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Ontario By Bike E-News:
September 2022
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Rolling Into Fall on the Highland Hustle | |
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Time flies, seasons change, but the ride must go on. Yes, the long warm summer days might be fading to memory, but no need to fret; some of the best cycling opportunities Ontario has to offer are still ahead. Welcome to fall, the rolling hills of Durham and Northumberland counties and the Highland Hustle cycling adventure.
The Highland Hustle cycling route is one of 10 loops connecting the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and The Greenbelt Route. While it can be experienced at your convenience, like so many things in life, it is at its best in the company of a few dozen fellow cyclists. As it happens, the opportunity to join your fellow riders along the Highland Hustle cycling route presents itself on September 17 and 18, 2022, as part of the annual Great Lakes to Greenbelt Farm Fresh Cycle Tours.
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Be Your Own Explorer: Cycle Champlain's Historic Routes Along the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers (Bilingual Blog) | |
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If you are looking to add a little history and culture to your ride day and learn something new along the way, be sure to check out these bilingual French and English cycling itineraries built around Ontario’s Route Champlain Tourism Route, in and near our capital city, Ottawa.
Often considered the ‘father of New France’, Samuel de Champlain was an adventurer and explorer spending much time in Quebec and Ontario in the early 17th century. Now you can retrace his explorations along a historic route established on his 1615-1616 expedition in Ontario.
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Ontario By Bike Ride Recap
-Lanark Trail Tour-
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At the end of August, we had the pleasure of hosting our third Ontario By Bike Ride of the season, the Lanark Trail Tour, with three days of excellent trail and road riding in beautiful Lanark County, just west of Ottawa. Based in the historic former mill town and trail hub Carleton Place, the group enjoyed staying two nights at the same hotel and three days of fantastic cycling in the area.
On day one we rode east on the Carleton Trailway to Stittsville, and back on country roads through Ashton Station, enjoying beverages and stops at both Equator Coffee in Stittsville and the Ashton Brewing Company. Day two saw us riding north on the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail through beautiful Almonte and to Pakenham for lunch overlooking the rapids on the Mississippi River. On our road return route, we stopped at the historic Mill of Kintail Conservation Area and Museum, learning more about the history of the area and the founder of basketball. On day three we enjoyed cycling south on the Cataraqui Trail to Smiths Falls meeting up with the Rideau Canal and watching the boats go up and down the locks before returning to Carleton Place and home.
Find All Our Ride Itineraries Online
All of our Ontario By Bike Ride itineraries including the Lanark Trail Tour can be found on our website HERE. You can download detailed PDF ride notes, get RidewithGPS links, and see suggested stops and accommodations so you can follow the route on your own time.
Ride With Us in 2023
If you would like to join on one of our small group tours next year, keep an eye out for the announcement of next year’s Ontario By Bike Rides in our March 2023 e-newsletter
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Ontario By Bike's 2022 Photo Contest | |
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Another year, another round of our popular annual Ontario By Bike Photo Contest. As our cycling community is spread out all over Ontario, we are always excited to see where your bike is taking you. No matter where and how you are riding, alone, club style or with friends and family, snap some pictures of your best ride moments that include you and your bikes, and share them with us.
Visit OntarioByBike.ca/PhotoContest for more information on how to participate and check out some of the fantastic winning shots from previous years as well as lots of great honourable mentions.
The contest will be open until November 18th, 2022 and the winning shot will be featured in the next edition of our annual Cycling in Ontario Guide.
2021 Photo Contest Honourary Mention: Les Kalman, Fanshawe Conservation Area
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10th Annual & 2022
Cycling in Ontario Guide
View our annual Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario guide online. Find ride ideas, resources and info to inspire your next bike adventure. OntarioByBike.ca/2022
View all past editions at: OntarioByBike.ca/Ten
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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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Through out the year and in each e-newsletter 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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Perfectly situated near one of the most picturesque sections of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Morrisburg, this B&B is ideal for cyclists looking for comfortable and well-appointed accommodations on multi-day tours or as a base for day rides in the area. Going above and beyond, catering to travelling cyclists they pick up food when their bistro is closed, do laundry free of charge and offer transportation to locally.
There are many enticing cycling day trips in the area, in addition to multi-day touring options. Cycle east to the Riverside Trail, exploring Upper Canada Village and the Long Sault Parkway into Cornwall. Or try the 50km loop “Wine & Cheese Anyone?” from the SDG-Cornwall Cycling Adventure Map, riding from the beaches of Morrisburg’s St. Lawrence waterfront into surrounding countryside, with stops at Upper Canada Creamery and Stone Crop Acres Winery & Vineyards. RussellManorBB.com
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Passionate about cycling and its potential for developing their community, The Scented L’air is one of Canada’s only “scent bars”, offering essential oils in a café environment serving Canadian grown loose-leaf teas. While they have temporarily closed their brick-and-mortar store in downtown Brampton (new location to be announced in 2023), cyclists can find the Scented L’air’s tea (and coffee) bar at the Brampton Farmers' Market on Saturdays until October 8th.
After visiting the Brampton Farmers’ Market at Gage Park in downtown Brampton, take a ride on the Etobicoke Creek Trail, joining the trail at nearby Centennial Park, where cyclists can enjoy tranquil, continuous cycling for 34km, including on recently completed trail connections joining portions of the trail southeast into Mississauga, and northwest into Caledon, all alongside Etobicoke Creek. ScentedLair.com
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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 South Eastern Ontario and Greater Toronto Area: | |
Bicycle World – Having been a core business in downtown Cornwall for more than 30 years, Bicycle World brings pride and passion to all things cycling, offering the best advice and service possible to all their customers. In addition to helping locals, for years the shop has assisted the large (and growing) number of cyclists travelling on the Waterfront Trail from Ontario and Quebec, with quick and low-cost repairs. | |
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Cycle Solutions - Serving Toronto and the Cabbagetown neighbourhood for 22 years, this full service, family-owned bike shop has been highly supportive of their community through Covid, going above and beyond with excellent service for customers. Through a wide array of events and community outreach they hope to support a love for cycling outside the shop. | |
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Ride Destination:
Easy to Discover Urban to Rural Routes
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Both Waterloo Region and London have urban centres that are well aligned for cycling and exploring the busy downtown areas, stopping at local cafes, shops and connecting to many other urban points of interest using trails or bike lanes. They are also super start points for a fall foray into more rural areas that are so close to city centres, yet seem miles away. | |
Waterloo Region
The cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge have combined hundreds of kilometres of safe off-road cycling infrastructure, trails and bike lanes, with lots more in the works. It is easy to get around the area, popping in and out of urban areas, discovering city parks, forests or agricultural landscapes nearby. Plan your route using maps and resources that cover both areas and stop at some of the 45 businesses certified as bicycle friendly.
You may also want to add to the ride plan, some time to check out the newly opened Market Trail. Ride directly from downtown Waterloo to the famed St. Jacobs Market, following this long awaited 1.5km connector trail from the Iron Horse and Laurel trails. Shop and wander the vast indoor and outdoor market stalls open year-round Thursday’s and Saturday’s.
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London
With over 350km of pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks, be sure to take your bike to explore more and get around Ontario’s sixth largest city, London. From the city bustle and vibrant downtown area, escape into the wooded parklands making use of the newly improved cycling connection between the Thames Valley Parkway, a 40km multi-use pathway trail along the river, and London's city centre.
Take the trail westward to Springvale Park and hop on the road to city-side mountain biking trails at Boler Mountain. Or ride the trail north and east through Western University and onwards to Fanshawe Lake Trail, a 21km circuit on largely single track trails. With the countryside never far away, branch out into nearby Middlesex County for a road cycling adventure and more rural kilometres.
To start making plans, check out the Ontario By Bike - Great Places to Cycle - Waterloo Region and London pages to find maps, road and trail routes, and also bicycle friendly businesses to eat, visit and sleep.
Photo credits: Explore Waterloo & London Tourism
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2022 Cycling Events
Visit our new for 2022 Cycling Events Calendar. With the new format, events can be displayed in your choice of list or calendar view, search for events by categories, and find 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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30+ Incredible Fall Bike Rides in Ontario | |
Stunning views, dazzling colours, crisp days, fall is the perfect time to pedal in Ontario. Back-to-school season means less traffic on the roads, parks and attractions are typically quieter, and cooler temperatures keep climbs from becoming sweaty slogs. Plus, if you’ve been riding all summer, you’re in top cycling shape for that longer bucket-list tour. And you won’t run out of fuel - fall is harvest season, providing riders with endless fresh produce and farm-to-table delicacies.
Find some incredible fall bike rides and routes to discover in Northern Ontario and beyond at NorthernOntario.Travel/Cycling
Photo credit: Colin Field
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VIDEO: Why Residents Love Biking to School | |
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Get your bike and experience the trails and riding in Ajax, just east of Toronto. View some of the waterfront trails in this video and hear the most authentic sales pitch ever from these cute kids who have all discovered the joys of biking to school. Well put by a local young rider about cycling in Ajax: “I think it’s fun because I like to go outside and discover places.” Find out more about cycling in Ajax HERE. Or visit the Durham Region Great Places to Cycle web page, and start planning your next ride in the area.
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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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Want to read more: Link to our e-Newsletter archive HERE | |
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