when?
NEW DATE = October 23/24 2021
starting in
Midhurst, Ontario
We will ride from the Barrie area to Midland on Saturday, returning to Barrie (Midhurst) on Sunday.
TOTAL WEEKEND DISTANCES
181km-349km
Day 1 Routes
All routes start in the same direction through Angus and towards checkpoint 1
117km = Weekender Simcoe day 1
A good ride with tame gravel sections, not too much elevation gain or loss and a rail-trail section from Elmvale on your way up to Midland. We will try to convince you to head out on the 152km with an optional 130km shortcut) so you can ride past the coffee stop!
We are calling this the Weekender Simcoe day 1 ride"
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159km = Weekender Simcoe Day 1 with "Whipped by Lavender" bonus. (there is a shortcut to make this 130km if needed)
Adding in the Lavender hill gravel bonus checkpoint and special coffee guest! + some amazing gravel riding towards and through Noisy River park. Then a brutish climb before rolling through Creemore. We can call this bonus section "whipped by Lavender!" . This will be a grand ride and a great challenge for anyone who takes this ride on!
We are calling this the "Weekender Whipped by Lavender ride"
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186km =Weekender Simcoe day 1 including "Whipped by Lavender" bonus as well as "Friends of Devil's" bonus
Same as the challenging "Whipped by Lavender" route BUT also adding in another climb towards Singhampton and riding through some challenging gravel sections through Devils Glen park. This will be an absolute BRUTE of a ride and one to remember for the rest of time.
We are calling this ride the "Weekender Friends of Devils".
Note: you will not be able to complete this ride unless you are meeting the specified time cut-offs at each checkpoint.
Day 2 Routes
All routes will roll down to the bay where you can buy a coffee and decide if you will do the standard route or be adding some distance to your day starting out towards Awenda.
75KM= Weekender Simcoe day 2
Another fun ride consisting of a mix of a paved bike trail, quiet paved country roads, and a challenging gravel sector including a few climbs!
This ride is called the "Weekender Simcoe day 2"
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125km= Weekender Simcoe day 2 including "Sawlog Bay bonus"
Starting off with a loop of Awenda park north of Midland including a 5km gravel segment that is closed to car use! Then embarks on the remainder of the set weekender route with an option for more later on ;) .We are calling this the "Weekender Sawlog Bay Bonus ride"
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163km= Weekender Simcoe day 2 including "Sawlog Bay bonus" as well as the "8 mile bonus" sectors.
This will be a long ride including the morning Awenda loop (Sawlog bay Bonus) some additional gravel roads, a trip out to 8 mile point in Carthew Bay and a segment of the gravel rail-trail stretching from 8 Mile point nearly to Barrie. We will call this the "Weekender Sawlog 8mile ride"
why this route?
The Inaugural Weekender ride is in Simcoe because it is a special place to Mike Garrigan. Having lived on 3 parts of this route he wanted to share the great riding and quiet backroads this area has to offer. We really believe this route will open your eyes to the amazing beauty Ontario has to offer!
Ride format
Like a brevet of sorts or baby audex, call it what you want! It is a checkpoint ride where we will move from point to point, gathering stamps along the way. Each day will have 2 checkpoints everyone needs to pass, and 2 additional bonus checkpoints for those who may like to go further and see more.
The ride will be self-supported but we will have ride guides on course, course markings at key intersections, and supplemental snacks along the way, plus suggested stopping points at local businesses for you to buy yourself anything from locally baked goods, to a slice of pizza, or hot chocolate/soup to warm up if the weather gets nasty.
Although NOT a race, we suggest riders keep moving to complete the impressive distances before sundown. We will have a support vehicle for anyone who might suffer an unrepairable mechanical.
Course conditions
The course is a mix of well maintained gravel roads, short paved sections, narrow and rugged summer-only roads and some sections of dedicated bike trail. We recommend a 28-32 mm tire for the shorter routes, and a 32-40 mm tire for the longer routes, which have some gnarlier sections. We highly recommend riding with a GPS for route details in front of you.