#ThisIsMyRide by David Grenier
“This Is My Ride” is a series where we share the most memorable, unique, or challenging rides from our community. Maybe it’s a first century ride, an epic climb, or a regular Sunday ride with friends: we want to hear about that special something which makes this particular ride epic for you – and your Argon 18. Want to share your ride? Email us at marketing.web@argon18.com.
Tell us a little about yourself
I am the father of two boys and the partner of a beautiful woman, and I try to combine training, long rides, family life and work as best I can. I am an amateur athlete but I can't hide the fact that I would have loved to have been a professional cyclist. Fortunately or unfortunately, I enjoyed a little too much partying in my youth to allow me to make a living as a cyclist.
I have been a cycling enthusiast since I was 12 years old. I fell in love with long distance events after completing the Cape Epic (an 8 day stage race) in 2010 in South Africa. Cycling allows me to travel and push my limits, especially on long events. I made the leap to gravel almost four years ago, and finishing Dirty Kanza in 2019 confirmed that I made the right choice. I participated in the GBC500 last year in the Eastern Townships in Quebec and that gave me even more of an appreciation for this type of event. I love discovering new roads and trails. My friends and family consider me a bit crazy... and I can understand that.
Since 2020 I have been organizing La Ride à Dave, an annual outing to introduce people to the gravel roads of my region. I like the social side of cycling: finishing a ride with friends and a good beer. I hope I can encourage people to challenge themselves in their own way.
Where is YOUR Ride and why is it so unique?
Last year I did a 527km ride with my friend Michel from the town of Parent in northern Quebec to my home in Tingwick, over two days. We took the train from Shawinigan, Quebec to get to our starting point in Parent.
It was Michel who introduced me to my first stage race, and we’ve managed to keep finding new adventures year after year since then.
This year, we wanted to go even further! So in early June, we took the train again from Shawinigan - but kept going. Eleven hours later, we were at the end of the track, in Senneterre in Abitibi. Our goal was to ride the 690km (with 5900m of elevation gain) from Senneterre to Quebec City in three days. All this on forest trails and gravel roads.
It was the first time I had been that far north in Quebec, and the scenery was amazing. Our first stage was from Senneterre to Parent, 290 km on small roads, completely autonomous. Fortunately this area has many lakes where we could load up on water, and the roads wound through a beautiful evergreen forest. It took us more than 12 hours to complete that portion of the trip. It was funny to meet people in the woods and to see the surprise on their faces when they saw us with all our gear.
The second stage was just as demanding: 215km between Parent and the city of La Tuque. It was a hot day, and our legs were feeling the heat. We decided to take it a bit easy and take in some of the tourist sights along the way: the airplane runway in the middle of the forest in Casey where the largest cocaine seizure in Canada took place; La Patate de Gouin, a snack bar that hasn’t changed since the ‘90s; and the Hydro-Quebec installations along our route.
Finally, the third and last day was La Tuque to Quebec City, 190km to complete the trip. We knew we had truly left the woods behind when we found ourselves in downtown Quebec with an ice cream. Would I have liked to continue? Of course! We weren’t even off our bikes when we started planning our next trip. We still have many roads to explore in Quebec.
The advantage of riding with a friend on a trip like this is that you can encourage each other, sometimes just by sensing when the other is in a slump. I always make fun of Michel for going out too hard in the mornings, and of course I have to work to keep up - and then he says it was me who went too hard! Basically we keep each other going by laughing a lot.
I’m sure other great adventures await me this summer, and of course I’ll start planning for 2022.
Why did you choose Argon 18 for your ride?
I've owned a Dark Matter since it launched in 2019. I now have the 2021 model which I’ve slightly pimped out with Easton components. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten my hands on one, considering the strange season that bike manufacturers are having.
The bike was perfect for this kind of challenge. The ride quality and lightweight design meant I didn't feel the weight of our gear too much. And of course, the bike is designed to absorb the many jolts we had on the rough roads and trails.
Photos by: David Grenier
