Melinda posted on September 23, 2011 10:07
Wow, another month flies by. There were lots of Wild Bettys outings and activities in September with the Championships for the Ontario Cup cross country series and the start of the cyclocross series and the fun citizen events and destination rides, not to mention our socials...it's been really a full calendar...and once the page turns to October, it's even fuller!
We had some interest in our beginner rides for August and September and had not planned on having an October ride especially since it gets dark so fast and beginners may not have lights... but oh, Night Riding!
It is sooo much fun...especially so far since it's been so warm and dry....we've got a bunch more Bettys getting some powerful lights this season, thanks Norco and Sports Swap. So, we'll be riding well into the fall...which started this morning at 5am (and with a new puppy in the house....I was up to usher it in!! hee hee) Yes, it's really dark at 5 am, just like at 8 pm. Night riding is particularly fun since it helps you to focus and your lights really light up the trail directly in front of you. It can be a little spooky...which I know Julie can attest to (still a huge apology for lending my malfunctioning light at the Lifestyles 24 hour in May 2010, Julie!!) But when you're with the Bettys it's just plain fun.
We went exploring this week. On Tuesday night, led by our new 'rise to the occasion' leader, Lisa, THANKYOU!!,we went on part 1 of the MOTOWN trail which the Don Rats and TORBA have been building north of Don Mills Road on the west side of the Don....a fantastic twisty, turny, uppy, downy trail, a few wheel traps I'd like to put bridges over, but in deference to the Don Rat's much greater technical skill set, I will endeavour to learn how to jump those. I suspect velocity has A LOT to do with it. We rode part 1 as an out-and-back in the interest of time and those traps were more 'do-able' on the way back even as we needed those lights by then!....always another challenge around that next corner, eh?! I also went in search of some single track in the west end of the city...found some fun little twisty flat trails on the waterfront in the Humber Bay Park as well as up the west bank of the Humber River..lots of paved path with bits of trail here and there, not the Don, but certainly a fun urban outing.
It will be getting colder, though usually not till Hallowe'en when the trick or treaters need to put parkas over their tutus and sixguns, but our arm
warmers, boleros and jackets will be coming out soon...it's also good to
have some leg/knee warmers or long tights. If you are outfitted properly, night riding is
awesome. I would be open to hosting a beginner ride if all participants
have lights...so shoot WildBettys an email and we can look at a Thursday in October if the interest is there, otherwise we'll be riding in the dark on Tuesdays till it gets too frosty.
As we continue with our riding and racing for the 2011 season, we and everybody else in the traditionally 'seasonal' bike world are planning for 2012..thinking of ways to grow and share our deep passion for mountain biking, if you didn't make it out with us yet, come join us!! Planning is underway for the 2nd Annual Toronto Mountain Bike Fest and the 2nd Annual Trailblazing Ontario Mountain Bike Festival, two events the Bettys really enjoyed being a part of and are looking forward to in 2012.
See you out there,
Ride On!
Melinda.