Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Cyclists will be rolling into Lennox and Addington from far and wide on Sept. 22 for the third annual Discover L&A Ride.
For $30 a person, participants will be invited to cycle the county’s trails which highlights a pair of historic sites as well a local winery and brewery.
“We try and find locations for the rest stops that showcase some of the uniqueness that L&A offers,” said Rob Plumley, economic development officer with L&A County. “This year we have stops scheduled for Pickerel Park, Old Hay Bay Church, Bergeron Estate Winery & Cider Company, Loyalist Trading Company and the Fairfield-Gutzeit House. The stops highlight locally produced food, drink and local music. Tours are also available at the historic sites. This event is just as much about celebrating the community as it is about the cycling. I think the participants really appreciate that.”
Entering its third year, the event has become well established among local riders and those from outside the region as well.
“The first two events were very well received,” said Plumley. “We had 270 participants in 2016 and 305 register for 2017 despite the heat wave that we experienced when that event took place. We’re well above on pre-sales for this year’s event. We’re hoping we can reach 350-400 riders, which will depend of course on the weather conditions. I think this event opens the eyes of a lot of riders, particularly those visiting from outside the region, to how great the cycling is here in Lennox & Addington County.”
The day long ride will end at the same place it begins, Bath’s MacKinnon Brothers brewery, starting at 10 a.m. Upon the completion of the course riders will enjoy a glass of beer and the music of Trevor Walsh from 2 to 5 p.m. The Soup Chef Food Truck will also be on site with a full menu of items available for purchase.
All told the course runs 58 km of paved roads, winding along the water’s edge and provides riders with a glimpse of the County Trails, a network of 600 km routes.
“The County Trails cycling network offers some of the best road cycling in eastern Ontario.” said Plumley. “Many of our loops have paved shoulders which is a key benefit to riders. The lengths of the routes and difficulty levels vary as well which makes them enticing for an array of riders. We continue to see an increase in cycle tourism every year.”
For more information and to register for the ride, visit www.discoverride.ca or call 613-354-4883 ext. 3271.