Exploro Numero Uno

https://www.strava.com/routes/2804911926210459880

Summary: 
Approximate Distance:  30km
​Approximate Riding Time: 1:45
Area Covered: Hurdman, Vincent Massey, Mooney's Bay, Arboretum, Experimental Farm, Brewer Park/Pond

In the very beginning, my idea was to create a game of follow the leader and not tell anyone the route, because I had a theory that not knowing where you were going would create a sort of stimulating effect, and that the novelty factor of anticipating a sudden turn would mean you'd stay on your toes. It transpired that the format was in fact entertaining and even though most of us live within 10 minutes of where we ended up riding, everyone found themselves riding in a place they had never been before (except me of course). 

In any case this route, as basic as it is, does have some interesting features. It takes in a giant slag heap overlooking Hurdman, Vincent Massey Park (Drum Circle Segment), Mooney's Bay hill, parts of the Arboretum that are grass trails mowed into the Fletcher Gardens, gravel sections in the Central Experimental Farm and then the highest point of Carlington. The ride ended back in my backyard for beers and Doritos. The goal was to entertain for 90 minutes and people really enjoyed it. It set the format for future rides- particularly the idea of a highly curated game of follow the leader. 

Rather than try to explain the route in too much detail, I am posting a GPX file from the Baron at the bottom. If you have any questions on the route, feel free to leave a comment and I will answer in great detail if required. 

No 3D details for this very first ride, because I never managed to log it on Strava myself and therefore I can't map it on VeloViewer. That said, Strava can let you zoom in to get the basic idea of where you are going and it's pretty flat, so the elevation wouldn't be super interesting anyway. 

Although we had been at it for a while by this point, this is the first "official" ride where we invited people and tried to market it to friends by making a poster, and offering free beer. We had 7 people attend, which was a solid turnout for a game of follow the leader on bikes. 

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