On Friday August 2nd, fourteen intrepid souls departed from the Nation’s capital for the first ever OBC tour of the Niagara region. Arriving mid-afternoon, six of us immediately set out on a quick exploratory mission up to Niagara-on-the-Lake and back. The roads looked excellent, lined with vineyards on both sides, and hills few and far between. Over the next three days riders split into groups and embarked on rides of between 60 and 90 kilometres.
Highlights of the long weekend included biking by Niagara Falls and a remote start in the countryside, about 25 kilometres from our base at Niagara College, from where we rode 75 kilometres on beautiful, almost deserted roads.
The trip was not without mishaps as one group ended up off-route in an urban jungle for about an hour and, for a while, were not exactly sure how or if they would find their way back to the route.
Accommodations at Niagara College were very reasonable and only a short drive from picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake where we had dinner every night.
A massive thanks goes out to trip organizer Beverley Ifill for her work in putting this together beginning back in March. With only positive feedback from participants, it looks like we’ll be back next year.