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Ontario By Bike E-News: May
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Great Places to Cycle: Ottawa
- New Rural and Urban Self-Guided Routes -
Make Ottawa a must visit destination on the top of your list this year. Not only is it the epicentre of Canada 150 celebrations, but it is a truly a great place to explore on two wheels.
New this year and now available with online mapping and downloadable PDF's are a series of
16 self-guided rural and urban routes
, enough to keep you spinning across the city for days on end.
Within the city boundaries not only lies the busy downtown core, but also small villages, expanses of farmlands and areas of natural beauty that are tailor-made for bike visitors, and now connected on 9 of the new routes that take in the best of Ottawa's rural charm. Having assisted in the development of these routes, we know riders will not be disappointed!
A sample of the routes includes the
46km Carp and Country Debunker
route, touring through popular ride area with stops at the Herb Garden, Diefenbunker, winery and cafés. The
Out A Way 100k
loop takes in all the sites stretching from historic Phiney's Point overlooking the Ottawa River, to Fitzroy Harbour and conveniently starts and end in North Kanata. Discover and enjoy the delightful settings and local vintages on the
Rail Trail and Winery Ride 23km
loop. Or explore the rural farmlands and Rideau River on the
56km Manotick South and West
loop making time to explore and rehydrate at one of the many patios in Manotick's vibrant town centre. Start points are easily accessible from downtown with a short drive or ride out from the core, or by using the bike racks on city buses.
There are plenty of bike rental options in the city, as well as guided tours available on a variety of routes. Make sure to incorporate stops and stays at the now 70 certified bicycle friendly businesses in Ottawa, all a part of the Ontario By Bike Network.
www.OntarioByBike.ca/Ottawa
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Experience Niagara By Bike
Known by many for the Falls, fresh culinary delights and some of Canada's best wines, Niagara has also been on cyclists' radar for years. Cycling is synonymous with Niagara and those who've ridden in the region know it's a quintessential cycling destination.
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Credit: www.marriottonthefalls.com
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Wondering where to start? If you looking for off-road options consider the 54km Niagara River Recreation Trail, a paved path from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Fort Erie or the Friendship Trail, 24km between Port Colborne and Fort Erie. If you're comfortable riding on roads with lower volumes of traffic, t
ry the
Fruitland Ramble
(36km) or the
Pelham Route
(34km), both great options for day trips away from the crowds. Mountain bikers can fill out a weekend exploring Short Hills Provincial Park and the 20+ km of trails open to riders.
For those looking for overnight trip options, consider the Greater Niagara Circle Route, a signature cycling experience (and loop) of over 140km of mostly paved, off-road trails. Book a 2-3 day cycling trip with the bicycle friendly accommodations of the Cycle and Stay Niagara program, offering bike storage, luggage transfer (for a fee) and other amenities for cyclists.
Touring into the region? Depending on time and experience, start at any point along the 475km Greenbelt Route ending in Niagara. The Lake Ontario and Lake Erie sections of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail converge in Niagara, giving plenty of signed touring options into and out of the region.
No bike? No worries. There are great tours and bike rentals options suiting the needs of all types of cyclists, from overnight options to recreational day trips.
May Long Weekend:
Bike Train to Niagara
The first seasonal Bike Train service between Toronto and Niagara starts the weekend of May 19-22 and continues in July and August summer and weekends and holidays with GO Transit.
2017 service to Niagara Falls, with a bus connection to Niagara-on-the Lake, will run May 19 to 22, June 23 to September 4, and over the Thanksgiving weekend, October 6 through 9, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. GO Transit has made it easy for you to bring a bike on the train with special bike coaches on the Niagara service. Lock up your bike and enjoy a ride worry-free on the upper level.
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2017 Ontario By Bike Rides
- Small Group Weekend Tours -
This summer we have 3 small group weekend tours heading out to explore Ontario by bike. Our 2017 ride destinations are proving to be popular. Here is an update on space availability.
Riding from Gananoque to Cornwall over 3 days, the total distance is 158km. There will be lots of time to take in the stunning scenery, interesting heritage stops and enjoy many waterfront and island views.
Just bring your bike and ride!
w
ho offer a wide range of cycling tours in Ontario and world-wide!
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Join Us at Ride For Heart!
On June 4, experience a cycling event like no other in Toronto by joining 15,000 cyclists along portions of the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway! Closed to motor vehicle for this event, the 2017 Becel Ride for Heart is a truly memorable experience for all riders with cycling options of 25, 50 and 75km.
Are you taking part in the fun this year? If so, after the ride stop by and say hi, our Ontario Cycle Tourism Info Centre will be on site. We would love to hear about your ride and share some new cycling maps, trip ideas and resources with you.
Find more information on the ride and how to registered visit www.RideforHeart.ca
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Bike Travel Weekend June 2-4
To encourage people all over the world to go on a bike overnight trip,
Adventure Cyclists has declared June 2 to 4 the second annual Bike Travel Weekend.
Inspiring cyclists to get on two wheels to experience the joys of bike travel, with friends, family or solo, there are some great resources online to help plan a trip. Register your trip and you will add to the numbers being tracked, and also be entered to win some great prizes. Find out more and see where others are riding at:
www.BikeTravelWeekend.org
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2017 Cycling In Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario Guide
This popular (
and free!) 32-page guide features some of Ontario's best road, trail and mountain bike experiences from destinations across the province!
Published in both French and English, the annual guide has become a key trip planning resource for cyclists looking to explore more of Ontario by bike.
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Stay Connected with Ontario By Bike!
Share using the hashtag #OntarioByBike!
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20th Anniversary of Cambridge Tour de Grand
- Gravel and Trail Routes Added -
Starting from rather humble beginnings on a rainy Sunday morning in 1997, the Cambridge Tour de Grand drew nearly 3,000 riders last year and is celebrating it's 20th anniversary in 2017.
With a total of eleven route options, from 10 to 160km, cyclists of all ages and abilities will be coming out this year. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, they've added a
50km and 76km gravel and trail route sure to appeal to those riding gravel, cross, hybrid and mountain bikes.
Make sure Sunday, June 11 in your calendar and register early. For more information on the ride and how to register, visit
www.CambridgeTourdeGrand.com
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2017 Cycling Events in Ontario
Join a cycling event in 2017 and discover one of the best ways to explore a new area by bike. Here is a list of some of the events coming up over the next couple of months.
Don't forget that June is Bike Month in Ontario where m
ost communities have a day, week-long, or even month-long schedule of events celebrating cycling. Check local event listings to find out more.
Be sure to visit
www.OntarioByBike.ca/Events
for more complete listings
and search over 10
0 cycling event listings with something for every type of cyclist
!
Do you know of an event that isn't listed on our site? Send an email to
info@ontariobybike.ca
and we'll add it!
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What plans to do you have to celebrate Canada's 150th this summer? At the beginning of June, we will be announcing a series of events taking place in communities across Ontario to Celebrate the sesquicentennial by bike.
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Are You Ready to Ride?
Spring is a perfect time of the year to get rolling again. Tune up the bike and make a ride plan that fits with your fitness level, time available and location. A highlight of any ride is the half way or end destination, and whether it is a café for a caffeine infusion and tasty treat (butter tarts or apple fritters are our favourites) or a chill patio for cold brew (we love to try local craft beers) that added inspiration will be sure to keep your wheels turning.
We have already participated in one cycling event and are signed up for another, and busily making plans to see where else we can get to this summer with our friends and families. With our first Ontario By Bike Ride set for June 17-18, we've got dates to fill in beforehand and after, and no shortage of event options or ideas for solo journey's.
We are ready to ride and hope you are too.
Cheers,
From Louisa & Michael
Ontario By Bike Network
Project of Transportation Options
850 Coxwell Ave ~ Toronto, ON ~ M4C 5R1
Toll-Free
: 1-866-701-2774
Want to read more: Link to our e-Newsletter archive
HERE
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