to Niagara Falls
I've been thinking about biking down to Niagara Falls on a Saturday morning, and taking the GO train back. There is supposedly a 12:20 train. I'd be leaving at around 6 AM, and would hope to be there by noon. It looks like it would be close to a 125 km route.
Has anyone done this or something similar? If so, does anyone have any suggestions for a good route? My main concern is being able to get there in time for the 12:20 train; the next train leaves at around 7 PM, and it would be a real shame having to spend that long in Niagara Falls. :P
If anyone is interested in coming along, and is willing to maintain the >20 km/h average speed for ~6 hours, that would be cool. It's a lot easier going long distance with more than one person involved.
Ben, you can take the Coach Canada bus from the Bay St. Greyhound station to Grimsby and ride from there. It leaves at 7:30 am and gets to Grimsby's Main St. at 8:30. You've got just under 4 hours to make it to the Falls.
It's a motorcoach and you put your bike in the bay underneath. Bring a bungee cord to secure it if you want. The ticket's $11.00.
http://www.coachcanada.com (Toronto to Grimsby)
You'll need a plastic bag for your bike. Get to the bus station 1/2 hr early and there'll be no problem. The Coach Canada counter to purchase the $10.00 bag is at the northwest corner of the building, up the stairs - if you're alone ask a bus driver to watch your load.
Read all about it!: http://www.bikesandtransit.com/grimsby
Good luck!
Donald
I am looking to do a ride more in the 100km + category, and I like leaving from home.
You should reconsider the timing since it's still dark when you are planning to start out, and that distance you quote assumes you travel the fastest route.
Do you really want to start with head/tail-lights on until 7:20 (legal requirement and maybe even smart to do)? And the first hour after sunrise you'll be hard to see by east-bound traffic because they are looking straight into the rising sun.
Unless you ride the QEW you'll have areas with traffic lights and urban crawl, and you'll lose time. Last not least, there are good routes to be had once you have passed HAmilton even though they are not the direct ones. For instance, cycling along the Niagara River between N-on-the-Lake and N-Falls is a treat you shouldn't miss...
I've ridden to Niagara Falls following (mostly) the route described on the Waterfront Trail maps and it was about 140km. from Lakeshore and the Humber River. It's pretty flat, but average ride times will really depend on the rider. I'll assume you know your average from other long rides.
There are maps available on the Waterfront Trail website: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/trail.html
I would stick to Lakeshore when you leave the city. Make a left onto Clarson Rd, right onto Orr, then left onto Southdown to get back to Lakeshore. There isnt much traffic there early on a Sunday, but run a very bright rear blinky until the sun is well up.
The trail in St Catherines is one of those cinder paths, so judge whether you want to run your tires on it.
There is a bike path along the Welland Canal that is interesting.
Pay attention to the bailout train times in Stoney Creek, Grimsby and St Catherines.
Give yourself time for any problems, on Labour Day I tried to ride to Hamilton and the lift bridge under the Burlington Skyway was out of order.
I seriously considered riding the Skyway instead of going all the way around but decided to just head back home.
Ben:
Also, I suggest you get off the Waterfront Trail at Grimsby, and bike south up the Escarpment to ride Ridge Road east to Niagara - through great vineyards, farmland and conservation areas.
Very flat, except the mountain part. Quite the hill, but hell, that will make up for the shorter kilometres.
The Niagara Cycling Map will show you the way.
Do you have one?: http://www.bikesandtransit.com/maps
Leave from the falls.
Two reasons against leaving from Toronto: The predominantly west wind can destroy you if it picks up, easily making you late. You're not in a rush on the return trip, deadlines suck and so does sitting a sweaty jersey and gear for an hour and half on the train.
Wake up get to the train, eat a nice breakfast en route and then roll out for your 100km ride home.
Cheers!
If you take the train from Toronto, the "bike car" is at the west end of the platform. GO's announcements and signs tend to confuse people toward the other end. Early trains were crowded with bikes last month, though I expect them to have thinned out by now.
At Niagara, it can be a slow process to get your ticket, so budget some time. The bike car is at the rear of the train (the side towards the river) - don't expect any help getting on or off. Also, bikes with wide handlebars are a bother, as they haven't removed the 'grab bars' from the middle of the doorways of the so-called special car.
Some mentioned 'bail out' locations- you have to have your bike with you if you want off in St. Catharines, etc, so skip the bike car in that case.
That's a good idea.