Road Cycling

Not every bike ride needs to involve grueling hours spent on the road or trail. Sometimes the best rides are the ones where you take it easy, slow it down and see new communities, and maybe even stop for a bite to eat. If you’re not into wearing padded bike shorts and setting a challenging pace, plan your next ride in Ontario’s Highlands where your cycling adventure can match your mood, abilities, and bike.

Nestled in the heart of Perth County and best known as the home of the Stratford Festival, Stratford is quickly becoming a destination for cycling, boasting routes from easy in-town loops to back-country gravel adventures. With a growing number of bicycle friendly businesses, the city offers a variety of unique accommodations, restaurants ranging from fine dining to quick eats, and services to support every cyclist’s needs.

The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (known as the G2G) has been steadily growing in popularity since the entire length of the trail opened in 2015. The full 132km trail from Goderich to Guelph is well-signed from end to end and in good condition with a hard-packed limestone surface. While the whole trail is worth exploring, one of the most scenic sections is through Huron County, known as ‘Ontario’s West Coast’.

Most regions have their marquee trails—the ones you see on every tourism site, every biking pamphlet you pick up. Quite often they’re popular for a reason, but what’s a cyclist to do once you’ve ridden those routes, or when you’re looking to get off the beaten track? Having featured some of Kawarthas Northumberland’s best-known routes in previous posts, we thought we’d take a moment to reveal some of the area’s hidden gems.

With ten suggested cycling itineraries and 30 plus routes to choose from, it’s easy to plan a short getaway or better yet, a week-long holiday cycling as much or as little as wanted in south eastern Ontario.

Stretching from the shores of Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe, the diversity of terrain in Durham is exceptional, from the paved waterfront trails in Pickering through to Bowmanville, to the smooth rail trails of Uxbridge, to the extensive mountain bike trails of the Durham’s conservation forests along and the rolling Oak Ridges Moraine.

Roll along traffic-free waterfront trails while enjoying amazing scenery, unique attractions and cozy restaurants and shops along the way. You can find all of that and more with a cycling adventure on Cornwall’s Riverside Trail.

Find all the ingredients for a delightful ride, apple adventure and farm fresh experience in Durham Region. Sample some tasty treats at unique ride destinations following one of the region's cycling routes, or creating your own, and enjoy biking from urban centres to the many countryside settings and stops nearby.

If you’re planning a cycling day trip, look no further! Guelph is home to an extensive and well-maintained Trail System that is perfect for cyclists. Whether you’re looking for Mountain Biking Trails at Guelph Lake, cross-regional trail systems including the Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) and the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), or simply a family trail ride, you’ll find it in Guelph.

You’ve toured Ontario’s ‘wine country’ and ‘cottage country’ by bike, but now you’re in the mood for something different – the Near North. Discovery Routes, a local trail and cycling advocacy organization has developed a series of rides with just the right amount of rustic and urban for cyclists of all abilities, from roadie day-trippers to bikepackers to gravel grinders.

Whether you have a penchant for hills, undiscovered gravel backroads, a smooth rail trail or thrilling MTB trails, Caledon has it all – and it's just minutes from Toronto. Take a day or a weekend to unplug and get immersed in scenic Escarpment country – visit Caledon’s historic hamlets and villages, fuel up on local coffees, beer, baked treats and more as you explore their cycling loops designed for every type of rider.

The reasons people choose e-bikes are as diverse as the riders themselves, whether it’s a matter of age, ability, or simply preference. Getting on a e-bike can vastly expand the possibilities available, and for seasoned and new riders alike, Kawarthas Northumberland’s selection of routes is hard to beat.