Team Nexus Rides for Bridgepoint Health

Riding a bicycle is a “demographically-correct” sport, which is to say that it’s what runners do when their knees wear out. So it may not be a surprise that there are several avid cyclists at the firm. A few partners ride regularly at their cottages. Three partners have spouses who think a supported bike tour with an organization like Backroads is a great way to spend a vacation. And one partner adopts the “Ride, Forrest! Ride!” approach to the sport (with apologies to Forrest Gump).

So it wasn’t difficult for John to persuade a group of us to form a Team Nexus to participate in the “Hero Ride” this spring. The Ride is a 2-day, 250-kilometre affair in support of Bridgepoint Health. Flag-carrying (and spandex-clad!) members included John, Dianne and Nigel White, and your faithful correspondent, Denys Calvin.

On a beautiful Saturday morning at the end of May, almost 100 intrepid riders set off on the rolling country roads north of Toronto, headed for Blue Mountain in groups of 12 to 18 riders, with each group supported by a fancy Porsche pace car. “Support” consisted of that 400 horsepower vehicle following the riders at a patient 28 kilometres per hour (pity the driver!). That evening we enjoyed a much-needed and richly-deserved feast, together with a most entertaining after-dinner performance by an illusionist who wowed and amazed us all.

Of course, Sunday morning arrived all too soon. Breakfast was wolfed down. Aching legs were thrown over crossbars as riders mounted their “steeds” and Saturday’s route was retraced, all the way back to King City. However, Day Two is never quite like Day One in these sorts of undertakings. Sunday was much hotter, and the toughest hills of the weekend were all in the last 35 kilometres of the weekend. So the tales of triumph on Monday morning had more than a tinge of the tarmac tribulations.

But we did have fun and Bridgepoint Health is the better for it!