The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Canada Day Tradition Ride to Niagara (Hairshirt Lite Training Edition)
100km or 200 km in one day!
Start location: Burlington GO station south parking lot, 2101 Fairview St, Burlington.
Ride leader: Paul Min
Huge Shout Out to Jimmy Yeung who started this iconic traditional ride to Niagara Falls with lunch at Taps Brewhouse.
The outbound route climbs the Niagara Escarpment from Stoney Creek and then goes along the ridge, mostly on Ridge Road. Then it's Ball's Falls, Effingham Hill, following the Welland River and finally entering Niagara Falls from the south. This leg follows the Niagara Parkway northwards to Queen Street. At Queen St switch over to the return route. (Lunch at Taps Brewhouse).
Route on RideWithGPS: Burlington to Niagara Falls
The return route from Niagara Falls continues from Queen St on the Niagara Parkway heading northward to Niagara-on-the-Lake, then westward skirting Lake Ontario.
Route on RideWithGPS: Niagara Falls to Burlington
The full route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40610689. Load the full route into your Garmin or RWGPS app to get the entire ride into one Strava file. However, if your device tends to get confused when the out and back routes overlap, it may be better to load the outbound and return routes separately.
If interested, Taps Brewhouse is on Queen St, 0.8 km west of the point where the outbound route ends and the return route begins.
Sunset will be at 9:02 pm. If there is any chance you will still be riding after 8:30 pm, you must have lights, front and rear. Reflector Vest is also a good idea.
The return leg is routed on the Hamilton Beach Trail. This is a pleasant alternative to the usual Hairshirt route which only follows roads - HOWEVER you will need to slow down because of people and pets on the Trail.
Taking the GO train back to Burlington. What if you need to exit the ride at the half-way point? The Niagara Falls train station, at Bridge St and Erie Ave, is only 6 blocks from Taps Brewhouse. Click here for the Updated GO Schedule. There are Presto pay stations on the platform, or tickets can be purchased in the station. If you use Presto, be sure to tap off at Burlington, or you will be charged for the distance to Toronto.
