Hello from the GTA, hanging out in Pickering right now, trying to get some serious ‘rest on’ so I’m ready for a show at one of the biggest shops in Ontario, Bay Cycle, tomorrow. (Noon sharp for anyone that is local)

Crashed during the last school show today, slipped out on the back wheel and landed on my now bruised sit bones. First proper bail of the tour, but I’m fine, finished the show, and might do some yoga to limber up…maybe I’ll play my didgeridoo partly to vibrate some healing blood flow to my low back and sit bones, but mainly to acknowledge my jealousy that Caryn is going to see Xavier Rudd play in Vancouver later on tonight!!!!

What a great week though! Yesterday, one of the police officers on the Pedal-For-Hope team came up with a skit for an elementary school. I pretended to be a photographer during their presentation, then he pretended to set up to jump over a couple staff members, making it sound legit, finally, the bike was taken away from him out of fear and they asked the audience if anyone else might be able to do it instead, I jumped in, pretended to be just a novice, and then leaped over them. We scared everyone because no one new I was going to be at that school! Good times!!

I watched at least 50 kids get their head shaved this week, many of them were girls! Lots of full locks to be made in to wigs.

I also put one of the cops on the spot and made him sing “listen to your heart” by Roxette in front of a thousand high schoolers because earlier he was joking around with me about one of my quotes in my presentation. He stepped up and busted out in song, it was great!

Nine schools in total this week, plus an awesome mountain bike ride with the Shimano crew in Peterborough. Gotta rest up!!

I feel so grateful to everyone I have met while on this tour, it has been epic in every way so far!

Ryan

My body is sore. It’s mostly a good feeling. It’s sore from a combination of over exerted muscles and a few bruises from a crash. All part of the game I guess, they always say that if you’re not crashing you’re not trying hard enough – I don’t really subscribe to that motto, but there is a little bit of truth to it.

Linked some lines together today on the sculpted sandstone and drift log beaches that left me with a happy grin and an certain kind of artistic satisfaction.

It’s the evening now and we’re nice and warm with full bellies in the little cabin; just finished an interview by the fire for the video project which should go online through Norco’s podcast site in a month or so.

We’ll be heading home in the morning as it sounds like the rain will start overnight. That’s all good. It’s been a great little riding retreat, and I felt that spark and love for riding trials that I needed after about a month off from riding. Getting my riding imagination going on natural terrain is some good therapy after a season of about 150 shows.