Reverse Gear Blog

I’ve just come back from High Park where I chased Len and Richard up and down a few hills for 29.6 km. It was fun, especially when they bought me an ice-cream (which I deserved of course).

But the best part was the escort that Blind-Guy Biking got when about a dozen kids in the park followed them and asked Richard a zillion questions about his cool trike and his blindness and the reason for the x-Canada ride. I think this is probably a sample of what will be happening everywhere we go. But the best part of all was the fact that the kids wanted to make a donation to the cause so we got our first $4 in loonies.

The training ride actually raised a total of $8 because we also received a couple of toonies from two young ladies who talked to Richard while I was eating my ice-cream.

So my first training ride was fun and great weather and profitable for Richard.

Len is cycling across Canada this summer with Blind-Guy Biking, to raise funds for a program that Richard created called Pedal for Medals. They have been planning this trip for many months and Len has been helping Richard acquire a customized Greenspeed tandem for the trip. Not sure how many x-country trips have ever been done in Canada on a tandem trike but this one will certainly be unique. The tandem arrived this week.

I was envious because I love to travel (the gypsy in me), love to cycle, and love meeting people. And they were going to be doing that for 3 months without me.  

But now - they are not - going without me, that is! Last weekend, I decided to join them. I still haven’t figured out all the details (leave from work, who will water the plants, etc.) - but those are only details. The decision to go was the “big ticket”. And I am so happy that I have made it. Life is too short to not being doing the things that I want to do.

There are two reasons why the decision was easy to make - besides the “fun” that I will have cycling/travelling some 10,000 km. The first one is that I have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. It’s genetic and I should be able prevent it from becoming diabetes through diet and exercise. But I was still shocked to learn that in spite of all the “right-living” I was already doing, that this was happening to me. So I need to do more “right-living” if I am going to stay healthy and this cycle-trip is one of those things that I can do for myself.

The other motivator was the recent passing of a friend. She retired on January 1st and by end of February she was dead. It was a shock to everyone. When I saw her in November we talked about how much she was looking forward to a new relaxed life with her grand-son (born in December) and doing some renovations. I was so sad, especially for her family. (My heart goes out to them.)

Today, I know I am blessed with an opportunity - this gift - to join Len and Richard and Anna and the team. While I hope to  contribute to the goals of Blind-Guy Biking, I am really doing this for Numero Uno - ME. And I am so happy that I have made the BIG decision to go…  

<< more to come on our adventure - they say that I have to start “training” today because we leave in a month - training yuch!!! I just do this for FUN!>>

Guess I might have to learn to “zip my mouth” about Len not using the specially designed zippers on his Reverse Gear. Can you believe that I did exactly the same thing today? A case of the “kettle calling the pot black” - I think.

I was so lucky that I did not lose anything. After having a coffee with a friend, I unlocked the trike and put the keys in the side pocket of the RG vest. But three blocks later I was lucky - to catch my key ring with all my bike lock and house keys about to slide from my pocket and on to the street. Wow that was a lucky catch.

So I need to remember to zip the pockets on my vest and jerseys before I start to cycle. After all that’s why I had the idea in the first place - to keep the valuable stuff from falling out, especially in the recumbent position.

I promised myself to never leave the pockets un-zipped again!!! And to keep my mouth zipped if Len makes the same mistake more than once. But hopefully we have both learned the importance of zippers when cycling.