LHTCT Route Signs

The route signs for the LHTCT have finally been installed. Today I took photos of the signs at the Keene Rd, Base Line, & Nelson Rd before having to turn back because of an approaching thunderstorm. Note our Cycling Dudes logo at the bottom of the signs as one of the signage sponsors. Double click to enlarge to the max. Since writing this note the rails & ties are being removed in the section between Ashburnham Dr & the Keene Rd

                              Keene Rd sign

     Base Line sign at staging area

 LHTCT at Base Line with view of Heritage Line bridge. The recent brush cutting is visible on the sides of the trail

Nelson Rd sign

July 29 2015 - John Crawford’s Ride & BBQ

16 Dudes showed up at John’s north-end home for this ride. Because it was a very hot humid day John decided to change the route & take the trail to Lakefield to shorten the ride & avoid hill climbs. For a description of the original route go to August 13 2014 in archives From John’s home we cycled down Cumberland Ave to the Zoo to the RGWT & up to the Lakefield Marina before returning on the trail for a poolside lunch provided by John & Bill McKnight
 Pete Gardner arrives in Lakefield

                  Lakefield marina

                   Lakefield marina

John at the BBQ

July 22 - Lakefield to Young’s Pt thru Smith Twp

20 cyclists met in the Lakefield municipal park beside the arena for a 9:30 start to a 34 km ride to Young’s Pt. Barry Diceman once again led us on this route that he introduced to us years ago. From the parking lot we cycled on the Water St  bicycle path to Bridge St, west across the river to Young’s Pt Rd, north to Preston Rd continuing north on Preston to the 12th Line with a short jog west to Northey’s Rd continuing north to the 14th line & east to Jopling Rd then north to the 15th line & east to North School Rd which takes you south to Hgw 28. Cycled single file in groups of 5 on Hgw 28 to the Young’s Pt stoplights, note that there is a rumble strip on this section of Hgw 28 which you need to avoid. After a short tour to the canal we rode to The Old Mill for lunch which is under new management. We decided that it was not up to Dudes standards because the menu was limited, no liquor license, meat overcooked & the washroom had a disgusting odour. We will only return there if we hear a favourable report from Ken Powell! After lunch we walked over the canal, cycled on the old bridge thru Young’s Pt to Hgw 28 & south about 1 km to the Douro 4th Line. There is a decent shoulder on this section of the highway. Continued south on the 4th up a series of small “rollers" to Cty Rd 6 & west across Hgw 28, continuing west on Lakefield Rd to the cars. Everyone enjoyed this ride with it's comfortable length, pastoral scenery, mainly asphalt surfaces & gentle undulations. Photos courtesy of Burton McClelland. Conrad led a 20 km ride on the TCT from Jackson Pk to the trestle bridge

                                       Smith Twp 14th Line

                                             Young’s Pt locks

                                                     Old Mill

Old Hgw 28 Bridge 

Newcastle Ride - July 15 2015

16 cyclists met in the Bond Head lakeside parking at 9:30 for this 37 km ride. From the parking lot we cycled north on Mill Sr a gentle uphill gradient to the 4-way stop intersection & the bike trail beside Newcastle Dr down to the lakeshore where we cycled east on The Waterfront Trail into the harbour before returning on the trail for a stop at the lakeside shelter. Continued west on the trail to The Samuel Wilmot Conservation Park a small woodland oasis which has a good gravel trail. Once we were thru the park we realized that we were missing 4 cyclists.They had stopped to pump up Bill Punt’s tire & missed the turn into the park. Fortunately Pete Gardner was able to contact them by phone so we cycled south on Mill St to Metcalf St where we regrouped & continued east on Metcalf uphill where the street becomes Concession Rd 1 continuing east on rolling terrain before a short hill climb up to Newtonville Rd where 3 cyclists took the option of shortening the route by riding south on Newtonville Rd to Lakeshore Rd while we continued riding east to East Town Line Rd then south to Lakeshore Rd, part of The Waterfront Trail. As we cycled west on Lakeshore Rd towards Bond Head we met Bill Punt at Newtonville Rd waiting for Ken Powell to pick him up because his tire had deflated! We enjoyed lunch at the Massey Inn on King St in a private dining area (905-987-3747).

 Pete Gardner on the Waterfront Trail phoning the missing cyclists
 Mile Wood & Hendrik Jongsma on Concession Rd

                   Steve Guerin cycling on Lakeshore Rd

Bond Head harbour

July 8 - Doug’s Bobcaygeon Ride

                  Sturgeon Lk - Ken Powell & Jim Stewart on Birchcliff Ave
                         

   Hendrik Jongsma & Mike Steele crossing the Emily Creek wetland on Cty Rd 24

Bobcaygeon Inn - Doug Smith Ron Spears, Bill Ingram & Pat Towns

Dunsford

20 cyclists met Doug Smith in Beach Park on Park St in Bobcaygeon for a 43.5 km ride thru the picturesque Sturgeon Lake countryside on a perfect day for cycling. From the parking lot we cycled west beside the lake on Cty Rd 24 to Dunsford. From Dunsford we rode north on Cty Rd 7 to the lakeshore then west on Birchcliff Ave beside the lake turning south onto Gil-Mar Rd to Hgw 36 & a short jog east to Dunsford Rd taking us back to Dunsford where 4 cyclists returned to Bobcaygeon on Cty Rd 24, a 28 km ride. Doug led the others out of Dunsford south on Cty Rd 7 to Cedar Glen Rd & a loop across Hgw 36 to the lake before returning to Cty Rd 24 which we took back into Bobcaygeon for lunch on the waterfront patio of The Bobcaygeon Inn. This is an ideal ride for The Cycling Dudes, great scenery, no real hills & the route can easily be modified