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Ontario Motorcycle Rides

hi, i ride a 2004 honda shadow aero 750, just purchased in june 2011

by Carole Cave
(ottawa, ontario, canada)

hi, so far nothing exciting, was really getting acquainted with my bike, as i'm a new rider, i need a bit of help, for this summer in june, planing to travel from orleans, ontario, my place to my sister's place in london, ontario, with the glitch of avoiding the 401 alltogether, anyone up to the challenge to help me out on mapping a great trip ahead, and then most certainly tell you all about it, and of course some great pics, along the way at pit stops...

thanks in advance,

so far been enjoying the open roads near my home town, now idea did not start riding sooner,

Carole

Comments for hi, i ride a 2004 honda shadow aero 750, just purchased in june 2011

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Jan 17, 2012
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respibse to Michael
by: Carole

Michael,

Thank you so much, for all your advice, re:trip to london, i'm so hopeful now, more than i was before, also just wondering, besides my tummy, what kind of equipment should i bring with me, i'll be on my own, i have saddle bags and passenger seat, i usually travel light,

cheers

Carole

Jan 16, 2012
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What a great ride!
by: Michael Scott

Hey, Carole, congrats on getting a bike....and good on ya for deciding to discover the 2-wheel world a bit at a time. There's nothing wrong with getting familiar with your bike before straying far from home!

For London, I think you've chosen the right thing to do...avoid 401 like the plague! Nothing could be more boring, nor suck more life out of your spirit.

Here's the easiest way to find a better route: go to Google Maps on your PC (just type "maps.google.ca" in the address bar of your browser) and you'll see a map of North America. Now type "London, ON" into the search box and when you hit ENTER, London will be there. You'll see a little red balloon on London on the map and another in the left column of the page with the word "directions" in blue underneath it. Click on "Directions" and a couple of boxes will appear. (London will be in box B). Just type "Orleans" in the "A" box then click on "Directions" again. This time, the map will show a blue line connecting Orleans and London, (mostly tracking Hwy 416 and the dreaded 401. (This IS the fastest way across Ontario!). On the left, you'll see complete turn-by-turn directions from home to London and an approximate travel time of 7 hours and 14 minutes.

Now, to AVOID the 401, and everything boring and dangerous about multi-lane, divided-highway travel, go to the left column of the page again and you'll see two blue links that appear under the "A/B start and end" boxes; one says 'Add destination' and the other, 'Show options'.
Click on 'Show options'. This will reveal two radio buttons labelled 'Avoid Highways' and 'Avoid Tolls'.
Check 'Avoid Highways', ...and then click on "Get Directions" again.

Once you've done this, you'll see the boring 401 route replaced with one of the most interesting rides in all of Ontario. Your "trip" to London will now become a "journey".....an "adventure"...a thrill of a lifetime, incorporating up to half-dozen or more perfectly good secondary, paved highways that will yield not only excellent riding surfaces...but myriad towns, cities and villages that will generate the true flavour and history that ought to constitute every motorcycle adventure you embark upon.

If you check the step-by-step directions and travel time on the left column again, you'll see you've added about 3.5 hours to the drive between the two cities.....but, trust me, it's worth every extra minute to avoid that unending jet runway called "the 401"! No big deal! Plan to make this a two-day trip, spreading it over 48 hours, to ease the burden on your butt and give yourself a chance to smell the flowers! (I suggest an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast or inexpensive motel in scenic Peterborough. It's beautiful, with it's Trent canal venue, fine restaurants, parks and ice-cream parlours for weary travelers. (And you WILL be weary after 5 hrs in the saddle.)

Remember to pack snacks, water/juice, maps & your Google print-out..and rain gear..just in case. ENJOY!

Michael

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