Under The Helmet: Patricia Ross
By: Antoinetta DeWit
Patricia Ross is a mother, grandmother and former Maple Ridge teacher. She holds very fond memories of cycling in her early years.
When she was 12 years old, her father supervised her as she learned how to cycle on her first bicycle. She called it “Big Blue” and it served her well.
She especially enjoyed cycling to and from school, going as fast as she could and getting great joy from the feel of the wind hitting her face and streaming through her hair. She was always looking for shortcuts so she could get home faster. The uphills were tough but she knew that exercise was good for her leg muscles. She continued cycling right through her university years and until she was in her 40s. Family life and work made it hard to keep it up.
Cycling for pleasure and to do errands around town definitely eased the financial pressures and stresses that come with vehicle use. She learned early in life that a lot can be accomplished when using the bicycle as a means to get around.
Now that Patricia is retired, she is enjoying cycling outings with her daughter and grandchildren. She may be well on her way to buying an E-Bike in order to continue enjoying the pleasures of cycling for many years to come.
July 26, 2021 @ 1:37 pm
Hi, we’re new comers to Maple Ridge. We’ll be arriving from Ottawa in September. We’d love to attend something like the community ride MR 101. Is this only happening once a year? I’d love to join your activities. Already signed up for the newsletter.
Thanks!
Sangmi
July 26, 2021 @ 6:44 pm
Hi Sangmi! Welcome to Maple Ridge! We hope to continue to organize rides such as the Maple Ridge 101. You’ll be notified through our newsletters of any group rides. Once you arrive in Maple Ridge, please do contact us at mapleridge-pittmeadows@bikehub.ca, so that we can provide you with a TransLink bike map, which will make it easier to start exploring the area by bike on your own as well. You can find TransLink’s bike maps on-line as well: https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/cycling-in-metro-vancouver. Another great source for bike routes in Metro Vancouver is letsgobiking.net. Happy cycling!