I’ve travelled to the GTA/Toronto area for years and each trip I hated the fact that there was little that was good to ride in the city which meant I was off my bike for x days. There are limited options within the city (read: shouldered/bike lane road) but it’s still a sketchy undertaking with the local ‘drivers’, there are frequent interruptions by the MANY traffic lights, and it is often only an out & back route.
One option is to drive out to Milton and ride North within the Halton/Guelph region, but that requires fighting the never-ending 401 West traffic which equates to a ~45+min drive before I can even start.
All that changed when I happened to find some great GPS loops posted by ‘eaves’ on RideWithGPS.com. One such loop is the CX-TC-ERIN 60 Gravel route.
While it certainly helped that the last few rides have been perfect fall weather with blue sky and maples showing off fall colors, this is one awesome loop which can stand proud regardless of weather!
Parking is only about a 20min drive north on Mississauga Road from the 407. It’s a nice quiet spot at the intersection of Heritage Rd and Hwy 9/King Street. Right away you’re thrown on tranquil chip seal country roads with lots of bends, elevation, and narrow bridges.
Soon you’re on some pristine gravel.
After a ~20km trip north you’re routed onto the Elora Cataract Trail which takes you ~10km East.
While it’s hard to build a lot of tempo on this section due to local walkers and a few road crossings, it’s a super nice trail to cruise & enjoy the scenery.
At the end of Elora Cataract Trail you’re directed into the ‘Forks of Credit’ Provincial Park which is park of the Bruce Trail.
Eventually the route pops you back onto gravel and an awesome grunt up to the ‘The Grange Equestian Community’ (~450feet over 2.2km).
The route ends with a little trip down the Caledon Trail which can be further leveraged on another loop from eaves called CX-TC-ERIN+ 56.
Final stats are 59km, ~1300M/3700 feet of elevation, 2-2.5 hrs ride time. It’s a perfect ride for a CX/gravel bike with 35mm tires (Schwalbe G-One)
