Sunday, September 13, 2026

Trying the Trail Again

Note: There is a PSA about blogrolls at the end of the post.

We are not exactly burning up the trails, but we did go for another cycle yesterday (Sunday).


We didn’t ride with that ↑ bike, but I thought this is as good a place as any to drop in a photo of this bicycle that we see as an ornamentation downtown.

On our own more prosaic devices, we opted to head for the trail, you know the one where the insects feasted on Sue last time. Our luck held as the cold nights have either ended their season or at least they hadn't warmed up yet on this morning.


As I have mentioned before, we both seem to maintain our balance fairly well, but when Sue wanted to stop to get shots of oncoming cyclists, I was glad to stop wile they passed because I do feel a little unsure and wobbly when they whiz by on that fairly narrow trail.


We made other stops: one where we ride by a swampy area and another by the farm field where we turned around. We could have gone a little farther, but my ancient legs were hinting that I should exercise prudence.



Since our return trip would take us by Dark & Deadly, we decided to park our bikes and go in for  a coffee. We didn't have our bike lock, but we sat right by the window to keep an eye on things, and you might see the handlebars very faintly behind Sue. The Score (as in toffee) coffee was quite wonderful. I sometimes try the flavours there, and I have found that I like Score. I like the real chocolate bar too, but that is a whole uhter thang.


There is usually a new monster in there, or at least one that is freshly dressed, so I took a few photos, but I think I might save them. October and Halloween are coming after all.

However, this ↓ is our summary. Such summaries were not a thing 20 years ago when we cycled much more often and much farther too. We rode only 6.35km, but I think that is the most yet. We stopped a lot for pictures, so I don't know how accurate the average speed is. I had a moderate heart rate of 102 while pedalling.


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PSA

Before Blogger had proper blogrolls I found a reader program called Feedly at feedly.com. It has been working for me while Blogger has, apparently (from what I read on various blogs), been fumbling its blogrolls. Of course Feedly will want you to upgrade to get more features, but the unpaid version works well for me and has for many, many years. I can access it through my browser on the computer or via an app on the phone or tablet. You have to get the url of the blog you want to follow and then paste it into the Feedly search function, and then you should be good to go. I am sure that Blogger will correct the blogroll problem in due course, but you might like Feedly better regardless.

Here's a sample screenshot.











23 comments:

  1. Thanks for the PSA. What a pain these 'free' services are!
    That skinny path creeps me out. I used to bike extensively around Ottawa. Nice wide paths.

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  2. I may have to try out Feedly as I'm getting pretty tired of having to just check every blog to see if there has been an update.

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  3. A perfect time of year for a bike ride, I also applaud your choice to stop for a coffee. I think I'd have to wait for them to pass as well, that movement throws me off.

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  4. Hi John, I’m really excited about your bike rides—and I think you’re doing a great job riding without a motor! After all, you really ought to use your muscles while cycling... the fact that the rides are short doesn't matter at all. It’s that steady, ongoing activity that keeps you in good shape! My husband and I are thoroughly enjoying our rides right now, too, and we make time for them whenever we can... and yes, a nice coffee or hot chocolate is a must—it really lifts the spirits.
    Wishing you both lots of fun!
    Viola

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  5. I have just bookmarked the blogs I read and go down the list in the morning. i hope that blogger gets fixed soon.

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  6. Thank you for the last info. Blogger is just so frustrating at times.
    It has certainly been lovely weather to get out for your rides.

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  7. I'll check out the Feedly app. Thanks. You all look like you're enjoying your rides...especially the rehydration part.

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    1. It wanted a "work email address" and none of mine were acceptable. How do you log into Feedly?

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    2. I’ve used it for so long. I don’t seem to have to login anymore, so I don’t know what to say. You will have to set up a free account. I don’t think you can just login.

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  8. Also quite stoked to support local Canadian coffee shops & small businesses.

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  9. I like your bicycle camera but I think I'd be totally freaked out if Rick rode with one!

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  10. Exciting two-wheel adventures! Thanks for the tip, aloha!

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  11. Must chek this out when I have more time. Thanks AC.

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    1. Went to feedly.com but it's all about threat intelligence. I don't see anything having to do with creating a reading list.

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    2. You just need to follow your stuff. Tap the magnifying glass and insert your url. Magnifier is at the bottom on the tablet app but I don’t know about all devices at the moment.

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  12. Wow, John, what lovely photos of your bike ride. Thank you for taking us along.

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  13. I used to use feedly on my last blog that I had many years ago. Since coming back to the blogging world I have yet to get my blog roll going again. I will have to look at feedly again.

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  14. That bike path looks level and smooth, no inclines at all, which is best for me should I choose to ride. It's the inclines that cause me pain and where I live all roads are downward ever-so-slightly leading away from home, which is great, but then coming home is so much harder, and I am close to the city so the traffic is faster and never ending so I gave away the bike. The brown couch/sofa in Dark and Deadly is gorgeous! Looks comfortable enough to sleep on.

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  15. I feel unsteady when I turn or if I have to stay completely straight because there are other bikes or obstacles. You are not alone! I've used Feedly since Bloglines went out of business. It works well for me except when someone doesn't post for a long time and I can't find their last post to check up on them. I miss having my own blogroll but have NO clue how to set one up in Wordpress. Love the look of that coffee place!

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  16. I do miss walking trails. We can drive to plenty of them.

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  17. Thanks for the blogroll tip. I'll hold off for a bit yet, as I can just click on the blog name even when the new update isn't showing beneath it, and get to my favourites that way. I'm being lazy. LAZY R I. -Kate

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