On a late start

 Victor von Fleddermoose was taken on a Défi for the first time today. What with Covid-19 and all, the Défi Métropolitain, usually held on the last Sunday in May, was held today. It was also my first Défi since 2019. 

I think I left my place at the right time to get to Châteauguay for my 8:30 departure, or least what should have been the right time. However, despite Google Maps, construction, bad luck and worse bureaucratic planning intervened. The plan was to take Autoroute 20 West, get on the 138 to cross the Mercier Bridge then turn left to get on the 132 Westbound. The first snag emerged when the access ramp from the 20 to the 138 was closed for construction/maintenance. This meant having to take a detour in order to make what amounted to a U-turn a few kilometers up beside the 20. 

Having all but crossed the Mercier Bridge, I found that I couldn't turn right because of construction, and so had to turn left onto the Eastbound 132 until the first intersection where I was to make a U-turn to head West.  Unfortunately, traffic was held up by the fact that a Kahnawake peacekeeper was moving traffic cones into position. Then a beat-up pickup from Alberta broke down in the "detour" lane!!!

Net result, I only got to the start after my parents had left.

It was a glorious day for biking with cool temperatures despite the sunshine and a moderate consistent wind out of the West. Unfortunately, I had a seat-pedal interface issue namely the fact that I am out of shape. That is not to say there weren't some bits. Just leaving the start, there was a stretch of slight downhill with a tailwind. I was pleased so see that I was doing about 35 km/h, and was then passed fairly snappily by fitter people on faster bikes!

The parents were taking a route that was roughly 20 kms shorter than mine before lunch. Together with their early departure, they arrived at the lunch place about an hour before me.

I had pondered taking the second extra bit as it looked like it might have been interesting. But I was unsure of my fitness level. As it was after lunch, I had theoretically left the decision until I got to the intersection, but in truth, I knew I wasn't going to take it before I got to the intersection. Among other reasons, I got mildly stung in my upper lip by an insect that collided with me.  Coming back, I benefitted from the consistent West wind. I arrived at the end about 20 or 30 minutes after the Parents. Unfortunately, they were a shade too impatient to wait. As I rode back to parking lot after getting my chocolate milk, I saw them leave, turning away from me. Had they gone the other way, they would have seen me.

 

At the finish, there was a campervan with an unusual front license plate. For one thing, it was what I think of as European format. The sight of such is not that rare. However, at first glance it looked Russian or Ukrainian. However, when looked at more carefully, it was in fact phonetic Québécois:

The stats are: 4 hours, 39 minutes, 21 seconds of riding. 106.65 kms covered. Average of 22.9 km/h. Max speed, 36.8 km/h.

On frustrations with Victor von Fleddermoose

 On Canada Day, I cleaned the chains of Justin Thyme and Victor von Fleddermoose. As well, I inflated their tires to their recommended PSI's. This was Victor's first day out this year, your humble correspondent having been quite lazy. After the TLC, I geared up, and headed off on Victor on a combined errand/exercise run. I was planning on going to work to pickup a pair of reading glasses I had left at work the day before, then heading to the Lachine Canal to Lachine, before coming back via the riverside bike path.

Somewhere in NDG, I noticed that my front tire was a shade underinflated. Then I as turned onto Cavendish, it gave completely out. As it had been a nice day, and Victor had just been serviced, I had decided to leave my tool bag at home. I walked the remaing distance to work, retrieved my reading glasses, then set to work trying to book a taxi to take Victor and I home. After more than half an hour and several phone calls, I realised that I was S.O.L. as far as taxis were concerned and set off on foot to the nearest Metro station, several kilometers away. As I passed one intersection, a young woman asked me how to get to the "Subway". After making sure she didn't mean the sandwich chain, I said that she should go to the bus stop across the street and catch the 161, getting off at the Plamondon station. She then asked if I was sure about that. I replied, possibly a bit testily, that I had been doing it on a regular basis to part of my commute for twenty years.

As I approached Plamondon pushing Victor, I became aware that I hadn't brought my Opus card with me, meaning that I would have to buy a ticket. It was just one more bit of frustration. That was Thursday.

On Saturday, I set about replacing the front inner tube with the usual grumbles. After inflating the front tire, I topped off the rear one as well. I then sat down at my computer to surf the internet. An hour or so later, I heard a pop followed by a hiss coming from Victor. The rear inner tube had given up the ghost. When I tried to diagnose the issue, it appeared that the valve was somehow compromised. With more grumbling, I replaced the rear inner tube. 

Today, I took Victor out for a successful trial run. I rewarded myself with my first draft beer since at least September. It was my local "biker bar", a.k.a. as the Terrasse St-Ambroise.