Alternate route suggestions to get around Toronto...

I am hoping to take my bike for the 3 hour ride from my place (west of TO) to my inlaw's cottage, which is south of Peterborough (east of TO). I will enjoy the ride along the 401 through the country, but I don't relish the thought of taking it right through Toronto, with all the idiot cagers and construction. The 407 can be less traffic, but sometimes even faster speeds... so it isn't much of an improvement safety-wise.

Can anyone suggest any alternate routes that go north around the top if the city that don't end up in urban hell ?

 

Well if time isn't an issue, here is my favorite route around.

Go north from 401 up hwy 27 (or 427 if you prefer) till you get to King road at the town of Nobleton, then turn east. 27 is nice and King Rd, between 27 and 400, is very scenic and not boringly straight like most of the GTA. Lots of ups and downs, likely glacial in origin, and the scenary is quite pastoral with mega hobby farms and horse pastures etc. A nice ride I like a lot.

Travel east to Yonge St (watch for speed traps approaching Yonge, its a 60km trap) and go north a few blocks up to Bloomington Rd. Turn east again (another 60 km trap for a couple km there too, Woodbine Ave till you pass the school at Warden Ave) and enjoy some more country side right over to the delightful hamlet of Goodwood.

From there, I suggest you take Regional rd 21 to Manchester and then 7A to Port Perry and then continue on 7A over to hwy 35 or 115 as appropriate for your destination. More nice country side and one of my favorite rides.

Hope this is of some use. Best regards,

Brian H.
Uxbridge Ont.

 

That sounds like exactly what I was looking for. A few extra miles on a road with some shape to it and not a lot of other vehicles doesn't bother me in the least. I'll give it a shot in 3 weeks ! Thanks !

 

Get yourself a good map book. I have one from Rand McNally it has every road in Ontario. It is well detailed and easy to read and is small enough to fit in a tank bank. If room is limted I copy only the route I plan to ride.