Registration is open again.
For some time now the Wednesday Wheelies Crew have mused on the logistics of an out-of-town event. Until now, we have not been able to come up with a format that we thought made sense. There have always been two issues. Firstly, a weekend event would potentially conflict with other events, including personal events and the various TBN out-of-town weekends. Secondly, none of us have been willing to take on the task of making bookings, collecting deposits, etc. However, we now have a solution to these two issues.
On Tuesday June 13, Wednesday June 14 and Thursday June 15, the Wednesday Wheelies are going to ride out of Collingwood. Collingwood has some great hills with fantastic road surfaces (click here for some examples), and so there will definitely be some hill climbing. However, there will also be some trail riding options for the less vertically inclined. In addition, Collingwood has a wonderful selection of hotels, restaurants, shops and other facilities. We think that it will be fun to take advantage of some of these facilities during our visit.
We realize that a midweek event will be difficult for the working members of our group (sorry). However, we are hoping that the event will be sufficiently attractive that at least some of the working members will be enticed to make the event part of their annual holidays.
The event will be a Wednesday Wheelies event. However, we will be delighted if other members of the TBN join us. As the time of the event approaches, the details below (e.g., routes, restaurants, etc.) will be refined and finalized.
Schedule
Tuesday
- 11:00 AM ride start time
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- 5:30 PM - We will meet for drinks, wings and socializing at the Kelsey's Original Roadhouse (map).
- After socializing (say around 6:30 PM) we suggest you head off to dinner in groups to one of the following restaurant options (or if you want you can just stay at Kelsey's):
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- The Northwinds Brewhouse and Kitchen. Check out the following link for a description of the great food offerings and the numerous beers brewed on site (link). The Northwinds is ranked number 1 in Collingwood restaurants on tripadvisor (tripadvisor reviews).
- The Iron Skillet Restaurant & Pub (link). It's ranked number 3 in Collingwood restaurants on tripadvisor (tripadvisor reviews).
- The Smoke. It claims to "take BBQ to a whole new level". It's ranked number 4 in Collingwood restaurants on tripadvisor (tripadvisor reviews).
- And if none of the above restaurants work for you, click here for tripadvisor's list and reviews of "The 10 Best Collingwood Restaurants".
Wednesday
- 9:00 AM ride start time
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- Driving directions to start (Angora parking lot in Collingwood): click here
- RWGPS links: Short 63k Medium 93k Long 113k
- Maps and cue sheets to print: Short_63k Medium_93k Long_113k
- An alternative route for anyone interested in staying off the roads is the Georgian Trail which goes along the scenic shores of Georgian Bay from Collingwood to Meaford. To see the route, click here and then click on the Georgian Trail box on the right. The route is 34 km from end to end, although you can turn around at any point. The route is suitable for road bikes. To see some images of the Georgian Trail, click here.
- 5:00 PM - We will meet for drinks, wings and socializing at the Boston Pizza (map).
- After socializing (say around 6:00 PM) we suggest you head off to dinner in groups to one of the restaurant options listed above (or if you want you can just stay at Boston Pizza).
Thursday
- 9:00 AM ride start time
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- Driving directions to start (Angora parking lot in Collingwood): click here
- RWGPS links: Short 61k Medium 80k Long 104k
- Maps and cue sheets to print: Short_61k Medium_80k Long_104k
- An alternative route for anyone interested in staying off the roads is the Clearview Trail which goes along an abandoned rail corridor. It heads south east out of Collingwood into the countryside towards Stayner. To see the route, click here and then click on the Clearview Trail box on the right. The route is 14 km from end to end, although you can turn around at any point. The route is suitable for road bikes.
- After Thursday's rides, we will head home.
Accommodation You will be on your own in finding accommodation. Because the event will be a midweek event before the start of the school summer holidays, our understanding is that you should not have any difficulty in finding accommodation and that the prices should be reasonable. The choices in Collingwood range from backpacker dormitories to five star luxury hotels. And of course some people may be lucky enough to be able to stay with family or friends who have a property in the area.
Although we are not proposing a headquarters hotel for the event, we have done a little bit of digging around for options. The Luxury Inn, Comfort Inn and Days Inn are all centrally located, modern and reasonably priced. The Luxury Inn will likely be the cheapest. With luck, you may be able to get mid week, pre season pricing at the other options. The Milestone Motel is an old style drive up. It may be a little cheaper yet. It's well located and has very good reviews.
Optionality If you choose to participate in the event, it will be totally optional as to whether you ride all three days, and attend all the social functions. If you wish to have a non-riding partner join you, terrific. And if you wish to play golf or participate in some other activity, no problem. Our big picture goal is simply to structure an out-of-town cycling meet-up in June in a lovely location where there will also be opportunities for socializing.
Registration If you think you will likely participate in “The Wednesday Wheelies Go to Collingwood”, please click on the button at the left and register as soon as possible (including for your partner, if applicable). The registration deadline is June 7. If you change your mind at any time, not an issue. Just let us know at wedwheelie@tbn.ca and we will delete your registration. And if at any time you have an idea for enhancing the fun factor of the event, please let us know. We want to make the event a highlight of your 2017 cycling season!
The Wednesday Wheelies Crew
