My planned ONXL Bikepack Ontario Epic 3,838km ride this summer

For my planned ONXL Bikepack Ontario Epic ride this summer I have to thank Matthew Kadey for creating the first bikepacking races in Ontario, and laying down the following challenges on his BT 700 Bikepacking site…

Those who are really ambitious will combine both the GNR and BT 700 in what I call the BT XL. Also complete the Cannonball 300 route at any time and you are in the Ontario bikepacking Triple Crown. Or go big and tackle the ONXL which links up all the major bikepacking routes in Ontario and into Quebec. 

Matthew Kadey

In 2019 I completed Matthew’s Ontario bikepacking Triple Crown, riding at separate times the Butter Tart 700 (BT700), the Grand Nith Ramble (GNR) and the Cannonball 300 (CB300).

In 2020 I intended to do the BT XL but due to severe outer edge foot pain I only completed the BT700. I’m hoping the pain was due to wearing my newer SH-XC700(Wide) shoes which are very rigid. This year’s BT XL will be a test to see if I’ve solved the foot problem with new Specialized insoles in my older and roomier Shimano SH-XC31L shoes (that I used without pain to complete the NZ Tour Aotearoa 3,000 km race).

This summer or fall I would like to take on Matthew’s challenge to “go big and tackle the ONXL (Ontario Bikepack Collective) which links up all the major bikepacking routes in Ontario and into Quebec”.

So from the ONXL collection of routes I created this ONXL Bikepack Ontario Epic Ride of about 3,835kilometres and 30,412 metres of climbing, with only about 30 km of overlap, from the routes listed below. This epic inverts the direction of most of the individual routes to create variety for those that have ridden some of them before. It starts and ends in Toronto. But you can start-end anywhere on the route that is close to you. Contact me if you would like me to create a route for you with a different start-end point and/or direction. I welcome your suggestions for improving this route and hopefully making it a classic Bikepack Ontario Epic challenge ride/race. I plan to complete this route in one continuous self supported trip of less than a month this summer/fall. This will have to be after I get my second Covid shot so that I can do this trip safely, so probably late August/September. I invite you hop on your bike and also enjoy this ONXL Bikepack Ontario Epic on your own, with a friend, or maybe with me!

ONXL Bikepack Ontario Epic:
Start Toronto, Humber River Trail (HRT), Finch Corridor Recreation Trail (FCRT), Dundas Valley Trail (DVT), The Great Trail (TGT), Waterfront Trail (WT), TGT, Hasty Highlander Algonquin (HHA), Sharb-Echo Scramble (SES), Log Driver’s Waltz (LDW), Oak Ridges Moraine Trail (ORMT), Butter Tart 700 (BT700), Sawlog Bay Loop (SBL), BT700, Grand Nith Ramble (GNR), Cannonball 300 (CB300), GNR, BT700, Etobicoke Creek Trail (ECT), WT, HRT, Finish Toronto.

Happy Trails!
Greg Andre-Barrett
Follow my blogs at https://gregbikingwithoutborders.blog/