Weekend Gravel Adventure

Notes:

The regular day for this is Saturday. Sunday is available as required.

There are three registered start locations, plus we may change the start location on some weekends for extra variety. If there’s no update, assume the starting location is the usual spot at the St. Jacob’s Outlet Mall.

Pay attention to the club event platform each week.

Do you like to have a destination for your ride? Do you sometimes like to venture off the beaten path? Do you like rides that push your endurance rather than you VO2 max? Do you have a ride you would like to share with others? Then maybe the Saturday Adventure Ride is for you.

The ride will be different from week to week. Generally it will not a road ride, but if the adventure is best served by a road bike, then so it will be. Here’s how it will work. The coordinator will post details in the club event list. This will include planned destination, estimated distance, pace, and surfaces expected (to help with bike/tire choice).

Colder Weather

During the colder months, members generally don’t want an indoor nutrition stop. During these times the rides tend to follow a more standard format: local rail trails, dirt and gravel roads with some paved roads as well. Cyclocross, hybrid, or mountain bikes are required, as some roads have loose gravel, potholes and sand. Rides will vary in length, averaging 3-4 hours (60-90 km) in the summer or 2-3 hours (50-70 km) in the off season.

These rides are social but energetic, with some harder, more-intense intervals. Anyone from Tuesday groups 1-5 can show up. Group 1-2 riders may find the pace a bit slow (but it’s off season), Group 5 riders may find the pace a bit fast, but we will ride as a group as much as we can. There will be times when there is some “stringing out”, but we will regroup at intersections. The intention is that no one will be dropped. However:

  • If faster riders want to break away and ride on their own or as a faster group (either during the ride, or at the start), they can do so, just be sure to let the ride leader know

  • If slower riders want to fall off the back and find their own way home, they can do so, just be sure to let the ride leader know

Notes:

  • Date/Time/Location is subject to change (due to weather, lack of ride leaders etc.) Rides may be cancelled or rescheduled due to weather, road conditions, lack of ride leaders. Check WCC Forum or Twitter for announcements each week.

  • Once roads get wet/slushy/muddy, fenders are HIGHLY recommended (riding without fenders is frowned upon).

  • The routes will be posted on WCC. The ride leader will try to post the route a day or two before the weekend.

Sample routes

The route will be different each week, but here are a few examples from past years:

CX01 63 km StJ-Temperance-Linwood-RailTrail-WestMontrose-Conestogo

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/290807605

CX02 70 km Conestogo-WMontrose-Weisenberg-Ariss-Maryhill-Bridgeport

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/290818921

CX03 68 km Wilby-Lisbon-Lichty-Hutchinson-Boomer-KresslerN-Durst

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/290835779

CX04 73 km Durst-Boomer-Hackbart-Gerber-Manser-Schummer-Lavery-Lawson-Temperance-3Bridges

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/290842161

Warmer Weather

In the summer there is usually a stop where you can by refreshments or nutrition. We try to mix up the rides to make a longer adventure available to a wider cross section of the club.

Recreational

Once a month we will be targeting a more recreational ride. This will be approximately 70 km with a pace averaging 15-20 kph. Faster riders may go for some intervals or push the hills, then we will gather back together periodically. If we get a volunteer to lead additional groups, there can be groups of differing paces and distances. Examples for these include,

  • Grand river and other urban trails with a stop at the Italian bakery on River Road.

  • Gravel grinder including sections of Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) with a nutrition break at Anna Mae’s in Millbank.

Very Long

At least once a month we will be targeting a long ride >120km. These will generally be with a steady pace in the 20-24 kph range.

  • Forks of the Credit provincial park with a stop at Holtom’s bakery in Erin.

  • Full end-to-end Kissing Bridge trail for G2G Spring on the Trail.

Leader’s Choice

The other weeks will be whatever the ride coordinator and leaders would like to do. Examples include,

  • Fergus.

  • Plattsville.

We will need ride leaders

If we are going to be able to offer this ride every week we will need volunteers to plan and lead rides. On weeks when there is no ride leader, the ride will be cancelled. This will generally be a fair weather ride as there are lots of other ride choices in the summer. Cancellation will be posted on the club event platform.

When:

Saturday mornings, 8:30am.

See, Event Platform for details of specific rides.

Where:

St. Jacob's Outlet Mall Parking Lot

During high season we meet at the south in of the lot near Homewood Suites. High season is from the Maple Syrup Festival in the spring until after Thanksgiving. The remainder of the year we meet on the north end of the lot close to the corner of Benjamin Road and Market Road.