Tourism department peddling county as a great place to cycle;

By VALERIE MACDONALD

Posted 3 years ago

Northumberland County's tourism department is working to have the Toronto-to-Niagara bike /train program expand eastward.

There are all kinds of cycling opportunities in this county, tourism manager Eileen Lum told members of the tourism advisory committee during its most recent meeting. Local cycling clubs and even those from outside the area come here to ride.

The terrain, from hills along quiet roads to flat areas along the waterfront, lends itself to those with a lot of experience to those cyclists just starting out.

Trails in the Ganaraska Forest and Northumberland Forest make also make for a beautiful and challenging ride.

The Toronto-to-Niagara VIA train program allows people to load their cycles onto the train at the main downtown station in Toronto and get off in Niagara Falls, where they can spend several days or longer, cycling around. The initiative is environmentally friendly, committee members were told.

The county has been working with bike train co-ordinator Justin LaFontaine to explain the opportunity for people to cycle throughout Northumberland, stay at bed-and-breakfasts and other accommodation, and enjoy the county landscape by bike.

"There is a great interest in cycling, especially with the price of gas," Ms. Lum said.

The tourism department is creating a new outdoor brochure which is going to include five safe bike routes. Even without your own bike, there are locations were they can be rented such as Canyon Mountain Company in Cobourg.

Cobourg tourism co-ordinator Erin Wakely agreed.

The county recently hosted about 170 cyclists who took part in the great Waterfront Trail Adventure ride with cyclists stopping for lunch at Memorial Park in Port Hope, for a break at the Cobourg marina and in Colborne, and at Presqu'ile in Brighton for supper.