Touring - Bike Touring, Southern Ontario.

I would like to go on tour for 4-5 days round May 24 weekend. Can anyone recommend some good trips given the time alloted from Toronto to where-ever? I'd be camping along the way. Eating delicious freeze dried MEC food...yummy.

I'd be leaving dowtown Toronto and be picked up on the last day wherever I end up.

I've circumvented Lake Ontario, don't want to ride to MTL, don't have time to do anything other Great Lakes, I'm thinking perhaps a trip to Bruce County (Tobermory). It's pretty hilly..although I think anywhere north or Toronto is hilly. Cause on the map it goes up, right ? :)

The Bruce Peninsula is nice. I'll likely be doing a mini tour in that direction to see the fancy new cottage of a family friend in Creemore over the long weekend

It's pretty hilly..although I think anywhere north or Toronto is hilly. Cause on the map it goes up, right ? :)

lol.

I think Bruce Peninsula is a great idea.

btw Turd, did you get your fricking tent yet? :)

Just got home from MEC and have found my tent !! The search stops at the Gemini.

The Gemini ( new this season ), MEC's version of the Hubba Hubba, part of their new Lightweight line of tents. Price is $271.00 It's durable and about 1 lb more than the Hubba, yet much more robust than the BA seedhouse. They footprint for the Gemini will also be purchased.

I will buy it next weekend for the May 24 ( bike trip good old Canadian Tire bought $50.00 tent won't cut it in this rainy spring weather.

I ended up with the hubba hubba and a very sore wallet. footprint purchased at the same time. I almost returned it for the BA SL2 but double entrance, interior size and durability sold me on the hubba hubba. I just wish it wasn't orange!

Good choice. The Hubba Hubba was my #1 choice until I saw the new Gemini today...it's pretty much the same tent although the hubba has advantages (weight, full mesh), hence the bigger price tag. I'm going cheap..well, cheaper.

The Bruce Peninsula would be a good ride. Another possibility would be to ride to the Muskokas.

Have you thought about Bobcaygeon? There's a network of trails around the Kawartha area that will take you through Fenelon Falls and the like. Damned if I remember the directional details, but they're really beautiful when you're deep in the woods. Alternately, there's regional roads that go all the way there and to the surrounds.

Only slow part is getting through Toronto/Whitby/Oshawa... :)

Do you mean the Victoria Recreation Transportation Corridor& Haliburton County Rail Trails? The run from Lindsay to Haliburton. A buddy of mine has a cottage up that way, and every year we say we're going to ride it and never do, so I don't know that the conditions are like. This site (http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/victoria.htm) suggests it would be better for mountain bikes. However, parts of the trail were ridden as a Randonneur event with road bikes, see http://www.randonneursontario.ca/stories/HalibutFall00.html

Do you mean the Victoria Recreation Transportation Corridor& Haliburton County Rail Trails? The run from Lindsay to Haliburton. A buddy of mine has a cottage up that way, and every year we say we're going to ride it and never do, so I don't know that the conditions are like. This site (http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/victoria.htm) suggests it would be better for mountain bikes. However, parts of the trail were ridden as a Randonneur event with road bikes, see http://www.randonneursontario.ca/stories/HalibutFall00.html
I've done the trail and I think it would be doable with touring bikes, though there may be sections of gravel and sand which you will want to bypass by taking the nearby roads. I wouldn't try it with an actual road/racing bike.

I think I did it over/near the May24 weekend, and found it mostly OK though a few of the sections were soft and muddy and a couple were even under knee deep water. I would do it again, though later in the year.

When I did it, we couldn't get in to the only lodging in Kinmount. If you ask around, there is a place along a river you can camp about 10km away (unfortunately in the wrong direction) that's used by the locals - ask around town.

Have you thought about Bobcaygeon? There's a network of trails around the Kawartha area that will take you through Fenelon Falls and the like. Damned if I remember the directional details, but they're really beautiful when you're deep in the woods. Alternately, there's regional roads that go all the way there and to the surrounds.

Only slow part is getting through Toronto/Whitby/Oshawa... :)

I cycled part of that trail. Parts of it were very sandy.

You wouldn't have to go through Whitby/Oshawa. Just head north to Beaverton, and then head east.

I think I'll ride up to Tobermory. It's about 300k, and I can probably do it without any problems in 3-4 days. Can anyone recommend campsites etc along the way?

My fiance has agreed to buy me the Gemini tent, it's my birthday on May 20th :)

Score!

I think I'll ride up to Tobermory. It's about 300k, and I can probably do it without any problems in 3-4 days. Can anyone recommend campsites etc along the way?

I did a similar trip last year, but I didn't go all the way to Tobermory. The only camping spot I liked was at Harrison park - a public park in Owen Sound. at the south end there is a city run campground, but you could find somewhere else if you don't want to pay 25 or 30 dollars for a small peice of land in a crowded area. That was my choice when I was there last year. there is another city run campground in owen sound that's mentioned in one of the journals listed below, but its right next to a busy street.

Harrison park: http://wikimapia.org/#y=44549989&x=-80938447&z=17&l=0&m=a&v=1

I would avoid hwy6 and hwy10 as much as possible if I were to do the trip again. e.g. take 'regional road 1' and then 'grey road 1' to get out of owen sound (1 and 17 on the google map)
http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&z=11&ll=44.635437,-80.974731&spn=0.242351,0.462799&om=1

and take the backroads running parallel to hwy10 from shelburne to chatsworth (detailed in the second of the journals listed below)

some journals --
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1gci&doc_id=1119&v=at
http://timchristie.ca/bikebruce/
more -- http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/search/?scope=doc_pages&context=all&term=bruce+peninsula&o=1gci&doc_id=

I cycled part of that trail. Parts of it were very sandy.

You wouldn't have to go through Whitby/Oshawa. Just head north to Beaverton, and then head east.

Nah, the OP wouldn't *have* to - but hey, part of the fun is getting through the cities, right?
RIGHT?

Excellent info. Where did you stay in Shelburne? My first thought was to stay at Earl row PPark and make my way West to Owen Sound although looking at your google map it may be best to take Eglington to Dixie and start going north there. Only problem is I don't know of any campgrounds or Pparks in the area.


I did a similar trip last year, but I didn't go all the way to Tobermory. The only camping spot I liked was at Harrison park - a public park in Owen Sound. at the south end there is a city run campground, but you could find somewhere else if you don't want to pay 25 or 30 dollars for a small peice of land in a crowded area. That was my choice when I was there last year. there is another city run campground in owen sound that's mentioned in one of the journals listed below, but its right next to a busy street.

Harrison park: http://wikimapia.org/#y=44549989&x=-80938447&z=17&l=0&m=a&v=1

I would avoid hwy6 and hwy10 as much as possible if I were to do the trip again. e.g. take 'regional road 1' and then 'grey road 1' to get out of owen sound (1 and 17 on the google map)
http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&z=11&ll=44.635437,-80.974731&spn=0.242351,0.462799&om=1

and take the backroads running parallel to hwy10 from shelburne to chatsworth (detailed in the second of the journals listed below)

some journals --
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1gci&doc_id=1119&v=at
http://timchristie.ca/bikebruce/
more -- http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/search/?scope=doc_pages&context=all&term=bruce+peninsula&o=1gci&doc_id=

Excellent info. Where did you stay in Shelburne? My first thought was to stay at Earl row PPark and make my way West to Owen Sound although looking at your google map it may be best to take Eglington to Dixie and start going north there. Only problem is I don't know of any campgrounds or Pparks in the area.

I stayed at a rest/picnic area north of shelburne - can't really recommend that because trucks pull in during the night, and there are 'no camping 9pm-5am' signs - but i didn't have many options as it was getting dark (didn't bring a light) and I was still pretty far from the destination I was aiming for. For campgrounds you could try this site: http://www.campgrounds.org/index.cfm?page=469&r=53088.

btw - I think the backroad recommended in one of those journals (shelburne to owen sound) is called 'west back line'. you should make sure that you're map has enough detail if you plan on taking that one, because it jumps around a bit. http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&ll=44.355769,-80.766506&spn=0.060879,0.1157&z=13&om=1

Thanks for the heads up.

I leave for Tobermory Friday. Since I'm downtown I'm going to head north up yonge street, then go west around Innisfil. Staying at Earl Rowe Friday night, Owen Sound KOA second night and a private Tobermory Village Campground Sunday.

I'll post details at www.turdfurg.blogspot.com (http://www.turdfurg.blogspot.com)

Cheers,

I'm going to keep an eye on your trip. I really enjoy the hiking and kayaking up that way, but my memory of the roads is not all that inspiring. I thought it just hauls through the forest etc... down the middle. There are roads like Dyers bay that dead end through some wonderful country.

Has anyone ever gone through there, hopped the ferry onto Manitoulin and carried on? I was mostly wondering what you did for camping on Manitoulin which always sounds like a closed shop.

Has anyone ever gone through there, hopped the ferry onto Manitoulin and carried on? I was mostly wondering what you did for camping on Manitoulin which always sounds like a closed shop.

I have done many long weekend tours on Manitoulin. There are many campgrounds on the island. Go to the Ontario Tourism office and pick up a magazine called This is Manitoulin. It lists everything you need to know about the island.

. . . "Beer store"? "Check."

Rats, wish I had known about this earlier, could have ridden up with you part of the way.

Thanks Paul2!

Just got back...

I've never rode so many hills before. Literally, it was never ending although I could deal with the terrain although on Sunday, from Owen Sound to Tobermory, there was a KILLER head wind. I mean nasty, relentless, going no where, type of head wind.

Anyway, 9 hours later I was at Tobermory village campground ( very nice owners). Fortunately the GF met me with a cooler full of beer and steak cooking on the fire. Due to the chilly weather we switched from a tent camp to a cabin which was nice and toasty.

Just got back...

I've never rode so many hills before. Literally, it was never ending although I could deal with the terrain although on Sunday, from Owen Sound to Tobermory, there was a KILLER head wind. I mean nasty, relentless, going no where, type of head wind.

Welcome back! :)

Yeah, I was out on Sunday doing the Amazing Toronto Bike Tour! and the wind was wicked!

Glad you had a good time, Turd.