What' your favorite road to ride?

^ Slim pickins, even if you are happy with under 10Km stretches.

The only area I know that has enough entertaining roads to spend half a day on is a square roughly bordered by 401, 407 and 6. Start at Campbelville and then explore South, East and West from there.

If you are willing to go a bit further, a nice route to Niagara and back can be devised that would involve very little highway riding. Off the back of my head, Milton, Farnborough, Dundas, Jerseyville, Cayga, Niagara Parkway, Welland Canal, Ridge Road.

Short stretches of interesting but not very well connected roads include Forks Of the Credit, Sideroad 15, Hockley Road, Twyn Rivers, 9 through Creemore, Snake Road. Some interesting roads can be found just by deliberately avoiding the highway, such as a few entertaining ones that go parallel to 400.

It all depends on how you define close. For me, anything within a 12 hour radius is close enough. Start early on Saturday and be back home on time for a party. Distance wise, a minimum of 500Km, maximum around 900.
 
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For those willing to stretch their day a bit there are some very fine roads and beautiful scenery in Allegheny National Forest (Northern PA). It's 250Km of mostly slab to get there, but it's worth it. Can be done in a day, but it's better to set up base in a KOA camp or a cheap motel and explore the area. Pennsylvania is a helmet-optional state and they don't exchange information with MTO.

I'm actually glad the best roads are far enough away. No irresponsible or posing crowds.
 
If Pacific Highway was a person it would cry of envy towards Adriatic Road 8. The scenery doesn't even come close.

Since we are in Eastern Europe, here's one that would put the famous Stelvio Pass to shame. Behold, Transfăgărășan, the name as awesome as the road.

Sadly, I haven't ridden either yet, although I have traveled some parts of Adriatic Road a lifetime ago.
 
Vlad said:
^ Slim pickins, even if you are happy with under 10Km stretches.

The only area I know that has enough entertaining roads to spend half a day on is a square roughly bordered by 401, 407 and 6. Start at Campbelville and then explore South, East and West from there.

If you are willing to go a bit further, a nice route to Niagara and back can be devised that would involve very little highway riding. Off the back of my head, Milton, Farnborough, Dundas, Jerseyville, Cayga, Niagara Parkway, Welland Canal, Ridge Road.

Short stretches of interesting but not very well connected roads include Forks Of the Credit, Sideroad 15, Hockley Road, Twyn Rivers, 9 through Creemore, Snake Road. Some interesting roads can be found just by deliberately avoiding the highway, such as a few entertaining ones that go parallel to 400.

It all depends on how you define close. For me, anything within a 12 hour radius is close enough. Start early on Saturday and be back home on time for a party. Distance wise, a minimum of 500Km, maximum around 900.
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Thanks
i live very close to Milton. I will be trekking there this weekend for sure. Need to get better at turning.
 
I envy those of you who've trekked out of Ontario to find great roads. I have yet to leave the province on my bike but hoping to remedy that.

I'm surprised noone's mentioned 507 from Buckhorn to Gooderham yet. ~40kms of fast twists. A minute or so west of Gooderham is a nice extension of that ride up the 3 road. Not all that scenic but gotta watch for wildlife. I've had to swerve for turkeys, a moose and a turtle on this route.
 
507 is definitely nice, but due to it's relative proximity to GTA frequented by both riders and the police. There's a police station just a few Km up the road, so it's easy for them to set up speed traps. I've seen two at the same time, one SUV lurking in the bushes and one spot check in the middle of the road (both had radars). Riding 507 at the speed limit is not very enjoyable since it's a fast sweeper road that allows for much more.

Elephant Lake / Paterson Road stretch a bit further North-East is also very nice, but less "staked-out".
 
TheNewDude said:
Thanks
i live very close to Milton. I will be trekking there this weekend for sure. Need to get better at turning.
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Roads in the area are well paved, but most are not engineered by the book. Watch for blind / decreasing radius / off camber turns as well as some debris / sand / gravel in places. Explore slowly first.
 
Vlad said:
Roads in the area are well paved, but most are not engineered by the book. Watch for blind / decreasing radius / off camber turns as well as some debris / sand / gravel in places. Explore slowly first.
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Yeah, i'm a very new rider. Going to work on smooth up shifting and down shifting for now. Slow down around cornors. Just the riding experience and get fimilar with the roads. Then in a few weeks start to try other things. One step at a time right? :)
 
The only area I know that has enough entertaining roads to spend half a day on is a square roughly bordered by 401, 407 and 6. Start at Campbelville and then explore South, East and West from there.
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You can extend that a bit north to 9 and east past 10 ( The Grange in particular )

many sideroads between 6 ( or 25 ) and 10 are fun and north south 6th line, 5th line etc

OP - happy to do some rides with you when I get back.

These are good routes my buddy developed and will give you fun and excellent practice.

http://wingnutty.ca
 
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Pegassus said:
Yeah man these guys make it seem as if they are driving long-haul trucks. North Carolina in my motorcycle? Yea right, only until I win the lottery.
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Last year I did Deals Gap and back in a three day weekend. Day one, haul *** to Robbinsville, NC. Day two have fun and start heading back when I'm tired of turning. Day three, leisurely ride back home. Really not that bad. Later that year, I did Colorado and back in seven or eight days. You don't even need a super tourer, like a Goldwing. Anything semi comfy works just fine.

Heck, a couple weeks back I saw a certain forum vendor with a 996 at Deals Gap, wouldn't surprise me if he rode it there and back.
 
Vlad said:
507 is definitely nice, but due to it's relative proximity to GTA frequented by both riders and the police. There's a police station just a few Km up the road, so it's easy for them to set up speed traps. I've seen two at the same time, one SUV lurking in the bushes and one spot check in the middle of the road (both had radars). Riding 507 at the speed limit is not very enjoyable since it's a fast sweeper road that allows for much more.

Elephant Lake / Paterson Road stretch a bit further North-East is also very nice, but less "staked-out".
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Guess I've just been lucky so far ;)
Elephant Lake Road and Peterson look really fun, I'll have to add that to my google routes thanks!
 
TheNewDude said:
One step at a time right? :)
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You can learn several things at the same time as long as you stay in your skill/comfort zone. I'd concentrate on riding as much as I can - there's no replacement for road experience.

MacDoc said:
You can extend that a bit north to 9 and east past 10 ( The Grange in particular )
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Sure, the more you explore the more interesting road you find. I was just pointing out an area with a high concentration of entertaining and scenic roads. I can extend it all the way to Fort Erie, but it would be much more linear then :).

Pegassus said:
Yeah man these guys make it seem as if they are driving long-haul trucks. North Carolina in my motorcycle? Yea right, only until I win the lottery.
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You don't need to win a lottery to ride far and long, but you don't have to ride to LA (or even North Carolina) right away. A mechanically sound bike with some luggage capacity is all you need. I saw a camp in Adirondacks that's $10/night and I saw plenty of free camping spots in Allegheny National Forest. They both may seem far to you, but they are less than a day ride away. Sleep in a tent, rest in a hammock, make your own meals on an open fire, bathe in the river/lake/pool and ride your *** off for days.

Even if you are mostly sleeping in motels and eating in restaurants, a week on the bike can easily cost you less than $1,000. Some people I know think I won the lottery since I went on a three week 15,000Km motorcycle trip, yet they spend just as much money to sit on a boat for seven days...
 
Sure, the more you explore the more interesting road you find. I was just pointing out an area with a high concentration of entertaining and scenic roads. I can extend it all the way to Fort Erie, but it would be much more linear then .
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Except it is not linear north of the 401 and that's a natural extension of the area you laid out.

The guy is in Milton. He is sitting on the 401. Many of the better roads in the area cross under or over the 401 so expanding the box you made north makes all sorts of sense. :D

Fort Erie is not in any way associated with the same roads and a bit of a pain for a new rider to access without some white knuckles somewhere.
 
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MacDoc said:
Except it is not linear north of the 401 and that's a natural extension of the area you laid out.
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I don't want to argue the merits of this road or that area. I am of an opinion that the area as I outlined it represents a cohesive and logical unit. Feel free to expand it any way you want - you don't need my approval or agreement.

MacDoc said:
Fort Erie is not in any way associated with the same roads and a bit of a pain for a new rider to access without some white knuckles somewhere.
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I can plot you a fantastic newb-friendly route to Fort Eerie that wouldn't be any more dangerous or scary than roads around Milton. I led many a ride that way.
 
I went riding in Milton a couple of days in a row but most of the roads between Milton and Georgetown are drawn with a straight ruler. They are just straight lines with little to no twists or curves. The only good part is that they are mostly low on traffic.
 
TheNewDude said:
I went riding in Milton a couple of days in a row but most of the roads between Milton and Georgetown are drawn with a straight ruler. They are just straight lines with little to no twists or curves. The only good part is that they are mostly low on traffic.
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Most of the roads between Milton and Georgetown are relatively straight and boring. The best route I can think of without more detailed investigation would be this.

As mentioned before, you'll get to more interesting roads and much faster if you head South-West from Milton. Stay within 401/6/403/407/Tremaine and just explore. Don't be afraid to take a turn into any side road, no matter how insignificant it looks (I just avoid dead end roads, but I have ridden all of them once to see where they go and how long they are). There are very few gravel roads in the area, they don't start abruptly and most of them are short and lead back to pavement.

Here are two that most people passing by on Appleby Line or Walkers Line never bother to check. Sideroad 4 and Sideroad 2.
 
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Yep both of those sideroads are brilliant - add Side Road 1 in there as well.
SR 5 along the north side of the 401 and goes a long ways east and west and is a lovely ride.

If you want fun out of Milton just stick near the escarpment and explore north and south from there.
I rarely go into Georgetown at all as there are way better roads around it.
 
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