​Route – This ride is mostly on the Welland Canal Trail, and heads south from the Ferry’s west side to the ever popular Smokin Buddha in Port Colborne. There is parking at the Ferry location. The ride is flat with a total distance just over 30km – see cue sheet for more details. For those who would like a longer ride, meet at Glynn A. Green School at Pelham and Port Robinson Road in Fonthill half hour before the start time, and ride to the ride (and back).
Lunch/Break – Destination in Port Colborne at the Smokin Buddha restaurant: Old Train Station, 265 King St., Port Colborne, ON L3K 4G8, 905.834.6000.  Another popular lunch stop or break point is the Pie Guys at 118 West Street. Port Colborne, 905-788-4743.  The Flying Squirrel restaurant noted on the cue sheet at Main St. West and Ramey St. is no longer here but changed to Sophia’s Sweets and Café.
Start Location – Start point at the Port Robinson Ferry west side, located at the east end of Port Robinson Rd.

Route – This is a flat 30km ride that goes south along the scenic Niagara Recreation Trail, turns away from the river at Black Creek and does a loop through a local subdivision back to the trail and then uses some low volume back roads on the return trip. Features include the historic battle of Chippawa site (during the War of 1812) and at our break/lunch point the beautiful Legends Golf Club. They usually open early at 7:30am and no reservations required. Here is the cue sheet showing the route.
Lunch/Break – Here is the location Legends Clubhouse: 9561 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, (905) 295-224. 
Start Location – Kings Bridge Park by Chippawa used to be our start point, but parking charges have moved us upstream along the Niagara Parkway, just 1 km south from the confluence of Bridgewater St., Main St. and the Niagara Parkway in Chippawa to a no charge parking lot. Here is the Google Maps location of our start point.

Route – If you have some extra time, the Ridgeway starting point offers a great spot to do some extra shopping, window browsing or energizing at their restaurants.  We use the Friendship rail trail which near Fort Erie goes by historic beech areas, and then into the Niagara Recreation Trail under the Peace Bridge by the mouth of the Niagara River.  It’s a flat ride with the total distance just over 30km, with the break in the middle.  Here is the route's cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – Here is one of our destination at the Old Bank Bistro, 41 Jarvis St, Fort Erie, ON L2A 2S4, Call: 905-994-9222.  The cafeteria at Old Fort Erie is also an excellent stop for a break. 
Start Location – Here is the location of our start point in Ridgeway at a parking lot off the Friendship Trail, beside the Trail Side Bar and Grill:
Website and address: Trail Side Bar and Grill, 282 Ridge Rd. N., Ridgeway, ON (289)876-8000

​Route – This is an on-road ride from Harold Black Pk. in Fonthill to the Comfort Maple and back through Fenwick.  The ride is on back roads, mostly but not all flat with a total distance estimated at 25km.  The route cue sheet gives the road locations and turning points.
Lunch/Break– The break can occur in Fenwick at the Grill on Canboro at about the 17km mark.  The Broken Gavel Restaurant mentioned in the cue sheet is no longer in business.
Start Location – Here is the location of the start point at Harold Black Park in Fonthill.

Revised Sept. 2024 with new start point east of the canal
Route – This ride will be to the ever popular Ridgeway where window shopping abounds along Ridge Rd. by the Friendship Trail.  We start in Port Colborne in a parking lot at the east side of the canal, along Fraser St. and ride the Friendship trail eastward to Ridgeway.  Mostly off-road with a total distance return of about 30km.  Here is the cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – With our destination in Ridgeway there are many restaurants to choose from along Ridge Rd by the Trail.  Beside the trail there is the Trail Side Bar and Grill, Address: 282 Ridge Rd. N., Ridgeway, ON (289) 876-8000, and just to the south of the trail there is the Pie Guys restaurant, 238 Ridge Rd N, Ridgeway, ON L0S 1N0.
Start Location – Start Location in Port Colborne in a parking lot just to the east side of the canal, along Fraser St.

Route – We ride through Queenston and pick up the Niagara Recreation Trail to the old town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, then come back and go to the winery which is located off Line 2 near Virgil, then back to the parking lot. The ride will be both off-road and on-road with a total estimated length of 32km. The distance to the lunch/break winery is about 22km. To maintain this distance we keep to the east of NOTL by turning left on John Street, go through the commons area, and then back to the trail via Fort George. The route cue sheet gives the road locations and turning points.
Lunch/Break – Here is the location of the winery: Caroline Cellars, 1010 Line 2 Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S 1T0 Winery Location
This is the Farmhouse Café at the Winery which opens at 11:30am, but the winery opens at 10:00am so if we get there early we can browse the goods.
Start Location – We start the ride at a parking lot on York Road, at the intersection of the Niagara Parkway, just below the Brock Monument at Queenston. The parking lot is located at the northwest corner of the intersection. Here is the location of the parking lot: Ride Start Location

Route – This ride starts in Fonthill and goes out to Fenwick and back for about 25km. This will be an on-road ride and our break at about the 20km mark can be at Nature’s Café at the corner of Effingham and Canboro Rd in Ridgeville. Here is the route's cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – Here is our break stop at Nature’s Café in Ridgeville. Address: 302 Canboro Road Unit 1A, Ridgeville, Ontario L0S 1M0
Start Location – Here is the location of our start point at Harold Black Park in Fonthill, just off Haist St., south of Welland Rd.

Route – Starting at the Port Robinson Ferry west side we go north along the Welland Canal Trail to Thorold and back for about 20km.  At Lock 7 in Thorold there is an information centre.  Jog left from the trail on Government Rd., then right on Chapel St. past the information centre to Clairmont St.  A left here will get you over to downtown Thorold where a right on Front Street will bring you to numerous lunch places, some of which are noted below.  Here is the route's cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – There are several places we can stop for a break in Thorold.  On Front Street there is the JC Patissier just down a few buildings on your left.  To get to a larger restaurant continue north on Chapel St. and work your way to Townline Rd., by taking a left on St. David’s and a right at Carleton.  The location of the Early Bird is here if our group size is large.  Address and contact information as follows:  Address: 2 Merritt St, St Catharines ON L2T 1J3, Phone: 905-680-8464, Website: earlybirdrestaurant.ca
Start Location – Port Robinson Ferry west side.  There is parking at this location.

Route – Pelham has a great trail system that cuts across the town from the south-east near Webber and South Pelham towards Fenwick.  It is gravel, but mostly hard packed for much of the way.  We can try it out on our way from Harold Black Park to Fenwick for this ride.  Total distance is about 24km, with a Fenwick break at 15km, or going on to Ridgeville for the break at 20km. Here are the details and a cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – The Canboro Grill  in Fenwick.  They open at 8:30am with a full menu.   Or, we go on to Ridgeville and stop at the Nature’s Corner Bakery and Café. Address and website: 302 Canboro Rd, Ridgeville, ON L0S 1M0, (905) 892-0059.
Start Location – Harold Black Park in Fonthill.  Meet in the parking lot off Haist Street

Route – This ride offer the unique opportunity to cruise across the Welland Canal on the Port Robinson Ferry (called Bridge-it).  The restaurant on the east side of the Canal has changed names from Stevie Nic’s to Bridge 12 Bar and Eatery, but still has retained a bit of its former frontier atmosphere. The ride combines many riding landscapes; off-road on the Welland Canal, on-water using Bridge-it, on-road on the east side of the canal, across the short line rail tracks to Merritt Island and the Main Street Bridge in Welland, for a total of about 28 km. This link provides the cue sheet containing the map route.
Lunch/Break – Bridge 12 Pub and Eatery in Port Robinson’s east side at the intersection of Bridge St. East and River St. Address: 10 River Street, Thorold, Ontario L0S1N0, (905) 384-1967. (Menu). Alternate location is the Black Sheep Lounge in Welland off Niagara Street, near the Welland Main Street Bridge, or there are places in downtown Welland near the City Hall.
Start Location – We start and end on the Welland Canal at the Welland Community Boathouse, 108 Thorold Road East, Welland.  At the east end of Thorold Ave. (on the west side of the canal) turn north on a gravel road to the Flatwater Centre.  Park at the far (north) end where we will start on the trail.

Route – This ride allows us to take a break/lunch stop at a Fonthill restaurant.  It is a mixture of riding off-road trails in Fonthill, plus some on-road sections.  The off-road trails in some cases are hard packed soil and wood chips but otherwise stone dust. The length is about 17km, and if we want to do more after the break, we can always bike a bit further. Here is the cue sheet for this ride.
Lunch/Break – My Place Restaurant in Fonthill http://myplacebarandgrill.ca/contact/
at 20 Regional Rd. 20, L0S 1E0. The restaurant opens at 11:00am and there is an outdoor patio at the back of the restaurant where we will be parking.
Start Location -  We start at the parking lot next to My Place Restaurant patio (in Pelham Stone Square across from the Fonthill/Lincoln Library) which will serve as our food break location.

Route – This ride use to offer the best Key Lime Pie in Niagara which in the past was available at a small restaurant outlet at a private marina off the George Nicholson Trail.  We start at Lock Three Museum in St. Catharines and bike on the Welland Canal Recreation Trail to Lakeshore Rd., then go a bit on-road to the George Nicholson Memorial Trail out into Lake Ontario.  View the entire route on this cue sheet.
Lunch Break – St. Catharines Marina, Port Weller, 200 Broadway, St. Catharines, ON L2M 7W8, stcatharinesmarina.com, (905) 646-3812.  If this spot is not open, then an alternative is M.J.’s Own Munchies, 406 Lakeshore Rd. E., St. Catharines, L2R 7K6, 905-646-0031 or Georges Greek Village Restaurant, at Queenston Street.
Start Location – Here is the location of our start point at the Lock 3 Museum in St. Catharines. 1932 Welland Canals Parkway, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7K6, stcatharines.ca, (905) 984-8880

Revised Nov 2024, route modified to changed lunch location.

Route – Start at Harold Black Park in Fonthill and cycle by the former
Two By Four Restaurant in Wainfleet, all on-road with a total return distance of about 29km.  Some views of the Welland River and a historical plaque of the former old O’Reilly’s Bridge.  The route can be viewed on this cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – Destination in Fenwick at the Canboro Grill.
Start Location – Start Location in Fonthill at Harold Black Park. Parking off Haist Street in the Park.

Revised Nov. 2024 to new start location
Route – This route is all on-road and goes westerly from the Presbyterian Church at Rockway to the Twenty Valley Golf Club and back, for about 30km.  This destination has hired a caterer for the restaurant and has a comfortable outside porch. Here is the link to the route cue sheet. There is one hill of note near the Sawmill Golf Course.
Lunch/Break – The destination is at the Twenty Valley Golf Club in Lincoln, 3814 Yonge St, Vineland, ON L0R 2C0, twentyvalley.com, (905) 562-5641
Start Location – Here is the start location on google maps at the Rockway Presbyterian Church  off Pelham Road in Lincoln.  There is lots of parking at this site.

Route – In my quest to find off-road trails, here is another gem along the Niagara River, from Queenston (below the escarpment) to NOTL.  This time we get to experience a bit of the old town by going to the NOTL Golf Club, which has an outside patio facing Lake Ontario. The ride is mostly off-road, with some NOTL backstreets for about 22km return.  Here is the route's cue sheet
Lunch/Break – NOTL Golf Club established in 1875, the oldest course in North America.
Start Location – We can start the ride at a parking lot on York Road, at the intersection of the Niagara Parkway, just below the Brock Monument at Queenston. The parking lot is located at the northwest corner of the intersection. Here is the location of the parking lot: Ride Start Location

Route – This is an on-road, flat ride from Fonthill south to the Welland River with a stop coming back in Fenwick or Ridgeville. Total distance is about 30km which can be viewed on the following route cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – Our break can be at the Canboro Grill in Fenwick 794 Canboro Rd., Tel, 905-892-9282 or at Nature’s Corner Bakery and Café in Ridgeville by Effingham and Canboro Rd., 302 Canboro Rd, Ridgeville, ON L0S 1M0, (905) 892-0059.
Start Location – Harold Black Park in Fonthill, just off Haist St. south of the Welland Rd.  Parking in the park off Haist Street.

Revised Nov. 2024 to new start location
 Route – Starting in Port Colborne at the H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park, we proceed on-road to Cement Street where we pick up this stone dust trail westerly to Burkett St.  Then we can return by going south to Lakeshore Road then east back to the park.  Total return distance is about 30km or add 6 more km if you extend the route to Hutchinson Rd. as shown on this cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – The Garden Houzz has an outdoor patio, located just to the west of Port Colborne on Lakeshore Rd., but they may be closed on Tuesdays. Otherwise options are available in Port Colborne such as the Pie Guys. 
Start Location – H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park in Port Colborne.  Park at the east end parking lot near the Chip Wagon.

Revised Nov. 2024, route modified
Route – On this ride we traverse an urban section of the Waterfront Trail with great views of Lake Ontario from Port Weller to Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines.  It goes in and out of local parks and roads, with some hills and the return trip is about 20 to 25km.  We can return via Lakeshore Rd., which has a paved shoulder all the way as shown on the route cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – In Port Dalhousie a number of our initial stop points have been removed due to new construction.  One place that looks good is on this google map location of the area is Rozie’s Breakfast Café which opens early, 25 Main Street, 905-938-0479.  Other possible spots are located along Lock Street, such as the Captains Cabin Cafe.
Start Location – At the north end of Reed Street by Lake Ontario in St. Catharines, at Happy Rolph’s Bird Sanctuary where parking is available.

Revised Nov. 2024, new start point
Route – This route is located outside Niagara but provides an opportunity to experience one of the best off-road Trails in Ontario.  Starting at the Pickleball courts in Confederation Park in Hamilton it proceeds north on the Waterfront Trail along Hamilton Harbour’s Baymouth Bar, on the Lake Ontario side.  At the Burlington end we traverse their downtown marine front in Spencer Creek Park where at the far end is an interesting memorial to Canada’s Navy.  Two other war memorials are also located along this ride, all of which are noted on the cue sheet.  Total return distance is about 22km.
Lunch/Break – In Burlington near the marine park or along the Baymouth Bar for example Barangus at 380 Van Wagner Beach Rd. Hamilton, ON. L8E 3L8, (905) 544-7122
Start Location – Parking lot at the Pickleball courts in Confederation Park in Hamilton.   Take the QEW west from Niagara, get off at Centennial Pkwy (Hwy. 20) and take the N. Service Rd. easterly to a left turn lane just before the Grey’s Rd. overpass.

Route – This ride takes us to the municipality of Lincoln. Starting at Flat Rock Cellars winery, just south of the town of Jordan we ride through the historic hamlet of Tintern. We cross picturesque Twenty Mike Creek which flows over Balls Falls further north, riding on quiet mostly flat country roads the entire trip. After a break at Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club we return to Flat Rock Cellars for an optional tour/tasting (tasting fee is $5.00). The ride is approximately 25 km. The cue sheet with the route’s location can be found here.
Lunch/Break – Our break is at the clubhouse of Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club on Cherry Avenue in Vineland. The Golf course is built on the site of the once busy Dean’s Mill which was heart of the settlement between 1856-1911. Bikes can be parked on the deck which is to the right of the clubhouse (south side of the building) behind the banquet room. The break is at approximately 16.5 km.
Start location – Flat Rock Cellars on 7th Avenue near Seventeenth St. Jordan. The winery requests that we park cars in the smaller lot to the left which is at the end of the drive of the winery entrance.

Route – This ride is a great combination from former routes of on and off-road sections in Pelham for 30km.  The route and cue sheet can be found here.  One new feature will be a ride through Harold Bradshaw Park off Chantler, just to the west of Poth, while the Berkhout Trail is done from Fenwick’s Centennial Park to the far corner of Pelham at Murdoch Street. The ride was completed for the first time in Oct. 2018, on a beautiful, warm fall day and enjoyed by everyone.
Lunch/Break – Fenwick is the half way point, so the Canboro Grill is one possibility.
Start Location – Harold Black Park in Fonthill, just off Haist St. south of the Welland Rd. Parking lot in the park off Haist Street.

Route revised Nov. 2024 to avoid busy Thorold Rd.
Route – This ride combines both on-road and off-road trail environments in Fonthill and Welland.  From Harold Black Park in Fonthill we traverse a number of off-road trails including the Steve Bauer Trail, the Welland Canal Trail, and the Merritt Island Trail.  The return length is 36km, or a shorter 27km route is also delineated as shown on the cue sheet.
Lunch/Break – Three great stops are recommended for lunch or a break. The Black Sheep Lounge and Coffee Bar in Welland just off the Welland Canal Trail, a new coffee shop Caffeineoline Coffee House across from Welland City Hall or My Place Restaurant in downtown Fonthill (by staying on the Steve Bauer Trail to Station Street, then turning left at Pelham Town Square).
Start Location – Harold Black Park in Fonthill, just off Haist St. south of the Welland Rd. Parking in the park off Haist Street.