Sam and I left with others after the truck was packed. It was a bit of an odd day because quite a few people left late on a day that we would ride 100 miles plus. We rode along the 1000 islands parkway for the first 40 km or so. The houses and cabins that line that road have a very nice view. Some islands only have one house that fills the whole island.
The first stop of the day was in Merrikville. My legs felt pretty good and we averaged 27 kmph over the three hours. The group had lunch at a cafe. We Bill Hamilton who is 91 years old who bikes 20 km each day to the coffee shop. Arlen and Viki got a picture with him. Amazing.
We stopped a couple more times for a quick drink. The terrain most mostly flat with some small rolling hills. Quite a bit of the road was adjacent to the Rideau Canal. We were suprised to read that we had to get off our bikes and maneuver through the fence that surrounds the airport. The road away from the airport and to Carelton University is dangerously busy. The shoulder is wide but is poor condition. We had to cross many busy on ramps and off ramps.
Once at the University I was suprised at how nice it was. We checked in and found that our rooms had been recently renovated. The only catch was that we weren't warned in the morning that the truck would remain loaded at the uni. People had to climb over bags and the stove to get access to their personal items they needed during the day off.
The century ride felt a little longer than I expected and after a pizza dinner served in the common area I went to sleep at 8.
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| St Lawrence river just past Ivy Lea, ON |
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| Cyclist, 91 year old Bill Hamilton. Amazing! |
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| Matty have a problem getting over the fence at the Ottawa airport. |
