Cycling in Waterloo Region

[clasher]

Wow, thank you so much for that - I like that!  Totally doable.  I decided after doing it that it's not the distance that would dissuade me from doing it a couple of times a week - it's my comfort level with traffic.  So, adding 5 km to avoid areas that I feel are a bit risky is no problem at all.

Your route really shows how much of a pain the lack of crossings of the Grand and 401 really is.  One of my coworkers said, however, that during the entire reconstruction of the Fountain St. S bridge (the one between Blair and Limerick), it'd be open to pedestrians and cyclists (somehow).  Any truth to that?  Are they building a whole secondary temporary bridge or something?

I remember reading that it was supposed to be open for ped/bike access. They are rebuilding half the bridge at a time... I haven't checked it out but danbrotherson says it's passable.

[jamincan]

Regarding Middle Brook Rd., keep in mind that crossing Fountain can be really frustrating as the lulls in traffic on Fountain during busier times of day can be few and far between. One alternative would be to continue on Kossuth to Speedsville. Kossuth isn't really any better than Fountain, but it does mean you turn off right instead of left, which is much less stressful when it's busy.

[jamincan]

Also, if you're looking for routes to bike, the Strava Global Heatmap is an excellent tool for identifying better roads. Sometimes people simply don't have a choice on route, but you can often see what the preferred routes in a given area are, though. http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#13/-80.4...range/bike

[UrbanCanoe]

I've combined the routes proposed by Clasher and Canrard to create a more scenic route, yet surprisingly efficient at only 25.2 km. Sections of road at Fountain St bridge and the trail along the Speed River are incomplete on the map so the AI shows significant rerouting around these areas. However, both sections are open and passable (though not 100% certain the trail along the River is open with the 401 construction). I've mapped these sections separately and removed them from the original estimate to determine the final distance. I'd love to try this route some Saturday morning for no other purpose than the scenery especially through Rockway Gardens, Homer Watson Park along the Grand River, Riverside Park and trail along the Speed River, ending in the historic Hespeler downtown.

   

[UrbanCanoe]

Anyone looking for a good deal on a used bike? The Waterloo Region Police Service are hosting a bike auction at Jutzi&Co Auctioneers tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. I've bought some bikes here over the years but especially enjoyed meeting other local cyclists and discussing all things bike related. All funds from the sale help support the WRPS's efforts to reduce bike theft and to help return lost/stolen bikes to their owners. Details of the sale are available on their website.

And check out this awesome bike that'll be auctioned tomorrow - a Norco PENNY FARTHING! How cool would you be if you rode that to work each morning  

   

[I realize commercial advertisements aren't allowed on this site, but I figure this is as more so a community event to support a not-for-profit than a commercial endeavour]

[clasher]

I don't think there's any good deals at the police auction. I went and it seemed like auction fever grabs most people and the prices are way above what the worst sellers on kijiji charge for dusty bikes they find in the garbage. I saw busted supercycles go for more than a new one from crappy tire.

Last I heard that trail along the speed under the 401 is closed until the current construction is finished.

[UrbanCanoe]

Oh yeah, people certainly paid some ridiculous prices for bikes that needed significant repairs. I walked away with an old road bike for $10 which has come in handy cycling around downtown.

Ah, disappointing that the trail under the 401 is closed. Its quite a nice route, and well travelled too.

[jamincan]

Doesn't Eagle/Pinebush have MUTs on either side for most of their length? If you follow the routings mentioned above to Fountain and then cut across to Eagle/Pinebush, I think it would actually be about 1km shorter than your last route. King to Speedsville would be the worst part, I imagine, but you could reduce the exposure to traffic through that a bit by cutting through Riverside Park.

I highly recommend checking out plotaroute.com, btw, if you are planning bike/running routes. The only piece of information they're missing that would be handy is an overlay of the Strava Global Heatmap.

[DHLawrence]

There's a little on Pinebush but most of Eagle is two-lane, sometimes with sidewalks but not often.

[Canard]

Jamincan - Thanks, I haven't looked much at the Heatmap stuff, I'll check it out! I'm just guessing - the "harder" the colour, the more heavily used a particular corridor is?

UrbanCanoe - That route looks fantastic; I might give it a trial run today, thanks!!  Your route suggestion is almost identical in length (~200 m difference) from what I rode on Wednesday.  And certainly far more palpable from a worrying-about-high-speed-traffic standpoint.  And the scenery is guaranteed to be much better!

[Canard]

Today, we rode from Pioneer Tower down to Galt (Park Hill Road) and back.  I took some photos of the work going on at the site of the Fountain St. Bridge.  I'm amazed to see that they've actually built an entire temporary cantilevered structure off the side of the bridge, while they do their work!  This is outstanding!

   

   

   

   

[clasher]

I'm amazed to see that they've actually built an entire temporary cantilevered structure off the side of the bridge, while they do their work!  This is outstanding!

That's cool... they should do something like this to bridge on Lexington over the expressway It's probably not feasible for a lot of reasons but it'd be nice if they could just drop in cycling lanes where needed.

[Canard]

That's cool... they should do something like this to bridge on Lexington over the expressway It's probably not feasible for a lot of reasons but it'd be nice if they could just drop in cycling lanes where needed.

...or Northfield! It's the one spot where I just say "Nope" and bike (slowly) on the sidewalk across it - I rode across once in the "designated" bike lane, and it was definitely one of those "I'm gonna die" moments.

[KevinL]

Lexington is the ideal cycling connection as there are no expressway ramps to contend with. However, it's a city road, not regional, and that council does not think as forward on some matters.

[danbrotherston]

@kevinl Lexington is getting a north side bike path over the expressway this summer.