Long gravel/railtrail/etc loops?

Posted September 5th, 2008 by somnambulant
Does anyone have any good routes for longer rides I could do on my CX bike that incorporate gravel/trail/fireroad/asphalt/etc? I'm thinking something along the lines of P2A in terms of length/composition. Preferably not anything that's a huge *technical* challenge on a CX bike as I get enough of that sort of riding on my MTB. Anywhere between 50-100km would be great. I was trying to find some info online and found some places like Ganaraska Forest and Glen Major that seem to have fairly large amounts of trails, but I'm not not sure what the quality/style/etc of those are. Ditto for the Escarpment rail trail. I don't necessarily need closed trails, it can be open roads with mixed surfaces as well. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Wes
‹ Thursday South Humber Friday mornings in the Don ›

Cataract->Elora

On September 5th, 2008 rod says:
Cataract->Elora --The website says 47km, but I guess it depends where you start/end. Mostly gravel, non-technical and suitable for cx bikes. There's nothing as technical as some of the P2A sections, but I guess you could probably make up some little detours off the trail... check out Belwood, Elora Gorge... Coffee in elora @ the river.

In Guelph there is a pretty

On September 6th, 2008 Timma says:
In Guelph there is a pretty fun series of loops that I do that start off on rail trail, then single track for 20-30 mins, then pave out to a loop on dirt roads. The dirt road loop can be anywhere from 1 hr. to 3hrs. if you so wish. Then you head back the same direction you came and hit the Guelph Lake trails again, rail trail again and home you go. None of the singletrack is technical ... I ride the cross bike out at the Guelph Lake trails regularily. If you want a mapped route I could do that no problem ... just let me know! It is the perfect break from straight up road riding, works on handling and skills just enough without feeling like someone beat you up w/ a sack of doorknobs. As well the route out on the dirt roads usually has some shorter and steeper climbs that can be really fun. tim.

Two suggestions that I

On September 7th, 2008 briana says:
Two suggestions that I haven't ridden before, but have heard good things about: 1. Dundas Valley, near Hamilton. Mostly gravel trails, and some dirt paths that are good for the cross bike, as well. The suggestion I got was to enter at Headwaters Trail, which ends in a 6 km loop that takes you up and out of the Valley and then back in. 2. Hell and Back. No clue what the terrain is like, but I've heard that a cross bike works best. Available in two sizes, 70km or 140km.

Dudas Valley is good, but

On September 7th, 2008 texastutt says:
Dudas Valley is good, but you're supposed to pay to enter if you park. And when you get to the park proper there a a lot of walkers. it is good though. Tutt-Tutt for Now (TTFN) David Tuttle

I would also add Durham

On September 8th, 2008 briana says:
I would also add Durham Forest/Walker Woods/Glen Major Forest as a good location. Lots of trail options, most of which are great on the cross bike. A sunny Sunday a few weeks ago, we saw very few other people using the trails. Beware the apparent vortex in Glen Major... once you get in, it can be difficult to find your way back out!

Look at the Hell and Back

On September 10th, 2008 shemp says:
Look at the Hell and Back route for sure. There are a lot of dirt roads NE of the zoo with decent rolling terrain (Whitevale north toward Goodwood, Duffins Creek). That's earmarked as the Pickering Airport lands, so not much has been paved. Whitevale Road, though "paved," is so beat-up, it's like Paris-Roubaix training. == Legalize sHEMP==

Thanks for the tips, folks!

On September 11th, 2008 somnambulant says:
Thanks for the tips, folks! I did a 50k out-and-back in the rain on Sunday morning on the Cateract->Elora trail and I'm looking forward to some longer rides in some of the other locations you've mentioned. Cheers, Wes