20250526-27 Farmers Folly Randonneurs Trace team video and highlights

A 9 minute video of our ride: https://youtu.be/GUIR2Vn1gYc

The Farmers Folly Randonneurs Trace team (Greg Andre-Barrett  , Ken Waring , David Stowe)  enjoyed our ride of 328k, 2,436m, and 73% unpaved, with duration 35:22, moving 17:00, and average moving speed of 19.3 kph. Friday the weather was perfect. Saturday night we camped and survived a thunder, lightning and rain storm. Saturday started off well, but the torrential rain and cold head wind made the ride really tough.  We felt like crazy Canucks when we arrived at The Crazy Canuck. 

RIde Highlights: 

• Riding, talking and sharing a good time with best friends.   
• Riding through the heart of Mennonite country where we tried to out-pace horse drawn buggies.
• Quite country roads that are the epitome of gravel grinding.
• A pedal along the Elora Cataract trail, one of the province’s best kept rail trails.
• A big traverse around Luther Marsh, a wetlands area of the Grand River watershed that is known for its biological importance and beautiful lake.
• In Luther Marsh having a chat with a woman from Yukon visiting and enjoying the area she grew up in, including sighting blue herons and spotted turtles. 
• A gourmet meal at Gather Neighbourhood Restaurant followed by a butter tart at the Belwood Country Market. 
• Enjoying the welcoming charm of the region’s small communities.
• Riding captivating and lonely unmaintained roads that are one of the routes most enticing rewards.
• Glad the tent stays dry during a severe thunder-lightning-rain storm. 
• Farms of all shapes, sizes and colours…including a huge metal barn raising by Mennonites using tall cranes while arriving/leaving in horse drawn buggies.
• Having a porcupine and a coyote cross the trail just in front of us.
• Getting up some pretty steep (15-17%) gravel roads. 
• Winning the battle against heavy rain and strong head wind. 
• Crossing time-worn bridges that are blocked off as unsafe for vehicles, but usable by adventurous cyclists.
• Multiple crossings of the beautiful Grand River.
• Enjoying the trail around the picturesque Woolwich Reservoir, near Elmira.
• Riding and talking with best friends.
• Celebrating the finish with a beer, with friends and other Randonneuring cyclists.

#gregbikingwithoutborders #randonneurs #bikepacking #farmersfolly #ontario #canada 

@Cyclepath Oakville @Newson’s Bike & Skate Exchange @CultureLink 

Cheers…Greg.