If you were driving on the Southern Shore Highway or on the the St. Mary's Bay Highway in Newfoundland and Labrador, you may have encountered the Trepassey Posse.
Every year as Canada Day years, the spandex-clad cyclists leave St. John's for a round-trip of just over 300 kilometres: from St. John's up the Southern Shore Highway, breaking for lunch in Ferryland and finishing the day at the Edge of the Avalon Hotel in Trepassey.
We come from different backgrounds, we have different riding abilities and so on, but once we get on the road we're all the same.- David Cooper
On Sunday morning, riders continued across the barrens, around the Irish Loop and stopped for lunch at the Claddagh Inn in St. Mary's. Then they rode out to Salmonier Line, down the Holyrood Access Road and returned on the C.B.S. Highway and C.B.S. bypass to finish up back in St. John's late Sunday afternoon.
Group member David Cooper told CBC's Weekend AM on Saturday that it's long ride, but with a good group of people, the kilometres quickly roll away under the tires.
"There's no getting away from it, it's a long ride, but I don't know, we're blessed today with good weather and I think we've got a good bunch of people to motivate us along," he said.
The posse got its start in 2007 when Cooper's running club was having a Christmas get-together and decided to go on a cycling trip.
"It's really easy to make plans in the middle of winter when you don't actually have to execute them," Cooper said. "My wife and I had done the ride several times prior to that, but we thought it would be a nice group ride for our running club."
The first year there were seven people, just under a dozen the following year, and the group has grown from there. The group limits itself to about 40 people, mainly due to the limits of hotel accommodations.
"It's gone beyond our little group of friends in the running club to pretty much anybody who signs up in time that they can get on the main list," Cooper said.
Ages in the group range from early 20s to mid-60s, said Cooper.
"It's really a variety of folks," he said. "The ride is really an equalizer. We come from different backgrounds, we have different riding abilities and so on, but once we get on the road we're all the same."
There are new faces and repeat riders every year.
"It's an opportunity to get to know some new people. We have some repeat folks, of course, that come back year after year, but each year we'll have a cohort of new riders, people who haven't done it before, so we get to meet those folks," he said.
"There aren't a lot of opportunities as you get on to make a whole bunch of new friends in a short time, but the Trepassey Posse gives you that option."