Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 4

Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 4

Author: Tim Mooney July 10, 2025 Duration: 29:58

This portion of the trip was always going to be a question mark - what kind of biking will there be? Will it be fun? Will I be looking too much ahead to more obviously notable places like Toronto and Niagara Falls? Wolfe Island once again answers the call!

Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 4

🚲 Ride Overview

•Starting the day from Wolf Island, Ontario

•A late start, but with a scenic route west to Sandy Point

•Focus on a relaxed e-bike ride due to a tight ferry schedule

🌞 Weather & Ride Conditions

•Sunny and pleasantly warm, a bit hotter than ideal

•Wind off the lake keeping things cooler

•Reflections on how the late May weather still feels like early spring in Ontario

ðŸ› ï¸ Gear & Tech Check

•E-bike powered up and performing well

•Toolkit left behind—risky move noted

•Ongoing commentary on wide tires, limestone trails, and pedal assist levels

•Big win: no brake issues from frequent wheel removal

ðŸ" Destinations & Detours

•Attempt to visit Big Sandy Bay—blocked by entry fee and bike restrictions

•Scenic return loop around the island

•Stop in Bath, Ontario for a legendary lakeside poutine at Fry 33

🧭 Navigation Notes

•Avoiding Highway 401 in favor of more bike-friendly, scenic backroads

•Provincial Route 33 (aka Loyalist Parkway) praised for good shoulders and low traffic

•Transition from island terrain to mainland cottage country

ðŸ›³ï¸ Ferry Fun

•Quick ferry crossings as part of the day's travel

•Love letter to ferries: bike, vehicle, passenger—doesn't matter, all good

•Plans to use ferries again in future trips (Seattle foreshadowing)

🠠Accommodations

•Overnight stay in Colborne, Ontario

•Modest Airbnb geared toward truckers, with diner and Tim Hortons nearby

🧠 Reflections & Takeaways

•E-bike confidence fully restored (it was just a magnet issue!)

•Ride offered a mix of natural beauty, tech success, and route experimentation

•Anticipation builds for upcoming Toronto exploration at the "speed of bike"

Statistics

Miles biked 15

Poutine stops 1

Number of stars for the poutine stop 44

Ferries ferried 2

Flats 0


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
Bainbridge Island [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:24
Continuing more discovery of the Seattle area by bike and transit… this time it's a completely new to me place in Bainbridge Island! The real feature of course is the ferry, since we all know I love me a ferry. Some aqua…
Crossing Lake Washington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:35
The weather is getting better, and I have bikes on hand... it's time to explore more of Seattle by bike! On this edition we start kind of big - crossing Lake Washington via the floating bridge by bike. Plus bonus Lunar N…
Minimal California Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:53
The bike is in Seattle safe and sound, but the adventure getting it here? We have things to talk about! On this episode the takeaways from Minimal California! Takeaways I really really like going with less Panniers have…
Best of Pedalshift 015: Critter Protection and Gearing for Dummies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:00
Hey we have some production delays on the latest episode, so look for that within the next few days... but to ensure your earballs get a regular Thursday listen, here's a special best of that goes ALL the way back to the…
Best of Pedalshift 340: Staying Safe on Bicycle Adventures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:04
Look, we all know there's some inherent risk in bikepacking, bike touring and even bike commuting. Between bad infrastructure and inattentive drivers, we assume some degree of risk every time we're in the saddle. But as…
Minimalist California Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
A fun night adjacent to the Happiest Place on Earth, but work to do on the final day of the adventure. A scouted ride to Orange County airport seemed easy, then challenging, then maybe easy again. But there's been a pecu…
Minimal California Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:48
A flight to San Diego and operation get my bike to Seattle begins! Sunny Southern California lures me in with perfect… wait, what's that? Rain all day? In San Diego? That tracks. Day 1 of the experiment that is Minimal C…
Minimal California Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:25
Welcome back from Winter Break! I was busy while we revisited some classic adventures, and went off and had a brand new one. On this edition, we preview Minimal California, a pared down adventure with a purpose, a destin…
The Jalapeño Popper Tour (Feat. Brock Dittus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:11
Enough of my tour journals, let's shake it up and bring in special guest star and longtime friend of the show, Pedalshift Society member Brock Dittus in on a tour of not the Oregon coast! Brock travels solo through some…
Winter Break: A Brompton Stealth Overnight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
With my proper trail bike in the shop but a real need to get out for an overnight, I turned to a C&O newbie… my trusty 12″ wheeled, very orange Brompton as my chariot to an urban(ish) stealth camping overnight. Would the…