Ontario By Bike E-News: May 2022 | |
A Long Weekend in Simcoe County | |
Rolling from Collingwood to Orillia, the Simcoe County section of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is set up perfectly for a multi-day ride. This newly signed and connected 255km-long trail features off-road pavement, some crushed limestone trail and some on-road country highways. Signage was completed in spring of 2022 and you’ll pass through wetlands, beaches, farmland and so much more. Grab a room halfway along the trail in Midland at the bike friendly Quality Inn or Comfort Inn. | |
The Cornwall Riverside Trail: A Remarkable Ride | |
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Looking for a new cycling destination to explore this summer? Add Cornwall to your vacation list for a cycling experience unlike any other. Enjoy amazing off-road trails right along the mighty St. Lawrence River with easy access to restaurants, shops, attractions and much more.
Cornwall’s renowned Riverside Trail – part of the larger Great Lakes Waterfront Trail – runs uninterrupted the entire 18km length of Cornwall’s waterfront before continuing west for another 25km to Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg. That’s over 40km of cycling right along the river’s edge.
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Learn More About Cycling History
-Ingersoll Cheese Museum May & June 2022-
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The Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum - a hub of cycling in Ingersoll (30km east of London) - is displaying an exhibition running May and June 2022 called "Shifting Gears" on the history of cycling in Oxford County. Cycle on over to the museum, located at 290 Harris Street (1km north of the 401), and immerse yourself in vintage bikes and related paraphernalia, the history of local cycling clubs, and check out the 3 speed set of wheels ridden by the late (Ingersoll native) Douglas Carr across the length of Africa in 1938! (Pictured above).
After touring this display, the 19th century cheese factory, and the Oxford County Museum School, remount your saddles and ride through the town of Ingersoll exploring parks, wilderness trails and the bicycle friendly downtown business area. For your convenience, bicycle repair stations are situated at the museum and downtown.
For more information, visit Ingersoll.ca/CheeseMuseum.
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2022 Cycling in Ontario Guide
-Last Chance to Order Print Copy-
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With limited print copies of the 2022 Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario guide left, get your copy now. Available for free, May/June will be the last month for mailings. Alternately, visit one of our select distribution partner locations to easily pick up a copy.
Forever available online, the 2022 and 10th annual edition remains a handy digital option.
For information on how to receive a print copy, see list of distribution
locations, and to view online visit: OntarioByBike.ca/2022
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2022 Award Winners
Ontario's Best Bicycle Friendly Businesses
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We are pleased to announce the 2022 Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners. This is the fourth year of our awards, where we select one Ontario By Bike certified bicycle friendly business from each of the 13 tourism regions in Ontario.
Find a full list of all 2022 winners at: OntarioByBike.ca/2022AwardWinners
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Over the coming months and in each e-newsletter we will feature each award recipient. Consider stopping in at one of these locations on your next cycling adventure in their region as they have all taken the extra steps offering services and amenities to welcome cyclists. | |
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Located right on the Welland Canal Trail, Best Western Rose City Suites goes above and beyond to ensure cyclists have an enjoyable stay, including ensuite bike storage, knowledgeable staff who can help direct cyclists to routes and stops around the region. They welcome and have in the past hosted cycling groups for fundraisers, larger group tours, and shorter stays that included cycling.
From the hotel, plan a ride on the Welland Canal Parkway Trail, stretching 45km between St. Catharines in the north and Port Colborne in the south. You'll see massive 26,000 ton ships as they glide past grassy banks on their way to climb the Niagara Escarpment. Make it a multi- day trip and ride the full or part of the 140km Niagara Circle Route.
BestWesternNiagara.com
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South River Brewing Co. is located in the Almaguin Highlands and are a stop on many cycling routes in the area. They have partnered with new local cycling event Ghost Gravel and will be the start and finish to this year's Almaguin Ride. Open to groups parking, many cycling clubs use their lot as a meeting place to start and end their rides, enjoying refreshments if they choose, post ride.
Find a variety of quiet road routes, both paved and gravel, plus trails to explore in the Almaguin Highlands, South River and Magnetawan area. Try the 39km Around Eagle Lake Route starting and ending in South River. With many hardwood trees, this route provides the perfect green summer forest backdrop or fall colours in September and early October.
SouthRiverBrewing.ca
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In addition to the award winning bicycle friendly places to eat, visit and sleep there are a number of bike businesses that provide services and/or tours located in each region. To recognize all they offer in 2022, special mention and an award goes out to the following in Niagara Region: | |
Niagara Cycling Tours - Relatively new on the Niagara cycling scene, Niagara Cycling Tours offers unique, one of a kind and all inclusive tours across the Niagara Region for novice and experienced cyclists, of all ages and backgrounds. From week long tours to weekends and afternoons, they offer a variety of tour and concierge services for every type of cyclist. | |
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Bike Train Services This Summer | |
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GO Transit
With routes across south central Ontario and the GTHA, GO Transit has just announced its new summer schedules.
Travelling with your bike between Toronto and Niagara Falls with stops along the way, is made easy with bike coach and summer service starting May 21. Operating on weekends and holiday’s, train will have 3 bike coaches, each with space for 18 bikes, plus regular coaches which hold 2 bikes each.
Other great ride destinations with expanded GO service include Barrie (weekend service available) and Kitchener onwards to London with stops in Georgetown, Acton, Guelph, Stratford and St Mary’s (weekdays only). Plus don’t forget about the Lakeshore east and west lines, and extensive bus network with every bus equipped with rack and roll systems enough to hold 2 bikes.
Bonus Deal: You can get a weekend travel pass for unlimited travel for just $15, or $10 for a single weekend day, and kids aged 12 and under travel free. Enjoy the convenience and train adventure, and if you own a vehicle save yourself from an expensive gas fill-up.
Find out details about schedules on the Metrolinx Blog, and more on how to activate the weekend pass deal HERE. Or visit GOTransit.com
VIA Rail Service
We have recently received confirmation that bike transportation on VIA Rail is not available for 2022. With all baggage cars on trains with end destinations in Ontario and on the Québec City-Windsor corridor now decommissioned, there are currently no options for taking your bike onboard trains.
VIA Rail states that their current fleet of trains is being replaced over the next few years by a new fleet of trains that will provide an unparalleled, barrier-free and fully accessible travel experience. At that time cycling enthusiasts will begin to see improved options and much more flexibility as each new train in their modern new fleet is brought into service. (Link HERE to see earlier video of what may be coming in the future.)
With our programming originating from Bike Train services, we have been working to connect with VIA to state the importance of such a service, and will endeavour to keep tracking changes and advocating for bike transportation.
Some alternate options to consider include: renting bikes at destination; travelling with a support vehicle; using a taxi hire service. If you are riding in south eastern Ontario inquire about services provided by St. Lawrence By Bike / Voyager a vélo or Vélo Québec Voyages.
As well, we suggest logging your request and inquiry through customer service at VIA Rail, so they are able to get a count on how important these improvements are for cyclists. ViaRail.ca/en/Contact-Us
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Ride Destination: Ottawa City,
Countryside & Prescott Russell
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Looking for an easy bike getaway this summer? Consider a trip to Ottawa and surrounding areas, including Prescott Russell. For urban cycling and off road trail networks, there is no other city like it, plus trails and routes connect to many small villages outside of city limits.
Pedal up and down the Rideau Canal east and west pathways, follow the Rideau River or the 31km trail alongside the Ottawa River, and stop at all the capital city’s top attractions, including Parliament Hill and the Ottawa Locks. Check out the Experimental Farm, Dow’s Lake and Hog’s Back Falls whilst all the city amenities including accommodations and an array of dining choices are close by, including over 80 certified bicycle friendly businesses. There are a large number of routes available online plus the Ontario By Bike Ride weekend long self-guided itinerary, to make trip planning easy.
It won’t take long to get to more rural countryside following the Ottawa Carlton Trailway westward or the Greenbelt Pathways connecting to the Prescott Russsell Recreational Trail. This 72km rail trail from Hammond in the west to St-Eugène in the east, is primarily rock dust and unpaved, connecting the villages of Bourget, Plantagenet and Vankleek Hill. With a number of mapped road routes, pedal onwards along the Ottawa River or smaller tributary, the South Nation River. Take your pick of stops choosing from cafes, craft breweries, cheese factories, farm gate stands and historic homes, discovering this bilingual area just across the river from Quebec.
Find all the visitor info you need at: Ottawa Tourism & Prescott Russell Tourism.
Be sure to visit Ontario By Bike's: Ottawa City & Prescott Russell - Great Places To Cycle Page.
(Photo Credit: Ottawa Tourism)
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2022 Ontario By Bike Rides | |
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We are now just a month away from the first of our Ontario By Bike Rides for the season.
To all who have signed up for the Essex Windsor Loop and other rides for 2022, we will be sending out, via email, details starting 2 weeks in advance of ride start date. Plus many details are available on each ride page. OntarioByBike.ca/Rides
With our rides all but sold out, if you missed your chance to ride with us this summer, be sure to have a look at our past ride itineraries so you can easily plan out a self-guided/self-supported version. OntarioByBike.ca/Itineraries
*We have just received word...3 additional rooms are available for the June Ride - act fast, or join the waitlist in case there are cancellation for this ride and others.
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2022 Cycling Events
We are excited to announce the launch of our new and improved Cycling Events Calendar for 2022! Events can be displayed in your choice of list or calendar view, we have full search capabilities, and with all the useful info you need to plan ahead and sign up to participate at events that suit your ride style in 2022.
View the full 2022 calendar here: OntarioByBike.ca/Events
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Mattamy Homes Bike for Brain Health
On Sunday, June 5th, 2022, Bike the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto (traffic-free) and go the distance to defeat dementia with thousands of other riders. The fundraising ride event has got something for everyone, from a 25km route to a 75km one, so it’s sure to be a fun-filled day for all involved.
Ontario By Bike will be bring its Ontario Cycle Tourism Information Centre booth to the event. After the event, be sure to stop by to say hello and pick up cycling maps and info to plan your next ride. BikeforBrainHealth.ca
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Bike Month is an opportunity for people to try riding a bike for the first time, learn new skills, or simply have fun and connect with new people. It’s taking the time to rekindle the youthful magic of exploring your neighbourhood by bike or share that joy with the next generation of bike riders. Bike Month is a celebration of cycling!
Across the GTHA, and many other municipalities, Bike Month returns this year with in-person events and a hopeful outlook that cycling can bring people together for some healthy, sustainable fun. From bike rides, festivals, film nights, workshops, seminars, and get-togethers head over to BikeMonth.ca to find out more.
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GCN Show:
-Top Gravel Riding Tips with Canada's Coolest Cyclist-
Global Cycling Network (GCN) recently sent one of their presenters to experience gravel cycling in Canada, visiting Hamilton and to learning some tips from one our top riders before participating the Paris to Ancaster Race, held at the end of April. See how Maghalie Rochette politely dispels the myth that Canada is full of moose!
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In the News: Bikes & Travel | |
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Ontario By Bike Network
Project of Transportation Options
850 Coxwell Ave ~ Toronto, ON ~ M4C 5R1
Office: 416-827-2774
Toll-Free: 1-866-701-2774
Email: [email protected]
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