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[As interest develops and I receive feedback, I'll add specifics and tips as the summer approaches.]

I've tested the waters of bike touring in Southern Ontario for the last few summers and have come to realize that this is probably one of the best parts of the country for bike touring due to the density of cities, back roads, sights to see and how quickly the geography changes versus distance. A bike tour departing Kitchener-Waterloo and heading North to Bruce Peninsula would take in much that Southern Ontario has to offer. The trip would travel mainly on country roads and possibly rail trails and depending on how many days the trip can extend over, the number of scenic stops may vary.

Destinations

A river always makes for a great place to setup camp.

Day 1: to be determined location on the Nith River (may change based on group feedback)

Day 2: to be determined location on the Saugeen River near Mount Forest (may change based on group feedback)

Day 3: perhaps a stop at Mapleton Organics, then weave through the many turns of the Grand River and back to Kitchener-Waterloo

Difficulty

At a reasonable pace of 10 to 15 km/hour, making it to the lower part of the Bruce Peninsula is very achievable in two days. On a reasonably well tuned bike a speed of 10 km/hour is reasonable for a beginner to sustain; however, the length of riding each day can require some stamina. My technique for bike touring is to ride slow and enjoy the serenity of the country side but some days this means putting in relatively long hours on the bike. Travelling towards the Bruce Peninsula the riding is predominantly uphill, while riding back to KW is overall downhill. I have successfully done several 90 km/day bike trips with people who were new to bike touring, so with proper planning this trip which would require ~50 km/day on some days is achievable for beginners. The trip will only occur if the forecast calls for blue skies and reasonable temperatures. Travelling with a reasonable group provides a buddy system which should help encourage more riders to join as the beginners can glean the experience of more seasoned riders.

Group Size

The maximum group size may have to be limited if space is limited at the camping destinations (to be determined); alternatively if the camping destinations are chosen to be formal camping grounds then there may be potential to accommodate a larger group.

Duration

There is great flexibility to vary the plan as a team comes together and I'm really looking forward to doing a trip, it's a very refreshing experience to live on bike for a few days. To start the planning and see what interest ensues, here I propose a 3 day 2 night tour which should make the trip more feasible for many to join.

Proposed Itinerary - 3 Day 2 Night Tour

Day 1 (Friday):

Meet on our bikes at a location such as a Tim Hortons and depart the city after work ~5:30PM to get a ~20 to 30 km head start on leaving the city behind and setup camp.

Day 2 (Saturday):

Depart camp early and head in the Northerly direction towards the destination to be determined. Ride ~50 to 60 km.

Day 3 (Sunday):

Since it is downhill back to KW it tends to be a relatively fast ride home and possible to make it back to KW by 5:00PM. Ride ~60 to 70 km.

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