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THE LAST SPIN
RIDING CLUB STYLE Several cycling clubs share some of their favourite local area rides and top destinations for club tours.
1. BRANT CYCLING CLUB Wherever you are within the city of Brantford, you’re no more than a ten-minute warm up ride on a paved trail to get to the quiet country roads of Brant County. Riding south west towards the small towns of Scotland and Oakland along the quiet block patterned concession roads there are a number of routes easy to navigate. We often stop for delicious home-made snacks at the Windmill Country Market or have a picnic lunch at Mt Pleasant Nature Park. For a longer, enduro style adventure we like to ride to Port Dover on Lake Erie, or east to Hamilton on Lake Ontario. brantcyclingclub.org
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2. KINGSTON VELO CLUB A 55km trail and road route that is used in part for our annual Mother Ride in May starts and ends at Kingston City Hall. Following the K&P Trail north, we branch off to the Cataraqui Trail near historic Sydenham, often visiting Pointe Park for a swim and stop at Trousdale’s, Canada’s oldest general store before returning by Stagecoach Road, and trail back into Kingston. Fall colors are splendid north of Kingston. An 80km loop we often ride begins in Bolingbroke, circles about to Maberly and Sharbot Lake on quiet roads, with a lunch stop at the Cardinal Café, returning via Crow Lake Rd. kingstonveloclub.ca
CYCLING IN ONTARIO 2020 / ONTARIOBYBIKE.CA
3. HALIBURTON REAL EASY RYDERS Both our rides and our ride area help us cater to all cyclists, with quiet roads, trails, lakes and forests, not to mention the hills. West Guildford is our most frequent and central start point where we can easily head out on three routes: north to Lake Kennisis; west to Stanhope; and east to Eagle Lake/Fort Irwin. We often picnic post-ride. Our favourite overnight trip of the season is to Simcoe County and Georgian Bay. The maps and resources available make it easy to organize. We set up rides out of Midland and Orillia, venturing to Awenda Provincial Park, Balm Beach and Waubaushene. haliburtonrealeasyryders.com
4. DURHAM MOUNTAIN BIKING ASSOCIATION Durham Forest is a club favourite. You’ll find the bustling trailhead a short distance south of Uxbridge, and the spot where all levels of riders convene to ride the 20km network of fast and flowy trails. Bordered by roads on three sides, it’s tough to get lost. Some trails are groomed for fat biking in the winter. Obstacles, rocks and thrills are the theme of Dagmar North, another local favourite. We often meet up with our sister club, York Mountain Biking Association, to ride the 15km of trails at Brown Hill Tract which are fairly flat, consisting of sand, mud, roots, logs, boardwalks and skinnies. durhammountainbiking.ca
PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) WESLEY SMALL; KINGSTON VELO CLUB; DURHAM MOUNTAIN BIKING ASSOCIATION; HALIBURTON REAL EASY RIDERS
For more information on club rides and to find a club near you visit: ontariobybike.ca/clubs
