Has anyone ridden to Guelph, Acton or (preferably) Fergus?
I have to head up to Fergus in a couple of weekends for a wedding. I'd like to ride, weather permitting.
Preferably I'd like to get as near to Fergus as possible, keeping exclusively to paved roads that are not too trafficked. I don't want to poke around on trails, as I want to be out there by 1 pm (leaving at 6-6:30).
I expect that I'll be passed by a lot of cars doing 120 km/h, but I'd like to minimize this number if possible.
Bikely has some maps up for routes to Guelph, but that's a bit out of the way for me. Still, a good route to Guelph would be useful information for me to have. I expect that I will head up to Acton somehow, then go from there. Google Maps walking routes don't look half bad.
Even if someone knows a good route out of the city heading roughly along the 401, that would be helpful.
More generally, is there a resource for good routes for biking around Southern Ontario? Last year someone at Urbane told me that there is a map.
I did a ride up that way a few weeks ago. At 6 am on the weekend, you should be fine using major roads to get out of the city - not too much traffic.
Take something like Mississauga Rd to get you north of Steeles. Then I like Embleton/5th Sideroad to 6th Line (just west of Trafalger, not the one in Milton). Take 6th to 15th sideroad, turn left and follow that to 6th Line Nassagaweya (this is the Milton one, but you are already on top of the Escaprment). Turn right, then left on 20th sideroad. I rode as far as Corwhin and it was good riding.
You're on your own from there.
It's greatly appreciated.
You're right that at 6 AM it shouldn't be much of a problem. I am worried because I plan to make the return trip the next day, and I certainly won't be riding into Toronto at 6 AM. It will be 10 AM at the earliest and traffic will be heavier. Oh well...
If you are headed to the southern part of the city, I'd take Mississauaga Rd to Lakeshore. On a Sunday morning in particular, the bike traffic is high on Lakeshore and the car traffic pretty low.
For maps, I recommend Advermap's Golden Horseshoe map. They also have a Southern Ontario one. (you may need both I can't remember how far the GH one goes) You can buy them at Velotique or MEC.
Keep in mind if you don't want to do the whole trip (either direction) there is a fairly early GO train (6:30?) on the weekends that could get you to Oakville with your bike. Or Burlington - Brant St turns into Cedar Springs Rd (fairly quiet north of hwy 5, climbs escarpment right after), which turns into
McNiven/first line after Kilbride, and that becomes Wellington Rd 29 which takes you almost right into Fergus. If biking from TO, it would probably make a good route to hook up with Cedar Springs Road on whatever you are heading west on (such as Britannia)
This is the route I took before from Oakville GO station to Rockwood
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Oakville-to-Rockwood-...
From Oakville you can also get under the QEW by bike path direct to the 6th line.
Eglinton W turns into Lower Baseline, a good route to head west on.
Well, the Elora Cataract Trailway isn't paved, but you could do it on 28mm tires as it is very smooth. No cars!
http://www.trailway.org/
You'd have to get there first, though. I'd take the Humber river path up to Finch and 427, just take the left branch of the Humber, not up to Steeles as on this map: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Downsview-Humber
Between NW Toronto and Cataract it's all concession roads, if you slip north between Bramalea and Vaughan.
Hope you've been doing some long rides...
I ended up choosing a very simple route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3019077
It was fun but quite tiring. It's mostly all uphill, and there were some significant headwinds.
I meant to bike back, but I was up late at a wedding and didn't feel like I'd be able to get up at 5:30 and ride 100 km. It would have been pretty sweet going mostly downhill with tailwinds though. I hope to do it some other time.
Wow...interesting!... I have been doing the Harbour to Downsview regularly whch I know is 401ft... straight up. After Downsview/ the Hump I figure it's clear sailing aka more-or-less flat terrain to the rest of southern Ontario (Niagara Escarpment (eg Killarney +150') excepted)... yes?
tks
Lock
There's more climbing after Downsview. If you are heading north, you have to get over the Oak Ridges Moraine. I've ridden up Weston Rd to the end and back. Weston Road ends at the Holland Marsh, just south of Hwy 9. It took me 2h15 to get there from Bloor St, and 1h45 to come home. It's a pretty steady up.
Heading northwest like Ben did you have to get over the escaprment, but if you head through the Caledon/Mono area, it's a series of valleys, not just one climb.
Definitely take the Elora Cataract trailway. It's a wide gravel path so road slicks won't cut it (but thin cyclocross tires will). The trailway takes you right into fergus and you shouldn't have to ride on the road at all from Erin onwards.
Check out the trail maps below:
http://www.trailway.org/