Chasing
Nobility
words: Jamie Elcombe
“My goal was for everyone to ride on a road they had never been on before� Z. Wheeler
I
had the best intentions. As we rolled out of town to embark on a long day of cycling, I reminded myself to pay attention to the roads we rolled over, the surroundings, ribbons of smooth asphalt, stretches of rough gravel, bits of great conversation. I failed miserably. It is not that the roads weren’t memorable, the 7 hours of chit chat not entertaining, or we were going so hard I only saw the wheels ahead of me. It is just that after almost 180 km of cycling everything tends to meld into one long segment. I definitely remember stopping for donuts in Tyrone, I won’t forget bombing down a road allowance or two, and the memory of a wrong turn and an extra 20 km of riding is pretty fresh still. Truth be told, for the most part I had no idea where we were riding, but there is no doubt that few had linked these roads together before. Ah the Noble Pursuit. A little background on for you on
what this is all about. The Noble Pursuit is the brainchild of Zac Wheeler and the PTBO RIdes crew. Take teams of six riders, keep the route a secret until the morning of the event, and set them loose on some of the best roads you can find in the Kawarthas and surrounding areas. Sure these roads may have some gravel, some hills, and some aren’t really “roads” as you would expect them to be. The goal is to finish with your team intact. This year was the second running of this great event - and was abound with rumours of the ride heading west (last year was east), lots of hills, and upwards of 150 km. These rumours all proved to be true. Damn you Zac Wheeler. The Noble Pursuit played host to 12 teams of 6 riders - that is almost 1/3 of the Peterborough Cycling Club, and all of the Wild Rock cycling staff - which is why our Bike Dept was closed for the day! For cyclists in our area, this day has become a celebration of all that we love about
“Some rides end better than others” P. Wilkinson
The Stats from Team Kitten Mittens
161.7
kilometers planned
179.9
kilometers ridden
28.1
avg moving speed km/h
11
donuts consumed
1
flat tires/battery death
2,188
meters of elevation gained
72.9
max speed km/h
cycling. The real beauty of the Noble Pursuit is that is can be something quite different for everyone. For many it was the longest ride that they had ever completed, for others it was a challenge to see how fast they could do it as a team, and for most it was a chance to spend some time with your lycra clad friends. The route was fantastic. Departing from the Silver Bean Cafe. rolling us out of town through Jackson Park, into Omemee and continuing on our journey in a west/southwest direction we slipped around Long Sault Conservation Area, swung back around the Ganaraska Forest and pushed on our way back home through endless rolling hills to the Ashburnham Ale House. A few things worth mentioning. With 160 kilometers of roads it was a pretty unanimous decision that Grasshopper Park Road was the favorite travelled that day. For most of us this was a new road, and it brought smiles to our weary faces. With Zac having the intent of getting everyone out on a road they had never cycled on before - he hit a home run. Also of note - fresh donuts at the Tyrone Mill. Most teams stopped to refill bottles, grab a Coke and get down as many of
these little baked marvels as they could. On a personal note - eating three may not of been the best choice, but who can say no. Tyrone Mill also happened to be the site of something quite fantastic. as one team (see guilty parties above)) rolled through - a large SUV limo and trailer awaited them - all prearranged for their team to take a more comfortable way home than on a bike seat. Stuff of legends provided that day. After another success year, the conversation at the Ale House turned to what will be in store for us next year..... Can’t wait to find out!