From the ride
A few frames from the day.
A 46 km ride through Toronto, from the brand-new Biidaasige Park on the waterfront out to the Scarborough Bluffs, then home through the Lower Don ravine to the Distillery District.
Map, elevation, and the route file to take with you.
Toronto's newest park to its oldest whiskey district, with the Bluffs and a river ravine in between.
"It is rare to get this much city and this much escape from it in the same 46 kilometres."
This one starts somewhere that did not exist a couple of years ago. Biidaasige Park sits in the Port Lands, on the new stretch of shoreline created when the mouth of the Don River was rebuilt and allowed to wind out to Lake Ontario the way it once did. It is the largest park Toronto has opened in a generation. What used to be industrial land is now river channel, wetland and open green, with the downtown towers standing right there across the water. It is worth rolling in slowly and giving it a few minutes before you clip in, because the contrast of wild river and skyline in one frame is the whole reason to start here.
From the park the route runs east along the waterfront toward the Beaches, the boardwalk-and-cafe neighbourhood that gives this side of the city its easy summer feel. We pulled in at Oro Cafe on Queen Street East for coffee and something to eat, mostly to load up before the hard part. Because after the Beaches comes Brimley Road, the climb up to the Scarborough Bluffs. It is short but it is one of the more serious efforts in the city, steep and sustained, the kind of pitch Toronto riders use to train. It was under construction when we rode it, so it is worth checking current conditions before you commit to it.
The back half is where the city falls away. Mostly side roads, with a few busier main roads in the mix, link over to the Lower Don Valley Trail, and once you drop in, the ravine walls and tree cover close around you and the Don runs alongside the whole way. It is hard to believe how downtown you still are. You follow it to the Bayview cycle path and roll the last stretch into the Distillery District, the cobbled Victorian blocks of the old Gooderham and Worts whiskey works, now one of the best places in the city to finish a ride with a coffee or a pint. Three hundred and forty-seven metres over forty-six kilometres does not sound like much, but between the Brimley wall and the rolling waterfront it is a fuller day than the numbers let on.
The reel. Open on Instagram →
Food, refreshments, and local hints. Filter below.
Toronto's newest and largest park in a generation, built on the rebuilt mouth of the Don River in the Port Lands. River channel, wetland and open green, with the downtown skyline right across the water. Give it a few minutes before you roll out. There is parking at the park, though we rolled in on the bikes along the Waterfront Trail, which connects right in, so you can join the loop from anywhere along the water.
Open in Maps →Our coffee stop in the Beaches, on Queen Street East. An Italian-leaning spot with artisanal coffee, in-house pastries and a patio, and a good place to fuel up before the Brimley climb. Hours shift, so check ahead if you are timing your ride around it.
Open in Maps →The hard part of the day. Brimley Road climbs up from the lake to the Scarborough Bluffs, and it is one of the more serious efforts in the city, short but steep and sustained. It was under construction when we rode it, so check current conditions before you commit. Take it at your own pace.
Open in Maps →Mostly side roads, with a few busier main roads in the mix, link over to the Lower Don Valley Trail, and once you drop in the city disappears behind the ravine walls and tree cover, with the Don running alongside you. It is a paved multi-use path shared with walkers and other riders, so mind your speed and watch for people at the crossings. You follow it up to the Bayview cycle path.
Open in Maps →Want a little more climbing? Pottery Road lifts you out of the Don valley up to Broadview Avenue, where Supernova Coffee is another one of our favourites. A short, punchy detour and a good excuse for a second coffee before you finish. Easy to skip if you would rather stay on the trail.
Open in Maps →From the Bayview cycle path it is a short roll to the finish in the Distillery District, the cobbled Victorian blocks of the old Gooderham and Worts whiskey works. It is pedestrian-first and the cobbles are uneven, so walk the bike through the busy laneways. One of the best places in the city to end a ride with a coffee or a pint.
Open in Maps →A few frames from the day.