Day 42 -- Niagara Falls

July 31, 2005

ROUTE: Brantford Ontario to Niagara Falls NY

DISTANCE:  72 Miles

WINDS: Light, but in our face after the

SAG WEATHER: Sunny, warm, mid 80s

TERRAIN: Rolling to flat

TOTAL CLIMBING: 1,450 feet

RIDE OVERVIEW: Hello Sports fans, this is Mikie!  I'm giving Susan the day off since she thought it was her day off anyway . . . something about getting confused about what day it was. Actually, she had so many "Duhs" today, that I was afraid she wouldn't put them in the site if I let her post it today. [ I wouldn't have . . . at least not with such vengeful glee. But, as I was keeping Mike's personal website, he has the option of  ragging on the help. I even the score a bit in tomorrow's post. Susan 2016] 

She's been doing a great job with the site and I've enjoyed the respite which has allowed me to help with mechanics and other things.  But fear not, she'll be back tomorrow for our last week to the beach . . . now, the news.

We've been blessed with great weather this trip and today was no exception.  It was a bit crisp when we loaded luggage and went to eat breakfast, but by the time we got on the road it was very comfortable riding in just the minimum.  By the time we arrived in Niagara, it was in the mid 80s and sunny . . . just another great day to ride a bicycle.

I was able to ride today and had the opportunity to ride with the Geritol gang of Duane, Murray, and Fred (above right).  They are living proof that age

is just a number as we scorched the countryside all morning at speeds in the mid-twenties even when the wind was slightly in our faces at times.  I noted that I've never ridden with a group that fast where I was the youngest rider at 57 . . . usually I'm at least 20 years older than my riding partners, but these guys all can hammer with anyone.  I had a great time pushing the pedals with them and riding at almost race pace.  There was one problem though . . . since we were riding fast today, their usual partners they ride with were not along . . . the ones who navigate. We missed or made wrong turns at 6 different places in the first 35 miles.  If I hadn't been there to call them back when they went flying through turns, we might never have seen them again. They'd still be wandering around in the Canadian countryside . . . they even turned the wrong way 3 times at "T" intersections!    Duane commented that it was nice to have a "young guy" around who had good eyes to read the cue sheets.  Yeah, but I lost my voice hollering for them to turn around before they got too far down the road.

Today's route was a pretty good ride.  We rode out on lonely, Sunday morning streets for 3 miles; then we turned into quiet Canadian backroads.  We even picked up 0.3 miles of dirt . . . pretty rural if you ask me.  In contrast to the lonely country roads we rode most of the day, when we entered Niagara on the Canadian side we were in the middle of wall-to-wall traffic and tourists.  "Wall-to-wall" is hardly overstatement.  The area is congested with towering casinos, hotels, tourist shops; balloon, helicopter, boat, and bus rides/tours;  restaurants galore (some such as the Hard Rock Cafe blaring music), and both people and vehicle gridlock.  It resembles Las Vegas more than anything else.  But, it was great fun to people watch and to listen to the language polyglot and when the traffic is in gridlock, it's easier to get through on a bike anyway.  Plus, it's fun watching the interesting and colorful tourists and families from all over the world picnicking on the lawns along Falls Avenue and taking in the sights.

We managed to navigate through the traffic and tourists and inched across the Rainbow Bridge and through Customs. Our motel is just a block from the bridge on the American side which is really convenient for tomorrow's day off of sight- seeing. 

After getting through with rap, dinner, and maintenance, we had a little time to go watch the lighting of the falls and the fireworks plus do a little sightseeing for ourselves.  We (staff) won't have much time tomorrow as we have 13 new riders coming in for the final leg.  We'll be working with them to get bikes together and getting them orientated before dinner.  Tune in again tomorrow to meet the new folks and to join us on our last week . . . we'll be the ones in tight, black lycra.  See you then. 

HEARD ON THE ROAD:  

• "Duane . . . don't you think we should go this way?"
• Border guard at customs: "Where are you coming from?"  Josh, "Canada."
• "They are just falling apart."  "Yes, you are a big mess."  "I'm talking about my gloves."

LUCKY THING OF THE DAY:  Carol lucked out when she was trying to find her way back to the motel for Rap . . . she just followed the trail of socks that fell out of Dar's laundry when he came back. Led her right to the front door.

DUH! OF THE DAY:  As I said, Susan got a couple today, but the best one came right out of the motel.  She was driving White today and responsible for the first SAG a mere 35 miles from the start. Some riders got on the road directly after loading which was at least an hour before we could get served at breakfast, so time was of the essence when she got on the road. As she was moving up through the riders, she missed a turn at a crossroads about 7 miles out of town . . . undaunted, she turned around and returned to the intersection . . . whew, back on track and hustling to get on station before the first riders arrive.  Only problem, she was supposed to turn right when she missed the turn the first time. When she returned to the intersection from the opposite direction--you guessed it--she needed to turn left, but she turned right . . . oops!  The next cue was a "T" intersection . . . you guessed it again. She came upon a "T" but it wasn't quite the correct mileage . . . something was wrong . . . what could it be?  Must be a mistake in the cue sheet!!!   Expecting a problem, but not sure what it was at this point, she went ahead and turned at the "T" as the cue sheet directed. Shortly she passed Barbara in the luggage truck going in the opposite direction. Now I wasn't there, but I know what was going through Susan's head . . . "I wonder why Barbara is going that way?"  "Oh, here's another street with the same name I passed awhile ago . . ."   Barb called her on the radio: "White is that you? Where are you going?" Barb asked.  "I'm trying to get to the turn at 13.5, and I've seen another street with that same name. How did you get in front of me? Why are you going in that direction, did you forget something from the motel?" Susan asked.  Then it dawned on Susan that she was beginning to recognize the landscape that she had passed through about 10 minutes earlier--hey, this looks familiar--is that the motel?  She had been driving around in circles and was almost back where she started.  She got a second shot at the same intersection . . . nailed it the second time.   [This account littered with emoticons, which I am not clever enough to incorporate into this account 10 years later.]

PHOTOS OF THE DAY:

The merriment never ends as the group ignite the party favors to celebrate
Earring John's 59th birthday.  He's the one in the goofy hat
expertly engineered by Linda.

Several times today Duane's navigation got us "slightly" off route. 
Finally, I showed him the finer points of interpreting the cue sheets . . .
like first simply referring to it from time to time.

Duane couldn't resist trying to ride over one of the
hay bales he found on one of his "detours." 
Of course, I'm on top of the bale to record his achievement.

Oops, Houston we have a problem! 
Looks like this could leave a mark!

He proclaimed, "I came THIS close!!!"

I couldn't resist the challenge either.