Going smoothly up, I still observed my heart rate creep higher than I've seen in a while--getting very close to 160. So, at the top I felt the need to rest, leaning triathlon style on the top my traditional dropped bars. I moved the rear wheel up onto the recently poured gutter; the final layer of asphalt hasn't been laid yet to make the road level with the gutter.
The horse and buggy passed easily enough on my left side, and made the right turn.
As I was going up Katherine Street one fast male cyclist whizzed by, giving a pleasant greeting. And a little while later a couple went by and gave a similar greeting. I think I'd seen them before once; he rides at a vigorous pace, with her drafting right behind. As I got near the turn-off to West Montrose, all three were in sight. The lone rider continued north, while the couple started down the hill to West Montrose and its covered bridge, where I soon followed.
When I got to the covered bridge, the couple were in the parking lot past its entrance, looking up at it slightly apprehensively. Indeed, as I got closer I could see a small convoy of buggies coming through it. So I pulled back and to the side a bit, and while the horses passed fairly close by me, it seemed safe and easy for the buggies to pass too.
Thinking about it, however, I realized a horse, while it will probably avoid you personally, probably can't tell whether or not the front or rear wheels it is towing are in danger of hitting you. I will try to assess the situation critically in those terms if I end up in it again.
After the batch of three, I moved closer and could see the next batch was a fair way from the entrance on the other side. I set off into the bridge; I had a front light, after all. And I got to the other side before they came close to the entrance. There were several other buggies coming down towards the bridge, as well as several going along the highway at the next stop sign.
Just before I got to that stop sign, a motorcycle passed by me. I recalled seeing him go down towards the bridge just a couple of minutes before. From the back, I could now tell he was actually a police man. Eventually he and I went through the intersection at about the same time, in a break in the traffic. I continued straight, while he turned left.
I expected to be passed by the couple on the way up Middlebrook Road towards Elora, but I guess they didn't go that way after all.
I paced myself evenly but slowly up the incline before Elora, and the surprise hump at the top wasn't too difficult to handle. I didn't feel like visiting while in Elora so passed by Donnie's house, noting that there was only one vehicle outside and not observing anyone in the garden. It took me almost a full two hours to get to Elora.
An odd thing about getting older and slower is that even easy parts are slower. Not much time or speed was made up on the return trip. Morning was getting later now, so I saw several medium-sized groups of bicycles going up in the other direction.
When I got to the black car Mennonite Meeting Hall the parking lot was full, so my timing had been good to dodge that traffic.
I had held off snacks until the second time through West Montrose, so I could use the porta-potty during the same stop. Another old man observed the potty occupied while I was in it, and so when I came out we agreed "Great old minds think alike, with good reason".
So I was making it home now. Up out of the Grand Valley to Katherine Street.
Conestogo is very quiet these days because its major intersection is closed in all directions. Back over the little girder bridge, and then deliberation up the S-bend up the hill.
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Originally Posted by SportWagon
