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 3 Port Tour

August 17

Tour de Bonnechere

August 18

Families on Bikes

August 25

Ride 4 United Way

August 25
 

Hilly Hundred

September 7

Ride the Rideau

September 7

Ride for Karen

September 8

Epic Halton

September 8

GranFondo Niagara

September 14-14

Centurion Blue Mountain

September 13-15 

Paul's Dirty Enduro

September 15

Kawartha Lakes & Kawarthas Northumberland Classic

September 21 & 22

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With Thanks to

our 2013 Sponsors

With such a variety of destinations, attractions and trails, exploring Essex County, Windsor area and Pelee Island by bike will be sure to appeal to all types of riders with a range interests.

- The wine connoisseur will be appreciate the temperate climate that is well suited to grape growing, putting the area's 20 vineyards on the map.

- History buff's can visit a number of heritage buildings and museums including Fort Malden and the North American Black History Museum in Amherstburg, the Canadian Club Brand Centre and Hiram Walker's Walkerville in Windsor and more.

- Nature lovers can spend days roaming the Pelee Island National Park, a 7km long peninsula, with marsh boardwalks, bird watching and in the fall viewing the thousands of migratory Monarch butterflies.

- Island hoppers can enjoy the extra getaway by ferry, taking them to quiet country roads, farmland and beaches on Pelee Island.

- Food tasters can discover where many of Ontario's fruit orchards are located, stopping at farm stalls and restaurants, using local produce enroute, plus lean why Leamington is tomato capital of Canada.

- Trail riders can cycle from the outskirts of Windsor to Harrow and on to Kingsville on the Chrysler Greenway, and also follow the new Waterfront Trail that takes in much of the 200km of Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake St Clair shorelines in the County (more info below).

With a whole lot more to see and do across the County learn more at Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.

Get there and back with VIA Rail Bike Train now offered 5 days a week on trains with baggage service. 

Or rent a bike and sign up for a guided bike tour with either Wine Trail Rides or Farm Dog Cycles and let the locals show you their secret spots and top ride routes.  

The Welcome Cyclists Network has recently expanded to the area, visit our Great Places to Cycle page for all types of ride, routes and maps including info and locations of certified bicycle friendly businesses to eat, visit and stop overnight. www.welcomecyclists.ca/windsoressexpelee

Celebrations earlier this week marked the official opening of the new

The annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure set off on August 11 riding end to end following the new trail to Fort Erie. The fully supported ride and fun adventure sold out early this year with 250 cyclists keen to try out the new trail. Follow the ride and see daily pictures posted on Facebook or Twitter. 

There are still a few days to sign up for the 3 Port Tour, August 17, starting from Aylmer, which will also take riders on parts of the new trail.

Another option is to access the excellent series of detailed maps of the new trail now available at: www.waterfronttrail.org  

Written by and excerpt reprinted with permission from 

Laurel-Lea Shannon - www.womenscycling.ca

Thanks to my dad, I learned about taking care of stuff at a young age. When I was a kid, once a week my dad used to line up all our shoes and polish them. I loved watching scuffed, dirty shoes transformed into shiny, clean ones. Caring for my shoes not only kept them looking new, it helped preserve the leather making them last longer.

A road bike is no different, except it costs a lot more than a pair of shoes. If your bike breaks down due to neglect, you could end up stranded a long way from home or worse, injured.

Why Keep Your Bike Clean?

If you want to keep your bike cruising in top form it needs to be kept clean. Bikes are very durable machines but we ride them outside where dirt and grit can adhere to the lubricated parts. Dirt acts as a grinding agent to the moving parts on your bike and increases the wear.

Another advantage of frequent and regular cleaning is you can notice in advance problems that could otherwise go undetected. For example, cracks in the frame or welded joints.

Regular cleaning keeps all the parts running smoothly, prevents breakdowns, and extends the life of your bike.

By Vicky Laurens

I used to be a solo-rider so when I first started riding with a group, I found "calling-the-hazards" etiquette a bit annoying, it left me wondering why after the first five riders called the pot hole would everyone behind have to keep yelling about it? It took me probably the entire first season of group riding to get used to the yelling and another season to join them!

Group riding not only provides the opportunity to improve one's communication skills (!!!) but it also provides riders with encouragement and support from fellow group riders. Some basic skills needed to ride in a group include riding on straight line, controlling the speed, and watching the road ahead to anticipate problems. Once you get into more advance levels, you would be able to draft and save up to 30 percent of energy compared with the person you are following.

It is also important to know your rights and obligations, so before riding on the roads be familiar with the Ontario Highway Traffic Act as well as any traffic by-laws of the area you are planning to go cycling in. For example, some communities have by-laws that do not permit the riding of bicycles two-abreast /side-by-side. View more info posted by City of Toronto on this subject HERE. 

In addition to improving fitness level and cycling skills, group rides are lot of fun if you find the group or club that is the right fit for you. There are plenty of cycling clubs situated in regions all over Ontario those rides range from recreational to more competitive or offer a mix of both. If you are having difficulty locating a group to ride with, ask your local bike shop for cycling groups/clubs in your area. The cycling community is a friendly one!