My wife are new to road riding and were hoping to ride from home in Hamilton, Dundas actually, all the way to Niagara on the Lake.

Does anyone have a preferred route??

We've started looking at maps and such to try and the best route. We'd like to find the most direct route, but also paying attention to the type of roads. We'd also like to limit the amount of times we have to climb the escarpment.

This ride would be a point to point, meaning we'd be driving home....Maybe next year we could attempt the ride out and ride back the next day.

Thanks,
Rich

My wife are new to road riding and were hoping to ride from home in Hamilton, Dundas actually, all the way to Niagara on the Lake.

Does anyone have a preferred route??

We've started looking at maps and such to try and the best route. We'd like to find the most direct route, but also paying attention to the type of roads. We'd also like to limit the amount of times we have to climb the escarpment.

This ride would be a point to point, meaning we'd be driving home....Maybe next year we could attempt the ride out and ride back the next day.

Thanks,
Rich


Hey Rich. Well, the most direct and flattest route is that which skirts the south shore of Lake Ontario. That is, starting from its intersection with Centennial Parkway in Hamilton, ride eastward on North Service Road until Beamsville where the route essentially adopts a new name, Lake Shore Rd. Excepting a small stretch in St. Catherines, where Lake Shore Rd. morphs into Main St., then Lakeport Rd., continuing on Lake Shore Rd. will take you all the way to NOTL.

Should you not want to ride through Hamilton, access to North Service Road is possible by starting at Burlington, riding south on the waterfront recreational trail over Hamilton Harbor's drawbridge until you arrive at the western extremity of North Service Rd. But doubling back from Dundas to Burlington will increase the distance of the ride.

It's been a while since I cycled that route, but neither condition of road nor density of traffic have left an unfavorable impression. Of course, you should expect more activity in St. Catherines, but nothing extreme.


In its favour, there's no flatter or shorter route; against it, there's hardly a more tedious and uninspiring ride. The North Service Road segment parallels the QEW and the prospect of a six lane freeway does little to thrill, while the intervening distance to St. Catherines traverses subdivisions and, otherwise, pedestrian scenery. If memory serves, the vistas from Pt. Weller to NOTL improve somewhat, but are still second rate to what is afforded by inland routes skirting the escarpment.

Luke

We had thought about staying on top of the escarpment for most of the ride because riding close the QEW just doesn't sound like fun. We've been looking at some maps and we're thinking of taking Stonechurch across the top of Hamilton and then picking up Mud Street, which turns into Fly Road...From there we're still searching.

We had thought about staying on top of the escarpment for most of the ride because riding close the QEW just doesn't sound like fun. We've been looking at some maps and we're thinking of taking Stonechurch across the top of Hamilton and then picking up Mud Street, which turns into Fly Road...From there we're still searching.

My knowledge of alternative inland routes is patchy, but I've learned this: the nearer you ride toward the escarpment the more hills you'll confront. I have ridden route 81, tracing the northern periphery of the escarpment, and recall that it was gently rolling with the odd 1st gear climb. It was also a busy route, but that may have been attributable to the time of my ride. What about catching Highland Rd (in Hamilton) and riding it out to Rte. 73?

The inland routes require negotiating the urban axis of St. Catherines/Thorold -- this doesn't sound appealing. Still, an inland route swinging south at the start then north toward NOTL is worth the extra distance as it will make for a more scenic ride.

Look, I've notice you've not posted your queries to Toronto Bicycle Network's forums (http://tbn.ca/cgi-bin/wwwthreads/wwwthreads.pl) Doing so will enable you to tap into a local knowledge base.

Luke

Thanks for the link to the Toronto Bicycle Network....Didn't know about that one...Really a few hills are ok and the nice scenery will make the climbs worthwile...

Rich

Mud Road is good, although it can be busy at times (especially the Hamilton end). If you find it too busy, Yonge Rd runs parallel to Mud Road, one block south.
Before you get to St. Catharines, go north so you can take Lakeshore Rd across St. Catharines and into NOTL. It's the best way across the city and into NOTL.
I live in Thorold so I'm fairly familiar with the roads.

Use Stonechurch to get accross the top of Hamilton. Take Ridge road east from the top of the Centennial Parkway access. Great scenery for probably 20 km then drop down on 30 RD to Beamsville. Take King st.(#8) to Ontario st. then down to North Service rd. from there.
Also, a great flat century is downtown Burlington to Niagara on the Lake and back along the shoreline (with a minor detour at Jordan) for 160km bang on.