Feedback and Suggestions for 400 km day trip route...

[gixxer_dave]

Hi guys,

I'm an avid day tripper, weekend warrior, usually averaging 150-200 km per trip in a Saturday/Sunday afternoon, into my third season now and I'm looking to push the envelope a bit more and try and do a ~400 km route to see how my body holds up (I'm an athletic guy, but, no amount of exercise can prepare me for motorcycle endurance testing). I won't place any time constraints on myself, and, will fuel up (body and bike) as needed. At any point on the route I'm typically no farther than an hour from home, so, I feel OK about it. I commute from Stratford to Kitchener every once and a while but that doesn't get my adrenaline pumping the way I want it to!

I'm planning a weekend trip at the end of June to the Kawarthas/Algonquin and many more day trips as my schedule permits and this trip will be used as a tool to gauge how many KM's I can realistically spend on the saddle.

I've spent a little while piecing together a lot of my favourite routes and they are nicely stitched together, just like my new saddle bags
I've attached a link to the map, and, I'd like to entertain route suggestions as well as tips for comfort etc... aside from getting a sport touring bike

MAP:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...1,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&t=m&z=9

 

[Jason Bourne]

That's a tough 400kms as you're staying within the city with numerous lights, traffic, etc.

Have you considered zipping up to Sauble Beach and back? You'd put on roughly the same mileage with a much more relaxing ride.

 

[GreyGhost]

Go north my friend. Better roads, fewer cars, less heat.

If your bike is in decent shape mechanically, why are you so nervous about going further away from home? I used to do 1000km days on a 20 year old nighthawk with no problems.

 

[gixxer_dave]

Go north my friend. Better roads, fewer cars, less heat.

If your bike is in decent shape mechanically, why are you so nervous about going further away from home? I used to do 1000km days on a 20 year old nighthawk with no problems.

1000 km is quite a bit... especially with a 6'3" man crammed on a gsxr lol... The 400 km target was going to act as prep for more and more longer rides. The bike runs stronger than me so the nerves are more attributed to biting off more than I can chew ya know?

That's a tough 400kms as you're staying within the city with numerous lights, traffic, etc.

Have you considered zipping up to Sauble Beach and back? You'd put on roughly the same mileage with a much more relaxing ride.

I hadn't considered that no. It's a tough trade off between twisty roads and relaxing road. If backed against the wall, I'd select the twists! Ride to Sauble looks pretty straight IIRC - haven't been in years tho.

 

[kruzuki]

I'd rather plan a pleasure ride based on the amount of time I have, rather than the distance I want to cover.

For example, if I want to take a Sunday morning ride while the wife & kids are sleeping in, I'll budget, say, 3 hours. I'll ride north for 90 minutes, just to see where I end up, then turn around and get home for whatever...

 

[gixxer_dave]

I'd rather plan a pleasure ride based on the amount of time I have, rather than the distance I want to cover.

For example, if I want to take a Sunday morning ride while the wife & kids are sleeping in, I'll budget, say, 3 hours. I'll ride north for 90 minutes, just to see where I end up, then turn around and get home for whatever...

Hey I really like that approach! I don't care about the distance covered as it's just a number... Glad to see that you can fit a bike in with your family!

 

[karentsang]

Hey I really like that approach! I don't care about the distance covered as it's just a number... Glad to see that you can fit a bike in with your family!

I usually just ride with time in mind (my schedule's always packed anyway), see where my bike takes me, and turn around at around 40-50% of the whole allotted time.

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

You say that you sometimes commute from Stratford to Kitchener, so are you leaving from Stratford (your map shows a Kitchener departure).

If I were you, I'd head out towards Milverton on 119, to Arthur then Shelburne, over to Mount Forest and head back any route you feel like taking. That entire route is on quiet highways with little traffic but more than enough places to get fuel, take a rest, or get help if needed.

I am from Stratford, now live in Mississauga, and I ride those roads all the time as I never take the 401 and 7/8 to Stratford when I am on the bike.

 

[homme de fer]

There's actually tons of day rides to do in Ontario for those that are looking to get off the beaten path. Last weekend, the lads and I went up to Meaford to Ted's Range Road Diner for some Ostrich burgers before heading to Blue Mountain and down some washed out gravel roads. Our current riding project is to try and see as many of the "115 Unusual Things to See in Ontario" plus visit some of Ontario's ghost towns, and of course, finding interesting places to eat. Having dual sport bikes, it also means gravel, dirt, and whatever else happens to be between point A and B.

 

[kwiniarz]

you're missing some really good roads on the route you planned.
Off Governors Rd , don't take sulfur springs, it's dirt and it sucks, just before take binkely and then take a left onto mineral springs.
Once you're done on old ancaster Rd, look for sydenham st and go up that through to rock chapel rd, then valley rd.
Off dundas, take cedar spring, into kilbride, much nicer than guelph line


Here is a quick route i would recommend from Cambridge to hamilton/ancaster - http://tinyurl.com/n2pg6ny

 

[gixxer_dave]

you're missing some really good roads on the route you planned.
Off Governors Rd , don't take sulfur springs, it's dirt and it sucks, just before take binkely and then take a left onto mineral springs.
Once you're done on old ancaster Rd, look for sydenham st and go up that through to rock chapel rd, then valley rd.
Off dundas, take cedar spring, into kilbride, much nicer than guelph line


Here is a quick route i would recommend from Cambridge to hamilton/ancaster - http://tinyurl.com/n2pg6ny

Route adjusted... thanks for the suggestions.
Thanks for keeping me away from the dirt! I recall hitting it once in the past but wasn't sure what road it was

 

[gixxer_dave]

You say that you sometimes commute from Stratford to Kitchener, so are you leaving from Stratford (your map shows a Kitchener departure).

If I were you, I'd head out towards Milverton on 119, to Arthur then Shelburne, over to Mount Forest and head back any route you feel like taking. That entire route is on quiet highways with little traffic but more than enough places to get fuel, take a rest, or get help if needed.

I am from Stratford, now live in Mississauga, and I ride those roads all the time as I never take the 401 and 7/8 to Stratford when I am on the bike.

Thanks for the suggestion - been that way many times in the cage, and only a small piece of 119 on my bike.
I actually live in Kitchener but as I wrote the thread I was in Stratford so my wording regarding my commute was mixed up!

 

[kruzuki]

Hey I really like that approach! I don't care about the distance covered as it's just a number... Glad to see that you can fit a bike in with your family!

It can be done.

Between ocassional commute to work, one or two short trips a year and the odd pleasure ride, I get my time in the saddle. Not as much as I used to however before kids came along.

I even get half the two-car garage as my bike/workspace!

 

[alb]

I usually just ride with time in mind (my schedule's always packed anyway), see where my bike takes me, and turn around at around 40-50% of the whole allotted time.

I use this method as well. Just head north from the east side of the GTA and keep making turns. If i hit a road I don't like just turn around go up a bit further and make the next turn. I am always amazed at what I find.

Only interesting thing is that whereas karentsang turns around at 40-50 of the alloted time I tend to turn back at the 60% mark. I find the trip back is always faster. Although it may also explain why I am always sneaking in 5 minutes late.

 

[matthew]

Leave early in the morning, take 401 to Toronto, take a break, 400 to Barrie, take another break and then head for Muskoka and hit up some good roads.