My 5-day, 680km bike ride from Toronto to Montreal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ส.ค. 2024
- On July 11th 2020 I set off on a 5-day, 680km bike ride adventure from Toronto to Montreal. Hopefully this travel vlog will give you a good idea of the scenery, the challenges, the interesting things I saw and the weird & wonderful stuff that went through my mind along this journey.
I encourage anyone who is interested in bike touring to do this trip along the Waterfront Trail, it was incredible (except for when it rained!)
For anyone interested in the route I took you can see it here on Strava:
Day 1 (Toronto to Cobourg): / strava
Day 2 (Cobourg to Picton via Sandbanks Provincial Park): / strava
Day 3 (Picton to Brockville): / strava
Day 4 (Brockville to Cornwall): / strava
Day 5 (Cornwall to Montreal): / strava
Back in the late 80s, my sister and I rode from Montréal to Île D’Orleans near Québec City. It rained almost the whole time. I still shutter as I think of wearing the same soggy cycling shorts every day. The fact that we camped every night at campgrounds made the miserable experience all the more memorable. It was one of the best experiences of my life!
Love that you're still a child at heart, frolicking through fields and visiting abandoned buildings. Good on you for the feat!
Thanks Peter, yeah I love doing ridiculous stuff like that! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Loved this video mate. I hope to see more tours in the future.
This is great, keep the videos coming!
Excellent video, very well done. I live in Pickering and in 2018 rode the same route to the Ontario Quebec border. I did it on a mountain bike so I only did between 80-100 km a day, your distances were impressive. It is a fabulous trip, I had pre booked Airbnb so it was nice to have that taken care of before hand. I encourage anyone that wants to do the trip to go for it. Also buy the Waterfront Trail guide book, an excellent resource and it helps to financially support this great network of trails.
Cheers Dave, glad you enjoyed. Good tip about the guide book, makes sense to have a paper copy too so you don't have to rely on electronics. I just got back from a weekend trip to Brantford, these long-distance bike trips are becoming addictive...
Super informative. Planning on tackling this route in the summer
Thank you so much for the video. I just finished day 4 today and stopped by Sainte-Zotique. A few kms past Cornwall. I downloaded your strava gpx file and followed your route. Thank you so much. Finishing to Montreal tomorrow then renting a car to drive back to Toronto. More power and post more of your adventures.
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy this video helped encourage someone else to make the trip. Thank you so much for letting me know! I also cycled past Sainte-Zotique but didn’t stop there, hope it was worth it
Thank you for the trip! I recognize lots of places..very nice video!!
Amazimg video and so motivating for cyclist. Will cover locally from Pickering to Darlington soon. Best of luck
Congrats Dan. I too live in Toronto and wish to complete this journey next year. Thanks for the fascinating video!
Thank you Kevin, great to hear you enjoyed the video and that you're interested in the journey yourself. Two years later and it's still the #1 adventure I'd recommend to any biker in this region of the world who's looking for a good challenge. Good luck, I'm sure you'll succeed!
I just completed my very first bike tour from Oshawa to Montreal on September 21 all by myself as well!! I completed it in 4 days and stayed in Belleville, Kingston, and Morrisburg. Had to actually stay in Belleville for 1 more day due to the heavy rain. It was also pouring rain the following day, but decided to keep going!
I’ve been wanting to try this ride since I got into cycling last year, but didn’t know where to start, and was also scared to do it. Your video gave me the courage and inspiration for sure! Also I gotta say, it was mentally and physically draining!
Hey Mariah, thank you so much for your comment, I'm stoked you were inspired to try the ride because of this video! Great job on completing it in such short time. How gross is it riding through the pouring rain though - I certainly don't envy your Belleville to Kingston route. A year on I still think it's one of the best adventures I've ever been on, it's totally worth the mental & physical effort :)
8 minutes into the video, and that was enough listening to a lymee bitch about literally everything.
@@user-nh4xm7le1xyou must lead a happy life…
Dan, liked your vid! Thanks for uploading! Pretty high km/day.
I came back to see your Mt Halifax hike video as looking to do it soon. But then came to this video and now want to go bike-packing!! Well done Dan!
Thanks man! Oh, Mt Halifax is nuts, I wish you all the best for that adventure, I'd love to know if you manage to make it to the top. The bike-packing turned out to be so much fun, can't wait to do it again
Great video style, like a documentary 👍
Cheers.
Great video and very motivating😀👍🚲
Thanks Nicholas! Hope you get to do the trip!
I'm watching this . Great adventure buddy!
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed!
Great video, a great rail trail to try is the K&P trail that goes from Kingston Ontario to Sharbot Lake and beyond, it also meets up with the Catariqui and Trans Canada Trails. all old railway beds. All of the K&P trail is crushed stone dust, easy riding :)
Thanks for watching and letting me know about that trail, I hadn't heard of it before! I just saw a few pics and it looks incredible... I'd love to ride it.
Way to live, Dan! What an amazing video.
Thanks Yo! Glad you liked it. Sydney-Brisbane 2021 maybe...?
@@DanSchaumann bit more than 680 km but SGTM! Better start training
Dan; Great video , I loved the way you narrate and your humour.
Thanks a lot Steve! Great to hear you enjoyed the video
Amazing stuff Dan! Tres bien! Ton voyage etait incroyable! Cheers mate! 🍻
Cheers Alex! It's nearly two years since I did the ride and I still think it's one of the best things I've done in my life
Excellent video! Would love to ride this route someday! ❤
Great ride - The beer makes it harder to recover !
Nice video well done. Hope to see more videos from you.
Great vid and a great accomplishment. Thanks for taking us along on the journey! I've been mountain biking for a long time and just got my first road bike. I'd love to work up to a trip like this one day.
Thanks a lot for watching and for your comment! Three years later I look back on this experience with a lot of happiness, I highly recommend building up to it. Enjoy your road bike and good luck!
Such a great video. I usually watch videos of people touring Ontario Provincial Parks, or trying to walk in a straight alone across Ontario. But this was awesome
Hey thanks so much for letting me know, I'm glad you liked the video! Now I want to watch an Ontario straight-line mission. Of course this is a thing.
Awesome ride
I enjoyed watching your video, nice work.
The first time I heard an Ontario resident pronounce Sault Ste. Marie the way you did.
Nice video. I recently completed my first bike tour! Day1: Toronto to Barrie via Newmarket. Day 2: Simcoe County Loop Trail (Highly Recommend it). Day 3: "Rest." Day 4: Barrie to Caledon east and Day 5: Caledon east to Toronto via the Etobicoke creek trail. Most of my riding was on railway trails which was amazing. I especially loved the Thornton-Cookstown railway trail and the caledon railway trails. The etobicoke creek trail was also a pleasant surprise.
After living in Montreal for 14 years I moved away almost 4 years ago. I haven't seen my Montreal friends in a year now and wishing I could do another bike ride from Toronto to Montreal.
Love the video. Congrats on a great ride. As I type this I am part way through my own cycling adventure from Oakville to Sauble Beach ON. ~300km, taking the roads less travelled. Doing over 3 days solo. You could do it in 2. Having a blast. Would highly recommend it. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Safe riding!!
Thanks Mike! Oakville to Sauble Beach would be incredible, I've been out to Kincardine before and it's perfect bike riding country. I've since moved to Montreal and I'm hoping to do a long trip this long weekend but not sure how the weather will hold up... I'll decide on Friday.
Totally enjoy your trip, hope to do a bike tour too, very informative 🙂
I hope you get to do a tour as well William, thanks for watching!
I enjoyed your video, journey and personality. I am putting together my own ebike built on a bikepacking bike. I would love to do this route as well!
It’s really fun 🤩 to watch your video. Wish one day I can make it. You really know how to enjoy your life:-)
Thats quite a trip!
So interesting & cool to see familiar places that you rode through (From Scarborough, Ontario myself). Hope to do this ride on my LDP longboard in the near future.
Thanks Oliver, it's definitely worth doing! Still to this day it's one of the best adventures I've been on
Hey Dan! Just wanted to say I loved your video. I just finished my ride from Hamilton - Montreal this past Monday. It was alot of fun passing by the stuff you pointed out in your video. They boarded up that abandoned motel pretty good now and there is no accessing it anymore, lol. The dedicated bike lane along the Thousand Islands was probably my favourite day. Although I was expecting to see a porcupine and didn't see one! Lol.
Congrats on completing your tour! It's a shame to hear about the abandoned motel but it was pretty unsafe, it's probably for the best that it's boarded up now haha. The Thousand Islands trail is beautiful, isn't it? Thanks a lot for checking out my video, I'm really happy to hear you kept it in mind during your own trip!
Nice video, yes a stretch from Brockville going east theres no trail just dangerous county highway. I went from Prescott, camped out at Cornwall, last year, took trail to my airbnb in montreal. Never made it, maybe lost trail where you did, ended up in Valleyfield, Lost, gave up back to Cornwall that night. Fun trip anyway, 2 nights camping out. This year i will head to Prince Edward county maybe Sandbanks
It's crazy to hear another Australian in Ontario 😂
There must be dozens of us! Great video, mate.
Good to know there's another Aussie over this side of the world! Haha, we're hard to come by at the moment, all my Aussie friends have returned home but I'm sure there are a smattering of us left here. Glad you enjoyed the video
wow i love .it so much thank you
PWA Friends for Life Bike Rally cycle from Toronto to Montreal every mid August. And I really enjoyed the scenery as well. I am also a bike tourist myself, but I do single-day tours in which I go to different parts of Ontario and back home, and I also live in Toronto as well. In addition, I have also cycled as Far East as Cobourg. And at about 19:00 when you saw the porcupine, that’s a North American porcupine and if you get close to them, they can attack you with their spikes as a defence mechanism (that’s all I know). Anyways, awesome video buddy, keep doing these tours, I love it!
Cheers Anthony, glad you enjoyed the video! Cobourg is certainly a decent town to cycle to in a day. Yeah I was a little wary of the porcupine but he didn't show any sign of aggression so I guessed he didn't mind me being around. Hopefully catch up in the new year and go for a ride somewhere.
Dan Schaumann absolutely border, let’s go for a day-long ride somewhere in Ontario and then come all the way back to Toronto. I’m absolutely down for long distances.
Do you stop at stop signs?
This is an amazing video and I really enjoyed watching it. You are very funny it was really entertaining watching you. I will be doing bikecamping from Mississauga to Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Brighton soon so getting myself ready. My original plan was Mississauga to Montreal though LOL maybe next year :-) Thanks so much again for sharing your experience.
Hey thanks Gary, glad you enjoyed the video! I must have cycled straight past Presqu'ile Provincial Park. I regret not turning in to check it out, it looks really serene there. Did you end up doing the trip?
@@DanSchaumann OMG I have just realized I never responded to this!! Sorry about that. Thank you for the response. So far I have not cycled from Mississauga to Montreal yet LOL but i have cycled shorter routes like Mississauga to Clarington (close to Oshawa) and my most recent was from Mississauga to Brantford, then to Kitchener-Waterloo. I still have not forgotten Montreal though! Thanks to you, I am inspired! BTW I have just realized you bought your at Bike Zone. i was going to buy a new bike there (a Marin gravel bike forgot the model) but I changed my mind and bought a Norco Indie (urban bike) instead at a different bike store LOL I kind of regret not getting the Marin gravel bike tho but oh well
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Steve, hope it was useful for you!
nice ride
Did this ride myself.....absolutely lovely
You should have stayed the night in that abandoned motel! like blair witch.Loved your comment when didnt get served in that restaurant lol. very entertaining
I should do that one day... find an abandoned motel and stay there for the night! That'd make for a pretty entertaining video haha. Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed!
Great job! So adventurous! I know those routes well, by car though, I've thought of going by bike but I don't think I could go through with it. Wellington Prince Edward County is a favourite of King Charles and Camilla....but don't tell anyone..
Next time you find yourself in Picton stop into the Acoustic Grill...it's in behind the old downtown mall with the boardwalk on the Main St.
Thanks! It was a challenge for sure but well worth it. I'd love to go to Price Edward County / Picton again, it's a beautiful area to explore.
@@DanSchaumann have to see the Sand Dunes...
You went through Brighton!! My home!!!
Wowwow. Dream ride.
Isn't it? Hope you get to do it yourself one day!
Absolutely insane woow I'm living in Montréal, you're the best
Cheers dude! It was such a good ride...
I'm doing this ride next week !
Great! Enjoy the experience, all the best with it!
Really enjoyed your style of narrative and editing! Thanks and be safe! Just a tip... look at the LENS, not the SCREEN :-) Subbed!
Amazing journey man, you should be really proud of yourself! My question is;
How did you get back to Toronto?
Haha thanks Kevin. I was planning to take the train but at the time VIA wasn't accepting any luggage at all, including bikes. So I rented a fullsize SUV and threw the bike in the back. No way I hell was I gonna cycle back to Toronto!
I think you'd like biking Montreal to Ottawa using the Prescott-Russell trail. Also, have you done the Tour de l'Ile?
Yes, the Prescott-Russell trail is on my list of trails to do, as well as the P'tit train du Nord. I'll try to do one of the two this year. I've never heard of Tour de l'Ile but just looked it up, that sounds like a great course!
@@DanSchaumann There are hardly any videos on the Prescott-Russell trail route. Look forward to seeing you make one.
Why did you bike from toronto to montreal in the rain? Wouldnt it have been better if you did it in good weather?
Do you bike alone? I’m from Cambridge and would love to find a cycling friend!
Love the video always wanted to travel like this but afraid to go alone!
Hey, thanks for watching! Sometimes I cycle around town with 1-2 friends but mostly I go by myself. Since I made the video I've moved to Montreal, otherwise I'd cycle out to Cambridge one day and do a trail with you. Hope you can find someone closer to ride with!
The best parts of the video are when you’re pissed off. 🤣 When they close a part of a trail there should be signage to give you a heads up, same sh*t happened to me in Etobicoke.
Cheers Jason, yeah a few people have said the same about when I was pissed! That trail closure really annoyed me
Hi Dan, planning on this route this summer I hope.
Do you have a file map of your route I can upload to my Garmin gps64s.
Thanks Frank
Hi Frank, yes sure, I've uploaded the GPX files into my google drive here, let me know if any issues accessing it: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N39rTOD9AdLeMfQgJXfiZ5QEJts0_jfF?usp=sharing
hey so how did u do this last year during the pandemic ?
Hey I did it in the summer between lockdowns, it was about a month after we were released from Wave 1 and well before Wave 2 struck us all down again
Hey there, I have a question. I'm riding to Montreal next week. How did you get home. ViA rail no longer always bicycles on board
Hey, yeah I wasn't able to get my bike onto VIA Rail either so I rented a car and drove back. It was more expensive than I'd have liked cause of the one-way charge. Otherwise, I know there are bike shops here than can pack it into a box for you (eg. Émile Bicyclettes) and you could get a courier ship it back. Good luck with the ride!
@@DanSchaumann thank you for the reply. I'll look into that.
What kind of saddle are you riding on for this kind of journey?
I used the standard saddle that came with the bike, the Marin Beyond Road Concept. I'm sure there are more optimal saddles to use for a lengthy journey though
hi it’s was amazing video
U use google map ?
Congratulations on your adventure! I am planning the same trip and I have a question for you: Any chance you could have done this in 3 days (approx. 200km/day). I'm not looking to set any records, but I'm just wondering if you think that is feasible. Cheers.
Hey Oscar, thanks for getting in touch! I've heard of some people doing the whole trip by bike in less than 24hr so it's certainly possible. Personally, it'd be on the outer bounds of possibility but not impossible - I reckon I could do it if I *really* had to but I don't think it'd be enjoyable in the slightest. I liked being able to stop and do some touristy/sightseeing stuff every now & then. All the best on your own ride.
@@DanSchaumann Awesome. Thanks for sharing. I agree, a trip like that should be enjoyed- the scenery and what each town has to offer. Cheers!
@@DanSchaumann One last question for you: Was there anything that you brought with you that you really didn't need and wouldn't bring again on a trip like this, and also was there anything that you had wished you had brought with you?
@@oscarjetson128 I packed too much general stuff into my bags, if I recall correctly, 3 pairs of shorts and 6-7 shirts (I wanted clean clothes for my time in Montreal). In hindsight I could have gotten away with half that for the ride and figured something else for clothes in Montreal. Also not necessary to bring the box of food, there are plenty of conveniences along the way. Better to bring a small bag of nuts for emergency energy and buy snacks as you go. The only thing I wish I brought was a handlebar holder for my phone for better map visibility when I needed it
@@DanSchaumann I appreciate that! I hope you begin my trek next Wednesday so that I can spend the weekend in Montreal. I might just bring what I need for the ride and nothing more... the rest I can pick up in Montreal! Cheers and thanks again.
I had no idea anyone could do this. If only I was younger, had a better bike and was in shape. lol
ow did you get back to Toronto?
I was far too sore and didn't have enough time for a return cycle so I rented an SUV and threw the bike in the back
pj Murphys comment tho 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
how much was the bike? and how much the trip cost in total?
The bike was about $2000, I bought a few hundred $ worth of accessories like the pannier bags, clip-in pedals / cleats, and the trip came to about $200 per day including meals + accommodation. You could do it for much cheaper if you stay at budget accommodation and don't eat at restaurants.
@@DanSchaumann thats so cool, i am planning on doing it under 1k. i am gonna be campinng but I need to buy a bike and gopro and other essentials under 1k. i think its possible lol
I'm doing montreal to toronto and back tomorrow because i have an appointement... motorcycle ehhh
Haha a little easier and faster but just as glorious, enjoy the ride! And I hope you took the regional roads rather than the 401
The roads in eastern Ontario are disappointing for the most part. Most don't have paved shoulders and just like you experienced you're thrown in with the fast traffice zipping by just inches away.
me i bike ride mtl to niagara in 6 days but it was before the Internet so i only brag about myself with my family and friends ;)
16:07 best part of the vid so far
Hi Dan, I am thinking about doing this trip while the weather is still pleasant. My budget for a bicycle is $1200, how much did your cost? thanks mate.
Hey, my Marin Nicasio 2 was $1,900 but I'm sure you can find something suitable within your budget. I was very happy with the choice to get a gravel bike, it's not as speedy as a road bike but I love that it's sturdy, has wider tires and can take me along some rougher trails.
@@DanSchaumann 👍 awesome. I'd love to follow your day to day schedule but I don't think I can do it in 5 days. Is there a way to do it in 7 days without rest days? 100km a day is an absolute limit for me. Are there motels available in towns other than those you stayed in?
I'm sure you could do it in 7 days but it might get a bit tricky from Kingston onwards because the concentration of towns decreases. I had a quick look at the map and maybe you could do Toronto - Bowmanville (80km) - Brighton (90km) - Napanee (80km - personally I'd recommend going through Prince Edward County but this will add some distance) - Gananoque (80km) - Cardinal (85km) - South Lancaster (90km) - Montreal (105km). I had no problem booking places to stay along the way, I'd ride til around noon and have a good feeling for where I'd end up that evening and I was always able to find a hotel or motel on Expedia.
@@DanSchaumann That's one hell of an itinerary. Big thumbs up. Your video has also inspired two of my buddies so it will be the three of us. Not lying to you, doing it solo is much more thrilling and a true once in a lifetime experience but I guess that would be next year. Thanks for your help.👍
@@arcticwanderer2109 that's awesome!!! I'm really happy this little video has helped inspire a bunch of you guys to do the trip. I'd love to hear how it goes in the end. TO-MTL this year in the group and solo MTL-TO next year to mix it up a bit? Good luck!
What happened to your sound
My 16 years old boy , he plans to bike himself from oakville to Montreal, as his parent, I am so worried about him , like where he will stay at night, the weather, if he meet badguys, wild animals, poison insects….But he is not listening. What shall I do? Even he has experiences riding himself to lake simcoe, Niagara, blue Mountain… it is hard for me to let him go by himself.
Oh wow. Umm, I don't really know what to suggest, I mean, he sounds like a brave & adventurous kid to be doing that and he's succeeded already with Lake Simcoe and Niagara, so I don't doubt that he'll make it, but ... he's 16. Honestly I commend his adventurousness but I think it's wiser to wait til 18 and to make sure he's able to fully support himself with food / accommodation / in case of breakdowns or trouble. Good luck.
5 days? Godamn
Did this ride in 6 days in 2013 at the age of 65.
I'm doing this in Sept ! I am raising money for the société Alzheimer's de Montréal.... Thanks for the motivation!!
Cheers Randy, all the best for your trip in September, especially with the fundraising. It’s an awesome adventure!
Never too poor to tour