By Eric Mallari
It Started
With a Bicycle
Back in 2017, I wasn’t looking to start a business. I wasn’t dreaming about cycling across Europe or hosting group adventures.
I simply wanted to improve my health, find a new challenge, and make a positive change in my life.
There was just one problem.
I didn’t even own a bicycle.
When I heard about the Cambridge Tour de Grand, I decided to sign up for the 100 kilometre ride. Looking back, that probably wasn’t the smartest decision because I didn’t have a bike… or even a helmet.
Thankfully, a local bike shop came to the rescue.
They loaned me a hybrid bike with thick tires and a helmet that barely fit me. I’m pretty sure it was a kid’s helmet.
Looking back, I still laugh about it.
There I was, riding my first 100 kilometres on a borrowed hybrid bike with thick tires and a kid’s helmet perched on my head.
What I didn’t fully appreciate that morning was that I wouldn’t be riding alone. I rode alongside a wonderful group of friends from the Cambridge YMCA cycling community, and we encouraged one another as the kilometres added up.
But I wasn’t worried about having the perfect bike.
I just wanted to see if I could do it.
It was a hot summer day, and riding 100 kilometres felt like a huge challenge for someone who had never owned a bike. There were definitely moments when I wondered if I’d make it.
When the ride became difficult, it was my friends from the Cambridge YMCA cycling community who kept me going. A word of encouragement at just the right moment. A steady wheel to follow. A bit of laughter when I needed it most.
With every kilometre, my confidence grew.
When I crossed the finish line, I wasn’t thinking about how tired I was.
I was thinking…
“I can do this.”
That feeling stayed with me long after the ride was over.
I’m grateful a friend captured that moment. Every time I see the photograph, I remember not only completing my first 100 kilometre ride, but also the friendships, encouragement, and camaraderie that helped me reach the finish.
A few weeks later, I started researching bikes. I read reviews, talked with people who knew far more than I did, and kept coming back to one bike: the Raleigh Tamland. I remember reading in Men’s Health magazine that it was one of the top rated gravel bikes, and a local bike shop owner recommended it as well.
The only one I could find was in Windsor, Ontario.
So I got in my car and made the drive.
That day, I came home with my very first bicycle…
…and my very first helmet.
I still laugh when I think about it.
Most people buy a bike before riding their first century.
I did it the other way around.
Looking back now, that first ride wasn’t really about cycling.
It was about discovering that I was capable of far more than I had ever given myself credit for — and about discovering how powerful encouragement, friendship, and community can be.
That one decision changed the direction of my life.
One ride led to another.
Before long, I was riding every week, saying yes to new adventures, and discovering that life had so much more to offer than I had ever imagined.
Eventually, those rides took me far beyond Waterloo Region.
They led me to cycling through the rolling hills of Tuscany, discovering Europe’s beautiful rivers, exploring incredible destinations, and creating friendships that continue to enrich my life today.
Somewhere along the way, I realized this journey had become about much more than cycling.
It had become about sharing what cycling had given me.
- Health.
- Confidence.
- Friendship.
- Adventure.
- A new outlook on life.
That’s when PEDAL & PORT began to take shape — less as an idea for a company, and more as a way of sharing what my friends had shared with me.
Not as a travel company.
But as an invitation.
- An invitation to stay active.
- To explore places you’ve always dreamed of visiting.
- To build meaningful friendships.
- To embrace new experiences.
- And to discover that your next chapter might just be your best one yet.
Whether it’s a local group ride, a cycling adventure through Europe, a river cruise, or simply stepping outside your comfort zone for the very first time, I believe it’s never too late to begin — and no one has to begin alone.
I know that because it happened to me, with a borrowed bicycle and a group of friends who believed I could keep going.
I thought I was signing up for a bike ride.
What I was really doing was changing the direction of my life.
For me…
It started with a bicycle.
With warmth,
Eric Mallari
Founder, PEDAL & PORT
When you’re ready, the road is still open.
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