Champlain's Folly

I like rides organized at the grass-roots level that are intended to be mostly about the ride.  I don't like the idea of using bike rides for "industrial fundraising" as has happened in the world of golf.  Don't ask me why-it just rubs me the wrong way but I can be pragmatic.  Champlain's Folly found the right balance as far as I am concerned.  It is raising money for a cycling cause (a velodrome) and yet it had a great grass-roots feel to it.

There were several choices as to the distance and I picked the 160km and rode with a group consisting of Marc Clemens, Marc Brazeau and Ric Sudac.  We started right at 9am with some others but quickly it was reduced to the four of us except that a "German Guy" (more on him below) was with us and we caught up with a strong rider later who stayed with us.  I really liked this route as it was mostly on roads I rarely, if ever, see and it had little traffic.  For most of the trip it was just the six of us - a very manageable group.

We stopped at the second rest stop to refill our bottles thinking that we would have another chance in 35km or so.  As it turned out there was not a rest stop in another 35k and we were getting parched so we stopped at a store.  It was here that we chatted to the "German Guy".  Seems he is here to scout out Ottawa as a location for a big ride his European based company may organize in the future.  He is a very strong rider.

It was very shortly after leaving the store that a large group caught us.  It was great to sit in - it was about 40km/hr at 120w so the rest of the ride would be super easy but this was not to be.  Marc B. came up to me in the group and gave me the team orders "no riding in the group".  We were to drop out of the group and stay behind.  So the two Marcs, Ric and I were once again riding alone as the two who had joined us were more rational and stayed in the bunch.

As it turned out we caught the group just before Storyland and at the top of this rise there was the rest stop we had been looking for.  Seeing as we had refilled our bottles we didn't need to stop but the big group did so we were on our own for the rest of the ride back into Arnprior.  The four of us finished together only because they took mercy on me when I cramped up.

As I said, I really liked this event.  No showing ID, no long lines, no dramatic promises, no chip timing (we all have computers anyway), no jersey (we got socks-I don't like my entry money for a charity event going toward clothing, I assume the charity needs the money more than I need a jersey or shirt  plastered with logos-I hope the organizers were getting the socks free)  and lastly a nice route with good riding buddies.

I appreciated the way the post ride meal was handled.  We were all given a ticket that we could spend at one of the food trucks up to $10 worth of fries, burgers, milkshakes etc(+the beer ticket!).  I wonder if in the future the event could convince some of the new "exotic" food trucks to attend-that would be neat.

I want to thank all the organizers and volunteers of this event.  It was a hot day to stand around and organize anything.  I appreciate your efforts very much in making this a very enjoyable ride for me.  I will be back.