LONDON-PORT FRANKS-BAYFIELD and BACK...
Not having a car can not be an excuse not to ride out of the city.Get on a VIA train with your bike...
Level of difficulty of the terrain: 1 (in a 1 to 5 scale)
Budget: $400
Highlights of this ride: people's friendliness; the beaches at Grand Bend; the beauty of Bayfield.
DAY 1:
Toronto-London by VIA rail (check baggage train)
Sleep over in London (accommodation at UWO)
Baggage: less than 5 pounds of luggage on the rear rack. I snacked at the local farms which sold fresh fruits ready to eat or "pick-it yourself".
-Maps: used Map # 6 of the Ontario Cycling Association [not always clear but one can figure it out]
DAY 2: 90K
London-Port Franks
Departed from the University of Western Ontario;
passed by Lobo, Ailsa Craig, Theford
Highway 7 can be busy at times; truck drivers were not bike friendly. It is intimidating to see 8000 tons of steel so close to your derriere.
Accommodation: I stayed at Bee n' Bee B&B. Gorgeous place; 5/5 star. Their website does not reflect the beauty, cleanliness, friendliness, and peacefullness of this great relaxing place.
DAY 3: 117K
Port Franks-Bayfield-Port Franks
Please don't take highway 21! Don't tell me I didn't warn you. The shoulders are not paved.
My suggestion is: take Bronson Road and ride North to Bayfield; this road is not only beautiful but quiet; very few cars, no trucks. Bayfield is a gorgeous little town 48K North of Port Franks.
Ideally, you would sleep over at Bayfield and ride the next morning North to Goderich. I didn't have the time so I rode back to Port Franks.
DAY 4: 88K
Port Franks-London
On this day I rode mostly on Highway 17 and catched the 4 pm train back to Toronto. I checked in my bicycle with VIA Rail and they shipped it the next morning. I picked the bicycle up the next day and received it in good condition.
What Would I have done differently?
-I would avoid Highway 21; I would have shipped my bicycle out of Toronto to London one day earlier and this way I would not have had to sleep over in London; I should have brought a regular road map in addition to my cycling map.
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