Biking from Toronto To Niagara Falls

[billdozer]

Has anybody here ever done this? Could anyone give me tips, advice, or possible a good trail to follow? What to pack, what to bring, what to look out for...etc.

I'm going to be doing this with 2 friends, and we're thinking of leaving on a Friday morning, and coming home on Sunday evening.

Is it possible to get there in 1 day? Is there a biketrail from downtown Toronto that runs beside the lake all the way to Niagara?

Do we need to book-ahead for motels? ARe there hostels like in Europe where it's only $15 a night or so? Rather than spending $50 for a motel...

I found this trail: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Niagara-Falls-to-Toronto-vai-NOTL-and-around-Hamilton

Thanks

[CoffeeAddict]

I've considered doing this for a long time now
It's totally possible to do this at a fairly relaxed pace with one overnight stop. If you've got people who can bike at a fairly good clip it'll obviously be a lot shorter.

Here's a guide on touring from MEC
http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=1013419867408 6517&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302881789&bmUID=1184170661681

it's a bit on the hardcore side but better to be safe than sorry

The longest one day trek I've ever done is around 100-120km. All I can say is be prepared for anything to happen! But at the same time don't worry so much that you'll have to carry a mountain of gear either. The essentials will get you through and a cell phone could be your best friend :D Try and map out bike shops every 25km or so along the route where possible.

One thing that guide didn't mention is how valuable zip ties and those wire garbage bag ties can be! Once I had to fix my chain on the road and forgot my chain breaking tool at home. I happened to have garbage ties on me so i just wired the chain together and off i went! Zip ties can be handy for tying down any broken parts or holding a deraileur together etc etc.

If you do the trip make sure you post back here about it. I'd love to hear about how it went!

[billdozer]

found a guy from North York who made the trip: http://littlesvr.ca/misc/toronto-niagara/

I noticed he biked alongside the QEW for a long while, on N/S Service Rd., but didn't really explain where he went after he entered St. Catherines (where N/S Service rd. ends)

[tigger03]

Try the waterfront trail ... it's toronto-etobicoke-mississauga-oakville-burlington-hamilton .. and I dunno where else ... they have a website online with maps ... google it :cheesygri

Edit: here's the link: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/trail-s-1.html

[ElChico]

use this trail http://www.waterfronttrail.org/

The one you posted goes up and down the escarpment :eek:

[CSK'sMom]

found a guy from North York who made the trip: http://littlesvr.ca/misc/toronto-niagara/

I noticed he biked alongside the QEW for a long while, on N/S Service Rd., but didn't really explain where he went after he entered St. Catherines (where N/S Service rd. ends)

The sevice road continues through St Catharines right to the canal, it's just no longer called the Service Rd. After crossing the canal he probably came into The Falls through the back way by White Oaks...

[billdozer]

Try the waterfront trail ... it's toronto-etobicoke-mississauga-oakville-burlington-hamilton .. and I dunno where else ... they have a website online with maps ... google it :cheesygri

Edit: here's the link: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/trail-s-1.html

Awesome link man, thanks. How much are motels in NF?

[CSK'sMom]

The rates pretty much change daily this time of year billdozer. Some motels are slashing rates and others are fully booked. If you're serious about doing this and have a set budget I'd start pricing them on some of the travel sites and book something rather than chance it...

[IronMac]

As someone who's done most of this route several times I will try my best to answer your questions. Please feel free to ask more as they occur to you.

A. The Waterfront Trail is very good for this sort of ride but your options really open up once you get past Burlington. Yes, you can take the North (or even South?) Service road along the QEW but I would not recommend it. It's pretty bland. I normally head over the QEW and take Barton Rd. to Highway 8.
I did a Google map of this once for a group ride I had planned last fall. I'll see if I can dig it up again for you.

B. Where are you riding from?

C. Yes, you can do it in one day since the distance to the 'Falls is about 160+ kms. I don't think that you should start past 9 am though.

D. There are no bike shops between Burlington (don't know about Hamilton since it is a bit out of the way) and St. Catharine's so far as I know.

E. Bring some snacks with you and water is readily available along the way.

There are no hostels so far as I know (there probably is) and the really cheap option is to camp at one of the campgrounds in the area. Marineland has one right next door!

If you check my blog, there is an entry of my ride from TO to Beamsville this past week. :)

[CoffeeAddict]

Just doing the math on the trip 160km at an average rate of 15kph will take you almost 11 hours. Totally doable in one day if you've ever taken on a bike ride of 100km before.

If you up your average speed to 20kph you can do it in 8 hours. A huge difference! 20kph is not that fast but if you burn yourself out at the outset you'll never be able to keep up that speed after hour 5 :)

Going up to 25kph you can do it in 6.4 hours but I you'd have to be above average fitness to maintain that kind of speed over 6 hours.

To give you an idea of what a 100km feels like, I'm a smoker, a little overweight, and never lift weights or hit the gym lol. But I love cycling and I can still maintain 20kph quite easily so 8 hours for the entire ride is completely feasible with no extended breaks.

So if those numbers sound scary to you then you're probably better off staying somewhere at the 100-120km mark or so and just do a strong push the next morning. Just remember you still have to come back! And as far as i know the only real direct transport from NOTL or Niagara is the niagara tour bus I think ifyou can't bike back.

For food on the go remember that SUGAR is not your friend! What you want is gatorade for some massive carb dumping and salt intake and cliff bars or some other kind of energy bar if you feel beat. Fruits are always good too because even though they have sugar they still have carbs.

BTW I'm no trainer or nutritionist so take that recommendation with a grain of salt :D

[CoffeeAddict]

I'm going to revise my speeds a little bit :D
I think I rounded p a bit much and a couple of kph can make a big difference!

At a slow and steady pace you'll probably do 13kph
At a moderate pace you'll probably do 15kph
At a fast pace you'll probably do more like 20+kph

This is after reading IronMac's blog entry on the Beamsville ride hehe
I have a computer on my bike but maybe it's not calibrated properly? On normal days going out with the gf on leisure rides we usually end up doing 13-15kph and we're on mountain bikes with road slicks.

[IronMac]

LOL! the 16.5 km/hr average speed was because my computer counted in the times that my friend and I took breaks. The route is pretty flat so you should not have much difficulty maintaining at least 16-18 km/hr.

Remember that you will normally have the wind against you when heading anywhere in a westerly direction.

[CoffeeAddict]

ah that's probably why
my computer only counts when the wheel is in motion so i get an average speed when the bike is in motion only :D It's not calculated over distance/time.

If I ever attempt this ride I'd want a sweet old school steel frame Miele :D
Or a $5000 carbon race bike hehe

As it is I've got a no-suspension Rocky Mountain Team Only frame built up with some cheapo parts and some deluxe parts. Total weight with my ghetto wheelset is like 24.5 lbs I think

[CSK'sMom]

Just read this in our local paper and I thought I'd post it here. There is a new pilot program this summer with VIA rail called the Toronto-Niagara Bike Train. It will transport cyclists and their bicycles by train from Toronto to Niagara during 4 weekends in July and August.

[Bullseye]

I was going to mention the VIA option as well.

As shown in one of the links, the trail from Burlington through Stoney Creek is very nice. A wide, dedicated recreational path, right beside the water. We walk, bike, and blade on it all the time.

[telman]

Also try this link for the toronto biking network http://www.tbn.ca/ . It could be helpful.

[Jyeatbvg69]

after reading this thread, and all of the positive comments, i am interested in doing this as well. i am 17 years old (as of february) and am thinking of doing this with a few friends. i have never biked that far but when i was younger i used to bike from edwards gardens (lawrence and leslie) to the waterfront.

any advice for me?

[billdozer]

I was going to mention the VIA option as well.

As shown in one of the links, the trail from Burlington through Stoney Creek is very nice. A wide, dedicated recreational path, right beside the water. We walk, bike, and blade on it all the time.

Is this alongside the QEW, on north/south service road? Because that's alongside the lake all the way to NOTL

[Bullseye]

Is this alongside the QEW, on north/south service road? Because that's alongside the lake all the way to NOTL

It's on both sides of the QEW, the south in Burlington, the north when you go around the tip of the lake. The paved path starts at Spencer Smith Park, and goes over the lower lift bridge under the skyway.

[IronMac]

That trail, from Stoney Creek to NOTL, is not entirely next to the water. It sort of moves closer and further depending on where it goes. I'd recommend considering the inland route along highway 8.

Here is the inland route I was talking about. It doesn't go directly into Niagara Falls because it ends at the KOA in Lundy's Lane but you can just go further east.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=477875

[CoffeeAddict]

Just read this in our local paper and I thought I'd post it here. There is a new pilot program this summer with VIA rail called the Toronto-Niagara Bike Train. It will transport cyclists and their bicycles by train from Toronto to Niagara during 4 weekends in July and August.

Wow this is perfect!
Me and the gf are planning to do the bike route with another couple for a booze-fest.... er i mean wine tasting tour :D The link for the bike train is... biketrain.ca

Here's the sched for the test:
Depart
Toronto (Union) Arrive
Niagara Falls Depart
Niagara Falls Arrive
Toronto (Union)
JULY 2007
Sat, Jul 21 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Sun, Jul 22 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Mon, Jul 23 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM

AUGUST 2007
Sat, Aug 11 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Sun, Aug 1210:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM

Sat, Aug 18 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Sun, Aug 1910:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Mon, Aug 2010:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM

Sat, Aug 25 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Sun, Aug 2610:00 AM 12:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM

It's super reasonable at $59 round trip taxes in
One way is $35 taxes in so you do have a bail out plan if you get there and don't wanna bike back to toronto

This is really exciting... can't wait to attempt this!

[CoffeeAddict]

after reading this thread, and all of the positive comments, i am interested in doing this as well. i am 17 years old (as of february) and am thinking of doing this with a few friends. i have never biked that far but when i was younger i used to bike from edwards gardens (lawrence and leslie) to the waterfront.

any advice for me?

The only advice i have is if that's the farthest you've biked the ride will be a lot harder than you realize. Your bum will probably give out first, then your legs, then your lungs hehe

It shouldn't sound like I'm discouraging you though
It's totally doable! Just make sure you're mentally prepared for biking 8-10 hours if you wanna do it non stop

[billdozer]

hey, do you have a link to the VIA rail special + schedule?

Though my buddies and I plan to bike both ways, since we're all in good shape ;)

[CoffeeAddict]

www.biketrain.ca has the schedule but tickets are ONLY sold through the NOTL website here:

http://www.niagaraonthelake.com/bt.jsp

The tickets are NOT sold through Via at all.

The train departs/arrives through the Niagara Falls train station here:
http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#q1=4223%20Bridge%20Street,%20Niagara%20F alls%20ON&mvt=m&trf=0&lon=-79.061801&lat=43.108691&mag=3

The nice thing is the station is right beside the niagara parkway so it's a rpetty scenic route going to/coming from NOTL

[CoffeeAddict]

I just finished the toronto-niagara bike ride
It was fun up until the end of 'sauga and then the ride got pretty boring. We stopped in hamilton for the night and continued onto Niagara the next day. I gotta sa the bike ride is not nearly as scenic and nice as I thought it would be.

If I do the trip again I would take the train in and out of niagara falls for suree and just bike in the niagara region.

As for the bike train itself, it was very well organized and everything ran smoothly. It was a really pleasant experience actually! I would recommend anyone to take the bike train :D

[IronMac]

What was your route?

[CoffeeAddict]

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1228947

I believe this is roughly the route we took. I'm not 100% sure as we didn't follow and exact route once we left the hammer. We decided to chop off some distance by not following the waterfront trail after i foolishly took us AROUND the horseshoe instead of under the bridge! that was a big boo boo :o

[billdozer]

Hi there,

Going this weekend with 3 other people! Wish me luck! Thanks for all the advice! :cheesygri

Though, what tools should I bring along? hex keys, flathead, philips, spare tubes, tire patch kit with tire levers.... anything else? I'd like to travel light.

And we plan to do this in one day as we're all pretty fit and still have our youth :lol:

Where's a good place to stop and eat for lunch? (halfway)

We plan to leave Toronto before 7AM

JL...

[CoffeeAddict]

I would highly recommend gatorade in powder form. It'll help you out tons. Also, I would highly recommend energy gel shots like the Cliff shots. Those are just amazing for keeping your energy up.

The only thing I think you're missing from your kit is a spoke wrench and an adjustable wrench. The adjustable wrench and the hex keys are the ones i used the most on my trip for my fellow bikers.

Also, make sure that the spare tubs fit everyone's tires!!!! for example, make sure that if you're running a 2.1 tire that you have a 2.0-2.5" tube! I a pinch you can make pretty much anything work though.

There's an EXCELLENT bike shop in Port Credit if you figure your you're missing anything on the way out. I believe it's at lakeshore/mississauga rd. There's also a bmx shop in Hamilton that I spied so they'd have pretty much anything you needed.

If anyone has a bum knee in your group I would recommend some hot/cold cream and a knee tensor.

Not sure where you'd be when it's lunch time but I'm sure you could find a good pasta joint in old Oakville. It might be a bit early for you though. In which case you might just have to pop into some cheesey place in Hamilton or Grimsby.

As for the route itself make sure you take the bridge shortcut in Hamilton!!! it's one long ass detour otherwise. Also, it gets a little hilly around Hamilton but it gets reallly flat shortly afterwards.

Traffic on the south side of the lake seems to be very mindful of cyclists which is great! No honked horns or people buzzing us which I've seen happen in the city :mad:

[IronMac]

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1228947

I believe this is roughly the route we took. I'm not 100% sure as we didn't follow and exact route once we left the hammer. We decided to chop off some distance by not following the waterfront trail after i foolishly took us AROUND the horseshoe instead of under the bridge! that was a big boo boo :o

I would have taken a route that's more "inland" after Hamilton but it's not like the Niagara Peninsula is Austria in miniature. :D

[CoffeeAddict]

We were considering going as far south as the Bruce trail but heard that it was not exactly friendly to bikes with road tires on them. Having never been on the trail I didn't wanna risk it.

Next time I think we'll take our bikes on the train to niagara and then do the greater niagara circle loop. It looks really nice and it's actually on pretty bike paths!

Personally if i'm just going for pure kms it doesn't matter much to me what the scenery is like but with the gf and friends I'd much rather a pleasant countryside ride.

[billdozer]

Hi there,

BACK!!! safe and sound.

Left Toronto Union friday morning around 7-8AM, followed the waterfront trail for the most part, decided to skip NOTL because we got separated in the scary countryside LOL and not everybody had maps LOLx2

So we just kept going east and met up at niagara pkwy. Total time: 13-14 HRS :lol:

Stayed overnight, sightseeing, casino on Saturday.

Woke up at 4:30AM on Sunday (today), left around 6AM, some early deraullier problems, but the night before we mapped out a direct route that went right into St. Cats and we took the most direct route possible until Mississauga/Etobicoke, where we went back on the waterfront trail.

Total time: 9 hrs.

Took tons of pics, legs are a bit tired, but will definitely do it again. Couldn't have asked for better weather.

Thanks RFD for all the advice!

Why I am still awake I have no idea....

Jamis Lover...

[IronMac]

Good for you! I tried to ride to Rock Point Provincial Park this Saturday and back. I turned around before I reached it, though, because I didn't want to come back to Toronto too late. Oh well, a trip for another time. :)

[CoffeeAddict]

Good Grief
13-14 hours?
I don't think my knees would have survivied an onslaught like that!
Stupid clipless pedals rocked my knees when I was much younger
After riding on my clipless cleats for over a decade now though they're really nice and floaty... almost like Frog pedals of old :D

Please let us know when you've gotten your pics online. Would love to see them! Also some computer data if you have it (total km, avg speed, max speed etc etc). I love seeing data like that.

[Rosico]

Are there any good camping sites along the way? Thinking about touring and splitting it up a bit more. Especially interested in camping sites near NOTL...