I spent three days from August 17-19, 2022, cycling in the Niagara region of southern Ontario, riding a loop from my mother's home in Ancaster, south to Port Dover, east along the north shore of Lake Erie through Port Colborne to Fort Erie, north along the Niagara River by Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and west along the south shore of Lake Ontario through St. Catharines to Burlington, and back to Ancaster.

I had cycled in this region in 2008, on my same Opus bike I rode on this trip (purchased at Freewheel Cycle, which my route passed in Dundas).

Highlights included hours of gorgeous lakeshore views, cute beachside towns, Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, scenic vineyards and orchards, the Niagara River gorge, the Welland Canal, climbing the Niagara Escarpment twice, and meeting the Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador cycling teams on a training ride lunch stop at a café in St. Catharines ahead of the Canada Games road race. A low point was getting a tick bite during the ride, which led to early-stage Lyme disease the following week, from which I recovered over the next few weeks after treatment with antibiotics.

Much of my route followed the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, specifically Days 2 and 3 of the posted itinerary (corresponding to my Days 1 and 2 in the reverse direction). The route primarily follows secondary roads without much traffic, and occasionally follows dedicated cycling paths.

I had initially planned to stop for my second night in Niagara-on-the-Lake, but stayed instead in Niagara Falls, so I could spend the afternoon with my daughter and mother.

Day 1: Ancaster to Dunnville

After having our flight from Winnipeg to Hamilton pushed back a day and further delayed, then rushing to attend a Blue Jays game in Toronto the previous day, I unpacked my bike from its travel case and assembled it at my mom's house in Ancaster in the morning, and started riding at 10:00.

I rode south to my first break at Jones bakery in Caledonia, reaching the north shore of Lake Erie at Port Dover at midday, the first of several touristy beach towns through which I would pass over the next two days. After ice cream and riding to the lighthouse at the end of the pier, I continued east along the lake, enjoying gorgeous views of the Erie shore all afternoon.

There is exactly one store (at Peacock Point) along the 80 km stretch between Port Dover and Dunnville. I didn't stop, and I ran out of water. When I stopped to look for a tap, a kind person offered me two bottles of water. I expected at least a beachfront stand selling ice cream or hot dogs, but sadly there were none, despite thousands of cottages along dozens of km of sand and rock beach shoreline. I rode to the lighthouse at the tip of the pier in Port Maitland, before turning back to follow the Grand River upstream to Dunnville. My room in Dunnville cost about what I paid for hamburgers at the previous day's Blue Jays game. I had hoped to savour a tasty Ontario craft beer with my dinner, but I was unable to find any at the few restaurants in the town centre; I ate on the patio at the Queen's Merritt Room.

Today's ride was my 200th metric century and increased my Eddington number to 80 (imperial).

Day 2: Dunnville to Niagara Falls

I started my day with a hot drink and a pastry at the Minga Café in Dunnville. I continued east along the north shore of Lake Erie, stopping at a sunny coffee shop patio in Port Colborne (where a group of road cyclists were meeting ahead of their ride, always a good sign) before continuing on the Friendship Trail cycle path (a paved rail-trail cycle route). For variety, I left the cycle route to follow pleasant scenic shaded roads south and east through rural farmland and cottages into Crystal Beach (another cute beach town).

Leaving Crystal Beach I rejoined the bike path, following it much of the way to Fort Erie, where I had lunch at a café. From here, the route leaves Lake Erie and turns north along the western bank of the Niagara River. There is a paved bike path next to the road, but it winds and is bumpy in parts, so I mostly cycled on the road (Niagara Parkway). There was little traffic, and the route is scenic, passing excessively large houses overlooking the river across to the US all the way to Niagara Falls. I stopped for obligatory photos, along with thousands of tourists capturing similar shots. I rode up the short but steep Clifton Hill, the epicenter of Niagara Falls tourist attractions, to reach my hotel where I met my daughter and my mother. I had initially planned to continue to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but a minor modification to my itinerary allowed me to spend the evening with my family while only increasing the next day's route by 25 km. The three of us spent the afternoon as proper Niagara Falls tourists: getting soaked on a boat cruise by the falls, visiting Tussaud's wax museum, and enjoying a burger and beer on a patio.

Day 3: Niagara Falls to Ancaster

I had a quick coffee shop breakfast with my mother and daughter before riding downhill to the Niagara River, rejoining my route north on the Niagara Parkway. Again, there is a bike path next to the road, but I cycled on the road as there was again little traffic. The route passes the Lewiston-Queenston bridge, and soon enters quiet rural farmland and forests, crossing dozens of scenic vineyards on the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. I enjoyed a break at Mississauga Beach overlooking Lake Ontario at the northern tip of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where I met a triathlete on a training ride from Buffalo, who had recently returned from the Austrian Ironman. Niagara-on-the-Lake is gorgeous and has great cycling. Around every bend there's a fruit orchard with a roadside stand selling baskets of peaches for $3 or a winery overlooking Lake Ontario with a wine-tasting patio (even a few craft breweries). I didn't sample any of these, but next time I'll plan a more flexible itierary to include such stops.

I followed the Welland Canal south from Lake Ontario to St. Catharines, where I had lunch at Mahtay Café & Lounge. As I was leaving, the Québec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador road cycling teams arrived for a lunch break on a training ride; the 2022 Canada Games were being held in the Niagara region. The stack of bikes at the café was impressive, as were the athletes riding them (including one pro from Israel-Premier Tech). After lunch I rode inland through rolling farmland and forests. There was a thunderstorm, which I waited out sheltered from the rain on a storefront porch. I ended the day back on the shore of Lake Ontario, riding along Hamilton Beach to Burlington, and passing Freewheel Cycle in Dundas, where in 2008 I purchased the bike I rode on this trip (now my touring bike). My return from Burlington included two ascents of the Niagara Escarpment, the second of which into Ancaster proved longer and steeper than anticipated.

I returned to my mother's home in Ancaster, showered, and joined my family for dinner at my sister's house. A few days later, a bug bite acquired during my ride developed a bullseye rash and was diagnosed as early Lyme disease. This was treated with antibiotics which (thankfully) cured me.

Equipment and Logistics

I brought similar equipment to what I used touring in Switzerland in May. This year I decided to distribute my gear into three packs: a small cockpit bag, a larger seat bag, and a small frame bag. I brought a bike lock. The lock fits in my jersey pocket and is light (175 g). It's not as secure as a u-lock, but provides a good compromise in terms of balancing weight against preventing someone from easily running off with the bike.

The route is quite nice overall. As noted, there are few opportunities to fill water bottles on the 80 km stretch between Port Dover and Dunnville on Day 1. The 20 km stretch between Grimsby and Hamilton Beach on Day 3 is not particularly scenic, alternating between a service road next to the highway and contouring side roads closer to the lake to avoid the highway. The remainder of the route on all three days is beautiful and recommended for cycle touring. Watch for ticks!