402: Lake Ontario 2025 Preview

402: Lake Ontario 2025 Preview

Author: Tim Mooney June 12, 2025 Duration: 32:52

After years of circling this ride (pun intended) it's time to do a lap of the lake that I've lived near for a big chunk of my early life. Would it have been easier to pick a smaller lake? Sure. But Lake Ontario truly is a Great Lake in the sense it is surrounded by diverse and interesting places we'll discover together.

Lake Ontario 2025 Preview

The basics

About 540 miles

Two countries, two border crossings

Ferries galore

All roofed lodging

Rural stops and big cities

Driving ebike to WNY that is the beginning and end of the loop

The weather

Warm days and cool nights

Mixed bag for rain and dry

The gear

eBike - biggest ride yet!

Brooks saddle pulled from Brompton for more comfort

Rewrapped my bar end extenders to improve comfort

Batteries and chargers = biggest weight

Riding very light otherwise… 2 days of riding clothes I'll wash each night plus a set of "civilian" clothes and rain gear

Bringing more tools in to handle bigger ticket issues

Tightening down everything in advance

The highlights

Memorial trip for my dad

Checking off some boxes - new to me, international, cool places

Lakeside lodging in a few places

Multiple ferries, including intl crossing

Toronto island stay - true Lake Ontario vibes with killer views of TO

Niagara Falls (probably!)

Weird Tim tourism: Love Canal! Be ready for history talk of American pollution!

A different route to the Erie Canal towpath

The challenges

Distance - despite the ebike, we're looking at some 90 mile days and that could be rough?

Time in saddle - haven't had good long days in the saddle since February

ebike - can it handle this? Sure? Maybe?

rural spots tough for a bailout

unfamiliar places in Ontario until Toronto and even then… new to me by bike


There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from traveling by bicycle, where the journey itself becomes the destination. The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures, hosted by Tim Mooney, delves into that experience through a mix of personal stories, practical advice, and wide-ranging conversations. Rather than just a how-to guide, this podcast feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend after a long day on the road. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from fellow bike tourists, each with their own unique tales from the pavement and gravel, alongside Tim’s own reflections and experiments in bicycle touring. The discussions naturally cover the logistical tips and tricks that make trips smoother, but they also explore the cultural and educational aspects of moving through the world at a human pace. It’s about more than gear and routes; it’s about the connections made and the perspectives gained when you embrace a slower, more engaged form of travel. This audio companion to Pedalshift.net aims to demystify bicycle adventure, making it feel accessible and deeply rewarding. By sharing these stories and ideas, the hope is to inspire your own two-wheeled explorations, proving that a bicycle can indeed shrink the world in the most wonderful way. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded take on seeing the world from the saddle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Podcast Episodes
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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A well-rested morning in Lincoln City spawns what seems like a reasonable plan to salvage the cursed tour, but James's borrowed bike has other ideas entirely. But with tubleless tire disasters forcing yet another major p…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:51
The morning starts strong at Cape Lookout with perfect James and Tim weather, but what begins as a confident push toward Beverly Beach slowly unravels into mechanical mayhem and decision-making paralysis. But with the or…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:03
Mysterious James and I emerge from our three-night Cannon Beach odyssey to accidentally unlock our cycling superpowers, turning a modest Tillamook target into a shocking 52-mile triumph. It's the usual stuff: ice cream a…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:14
Day two and three of the Oregon Coast tour evolve into an epic quest for an elusive bicycle part. Is this a mere repair mission or a saga worthy of Greek mythology with adaptive problem-solving, multiple contingency plan…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Day one of an Oregon coast adventure - what could possibly go wrong? As Mysterious James and I began our journey from Astoria after navigating July 4th rental car details, we encounter (because of course) the first of ma…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:14
We are so back.... on the Oregon Coast with the Mysterious James for another round of two-wheeled mayhem. Ten days, 360 miles, zero expectations, and maximum potential for randomness. The Safari's ready, MJ is in, and we…
Best of Pedalshift 321: East Coast Greenway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:00
Despite living on the east coast, we spend a whole heck of a lot of attention on bicycle adventures on the west coast, right? Well, it's time we changed that! On this episode, we chat with Regina Yan about the East Coast…
Lake Ontario 2025 Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:57
Six days, two countries, multiple ferries, and one very stubborn e-bike brake magnet later, the Lake Ontario circumnavigation attempt has wrapped up in ways both expected and completely unforeseen. What started as an amb…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:12
What was supposed to be a triumphant border crossing and final push from Niagara Falls back to the starting point became something entirely different when family health concerns required an immediate pivot. But sometimes…