Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Lennox and Addington County will launch a new cycling event on June 10 known as the Naturally L&A Gravel Ride.
At a cost of $35 per rider, the back road cycling eco-tourism adventure will take riders along a mix of paved and gravel roads, overlooking rural landscapes along the way.
Described as a mix between road cycling and mountain biking, gravel riding is the latest trend in the world of cycling.
Lennox and Addington County is well equipped to take advantage of this trend as its landscape features the perfect mix of what riders seek.
“Wider tire cycling with routes that feature a mix of paved and gravel roads are gaining more and more popularity among riders everywhere,” said Rob Plumley, community development officer with L&A County. “We definitely have some roads that fit into that category here in Lennox & Addington that we know local riders and visitors to L&A will enjoy.”
This summer’s event aims to put L&A County on the gravel-riding map.
“We’re currently finalizing a new series of back road loops that take riders to all corners of the county and through our communities,” said Plumley. “The route for our new gravel road cycling event on June 10 will be one of the loops in the series and will act as the kick-off for this new back road series.”
The ride starts and ends at A Good Farm in Centreville and will be a 53 km loop, which includes a lunch stop in Tamworth. After the rest, riders will continue along their scenic path north to Enterprise before heading back to Centreville. At the end of the trail riders can enjoy a beverage from the Napanee Beer Company while listening to Doug van der Horden perform live in the barn.
“There’s a bit of elevation in spots but for the most part it is a relatively flat route,” said Plumley. “It should be pretty doable for almost all skill levels, but we’re incorporating a shortcut or two that will shave off a few of the kilometres if needed.”
When designing this year’s event, organizers drew inspiration on their popular fall ride known as the Discover L&A Ride.
“The gist of this new ride is similar to our very popular Discover L&A Ride that takes place every September,” said Plumley. “Just like the Discover Ride, the rest stops for the Naturally L&A Gravel Ride will feature local businesses and will incorporate lots of local food and beverage producers as well as talented musicians before, during and after the ride. The major difference between the two rides is the type of cyclist we’re catering to. The Discover Ride takes place only on paved roadways where narrow-tire road bikes are ideal. The Gravel Ride is intended for bicycles with wider tire width. We think this event will attract many cyclists that have never ridden in Lennox & Addington in the past.”
This latest event is another example of the county’s economic development department utilizing the region’s natural features to draw in tourists.
“Cycle tourism is really starting to take off here in Lennox & Addington,” said Plumley. “Our Discover Ride continues to be very popular. Last year we had 435 participants, with many of them visiting us from outside the region. The ride does a great job at highlighting all the various road cycling routes available in our County Trails road cycling network, and we’re seeing more and more groups and individuals utilizing these routes throughout the cycling season. We expect that our Gravel Ride will be popular with a whole new group of cyclists and will further highlight Lennox & Addington as a premiere cycling destination in Eastern Ontario.”
To purchase a ticket to participate in the ride, visit www.gravelride.ca.