I woke up at 5:30 in the morning determined to make it home to Toronto come Hell or high-water. I figured that it was around 210 km and if I just kept riding, even at a moderate pace of 20km/h I could be home to sleep in my own bed. For some reason this had taken on a whole new importance. I got on the road and made 20km before stopping for breakfast at a gas-station cafe.
Following highway #10 I travelled South-East I made it through to Orangeville before stopping for lunch at a Wendy’s. I wasn’t really thinking straight by that point. Home was in my sights and I wanted to eat something as fast as possible so I could get back on the bike.
I noticed there were some beautiful old towns, especially in Grey county. I would like to cycle back there sometime when I’m not so pressed for time.
I missed the turn off for the #11 road so I ended up going through Kleinburg, asking for directions from a local as to a smaller road into the city. At Major Mackenzie and Dufferin I was forced off the road by traffic and into the loose gravel near a constuction area. I hear a sickening metal on metal sound and pulled over to find a bent nail went through the bottom of the tire and out the side peircing the tube inside.
I started chuckling because I was only a few km from home. It seems Murphy’s law had gotten me. As I was changing the tire another cyclist came by to check on my and make sure I was okay. I assured him I was. I got everything loaded on again and got no more than 100m when the chain snapped! I guessed the nail must have hit the chain too at some point.
Half-laughing, half-crying I pulled out my spare chain and put it in place. I was very close to just abandoning the freakin’ thing and walking home. The chain was way too long but I put it into the big rings to pick up the excess slack and hammered it home through the toughest and happiest 2 km of the entire trip.
“Home again, home again jiggidy-jig” I kept thinking over and over like some crazed cyclist. I know the trip isn’t over, but the hard part is past. I kept my promise to be home for our anniversary and more importantly I know what my limits were and pushed them a little farther.
stats:
Distance: 189km
Time: 6.20
Ave: 26.5km
Max: 50.1km