It’s been a story in the making for over twenty years. In 1981, I was given a terrific opportunity to cycle across most of Canada. A teenager of only fifteen years old, I cycled from Vancouver, B.C. to Kingston, Ontario to raise money for Easter Seals along with four other people:

·        Andrew Rahme

·        Mike Cottam

·        Dan Burley

·        Mr. Reg Pitt

 

My Sekine ten speed brings fond memories; it was dependable enough to take me across thousands of kilometres. My new Tarmac is just as reliable, but more like a Porsche than a bicycle; the designers had these attributes in mind:

·        Aesthetic appeal

·        Performance

·        Comfort

 

I had researched bikes for about a year. For many months, I was intent on getting a Cervelo R3. I looked at all the videos, and the more I investigated the bicycle, the more I wanted it. I even considered buying a used Cervelo R3, but didn’t feel comfortable with that. In the end, I followed the advice of another fellow I know. He had been researching bikes for over a year and told me that Cervelo had not been in the top of the top in some reviews he had read, and he pointed me in the direction of a Tarmac. Suffice to say, I am very satisfied with my purchase. I have never ridden a carbon fibre frame, and it is great. Ultra-light, stiff, responsive, and with just the right “give” in the right places. It has been a day of delivery after twenty years for me, as I climb up the hills (maybe two in Ontario) and plan my bike trip with my dad this summer.

 

Here are an assortment of pictures of my new bicycle, and a Google Maps picture of the 80K “initialization ride” I took on Monday, April 14, 2008:

 

Upcoming: My bike trip through Southwestern Ontario with my dad.