The https://g2grailtrail.com/ website says “G2G Rail Trail Experience is all about connection. Connection between yourself and others, people and nature, cyclists and hikers, rural and urban settings, beaches and buildings.”
The “connection between yourself and others” and the idea of riding the G2G began at the Toronto Bicycling Network’s AGM dinner. For TBN information see https://www.tbn.ca/. I had just joined TBN two weeks earlier and thought this would be a good way to meet other TBN members. Chatting with those at my table I mentioned that I liked bikepacking trips. Italo Bravo said he had just bought some bikepacking bags and asked if I would like to ride the G2G with him. Of course I said yes. Italo’s friend Alvin Murphy also said he would like to come. So we decided on the November 11-12 weekend to ride from Guelph to Goderich, stay overnight at the Bedford Hotel, and then ride back to Guelph.
I created the G2G RideWithGPS (RWG) routes from G2G’s website interactive map. I submitted the routes to TBN’s Program-X event coordinator, who loaded the routes into TBN’s RWG Club account (which any TBN member can use) and published a TBN calendar event. Through the event notice Salih Can Demir also joined our trip.
Here’s my routes for the trip:
- G2G West Guelph to Goderich: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45018897
- Distance 144.6km. Elevation Gain 712m.
- *Paved 17.4 km 12%. Unpaved 126.9 km 88%.
- G2G East Goderich to Guelph: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45016972
- Distance 144.4km. Elevation Gain 882m.
- *Paved 24 km 17%. Unpaved 120.2 km 84%
- *Actual Paved 8.0 km 6%. Unpaved 136.6 km 94%
- Actual estimate based on ridden experience and post-ride Google maps review.
These Relive app videos provide a fun google earth trace of our trip with photos:
Day 1 Guelph to Goderich
I have an electric vehicle (so no expensive gas) and a four bike rack. So early Saturday I drove the four of us to Guelph, where we parked the car in Italo’s friend’s driveway, which was about a km from the start of the trail. It was a chilly 1C so we were glad when about 8am we started riding from Guelph to Goderich! Thanks to the weather gods as both days were dry with sun-cloud mix. However, it was chilly with a headwind both ways!
Unfortunately there is a G2G detour on Woodlawn Rd W (Guelph city) and Wellington Rd 86 (hwy) from km 4 to almost km 14 at Ariss, where we finally got on the G2G Rail Trail. On our return we avoided some of the road detour by continuing on the trail past Wellington Rd 86 for 4km and taking Wellington Rd 39 into Guelph. I will update my routes to reflect this.
Just after km 20 we missed where the trail splits and had to climb up a long flight of stairs to Katherine Street, as there is no trail bridge over the Grand River. I have added a warning POI to the route (shown below) so future riders don’t miss the same turn.
As there is no rail trail bridge over the Grand River the route takes roads to the West Montrose Covered Bridge, or Kissing Bridge, built in 1880.
The G2G Rail Trail is well signed. The G2G website says the trail is 132 km versus our RWG route of 145 km, probably because 132 km is their vision without detours for missing bridges etc. So these distance signs were optimistically misleading for us ;-). The G2G also had many nice benches, several with roofs, and kiosks with trail maps. The surface is well maintained hard packed gravel with grades usually less than 2%.
Mechanical #1 of 5. Just past Wallenstein at km 39.5 there is no trail bridge and there is a rough muddy track back up to the rail trail. Italo fell here and the rear shift-brake unit housing cracked into two. I managed to push the pieces back together and put it into a medium gear, so that Italo could ride to Milverton where google maps showed Bikenuts Cycle.
Bikenuts Cycle turned out to be a basic bicycle repair side line of Ellis Home Hardware Building Supply. They didn’t have a replacement shifter-brake unit. But with donated electrical tape we were able to keep the broken unit together for the rest of the ride.
We stopped for an excellent lunch at Maddison’s Truck Stop Diner in Monkton at about km 76.
Happy to be on the G2G!
Below is a photo of the missing Maitland River bridge at about route km 121.
The RWG rider heatmap shows some have crossed the river south of this bridge! The cyclists either waded across or crossed on winter ice. At about 0C it was too cold for us to wade so we elected to take the 10km detour. The next day on our return we took Base Line to save a few kms.
Mechanical #2 of 5. On the detour Al’s rear tire flatted with probably a stone puncture. It was a tubeless tire with sealant. But the puncture wasn’t sealing. So I added some sealant (from a 2oz bottle I carry) through the removed valve core. Spun the wheel around to allow the sealant to coat the tire. Then used my CO2 cartridge to pump up the tire. Some started to exit the puncture so I rotated the wheel so the puncture was down and waited a few minutes for it to seal. It sealed and was holding air so we continued on. It was now dark so we turned on our lights.
Mechanical #3 of 5. Climbing a hill Italo shifted his rear derailleur and the chain fell between the cassette and rear wheel spokes, wrapping and jamming badly. Luckily I was able to free the chain without harming the spokes. We continued on.
Mechanical #4 of 5. Al’s rear tire puncture started to spew sealant and was soon flat. This time I removed the tire, the tubeless valve and the sealant, and put in a tube. We carried on.
Mechanical #5 of 5. We were almost at Goderich when Salih’s tire went flat with what looked like a small cut from a stone. I replaced the inner tube. We carried on.
After a very long day with some type 2 fun (see https://www.trailandkale.com/tips/what-is-type-2-fun/) towards the end, we arrived in Goderich, saw the harbour and Lake Huron, and made our way to Hotel Bedford. We were cold, very tired and also very happy!
Day 1 Guelph to Goderich Metrics
Distance 149.4 km. Elevation 613 m / -743 m. Max Grade 14.5%. Avg Grade 0.1%
Total Duration 11:54:18. Moving Time 07:48:14. Stopped Time 04:06:04. Avg Speed 19.1 kph.
Day 1’s Relive birds-eye video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vDqgKG4AzVq
In the hotel’s restaurant bar we enjoy a well earned meal and a couple of beers. We agreed that tomorrow we would be leaving the hotel at 7am for breakfast at Tim Hortons. Then it was bedtime.
Day 2 Goderich to Guelph
Sunday morning we were all ready by the hotel’s front door except Salih, who appeared and announced he had locked himself out of his room. Of course there was no one at the hotel that we could find. We started calling people on a hotel list we found, with no one answering. Eventually the hotel cook showed up and gave Salih another key.
After a Tim Hortons breakfast, and another breakfast wrap to go, we were on our Goderich to Guelph (G2G) way.
It was maybe 1C with heavy frost on bridges and the trail. I guess because of the frost moisture on the trail, the trail was softer than the previous day. We knew the 128 km sign was really about 138 km. And it was going to be mostly uphill for the first almost 100 kms.
Then there were some really steep climbs on the Maitland Trail section. I was able to climb them because I had easier mountain bike gearing and I’ve done a lot more bikepacking through mountains. The others had to mostly hike-a-bike. Al made it part way on some climbs because I’ve setup my gravel bike with easier bikepacking gearing. Salih on his road bike almost made it and then spun out and fell.
After the steep hard climbs we could celebrate being on relatively flat trail and enjoy the cold but otherwise beautiful day.
Ball’s Bridge, erected in 1885 (at route km 20). “The Bridge That Love Built” as built by Mr Ball so his love and wife didn’t have to get her feet wet. The bridge itself is a unique treasure. The structure is an excellent – and now rare – example of a two-span Pratt design through truss, pin-connected wrought iron bridge. One of the oldest wrought iron Pratt truss bridges in the North America.
Small metal wire bridge G2G project completed in 2021 (at ~21 km). Really only suitable for walking or mountain bikes with fat tires.
At about 37km (near Blyth) Italo acknowledged that he was beat after yesterday’s huge hard ride and that it was becoming type 3 fun (ie no fun at all). Even if he was able to continue on it would be extremely late before getting to Guelph. Al was feeling similar. I suggested, and they agreed, that they find a restaurant to stay at, until Salih and I finish the ride to Guelph and return with the car to pick them up. Salih and I continued on hoping to finish the remaining about 108 kms before dark.
A little later Italo sent us a Whatsapp group message that they would be staying at JR’s Family Restaurant in Brussels, about 7 kms north of the G2G at km 50.
Salih and I continued on at about 22 kph avg, with very short variety store breaks for food and drink. We enjoyed the ride, chatting, listening to music, and saying hi to the many people, mostly Mennonites, out enjoying a Sunday stroll or bike ride on the trail.
In Linwood I took off my very large heavy seat bag (jam packed with both Italo’s and my stuff) and hid it underneath some woodpile logs. We had to drive back through Linwood to pick-up Italo and Al in Brussels. This made the remaining ~40 kms much easier.
Just at sunset we arrived back in Guelph at the car.
Day 2 Goderich to Guelph Metrics
Distance 141.5 km. Elevation 744 m / -640 m. Max Grade 15.1%. Avg Grade 0.2%.
Total Duration 09:48:28. Moving Time 07:38:47. Stopped Time 02:09:41.
Max Speed 45.1 kph. Avg Speed 18.6 kph.
Day 2’s Relive birds-eye video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vDqgKG4AzVq
We quickly loaded the bikes. Then drove the 100 kms back to Brussels and picked up Italo and Al. We arrived just as the JR Restaurant was wanting to close. Salih enjoy chatting with the staff as they were also from Turkey.
Now that we had driven another 100 kms west my EV didn’t have enough charge to get the 170 kms back to Toronto. So the next stop was at a EV fast charger in Listowel for about 20 minutes. Finally arrived home about 11pm with about 20 kms of charge remaining.
Conclusion:
Despite all the mechanicals everyone agreed it had been an amazing (type 1 and 2) fun adventure, and that some type 2 fun makes future rides type 1 fun ;-).
Thanks to Italo for this trip idea and pushing your boundaries even with a broken shifter-brake unit. Thanks to Al for your huge sandwiches, endurance and cheery disposition even with two flats. Thanks to Salih for your drafting slipstream and smile even when locked out of your hotel room. Thanks to all of you for your indomitable spirit through type 1, type 2 and even type 3 fun!
I look forward to doing more bikepacking adventure rides with you again soon!
One final thought — How much harder is Gravel vs Road Riding? I’ve done many multi 150k plus day gravel/trail bikepacking trips (see my blog site) so I knew that I could finish this two day relatively flat G2G Rail Trail trip. Al and Italo had completed a 200 km road trip this summer and so they and I thought this trip would be ok. However, what we didn’t account for was how much harder Gravel vs Road riding is and especially when you have the extra bikepacking weight. I would agree with the following blog — https://www.bikeforums.net/cyclocross-gravelbiking-recreational/1120061-how-much-harder-gravel-riding-vs-road-equivalence-multiplier.html — that gravel/road riding is about 1.5 times or 150% harder. That also means slower. And that isn’t accounting for fully loaded multi-day bikepacking extra weight. So the G2G Rail Trail 145 kms is equivalent to about 220 kms and times two with the return trip! Remember, that some type 2 fun makes future rides doable and type 1 fun ;-).
Cheers…Greg
Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance you have to keep moving. — Albert Einstein
Follow my cycling adventures at https://gregbikingwithoutborders.blog/
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GregRidingWithoutBorders 
Cheers to you for mentoring the newer bikepackers, and exercising your mechanical skills.
The G2G website has an interactive map which directs you around the bridge outages and many small reroutes/suggestions eg to bypass those stairs you mentioned.
I believe the trail begins at Wellington 39, just below Well 30. I began there when did an overnighter in early Oct and the mileage was quite accurate. Some RWGPS routes show beginning in downtown Guelph but the rail bed would appear to have been closed off for some time – the website map suggests that.
A fun read!
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Great ride folks! Come to lake Huron when you can take a dip. And always ride the MaitlandRiver bypass, it’s the best!
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