TLDR: Ride went very well. We raised over $205k so far. I raised over $6400 thanks to all of you!
My second adventure riding 7 Days for Pancreatic Cancer started in Guelph and would tour clockwise around southwestern Ontario reaching as far south as Leamington and as far west as Belle River on Lake St. Clair. The ride took place from 26 May - 1 June. It would be a very different ride than 2024, trading lots of climbing around Muskoka for long straight flat open roads and the "Dutch hills" (aka wind). Other than visiting Guelph a decade ago (by car), these roads would all be new to me
Pancreatic Cancer Canada had set a very (overly?) ambitious goal of raising $400k from this event in 2025. As of 9 June, we have achieved 68% of the goal with more donations forthcoming. Personally, I was able to raise more than $6400 in support of early detection, diagnosis and treatment - more than in 2024. To eveyone who contributed and supported me - a huge THANK YOU!
Days 6 and 7 are day loops from Guelph in brown and red
Over the 7 days, we rode over 1100 km. This consisted of 6 days of approx 170 km and a final day of 100 km, averaging 160 kms/day over the 7 days. The shorter day 7 (Sunday) is to encourage fundraising from cyclists that are as yet unable to ride for 160 kms. This doesn't count the extra cycling you get from missing rest stops and then turning back when you realize it
Highlights of the week included:
- Riding with Arnold V - who is a 5 year survivor, a fantastic athlete and a terrific guy. Arnold is proof that early detection can make a difference in outcomes
- The support volunteers, including the road crew who followed us all day in vehicles and the food volunteers who set up and tore down the tent and brought all the food to the rest stops on the route. As per last year, the choice of snack options at the stops was stellar and carefully catered to the weather
- A second survivor, Dan, rode the last 25km on day 7 and delivered a nice speech at the end of ride reception outlining his incredible journey. In 2024 Dan also gave a speech, but at the time he was too sick to ride, so his improvement has been uplifting
- Reconnecting with the riders from 2024, getting a chance to ride with them again and sharing daily post ride snacks and beer
- Leading out wearing the golden cape on day 3
My overall cycling fitness is down from 2024. I attribute this to two factors: winter travelling and crappy spring weather in Ottawa. Over the winter I had the privilege of visiting the Dominican Republic and South Africa for a total of 4 weeks and then I also got a nasty flu upon returning from the DR, which took another week to get over. Of course, the amount of cycling I did on those trips was zero and the amount of exercise I got was minimal. The amount of food and drink I consumed however, was much more than normal (not that I regret it!). Upon returning to Ottawa in late March, the weather didn't allow for much cycling and Gatineau Park wasn't fully cleared of snow almost a month later than it was in 2024 (to be fair - 2024 was weird, I was road cycling in February - not normal!). It's a good thing that the 2025 7 Days route had much less climbing than 2024 or I would have been screwed. At the start of the ride, I had cycled 1400 kms less than I had to that point in 2024. However, I felt quite ready for the non climbing days which were more towards the start of the week
Unlike last year when day 1 was the worst day weather wise (cold and torrential rain), this year's kickoff was the best cycling day of the year so far - sunny, perfect temperature and with a tailwind in the afternoon. Our route took us out from Guelph, south through Sheffield and then southwest through Paris, Burford, Otterville, Wheatley and finally ending in St. Thomas. Sheffield Road is cycling paradise. And Paris is very scenic with the Grand River and various bridges - worth a return visit. The lunch stop at the old railway station in Otterville (now a museum) was interesting as it was also the location of some historic cemeteries. I spent most of day 1 riding with a group of 6-8 - one of the middle groups. St. Thomas is also a very scenic town
Day 2 took us straight southwest to Leamington. The weather was overcast and the wind had picked up considerably. The irony is that we had a northeast tailwind - quite a rarity in this area. Winds this strong in the prevailing northwest direction would have made for a brutal day. But instead, many riders (myself included) broke all kinds of personal records with the tailwind. I was able to average over 31 km/hr for the day and the last section along Lake Erie towards Wheatley saw us average over 40 km/hr as the wind just merrily pushed us along. It also helps when you can ride 31 kms without turning as on Talbot Trail. For most of the day I rode with just Eddy and Enzo, as we all ride the same speed and like to do quick rotations. We arrived at the hotel before 3 PM
Wednesday, the weather turned colder and it was likely that we would have to deal with rain at some point, but it was still dry at the start. Also, we would be facing a headwind for the first time during the week. This was the day that I got to lead the group out of Leamington wearing the golden cape. The cape is awarded to the rider who raised the most funds the prior day (on the first day it is awarded to rider that had raised the most funds prior to the start of the event). It's a fun goofy incentive to help incite a bit of fundraising competition. Of course, then you have to stop at some point to remove it and then you spend the next little bit catching up to everyone! Our route would take use due north up to Belle River which is along the southern shore of Lake St. Clair. From there we would work our way counter clockwise around the lake, stopping for lunch in a town just off the eastern edge called Pain Court. Apparently, the non Francophone locals refer to it as Pan Corr. At our rest stop in Centennial Park we encountered a bunch of kids from the local French school out for a picnic lunch. I found it odd to hear French in this part of Ontario, but the settlement goes back a long time. At this point I had all my rain gear on, which turned out to be the correct answer for the next section into the now northwest wind up through Wallaceburg. From there we headed west to catch the St. Clair River Parkway, which is a scenic road with many cottages and boat docks along the river. It's a cycling destination for people in the area. Continuing north, we eventually hit the ugliness of the Sarnia refineries. Our last rest stop of the day was on the property of the Shell refinery as one of our riders who works there and had made arrangements. I can't imagine what it's like the work there - worse than the eyesore processing plant is the loud constant drone noise. Also, as you can imagine, the cycling infrastructure around this point is pretty sketch, but we managed our way through it for our stay in Sarnia
There are nice parts though. Enzo rocking the pink shoe covers
The weather turned quite cold on Thursday, with a 6c start. The wind would again be in our favour, as we headed northeast along the Southern shore of Lake Huron. I started out with the middle group and at the first rest stop decided to ride a stint with the faster group. The combination of a tailwind and some strong pullers on the front made for a fast ride through Pinery Provincial Park into Grand Bend, in many sections averaging 40-45 km/hr. I was able to keep up comfortably for the roughly 40 kms. The rest of the ride was unremarkable until we arrived in Stratford, which I haven't been to in over 15 years. It's so pretty and our route took us on Lakeside Drive and through Upper Queen's Park where the Stratford Festival is based
Friday would be our first day with some elevation at over 1000 m, which is still half of what we had to deal with in 2024 in Muskoka. I was a bit concerned as my hill climbing in 2025 basically sucked. The route today was a bit odd as we needed to ride 170 kms, but our Guelph destination was quite a bit closer. So to make up the distance, we would first ride southwest to St. Mary's, which meant riding into a now southwesterly headwind. Then we'd turn northwest with a few jogs on the route, but at least we'd have a tailwind for the afternoon. Also, the temperature was more normal with a start of around 13c. The highlight of the day was our first rest stop at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. We got to quickly scan the exhibits as they had so kindly allowed our participants to use their facilities. Although the building isn't huge, I could have definitely spent more time there as I was quite the Montreal Expos fan back in the day. After heading to our lunch stop in really nice new community complex in Wellesley, the group I was with had their first mechanical issues of the ride when Don experienced a tire puncture just as we were heading out from lunch. Once repaired, with the help of Eddy's nifty electric pump, we proceeded for several kilometers before Enzo managed to drop his chain and attempts to pedal it back on didn't work. The weather was warming up at this point and I was feeling the heat and the elevation a bit. After our final rest stop in St. Jacobs, we were hitting Friday rush hour on some busy roads (Wellington Road 30 - ugh) with no shoulders coming back into Guelph. Unfortunately, the hills had now split our group up and everyone was riding solo for that 7 km stretch. The drivers were quite aggressive in this section. Matt, one of our support crew had stopped at a traffic light intersection to take photos of the riders coming through. Unlike the many other stops he made where I and others smiled and waved or gave the "thumbs up" sign, I didn't even look up. We eventually all arrived safely at the hotel. Unfortunately, the 3 riders in front of me didn't wait for me, Eddy or Enzo who were both not far behind me for the customary post ride group photo. I was a little miffed as they disappeared, didn't attend the post ride snacks and beer and were not riding the weekend so that was the last I saw of them. That last stretch into Guelph was definitely the riding lowlight of the event. This was also the first day that I was quite tired and the muscle soreness in my legs was at its peak. It was definitely my toughest day so far. I slept well
On paper, our day 6 Saturday counter clockwise loop north of Guelph looked to be the most difficult riding day of the week. I was still tired and sore from yesterday's ride and was mildly concerned. The route included over 1100 m of elevation and we would be riding portions directly into a northwest headwind. Rolling hills would take us through a very scenic area. The day started out overcast and windy as we headed northeast towards Acton/Halton Hills. In a comedy of errors, Enzo and I managed to miss the first rest stop at Prospect Park in Acton. Unfortunately, the roadside sandwich boards that we had available in 2024 that indicated 500 m to the rest stop were no longer being used - something about them not being legal. Instead, balloons were used to indicate the rest stops and these were tied to random things on either side of the road - stop signs or poles or fence posts. Unfortunately, these are not very visible when you're travelling along at 30 km/h and also, they tend to burst and blow away. Although some of the riders did correctly turn off, everyone sort of fanned out and not realizing where we were I continued to follow my GPS which was now taking Enzo and myself onto the next ride section. About a km down the road we realized that we were heading out of town. Given that the next rest stop was not for over 45 km, we decided to head back. It was a bit of the "ride of shame" as we encountered our riding colleagues going the other way who knew exactly what had happened. Back on track we headed towards Cheltenham Badlands, which is a beautiful shale geological rock formation that looks like large scoops of chocolate marshmallow ice cream. The roads in this area are stellar for cycling. After the obligatory pictures, we continued northeast and encountered our first "surprise" road closure and detour, as a portion of Olde Baseline Road had completely washed out. We followed the detour sign towards Boston Mills and after a brief hesitation made our way around the Caledon Golf and Country Club to get back on course (thanks Eddy!). From here we continued into what was the highlight of the 7 days of riding - Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. This included what is simply known as "the hairpin" which is remeniscent of the kind one might encounter on Mont Ventoux or the Pyrenees. The climbing in this area was quite challenging with grades of 10-12% for some short sections. We were now headed northwest and directly into the wind for the next 28 kms. On the way to Orangeville, near Alton, we passed signs advertising the RBC Canadian Open golf championship which was being held at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. We could smell the money in the area. Our rest stop was at the Alton Mills Arts Centre, a quaint little historic museum that had a honour system money jar coffee bar with pastries. I took Enzo up on his offer for a coffee that wasn't lukewarm Tim Hortons out of the carton. We slogged the headwind continuing north west and finally turned the corner at km 95. Now we would have a cross wind as we headed west towards Grand Valley. It was ironically observed by several riders that our welcome to Grand Valley was the water tower that was at the top of a hill - the end of a slow gradual climb from the Credit River. After lunch, we headed southwest to Elora/Fergus and then finally the big left turn to take us southeast back into Guelph with a much anticipated tailwind. Our approach into Guelph was much kinder than the previous day. On our final approach we were passed by a skinny guy with a grey beard and moustache and long flowing grey hair out the back of his helmet probably going close to 50 km/hr! Who was he? Probably some local cycling legend.
The hardest day was done. The irony though, is that after all my concern about the elevation and wind, I felt the strongest that I had in the 6 days so far and the muscle soreness that I had after day 5 was now gone. I still had gas in the tank at the end. It's weird how your body adapts even when it's missing those recovery days. I think the lower temperatures helped and also the elevation profile which had longer steady climbs instead of the more abrupt rolling up and down on Friday
Sunday - the easiest day for the 7 day cyclists. I didn't sleep well. There was a bit of themostat stress in our room and I need to sleep in a freezer. 20c felt to me like a sauna. So I woke up grumpy. I was also tired of the routine at this point. Not the cycling, but the hotel, hotel breakfast, packing, restaurant dinners, sharing a room - I was ready to head home. At some point, the introvert in me kicks back in and a hotel environment is just too "peopley". Only 100 km to go. I got further annoyed when I went down to the bike room and discovered that someone had obviously knocked or moved my bike because the custom USB port charger cover was no longer on the bike, but I was able to find it on the floor nearby. I was in "let's get this over with" mode. I was a bit late to the remote start at Riverside Park, although everything ran a bit late. So I didn't get a chance to clean my bike. The good news is that I got to meet up with some riders who I rode with last year that were only riding the Sunday, so it was good to reconnect with them again. We started off and I decided to take is easy. The route was clockwise east of Guelph which meant that the final segment back into Guelph would be into the wind. There were some hills for the shorter distance. After about 30 minutes, my mood improved and I settled in with the riders. Just after half way, the hills started up as we turned more east. I noticed a clicking noise coming from what seemed my front crankset but only when I was in the small chainring. I had heard it the day before, but it now seemed louder. About half way to the second rest stop, I decided that because I still felt pretty strong that I would forego riding in a group so that I could stay in the big chainring and attack the downhills before the rollers. The side effect was that this was way more fun than climbing hills in a group, grinding at the pace of the rider in front of you. I ended up passing a few riders who wondered what I was doing, since I didn't typically ride solo. The last 20 kms were into the headwind and was pretty flat. Tall Peter was happy to pull me for most of it. Eventually a larger group caught up and we made our way together to the gathering point at Exhibition Park, navigating more detours and probably not on any official route. From there, we waited for all the remaining riders to arrive so that we could all roll into Riverside Park together
The welcome reception was a bit more subdued than last year's, which was fine by me as I was ready for the long trip home (I broke up the trip, staying overnight in Cobourg rather than driving 6 hours). Once again, I felt great at the end of the day - no muscle soreness and with more energy than I had on day 5. I said my goodbyes to those riders that I spent time with and made sure to connect with those that I knew would not be returning. Overall, it was a fantastic and very well planned event. The route planning by my good friend Jack was amazing, despite the one terrifying road near Guelph on day 5 - getting in and out of cities is always a challenge for cyclists. I definitely want to head back to Sheffield, Forks of the Credit, Acton and Elora in the future
I signed up to to the Rideau Lakes Cycling Tour again. It is now the 3rd week of June, which gives me a bit of a break. I decided to change it up and do the gravel ride out of Perth - keeps me away from the Saturday cottage traffic. Then we're off to see Claire in San Francisco, if the orange turd will let us in the country and not deport us to El Salvador
As always, I greatly appreciate your support both in fundraising and encouragement. Here's to you all keeping well, staying healthy and enjoying life to the best you can. Drop me a note so we can catch up on what you've been doing
Take care,
Dan
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