The Noble Pursuit, It Truly Is

The Noble Pursuit. Less of a race, more a statement of why we ride. Discovery, suffering, camaraderie and celebration. All of these are a part of what it means to ride and all were present at the 2015 Noble Pursuit. Sunday’s race served, however, to remind us of a bigger reason, greater than anything a single cyclist could ever achieve. This, we came to learn, was our pursuit.

The route turned out to be 172kms of paved and [lots of] gravel roads, each offering their unique perspective on the landscape. Abandoned homesteads, derelict cottages, vibrant fields and leafy canopies. An exceptional route that took us north-east out of Peterborough for a huge counter-clockwise loop. We were directed along seldom travelled roads, on a race course known to few, in an area I’d never ridden with guys I’d just met. Glorious.

[Devil’s 4 Mile Road. Ride it, east to west, fast and with your mountain bike skills dialed in. Thank me later.]

As we began to roll, I felt decent. Not amazing, just okay. Besides, I know I can’t really gauge how a long ride will feel until after the first few hours. By about kilometre 75, as we left our first of two convenience-store rest-stops, I knew it would be a hard day for me. I was sweating a lot under the hot, humid sun, unable to replenish water and salt fast enough.

By kilometre 120 I was feeling weak, no longer doing my pulls, plodding up every hill. My thighs and calves were starting to quiver with cramps and I found it a real effort to keep my head up. At about kilometre 145 we stopped at our second convenience store. The Gatorade and potato chips were nice, but the damage was done. Continuing to flail myself against the roads there was no way of actually rehydrating.  Kris, lead by his mighty beard and stoic pace, offered some sober counsel. ‘You know, the unofficial motto of this race is ride through it. Whatever the weather, the distance, the pain, whatever it is that gets you, ride through it.’ And that is what I did. Not without a bit of help, mind you. Aaron–whose previous longest ride was a scant 85kms–gave me the little push I needed up several of those final climbs. My ego is not so large as to prevent me from saying thank you, Aaron, I really needed that.

Our group–Delinquents and Marauders–was hastily assembled by race organizer, Zac Wheeler, as he found himself without a team to ride with. A group of strangers, we first met over coffee just prior to our 8:50am start time(teams rolled out at 10 minute intervals beginning at 8am). Zac, myself, Kris, Aaron, Javier, Kevin; some of us had lots of miles in our legs, others less so. We didn’t know what to expect from each other or the race. What we did bring to the team, however, was a passion for the bike, a desire to share in the experience and a willingness to work together.

Within the first 20kms we stopped to fix the first flat of the day. While it was Kris’s only, Aaron would suffer three more. Mean while, Javier’s front derailleur was no match for Zac armed with a multi-tool. There was no complaining, no sighs, just six guys working together to speedily get us going again, just a part of the ride. As I suffered the second half of the day, I never was made to feel like I was slowing us down(which I was). Rather, I knew I was surrounded by my kin, there with me one pedal stroke at a time.

Finishing along the meandering city pathways to the Ashburnham Ale House, we six, Delinguents and Marauders, zipped up our jerseys, smiled and felt rightly proud of what we’d achieved over the past seven and a half hours. Inside, we were greeted by our brothers and sisters who had already finished their Noble Pursuit. Hand shakes, loving hugs, frothy mugs, smiles and laughter filled the room.

This event exists in part as a fund-raiser for the James Fund for Neuroblastoma Research. As part of his post-ride speech, Zac courageously told us why the James Fund exists and why he was motivated to support it. The message was clear; at some point, we all need a helping hand to overcome the challenges that face us. The day served to remind us all that we are not alone in our suffering, we are united by it. We triumph only as individuals when we triumph as a community. More than a bike race, bigger than a fund-raiser, this truly was, a noble pursuit.

[Garmin data here]

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