets.

I want to ride with them again for fun on my fixed.
I think it was weekends @ Laird and Eglinton at 9:00.

here comes the rain...barely..... in Leslieville

I'd be interested in doing the donut eventually, but at this point just going 70km at any speed is probably going to be a bit of a challenge. How hilly is the route?

You'll be happy to know it's constant uphill to Keele. Then about 10-15kms up on Keele it goes to be a roller coaster ride with effective positive elevation gain all the way till it turns around.

Up down up down up down up down. Come out on sunday then we have 3...!! I'll probably get dropped around elgin mills which is great, cause then i can head home :D

I'll wait for the group at Steeles/Yonge but if I do that then i've missed most of the tempo ride.

Edit: Anyone reading this update me on the weather situation where you are. I'm looking at the radar imagery and it looks like the **** is about to hit the fan.

we should get a bunch of fixies together to do the doughnut ride, just to see if we can keep up. and to support each other when we don't.


I was thinking about that too, but I'm not sure what gear I would need. The cruising speed can be pretty high when you're in a pack. I'll have to pay attention to what gear I use most of the time on that ride with road bike, and go a touch higher so I can still clean the hills. Maybe something like 85 gear inches?

spitting in the east operator.
CHECK....light rain, smells like spring, cool droplets.
Variable cloud cover. Don;t look so bad from here so far, no black clouds of death.:D

nothing in Yorkville yet that I can see.. but looking grey.

raining at yonge and bloor...

Raaain! Hmm. Should I ride the fixie or the Surly with fenders?

now the rain has stopped....... so it's gonna be like that is it? :beer: I can do that.
Rain gear ....check
Bag....check
lock....check

Back fender....secure

I was thinking about that too, but I'm not sure what gear I would need. The cruising speed can be pretty high when you're in a pack. I'll have to pay attention to what gear I use most of the time on that ride with road bike, and go a touch higher so I can still clean the hills. Maybe something like 85 gear inches?

i would think something higher than normal. get up and blast up the hills because they are going to be going 40+km/hr once they hit the suburbs...

There little enough rain that it'll dry up by 5-5:30?

hard to say, it's being off and on here ....nothing even resembling heavy though. Be prepared for wet is all. Fenders and/or raingear. Besides once you're wet, it doesn't matter anymore, and you merely enjoy a rain ride. :D

Bah, sorry guys probably not going to stop in time for me to make it down. The rain i'm fine with, it's the 30 gust 60 wind that i'm scared of.

Unless the rain gets a lot worse it's not going to concern me. It's only raining barely enough to make the ground a little damp. No standing water or anything. I'm mostly concerned with going to a show later in rain gear. :P You know, concerned due to fashion of course. :D

JeremyW: I was trying to remember who it was on here that worked at Y&B. Guess it's you. I'm still up for some occasional lunchtime rides. :)

som.... I'm gonna hang with my lovely wife for a few minutes after she gets here so I think I'll most likely take danforth bloor across, thus missing the coffee opportunity. If we don't see each other where is the beer afterwards?

no worries. I might head home first then as well.

No idea where the beer is going to be. Call me if you can't find us. If you get to CM it shouldnt' be a problem finding me though since I don't expect a huge crowd in the rain. :)

take some pics!

just came back from a soaking 20km sprint around the community.
its much better when its raining because cars seem to be much more assertive :)
hope you guys have fun at CM.

Oh those mother****ers. Both Somna and T.J.'s cell phones aren't picking up. If I have to ride around d/t looking for those bastards someone is definitely going to get knee-capped.

just came back from a soaking 20km sprint around the community.
its much better when its raining because cars seem to be much more assertive :)
hope you guys have fun at CM.

Just looking through the photo thread at the frame guys stuff sashae (wow) i see you posted at 3:45AM get some sleep.

Not able to make it out tonight, but hope to on Sunday if others can.
Cheers

mmm.. beer 'n tacos. Just home for a quick pitstop before I head out to the MSTRKRFT show. You guys missed out. No rain during CM, great beer/food at Sneaky Dee's afterwards. I took a few pics (on my old-school 2MP brick), but I have no idea how they turned out.

Saw a guy on a Cannondale bail on the streetcar tracks on Queen.. apparently he was sick of waiting behind us slow-moving CM'ers. Pretty funny. Dude was obviously pretty embarassed. Didn't say anything and just hopped back on his bike and sped off. Everyone in the CM group went "waaaaaaaaoh!" at the same time. I saw sparks! ;)

still at work... HAHAAHAHAhaaaaaa... hey, that's not funny.
i could kill for beer n' tacos right about now.

*urp* Steak + eggs + 4 beers for dinner = PERFECT. Am I mistaken or was that 32flavours from our very own thread here riding along w/ everyone during CM? Someone introduce us, I'm such a social outcast it'll never happen otherwise.

Oh, and if anyone wants a shot at the "one block sprint challenge" belt that I'm currently holding title to, feel free to step up to the plate. I'm entertaining all challengers (*cough* excluding Traffic Jammer *cough*). ;)

I challenge you ...... to the donut ride (Sunday kthx).

**** that ****, man. "ONE BLOCK" challenge ...

How was the turn out for CM today?

turn out was kind of weak, but probably on par for a rainy march day (even though it didn't rain at all during CM).

I could go for that steak and eggs right now.. mmm

Yea that was a good time I'm in for more.
My wife tells me I gotta get out more so she can miss me. lol
It was certainly great seeing everyone and meeting new people from here.
nice to finally put some faces to names (32flavors, darkmother)
The ride THROUGH the Eaton Centre was the bomb.

You know I think the 'net thing might catch on. :LOL:
This is how it's supposed to bring like minded people together IMHO

eyefloater...why am I excluded?

I don't know if any of you are aware of it....but....Jetfuel Party tonite! 14 years, 14 kegs. Hope to see some of you there. K.

Yea my friend told me about it last night, sounds like fun. The kids are going to grandma's tonight ..... hmm i wonder if I can convince my wife to come out tonight for a bit. She doesn't drink beer though, is there bar action as well?

Eyefloater: yep, that was me. Nice to meet you. I probably should've said something, but apparently social outcast-dom goes both ways... heh.

Everyone else: are people riding tomorrow? Hmm.

Yea my friend told me about it last night, sounds like fun. The kids are going to grandma's tonight ..... hmm i wonder if I can convince my wife to come out tonight for a bit. She doesn't drink beer though, is there bar action as well?
They typically have a few (many) bottles of wine. I always look forward to a shot or 2 of Johnny's patented homemade "Vodka". Grain alcohol would be a better term for it tho. GOOD TIMES!!

Yeah darkmother said he was going to do the donut ride tomorrow, i'm coming for that.

Anyone down for lunch tomorrow kensington afterwards?

lunch in kensington tomorrow sounds like a great idea. Where and what time?

also: anyone else going to the jet fuel thing tonight? If so, just post. I've got nothing to do tonight, so I'm considering stopping by. I haven't been out there in months.

I'm up for Kensington tomorrow too, post a time and locale.

Rob,
thats ganna be a big ride for you Tomorrow, youre up there (north) and then going down for a lunch at Kensignton, man that's a big ride..
oscar



Yeah darkmother said he was going to do the donut ride tomorrow, i'm coming for that.

Anyone down for lunch tomorrow kensington afterwards?