Toronto to Orillia (or Barrie)

[Monkeypants]

Hi,
Am thinking of heading up to a friend's cottage in Orillia by bike & am looking for route suggestion. I know going straight up Yonge street is an option but are there any other ideas? And for those who have done this trip, what's the ride like? Is it hilly/flat?

[jm01]

I ride from Toronto to Collingwood quite often, but I'm in the west end

I usually take Kipling Ave. up to Rexdale/Derry Rd, west to Gore Valley, then up to Old Church Road (Caledon East). Then east to The Gore Road, up to Hwy 9, then east to Simcoe Road 50 to Alliston. Then east on 89 to Simcoe Rd 10 to Angus.

Here, I turn west to Wasaga Beach, then Collingwood...you would turn east and take Dunlop Rd West (old Hwy 90) to Barrie

Give yourself about 8 hours to Orillia, and watch out for trucks on the narrow concessions...Simcoe Rd 50 is used as an alternate to Airport Road and gets sketchy at times

Ride safe

EDIT: Its fairly flat if you stay off Airport Road, but there's usually a NW wind that occassionally makes you work a bit harder

Also:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1gci&doc_id=1161&v=2z

[Turd Ferguson]

If your downtown I'd go north on yonge to King City, then west to 27(or side road), north on 27 to Barrie. You can travel east, circumventing part of lake Simcoe to get to Orillia from Barrie

[Monkeypants]

Thanks alot for the suggestions fellas!