The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Circumnavigate the Lake of Shining Waters-Lake Ontario

May 25th to June 8th

Ride Director: Elizabeth Buckingham
Ride Co-Director: Chuck Feerick
Ride Driver: Joan Feerick
Report by: Elizabeth Buckingham

This ride was the brainchild of Elizabeth Buckingham who grew up on the north shore of Lake Ontario.  She convinced Chuck Feerick who grew up on the south shore of the Lake to be the coleader.  They thought that a two-country ride showcasing their respective sides of the great Lake of Shining Waters would be a great adventure. And the 23 intrepid riders who undertook this roughly 600 mile ride could not agree more.

We met in Rochester on May 25th to start our trek around Lake Ontario.  One of the unique aspects of the ride was the variety of settings. The ride took us through urban areas (Rochester, Niagara Falls, Toronto and area), and along county roads, bike paths, and in one instance, what seemed more like a goat path than a bike trail.  Some nights were in fine hotels in those urban areas, and others in a fishing camp or family-run inn. Meals also ranged from highly-rated restaurants to breakfasts and a BBQ dinner provided by the ride leaders when there was nowhere else to eat in the area. But this is the Bicycle “Adventure” Club, and the ride leaders did a great job of assuring that everyone was well-taken care of.  Highlights included:

• The views from both sides of the Niagara River of the three Falls and imposing hydroelectric power plants;
• Learning more about the impact of the American Revolutionary War on the settlement along the north shore of Lake Ontario and about the War of 1812, in particular along the Niagara River, where forts on both sides were within shelling distance of each other.  There were also various monuments to combatants of both these wars;
• The numerous wineries that could be visited in the Niagara-on-the-Lakes and Prince Edward County areas;
• Being ferried on a pontoon boat to and from the nearest restaurant from our accommodation in Waterport, NY;
• The many gorgeous and varied views of the Lake, visible to us for hours almost every day and frequently at the doorstep of our hotel;
• The Waterfront Trail from Hamilton through Toronto and to the east of Oshawa.  Many participants took pictures of their fellow riders with the iconic downtown Toronto skyline including the CN Tower (1815 ‘ free standing structure) in the background;
• The ferry from Canada (Wolfe Island) to the USA (Cape Vincent) which fortuitously started up for the season four days before we needed it;
• Only one day of rain resulted in everyone getting wet except for those in the luggage van.  There were scattered showers on several other days but most participants dodged the raindrops at restaurants or had an early or late departure.

There were some 60 mile plus days but thankfully the route was quite flat on the Canadian side of the Lake and on several days the tail wind was much appreciated.  Those on e-bikes didn’t have to suffer from range anxiety!  Our hilliest day was the ride from Oswego to Sodus Point with an average elevation gain of 60 feet per mile which was more than twice the average for the tour.

The group greatly enjoyed this first-time BAC ride and appreciated the work that the ride leaders put into researching and routing it. Anyone interested in experiencing the wide diversity of the Lake Ontario area should go on this ride!

Reported by Elizabeth Buckingham with input from Deborah Huntington and Alan Kailer