Months one can ride a motorcycle in GTA

B

B1K3R

Member
Forum Sponsor
Hi guys!

Somewhat a strange question which might seem silly to you, but I've never been in Canada GTA and might move there and wondering....I've been driving motorbikes all my life and go everywhere with it including work..... rain, sun..don't care much....

Of course Canada is a different ball when it comes to weather due to the winter cold and snow...so in theory, for how many months can I use the bike to go to work. Public transport kills me and hate traffic, so I'm checking how big the damage is going to be! :)

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Not strange. Normally, the riding season is from just after the last snows clear up in the spring until the first snowfall in the winter. That could be April to November or December. Last year's winter was extremely mild and GTAM riders were finding there were warm, safe days without road snow/ice even in January and February. That is a special situation and not the norm.
 
Depends on your location, really. When I lived in the country outside of Guelph they plowed the roads regularly so you could actually ride most days if it hadn't snowed in awhile as the roads were clear. Now that I live in Toronto my road and those around are basically rutted slush, snow, and ice all winter unless we get a really long warmer dry spell because they don't get properly cleared very often. My off season is probably somewhere near the beginning of November and then ends early March. Depends on the weather, of course. I've had years where I rode at least once every month of the year.
 
Thanks guys! That does not sound too bad at all! :) Guess I can live with just 8 months :P As for the area, it will be GTA, no idea yet...

As for weekend bike riding (1 to 2 hrs radius from Toronto)....are there any mountains/hills one can ride to....with restaurants etc on top? Do these kind of places exist there? When in Brisbane I used to do that a lot and just love it...like these http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/inf...ountains-to-climb-near-brisbane?sc_lang=en-au

Thanks again!
 
matthew said:
If you don't like traffic, you've come to the wrong place.
Click to expand...

Very true, but unfortunately traffic is around/in all major cities nowadays and that's where most jobs are for me, so I have no choice anyway.

But would a place, like for example Oakville be choco blocks too?
 
Places like Oakville and Mississauga have much wider roads than Toronto so they get cleared well and the slush stays right up against the curb. One thing that keeps me off the road most winter is the salt!
 
Hey mate ...not much around the GTA compared to the lovely roads north west of Brisbane. You'd need a 4 hours plus to get to PA or Quebec or further north in Ontaro for some elevtion.

Still. from Oakville, you can escape north and there are loads of good paved backroads that are scenic and interesting and places along the Great Lakes that are nice rides.

When are you coming over?? I "commute" between Cairns and GTA every few months so have a foot in both areas.
I'll be back in the GTA end of October ...hopefully get a few rides in before end of season. Not far from Oakville.

We had a crazy year last year ....riding to the end of December and beyond on dry roads above freezing.
 
Last edited:
I've had years where I put 20,000 km on between Jan and Mar in Ontario, other years where it's only a few hundred km. It just depends on the weather each year.
 
sesamestreet said:
Places like Oakville and Mississauga have much wider roads than Toronto so they get cleared well and the slush stays right up against the curb. One thing that keeps me off the road most winter is the salt!
Click to expand...

Nice to know, thanks! :)


MacDoc said:
Hey mate ...not much around the GTA compared to the lovely roads north west of Brisbane. You'd need a 4 hours plus to get to PA or Quebec or further north in Ontaro for some elevtion.

Still. from Oakville, you can escape north and there are loads of good paved backroads that are scenic and interesting and places along the Great Lakes that are nice rides.

When are you coming over?? I "commute" between Cairns and GTA every few months so have a foot in both areas.
I'll be back in the GTA end of October ...hopefully get a few rides in before end of season. Not far from Oakville.

We had a crazy year last year ....riding to the end of December and beyond on dry roads above freezing.
Click to expand...


Ah! So you know exactly what I mean :) Pity, but like you said I'm sure there are many great roads where I can fly with the wind. I just love driving up those hills, great escapes after a stressful week of work....

Not sure yet when coming over. My wife and daughter (by default) are Canadian citizens, but I am not so I need to get sponsored etc by my wife first which will take many months I guess...

So I guess you must have done Whitsunday, Fraser islands and the reef. I have no idea where we will be staying but I guess somewhere around OakVille seems logical for starters. Seems like a nice area :)


GreyGhost said:
I've had years where I put 20,000 km on between Jan and Mar in Ontario, other years where it's only a few hundred km. It just depends on the weather each year.
Click to expand...

Interesting, let's hope for the best :P
 
GreyGhost said:
I've had years where I put 20,000 km on between Jan and Mar in Ontario, other years where it's only a few hundred km. It just depends on the weather each year.
Click to expand...

Yep. So "Months one can ride a motorcycle in GTA"? All the ones with 28 days. Some are just WAAAYY more fun and with WAAAYYYY more riding days ;)
 
The shortest winter I could remember my bike was only parked for a month and a half. Depending on how much I like my current bike, it's either first/last sign of ice (NOT snow) or first/last salting of the roads. 3-4 months is more realistic, usually back on the road by some point in March. Also keep in mind that the further north you go (where the more interesting scenery is) the longer that stuff stays on the ground

B1K3R said:
are there any mountains/hills one can ride to
Click to expand...

What are those??? :confused2:
 
Depends on your own tolerance for cold, bad road conditions, and corrosion.

Personally, mine normally goes away around the start of to middle of November when they start spraying brine on the roads overnight, and comes out around mid-April. Many do ride through November and start up again in March. Few ride longer than that, especially if their bike isn't their primary method of transportation.
 
Some of the responses here are a little enthusiastic. The real riding months are April 15 until November 1st. Beyond that you risk black ice on the road. Last year was a freak. We were all out riding during the Xmas holidays and bragging about it. I don't expect the same this year. Genuine "prime" riding weather is June to the end of September. To be fair, some people ride year round in downtown Toronto.
 
If you haven't decided where to go yet don't go to Toronto. The word "Toronto" is native Indian for "almighty toilet".
 
B1K3R said:
Thanks guys! That does not sound too bad at all! :) Guess I can live with just 8 months :P As for the area, it will be GTA, no idea yet...

As for weekend bike riding (1 to 2 hrs radius from Toronto)....are there any mountains/hills one can ride to....with restaurants etc on top? Do these kind of places exist there? When in Brisbane I used to do that a lot and just love it...like these http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/inf...ountains-to-climb-near-brisbane?sc_lang=en-au

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Min 4 hours to get anywhere worth riding.
 
Black ice doesn't magically appear anytime after November 1st - it takes the correct combination of weather to create it. It can happen anytime those events line up properly which could be before November, and certainly isn't "automatic' after.

Frost is more of a concern once the overnight temperatures get cold than black ice is...but again, one simply needs to be aware of the additional risks, not automatically put your bike away just because those additional risks may be there when the weather is otherwise totally rideable.

Lots of people called those of us who rode all winter last year nuts for having done so. "The salt in the corners is gonna cause all you guys to crash!", "Ice! OMG think of the children!" etc etc etc. TONS of us rode all winter without fanfare. It's all about understanding the additional risks and mitigating them. Yes there was salt and sand in a lot of corners. Yes there was still ice in the corners of some parking lots, etc. Didn't bother me for I knew to expect it the same as how one should expect the road to be slippery for the first 10-20 minutes of a rainfall in July and August.
 
Many years ago a M/C was my only transportation for a year and I rode every day through rain, cold and snow that had cars stopped.

It will wreck the bike from the salt so have something cheap. I never dropped mine but expect the occasional oopsie as well.

Keep the bike light because you need to control it with body English and foot dragging. Flat footing is mandatory.

Visibility is a problem when it's snowing. Visor down and snow cakes on it and visor up the snow stings the eyes.

People really don't see you and when they do they think you're a mirage and walk out in front of you.

Frostbite happens.

Holding onto the exhaust pipes at traffic lights warms the hands but wrecks the gloves.

Frozen seats make it feel like you're sitting on a log.

People will think of you as either a rebel or an idiot, mostly the latter.

Have your blood type clearly marked on your helmet.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom