Well, I’ve finally started biking again, sort of as an alternative to running, and to get at least some biking in before the summer’s out. I usually keep running during the winter months, but biking then is usually not an option. Biking can also be a little more interesting than running, giving you more scenery options, and like all forms of exercise, is a great way to burn off stress and get into a relaxed mode. The weather’s also been better this week as well, with today’s high being only a dry 24 °C – perfect summer weather in my view, and certainly much better than the humid sauna-like conditions we had last week.

The route I ride on is the highway from Kingston to Gananoque – Highway 2 according to Google Maps. It’s used by many other bikers, and for good reason: The road is well-paved and has an ample shoulder so you don’t feel crowded. Additionally, since it’s a sort of an alternate route to Gananoque (most people will take the 401 since it’s much faster), there’s relatively little traffic, even during the rush hours between 4-6 PM. It’s quite pleasant to ride on, and is also fairly flat, good for someone like me who hasn’t done a lot of biking recently. I usually just ride as far as I can and then turn back.

In fact, the trickiest part (for me), is not really the ride on the highway but the ride to get to the highway. From where I live, you have to go through downtown and over the LaSalle Causeway to get out to the highway. The bridge is kind of narrow and it always unnerves me to ride across it, especially when there’s a lot of traffic. (I hate biking in traffic of any sort, maybe because I don’t do it a lot.) The bridge actually has a sign that says “No Bikes”, so I guess that’s there for a good reason.