What Does The "Home Turf" Ride Mean?

“ …and a dozen runs Caledon way.”

Allow me to explain how this casual statement from a stranger got me thinking about my favourite ride that never makes my favourite list.

I park my bike in front of a local business establishment and as I step in the usual “Hello” is replaced by “Tiger 800?”

“Yep.”

The owner is a rider, and just like that my reason for coming in is diminished by a much more important conversation, one on bike comparisons and odometer stats. Once we get through a list of trips to destinations hundreds, even thousands of kilometres away (where we always believe the grass will be greener), our final exchange seemed almost apologetic.

“ …and a dozen runs Caledon way.”

“ Hey , that’s my go-to destination,” I reply.

It’s not unusual for people, myself included, to not appreciate the near and dear. For me, this is the area I turn to when time is tight, the sun is unexpectedly shining, or when my riding buds are suddenly available.
Welcome to my, often unappreciated but never disappointing, home turf ride.

Higher Ground in Belfountain, a popular spot with the two wheel crew and more often than not, where I start my day with a hot coffee and maybe some chitchat.

The best thing about the home turf ride is familiarity. Once navigation becomes a no brainer you can relax and smell the roses as they say. I passed this spot on the Escarpment Sideroad a dozen times before spotting this view towards home.

Hockley Road, and River Road there is plenty of this.

There has been a Creemore in my fridge long before it became a way point on my GPS. In fact it was my liking for the brew that first brought me here. Now, with its quaint main street, shops and eateries, Creemore, the town, has become a favourite mid-ride lunch destination.

You would think that doing the same ride a dozen times a year would get a bit mundane. No chance of that. With so many route options, dirt, paved, and the ever changing seasons, there is always room for getting a bit lost or finding new interesting spots. Like this gem of rushing water and historical artifacts that did not present itself until all the leaves were down on a late-season ride.

The often unappreciated, but never disappointing, home turf ride. When you want an adventur,e there is no need to traverse the country in search of greener pastures; sometimes the greenest grass is right in your own backyard.

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