Originally Posted by
cupcrazy4
Ok. I've realized I'd get dropped in 2 seconds flat in the donut ride, so I'm going to try it solo a few times to see how bad it is/build some endurance.
Also, are there any roads in the city that are better for riding/training? Specifically, I'm trying to figure out a way to get from Yonge+Lawrence to High Park (hill repeats
)on as many quiet streets as possible.
I want to try the donut at least before the end of the summer though. See if I can last 20 minutes
Go south on Duplex down to around Lytton (the bowling green there is a wonderful rest stop area), go west a bit, then down Rosewell to Edith Dr, take that wee path (you'll have to turn right and into near that city works building/swimming baths place to get to the footpath) that gets you to Eglinton W, then head either down Avenue (can be pretty damn busy) or take Oriole Parkway south until Kilbarry Rd. Go across there to Russell Hill Rd, then zoom south to the Davenport split-off, go under the tracks to Dupont.
I'd do a bit of back-tracking at this point. I'd go across to Lansdowne, then south all the way to Rideau (sidestreet just south of the tracks underpass after Dundas) then take Macdonnel to Fern Ave, then take Fern all the way across Roncesvalles to Sunnyside, up to High Park Blvd, then you'll be at the east entrance to join up onto Spring Hill Rd in High Park, which is a nice hill to get back upto Bloor level.
Other options for that non-backtrack, would be to take Dupont across to whatever (even to Annette/Keele), then go only as far as Bloor and head across Bloor to High Park that way.
I find Dupont can be busy, but I really enjoy riding on there - seems to never be a problem and always seems fairly quick. It's not a side street by any means.
also, pick up a city cycling map with the city bike routes on - a lot of them are focused on quieter/residential streets where bike paths/lanes aren't available - despite a lot of them not inter-connecting, some routes are really quite nice. I use the above north/south method to get up to Yonge north of St. Clair kind of area. I also use Avenue Road in that mix, which can be hairy.
edit: if you're going to Keele, you can cross Bloor and still head down to Parkside/High Park Blvd and get into the east entrance... Or, head right down to the Queensway (you'd have to go east to Sunnyside to actually get onto the Queensway) or just head right to Lakeshore and go west to Colborne Lodge Dr, which is the very bottom of High Park to climb up. I've never ridden up that particular hill, but I've ran it - it's a good climb.