The Tour de Niagara Falls Cycling Extravaganza
It’s 7am. Union Station, downtown Toronto. You have more supplies on your back than a Roman Legionary on his way to war. But you’re not off to war. You’re about to board the Toronto to Burlington GO Train for the adventure of a lifetime (weekend). This is the Tour de Niagara Falls.
For those of us looking for something different to the endless 5km jogs, group cycling trips in the summer are the way to go. For anyone based in Toronto, the Toronto-Niagara cycle is a great way of organizing a fun and healthy weekend away with friends.
Our merry band of adventurers was split into two groups. The first, let’s call them the peloton, started from downtown Toronto. The second opted for a more leisurely weekend and took the GO Train to Burlington to start from there.
At 8am, we arrived at Burlington GO and set off on our epic quest. As we cycled along the beautiful Lake Ontario in the summer heat, we knew everything was going to be ok…
Until disaster struck. One hour into the journey, on a quiet country road parallel to the trail, I heard a loud pop and the utterly deflating sound of a bike tube literally deflating before my very eyes. It could have ended our entire journey there and then. Instead, three heroes came to the fore.
Their names were Adam, Chloe and Kelli. Unknown to us, they had formed a fellowship before the journey. A fellowship of amateur bike repair people. One that would be forged in the steel of Miyata Bike frames itself. After consulting with each other, they got to work. Minutes later, the beast was slayed. A new tube had been put in and we were ready to set off again.
The rest of the journey to St Catherine’s was a peaceful cycle along the lake and a slightly less peaceful cycle on the hard shoulder of the Expressway. When we got to our lunch pit-stop in St Catherine’s, we were greeted by the smiling peloton group, who had arrived minutes before and were sipping away on a cool, tasty pint of cycling success.
As we sipped away at our magical potions, our fourth hero, Padraig, sipped away at an entirely different beverage.
A beverage of hard work.
Another bike had suffered a similar fate to my own and needed some good old fashioned elbow grease. No better man than the ‘soft and earthy’ Padraig to fix it up. After this little setback was sorted out, we set off again for Niagara on the Lake, which took us through some beautiful fields and past vineyards and wineries.
After another 20/30km, we treated ourselves to a well-deserved dinner at a Niagara on the Lake Winery. Another hero of this quest, Padraig, was snapped looking ultra-sophisticated in a brown cardigan and a fine glass of red.
The last leg of our journey was from Niagara on the Lake to Niagara Falls, our final destination. This could have ended in disaster as we suffered yet another puncture, but we fought on and eventually made it to our luxury accommodation (the Comfort Inn, Niagara Falls).
Battered, bruised, tired and hungry. But undefeated. We had made it. Our timing was slightly off, as we had estimated getting into Niagara Falls at around 5pm (we got to the motel at around midnight). The 15 warriors had survived. Their story will live long in the memory of Southern Ontario cycling.
Logistics
Logistically, this wasn’t too difficult to organize and definitely one you can do before the end of the summer!
GO Train tickets can be booked online in advance if you want to start the journey from Burlington.
Bike-wise, it’s definitely recommended to get your bike tuned up and make sure the gears and brakes are working before setting off. Bringing a puncture repair kit and some spare tubes is always highly recommended! If you’re not able to change a tube, there’s usually helpful cyclists along the way, or you could try to bring it to a nearby bike shop.
Remember to bring supplies (Water, snacks, protein bars, Gatorade etc). Anything to keep sugar, salt and water levels high throughout.
Accommodation-wise, there’s plenty of places in Niagara Falls that you can stay. If you’re on a budget, there’s lots of motels on the outskirts that work just fine for a trip like this.
To get back from Niagara, there’s a bus to Burlington that leaves every hour. From there you can take the GO Train back to Toronto. If you’re feeling brave and your legs are still working, you could try to cycle back to Burlington, or St Catherine’s at least, and get the train from there!
So what are you waiting for? Grab some mates, grab a bike and get going! And don’t end up sleeping under your bike like a certain character right here!
