GRAND LAKE: A cycling group from the Halifax area hit the road last Wednesday for special moment for the group—their 150th ride.
The group, named the Waverley Road-ents, are a group of usually about 20 and 25 members, but on this day approximately 15 or so cyclists met up at Laurie Park in Grand Lake.
They geared up before hitting Highway 2 towards the old school house out near Horne Settlement Road and returning, with a stop at the Enfield Tim Hortons for social time and to refuel with food.
As the group got ready to head out members caught up quickly with what the others had been doing the past week, and others warmed up with smiles on.
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As 10 am hit, the Waverley Road-ents leader Toru Ochiai from Tokyo gathered the group together,.
Once The Laker News was positioned to get video and photos of them leaving, he gave the command to start.
As they left Laurie Park, a construction worker stopped traffic coming from Wellington allowing the cyclists to get out on the road safely and start their trek.
“It’s very special,” said Ochiai of the 150th ride. “It’s funny because every day is the same, so nothing special.
“But we are so addicted to this group that the most important part is the chatting, the social part at the coffee shop.”
The group was started five years ago and used to travel from Laurie Park down towards Waverley Road, but since construction began on the Aerotech Connector they switched directions and go 40 kilometres round trip to near the gated community in Monte Vista, then head back.
“It never gets old (cycling together0,” he said. “Everybody likes to get together and cycle then chit chat over coffee. “
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Pamela Robertson, one of the avid and loyal cyclists who makes the ride part of her weekly Wednesday routine, spoke of how the name came about – the Waverley Road-ents.
“It’s an off shoot of Nova Scotia Ramblers, and then we had the Railers that do the BLT and Salt Marsh Trail, and since we’re cycling this road we’re the Road-ents,” she said.
The 150th ride begins:
The trucks were a bit too close along Hwy 2 to Waverley Road so that was one reason for the route change.
“Once they started putting in the Wellington Connector, the trucks were a bit to close to us as we cycled so we decided to go up towards Enfield,” she said.
“It’s a lovely ride. We really appreciate the shoulder and look forward to it being extended.”
She said keeping active is important for people their age.
“We’re not in our 50’s any more, let’s put it that way,” said Robertson.
