Reliving The North Bay & Lakes Cycling Tour

Last August I was invited to North Bay, Ontario, to document a unique weekend-long cycle tour involving 3 different loops varying in length from 39 to 68 kilometers. The sold-out tour was organized by Ontario by Bike who planned the route and also booked accommodations for participants. The only thing you needed to bring was a bike. With beautiful summer weather in the forecast, riders from all over the province were eager for the first ride to commence on Friday, August 25th.

Typically for Destination Ontario photoshoots, we use ‘models’ (aka local volunteers) and we stage a good portion of the action to obtain the required visual assets. For the North Bay & Lakes Tour, it was a different scenario because these were avid cyclists who signed up to ride a tour, not participate in a photoshoot. My assignment was to capture the stunning beauty of the ride while blending into the background as much as possible and not being a distraction to the participants.

Always up for a new challenge, Friday morning rolled around and I loaded my rental car with camera gear and headed for North Bay with designs of getting an iconic shot of the entire group departing in formation. As luck (or lack thereof) would have it, I missed the group shot I wanted by five minutes (*sigh*) but luckily came across one of the organizers from Ontario by Bike who was at the back of the pack on ‘sweeper duty’ (sweeping is being the last rider in a large group to ensure no one is left behind) and they proceeded to hand me a detailed paper map of the 3 planned routes. This was exactly what I needed and would allow me to get ahead of the main group so I could start strategically staking out the best shooting locations. Beautiful!

With most of my past tourism projects being power sports related it was a nice change to trade the loud noise of an internal combustion engine for the faint whirring of tires on the pavement mixed with the light clicks of shifting gears. I’ve been to the North Bay region dozens of times but what really struck me is how much more scenic the landscape is when you aren’t flying past it at 80kmh in a vehicle.  The 3 selected loops were incredibly beautiful right from the start and had a plethora of different terrain set as the backdrop for the cyclists. It was made up of gently rolling hills, winding roads, lush green farmland, dense forests and best of all several lake sections.

From a cycling perspective, the asphalt was in quite good condition, smooth with minimal bumps. There were a few places with dirt roads but the vast majority was pavement. Regarding elevation, it had just about everything—small manageable hills, and steep grades where you could see the most experienced riders thriving while some of the less seasoned ones were labouring to get to the crest. To their credit, even those who had to push made it to the top and carried on with a smile.

Throughout each loop there were designated group rest stops where cyclists could grab a bite to eat, hydrate, post to social media and most importantly socialize with other attendees all of whom share a deep passion for cycling. A key component to rides like these that span large distances on public roads is the support infrastructure supplied by Ontario by Bike. For each day there were staff riding in the front and rear of the main groups to ensure no one was left behind and in case any issues arose.  Another nice touch was a designated support vehicle that was available at each stop to offer drinks, tools for minor repairs and medical assistance in case any issues popped up (thankfully none did).

What really impressed me was how accommodating the riders were in having a photographer following them around to document the journey. I got lots of friendly waves and greetings as we meandered through the countryside. I could really tell these people from all walks of life shared a genuine passion for riding their bikes. This was particularly evident when the ride concluded on Sunday back at the South River Brewing Co. where many had gathered for food and refreshments on the patio recounting the last three days.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a relatively new rider I’d highly recommend contacting Ontario by Bike to arrange one of their tours this summer, in fact, I’m trying to round up a couple of friends and try one out myself!

For more information go to  https://www.ontariobybike.ca

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