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Rail Trail Escape: Hamilton West to Brantford Bike Ride (70 km) (11/1/2008)

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to read this page in its entirety before signing up. If you'd like to attend, we ask that you abide by our rules and procedures as a time/cost saving process (with an end result of keeping membership free and lower cost events).

The Basics:

Event Type:

Bike

Event Location:

Hamilton-Brantford

Date(s) & Time:

Sat, Nov 1 2008 10:30 AM (Carpool Departure: 8:30 AM *log in for location*)

Registration Cut Off:

Fri, Oct 31 2008 8:00:00 PM

Event Duration:

7-8 hours (including drive to and from TO).

Difficulty Rating:

D4: Moderate to Difficult

Event Coordinator(s):

Jim O
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.

Member Cost:

Voluntary Donation Only (See Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 18 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

2 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

With the arrival of cooler fall temperatures, biking season is drawing to a close. However, cool though it may be on Saturday, I think that, with proper clothing (layered) and bike gloves, we can have an excellent day of cycling on one of Ontario's best maintained rail trails: the Hamilton West to Brantford Rail Trail. Why don't you come along to enjoy the last of the fall colors and for a day-long escape from the city? Riding on a rail trail can be quite wonderful, because there is less of a need to worry about cars. One can think and talk and philosophize. Why not? It sounds like a plan.

The ride will begin at the Hamilton West entrance to the rail trail at 11:30 a.m. sharp (see directions provided below). There is a nice gravel parking lot just off of Ewen Rd.

The plan is to ride on the rail trail from Hamilton West to downtown Brantford, which is a distance of about 35 KM. We will stop in Brantford for lunch at Wendys. But if you wish, you can bring along food of your own(in addition to snacks and water for the ride itself). After our lunch in Brantford, we will return to our Hamilton West starting point. The total ride will be about 70 km in length.

Riding time should be between 4.5 and 5.5 hours, and to participate you should be able to maintain an average speed of at least 20 km per hour.

When signing up for this event, be sure that you can handle a ride of this duration and intensity.

The surface of the trail is an "excellent fine granular" and the sights along the trail are quite pleasant. In the Brantford area, we will ride along old embankments that are part of the historically significant Brantford Waterways. While we will aim to ride at a good pace, there will be opportunities to take photographs along the way.

Note: The ideal type of bike for this ride is a hybrid, though a mountain bike will also work.

It is mandatory for each participant to wear a bike helmet, to bring one spare tire tube that is the appropriate size for his/her bike, and to carry a basic tire repair kit.

Required Items to Bring:
Bike, bike helmet, bike gloves (to keep the fingers warm), at least 2 litres of water.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
Lunch/snacks, biking gloves, suitable clothing (lawyered); camera.

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

The start of the trail in Hamilton is near University Plaza on Main Street. Exit from Highway 403 at the Main Street West exit (NOT the Main Street East exit), and follow Main Street in a westerly direction. You will pass the university on your right. Then, about one kilometre later, turn left (south) at Ewen Road. Drive a short block, then turn right and go a short distance further to find the trail parking lot under the hydro lines. Ewen Road is just past the Burger King and Pizza Hut. If you arrive at University Plaza, then you have gone a little too far. The trail runs behind the Plaza. If you need to use the washroom before getting to the trail parking lot, Burger King is a good option.

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

170Km

Carpool Departure Time:

8:30 AM

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Approximate vehicle expense for this event is $43.86 (calculated at total Km * $0.258, effective Thursday, May 9, 2024). This is based on $0.08/Km for maintenance, plus current gas price divide by 9. Your event coordinator will confirm exactly how much money is required from each person.

Notes:

Whether 9 people can actually participate in the event is contingent on whether there are enough cars going that can take both participants and their bicycles. Therefore, if you can carry additional passengers/bicycles with your vehicle, it is important for you to make this known when you sign-up. I will try to ensure that everyone is accommodated, on a first come, first serve basis.

- We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in TOC events.
- Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.
- Questions about equipment or rentals? Send them to safety@torontooutdoorclub.com.
- Notice any errors or problems in the information on this page? Please notify our Content Editor(s), Stacy, at content@torontooutdoorclub.com.

Voluntary Donation: ( What is this?)
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!
*Note: Please review our cancellation policy carefully.