Cycling Adventures Await for you in Canada’s Deep South

Wondering what could possibly be better than a two-wheeled adventure with pit stops for wine and great eats along the way? Look no further than the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island Cycle Tourism Map to plan your next visit. If you are looking to pedal your way through the southern peninsula of Ontario, cyclists of all sorts can explore this region via six established cycling routes, all featured on this new map. Routes vary by way of experience with everything from an 8km scenic ride along the Windsor Riverfront to a three-day, 130km cycling adventure through Windsor, Kingsville and Essex.

Wine Trail

Sip and savour world-class crisp whites and bold reds at one of the five designated wineries along the Wine Trail. Follow the Lake Erie North Shore Wine Trail along County Road 50 and escape with the Essex Pelee Island Coast (EPIC) award-winning wineries, sight-seeing opportunities, attractive beaches, unique gift shops on a guided or self-guided bicycle tour.

Start in Kingsville with an overnight at The Sycamore House or The Woodbridge House before heading west to Colchester and then looping back along this 41 km route.

Make this a day trip or return to Kingsville and extend your stay with an overnight at one of the numerous bicycle friendly accommodation partners along the route. Park your bike and rest your heads at one of the brand new Brewery Loft Suites as part of The Distinctive Inns of Kingsville, directly above The Banded Goose Brewing (BGB) Company.

Just steps around the corner are locally owned restaurants such as Mettawas Station Mediterranean Restaurant and Jack’s Gastropub where delicious fare and sample of the BGB beers provide a taste of our Barrels, Bottles & Brews Trail for a future adventure.

You may want to ensure that one of your pannier bags is equipped with a cooler so there is room to fill it with an assortment of fresh local produce found at the many roadside stands along Country Road 50, including The Fruit Wagon.

If you like what you taste, have no fear! All the wineries along the route are happy to arrange for shipments of any purchases back to you at home.

Though there are routes a plenty, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has made it easy to decipher with their cycling map that outlines not only trails/routes but also bicycle friendly establishments to drop in on along the way.

This area makes for a smooth ride for recreational cyclists, families, or avid enthusiasts with its largely flat topography. There are many trails to choose from to suit your taste for a day’s adventure.

Windsor Riverfront Trail & Beyond

The Windsor Riverfront Trail will take you from one end of the city to the other! Start at the east end of the trail in historic Old Walkerville and make your way west along the paved, winding Riverfront Trail which is also home to the Windsor Sculpture Park, Dieppe Gardens and the Great Canadian Flag, which makes for a great place to stop and snap a photo. With the skyline of Detroit in the background, this larger than life Canadian flag is definitely a must-see because if it’s not on Instagram, did it really happen?

Choose to end your ride in Sandwich Towne on the western end of this route and discover hidden gems like the Sandwich Brewing Co. or link to the 11km Herb Gray Parkway and the County of Essex via the Chrysler Canada Greenway and the 22km Cypher Systems Trail to extend your ride.

The trail along Windsor’s stunning riverfront connects to further excursions in EPIC Wine Country, Point Pelee National Park, Pelee Island, and are also part of the Trans Canada Trail (“The Great Trail”) and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.

Experiences That Compliment The Cycling Route

Award-winning tour operator, WindsorEats, offers a Wine Trail Ride through the picturesque Lake Erie North Shore wine region while also providing Friday Night Lights, an urban experience along the historic Detroit River. Also offered is their Bikes & Beer Cycling Tour where you can explore the city one beer at a time. Cycle through the streets of Windsor, sampling beers at local breweries and pubs.

Farm Dog Cycles also provides excursions through our EPIC (Essex Pelee Island Coast) Wine Country, featuring half and full day and self-guided tours.

On Pelee Island, Canada’s southernmost location, the eco-tourism company, Explore Pelee also features biking tours and Comfortech Bikes provides rentals.

Being on an international border, the Two-Nation Destination experience connects Windsor Essex to “America’s Comeback City” and one of the fastest growing cities for cycling in North America, Detroit, and their trail system, which links to Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail.

All of this exists in an area where there are a number of notable cycling events, including: The Tweed Ride which allows cyclists to dress up in their finest vintage attire and cycle through Windsor heritage districts such as Sandwich Town and Old Walkerville; SCAR (South Coast Adventure Race), a multi-sport adventure race that takes place in several municipalities in the Windsor-Essex region; and Tour di Via Italia, the oldest, historical, international street race in Ontario featuring amateur and professional cyclists racing through the streets of Windsor’s own “Little Italy.”

With an expansive list of routes and trails for cyclists of all levels, choosing which to take may just be the hardest part of a bike-friendly adventure through Windsor Essex. For a full list of routes and information on bicycle friendly businesses, go to: www.visitwindsoressex.com/bike.

Easy Planning

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has made it easy to plan a trip with their cycling map! Download the Map or click here to obtain a copy of the map or call 1-800-265-3633.

Additional Visitor Information

• Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island – www.visitwindsoressex.com
• Great Places to Cycle:
  Windsor Essex Pelee Island
• Certified Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Windsor Essex Pelee – Click HERE