Watts of bike power
Profiling Derek Watts, a Cabot Trail cyclist
Another Velo Cape Breton-led Cabot Trail ride is in the books.
Twenty of us rode the trail over four sweltering hot days in mid-August. The challenge of climbing unrelenting hills paired with some of the best scenery in the world makes it all worthwhile.
Cyclists worldwide come to pedal the Cabot Trail. This year a young (mid-20s) couple from Austria were with us. We had virgin Cabot Trailers as well as those who have done it before like myself and Derek Watts from Wolfville.
This was Watts’ fourth time around, made even more impressive because of his age. Eighty-seven for that matter. Cycling has been a huge part of his life for decades and still is. He is inspiration personified.
Watts was born in London, England in 1930 and began cycling at age 11. His father had a young relative involved with the Cyclists Touring Club of England so she and her husband encouraged Watts to go on rides with them. He learned about cycling with the club, often going on overnight trips.
While studying civil engineering at Queen Mary College he would bike 14 km back and forth to home each day. After graduating he was posted to Malaya (now Malaysia) with Her Majesties Colonial Service. A Canadian engineer encouraged him to look to Canada for work when his three-year stint ended.
Watts arrived in Toronto in 1956, stayed briefly with a friend, and by looking through the yellow pages, got three job offers right away. After several years in Toronto — working in water and sewage — his employer contracted him to Ottawa as a technical adviser designing fallout shelters for each of the provincial legislatures. An interesting job for a young engineer who lived through the Second World War.
By 1964, Watts had secured work with Canadian British Engineering Consultants in Halifax (now known as CBCL Ltd.).
Watts became active in the Nova Scotia cycling community and in 1978, he joined Velo Halifax and became more involved in riding and promoting cycling. In 1980 he became president of the club. He rode the Joseph Howe Century (100 miles) ride many times.
For 10 years he was president of Bicycle Nova Scotia which gave him a place on the Canadian Cycling Association board. While on the board, he organized the annual general meeting in Halifax in conjunction with the CCA National Cyclo-Cross Championships in Point Pleasant Park.
Watts was encouraged by a fellow cyclist to get into racing, which he eventually did. He took on various roles in bicycle races including that of referee. He helped influence the Department of Highways to change rules to allow highway races which at the time were illegal. He organized international stage races — two of which were run in Cape Breton.
Another aspect of Watts’ long relationship with the bicycle was to act as an overseas touring correspondent for the Cyclists Touring Club. He established his territory as southern Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. He organized tours for them according to their interests and time available, recommending routes and accommodation and often cycled with them.
Today he and his wife Heather (historian/author of “Silent Steeds: Cycling in Nova Scotia to 1900”) live in her hometown of Wolfville.
Watts started using an ebike three years ago because of arthritis. He said it would have been heartbreaking if he had to give up cycling.
Ebikes are electric bikes that assist riders with pedalling. They’re meant to help, not replace human pedal power. A torque sensor in the DC motor detects what energy is coming from the rider. This regulates the amount of power (four levels) the motor lends to the effort. An indicator tells how much charge is left. The combined motor and battery weigh 20 pounds.
The other cyclists were impressed and felt lucky to have spent time with such a cycling advocate on the trail.
Watts couldn’t say enough about the organization of the Velo Cape Breton tour. As for the Cabot Trail itself, “It’s a big challenge and people into cycling want to come here. The roads should be totally improved especially through Middle River.”
Hard to argue with an 87-yearold who just pedalled it.