Lake Ontario 2025 Preview

After years of circling this ride (pun intended) it’s time to do a lap of the lake that I’ve lived near for a big chunk of my early life. Would it have been easier to pick a smaller lake? Sure. But Lake Ontario truly is a Great Lake in the sense it is surrounded by diverse and interesting places we’ll discover together. Lake Ontario 2025 Preview The basics About 540 miles Two countries, two border crossings Ferries galore All roofed lodging Rural stops and big cities Driving ebike to WNY that is the beginning and end of the loop The weather Warm days and cool nights Mixed bag for rain and dry The gear eBike - biggest ride yet! Brooks saddle pulled from Brompton for more comfort Rewrapped my bar end extenders to improve comfort Batteries and chargers = biggest weight Riding very light otherwise… 2 days of riding clothes I’ll wash each night plus a set of "civilian" clothes and rain gear Bringing more tools in to handle bigger ticket issues Tightening down everything in advance The highlights Memorial trip for my dad Checking off some boxes - new to me, international, cool places Lakeside lodging in a few places Multiple ferries, including intl crossing Toronto island stay - true Lake Ontario vibes with killer views of TO Niagara Falls (probably!) Weird Tim tourism: Love Canal! Be ready for history talk of American pollution! A different route to the Erie Canal towpath The challenges Distance - despite the ebike, we’re looking at some 90 mile days and that could be rough? Time in saddle - haven’t had good long days in the saddle since February ebike - can it handle this? Sure? Maybe? rural spots tough for a bailout unfamiliar places in Ontario until Toronto and even then… new to me by bike