Your Guide to Cycling in Stratford, Ontario (And the Surrounding Area)
Stratford, Ontario has a strong reputation for the arts, but Stratford and the surrounding area are slowly gaining a new reputation - as an Ontario cycling headquarters for those who love to ride and do a little sightseeing along the way as well!
When people think of Stratford, Ontario, it’s not altogether unsurprising that the first thing that often comes to mind is the Stratford Festival. It makes sense since the Stratford Festival was one of the first arts festivals in Canada, and it continues to be one of the foremost festivals in our nation. At this point, it’s recognized worldwide.
However, it’s a mistake to associate Stratford with its famed festival and then not do any further digging. Besides having a remarkably picturesque downtown core and burgeoning restaurant scene, Stratford is also a hub for cycling enthusiasts. It’s an ideal place to base yourself and to promptly explore the city and surrounding area on your preferred bike.
It’s not just its access to a variety of cycling routes though, it’s also the fact that they’ve got a hard working, supportive community that’s doing their part to get people active, while being mindful of ways they can give back to Stratford itself by visiting local restaurants, breweries and more. There’s a lovely symbiosis at play there that was a joy to observe and be a part of during my visit.
In the end, I’m not suggesting that the first thing to come to mind for you when you think about Stratford shouldn’t be its festival, I’m more yelling from the rooftops that Stratford is a city that offers so much more than just that. If cycling isn’t your thing, by the way, and you’re feeling thirsty, it’s worth noting that there are no shortage of great Stratford breweries to wet your whistle!
About Stratford, Ontario
Market Square in Stratford, Ontario.
Stratford, Ontario is a city on the Avon River in Southwestern Ontario. It’s a roughly two hour drive northwest of Toronto, and about an hour northeast of London, Ontario.
It’s a city of roughly 30-35 thousand people and it has a lengthy history, with the area being settled in 1832, Stratford becoming a town in 1859, and gaining its city status in 1886.
In today’s age, it’s a city that’s well known for its arts scene. Music, theatre, literature - you name it. However, I’m keen to do my part to add cycling to the list, and I know that Cycle Stratford would agree with me on that.
What’s Cycle Stratford All About?
Cycle Stratford was created back in 2013 as a not-for-profit focused on promoting cycling in the city to help people have fun and stay healthy. According to their website, these are their key pillars:
“Safe, recreational bicycle riding
Fellowship and good sportsmanship
Bike safety and maintenance
Advocacy: cycle lanes and paths, safe riding areas, appropriate signage and related infrastructure
Cycling events organized by the club and by other clubs”
They’ve got a growing membership and community, and at around $25 a year, it’s very affordable considering the work that the board members put in.
In researching this article I was able to meet many members and even ride with them. One of those individuals was Geoff Love, one of the founding board members, and the chair for the last 3 years. It was impressive to me to see how he and others were (and are) aiming to use cycling to make a difference in Stratford.
“We’ve supported a program to encourage local school kids to walk and ride to school; we’ve offered a valet service for local events that encourage residents to ride their bikes to events and we are almost a daily reminder about what a great place Stratford is to ride a bike….
My favourite part of being involved with Cycle Stratford has been the camaraderie of our weekly, monthly (ie destination) and annual tour rides. The club is also becoming more actively engaged in advocating both for more cycling infrastructure (bike lanes, way finding signage, investments in trails and road improvements, etc.).
Our city and the area is a great place to ride a bike - lots of other riders, generally safe roads and, for the most part, courteous drivers.”
Weekly Rides with Cycle Stratford
Do keep in mind that some rides will, of course, be seasonally/weather dependent. If you want to know if a ride will be running when you’re looking to hop on the saddle in Stratford, you can always contact them for more information.
Town Tourers: Typically rides between 15-25 kilometres with a nice easy pace (15-18 kph) on local Stratford roads and multi-use trails. They take place on Sunday mornings at 9am and meet on the west side of Market Square.
Country Cruisers: Intermediate distance (30-40 kilometres) with a slightly quicker pace than Town Tourers, and a scheduled rest along the way. If you’re keen, it’s the same time and place as listed for Town Tourers!
Further Afielders: If you’re looking for a longer ride on country roads, this is a good bet. It’s also typically a quicker pace (22-24kph), so would be more for the experienced riders. Again, same time and place as those listed above.
Outliers: 30-45 kilometres in distance with slightly slower pace than Further Afielders and departing Wednesday at 6pm from the west side of Market Square. My guess is that this one may have a different start time if it’s not taking place in the heart of summer.
Gravel Grinders: Local gravel roads are ridden on this ride, so it’s for the gravel lovers in Stratford and the surrounding area. It’s usually a ride about 30-50 kilometres in distance, and they meet on Saturday mornings at 9am in the old Sobey’s parking lot on Lorne Avenue. The last ride of this season took place in late July, but stay posted for next year’s schedule.
Thursday Social Ride aka Thirsty Thursday: A one hour ride for casual riders that’s usually about a 20 kilometre loop. It starts and ends in Market Square and the group takes off at 6:30pm on Thursdays from Market Square. Typically, riders grab meals afterwards and eat them in Market Square as part of the Al Fresco Dining campaign that was put forth from Visit Stratford.
I was fortunate enough to be visiting Stratford on a Thursday while doing some of my own rides in the city and region, so I was able to hop on board the Thursday Social Ride, and I can honestly say I felt welcomed with open arms. We took a nice easy route around Stratford, and much of it was spent talking as we enjoyed the pleasant scenery of the local streets unfold before us. Afterwards, we all sat together at the picnic tables in Market Square, and each of us chose a local restaurant that we were going to pick something up from, as well as some of us popping into local breweries to get a beverage or two.
Many riders even pre-ordered their meals, so they were eating right after the ride. To me, it was the ultimate showcase of the power of cycling in a city. There was the clear camaraderie among riders, a notable passion for the city and surrounding area, and a commitment to making the city better for riders, but also considering how riders can ensure they’re helping the city as well.
For a full list of their weekly rides, head right on over here.
Riding on Your Own in Stratford and the Region at Large
There are a few routes that I was able to do while visiting that you might want to consider. I’ll write about them, and then note some other popular routes that would be worth having on your radar.
The Stratford to Wellesley Loop
This roughly 60km ride was precisely what I was looking for. In all, I was riding for just under 2.5 hours, which I find to be ideal because you’re riding for an hour or so, then you take a break, and then it’s an hour or so back.
The ride itself was quite picturesque, with plenty of farmland and rivers to appreciate along the way. It’s hilly though, so I’d say this is more for the intermediate to experienced rider. You can bomb down hills (my max speed was about 55kmh that day), but know there’s going to be a hill you’ve got a climb back up right around the corner.
When I got to Wellesley, I took a breather and sat out front of Grammy’s Boutique & Espresso Bar. It’s a nice little shop with a quality selection of coffee and tea, and a good place to take a break. There’s a handful of other spots that you could also take a break at, but this worked for me as it was right on route.
I made sure to take a bit of a different route back, which wasn't too hard since I was following a route that was recommended to me by a member of Cycle Stratford, and the route was already on Ride with GPS. I’ll add the link to the route for you right here.
I was a big fan of this route because of its difficulty, its variance in scenery, and because it was fairly lengthy, but not overly so.
The Stratford to St. Mary’s Loop
Enjoying the scenery on the way from Stratford to St. Marys
I’ve ridden a lot of different routes now while cycling around Stratford, and I think this cycling route may be the best route to do first, since it gives you a feel for the rural beauty around Stratford, but also gives you a good reason to go and visit St. Mary’s, which is a remarkably underrated town when it comes to Ontario travel.
The loop that I typically do runs a little under 45 kilometres, and if you’ve got a decent pace, it should take you a little under two hours. I’ll share a link to my route here, but roughly speaking I’m heading towards St. Mary’s from Stratford along Road 125, and then zooming back up along Road 122.
As always, I like to ensure that my cycling routes have a few stops that enable you to appreciate the local culture, and to support local businesses. An easy, bike-friendly stop is at Broken Rail Brewing which is situated at the iconic St. Mary’s Junction Railway Station, just outside St. Mary’s. I’m personally a big fan of their Bend the Rail IPA.
If you’re not looking for a cold beer, but rather a hot coffee, then I’d recommend Snapping Turtle Coffee Roasters, which was just recently named one of the most bicycle friendly businesses by my friends over at Ontario by Bike. Some of you may remember that I worked with Ontario by Bike to cover their Sarnia Lambton Loop not so long ago.
Anyway, I used Snapping Turtle as a re-fueling spot before heading back to Stratford and had a large coffee (which was excellent), and a delicious homemade power bar of sorts that definitely gave me the fuel I needed to make good time on the way home.
Just note that the route that I did that’s linked above does include some paved and gravel, so you’ll need a gravel bike as opposed to a road bike.
The Stratford to Mitchell Loop
This loop is similar to the loop above, with roughly the same elevation as well. Here’s the link to the exact loop that I did, but it’s basically ripping along Line 34 on the way to Mitchell, and then Line 32 on the way back to Stratford.
Naturally, with my last name and all, I’m always keen to head into Mitchell, but all that aside I liked this route quite a bit. I’m used to cycling in Toronto, so I wasn’t personally bothered that there was a decent amount of traffic on Line 34, but I will note that there were a few vehicles. Line 32 however, is smooth sailing, with a lot less traffic than 34. My friend Tyler actually commented on my Strava entry for this route to note that “Line 32 gotta be one of the best roads in the province.”
He’s right.
When you’re in Mitchell, you can pop by Black Donnely’s Brewing Company if you’re looking for a beverage, but there are also some nice parks and gardens around the town if you’d just like to take a moment to catch your breath in the outdoors. It’s not a terribly large town, so you can explore a good chunk of it by bike in a fairly short time.
The Stratford to Shakespeare Loop
This isn’t an established route per se, but I had just arrived into Stratford after a long drive, and I was looking to stretch my legs a little bit! I also was keen to visit a few spots on the Bacon & Ale Trail, so when I got to Shakespeare (a roughly 12 kilometre ride that can be done in about 30 minutes for quick riders), I stopped in at Shakespeare Brewing Company.
As a quick side note, the Bacon & Ale Trail is actually a self-guided tour where you purchase a trail ticket, and then have 5 passes to use at any of the stops on the trail.
Anyway, I had a fantastic chat with Katie, who runs Shakespeare Brewing alongside her husband. I tried their lager, their blueberry wheat beer, their strawberry milkshake IPA, and their red ale. Naturally, it just had to be a little flight since I was indeed biking, after all.
All of their beers have names that are a touch Shakespearean. The blueberry wheat beer, for example, is actually called “The Bumbling Bear.” The description of the beer notes that “his frequent ramblings through blueberry patches blended with specialty yeast results in a fruity aroma and smooth finish.”
As an English literature major, you know that I’m all over that. My favourite was probably their strawberry milkshake IPA, which is a beer I wouldn’t usually enjoy as much, but they nailed it. It should be noted that they use 100% Ontario grown hops, as well as local fruit.
I also popped into The British Touch which is also on the Bacon & Ale Trail. They’ve got all the quintessentially British classics, and if you’re using a ticket here, you’re going to be walking away with 5 curlywurlys, which is toffee covered in creamy British milk chocolate.
Just down the street, you’ll also find the Best Little Pork Shoppe. Make sure you bring a little storage with you on your bike as a ticket used here will have you walking away with 4 bacon burgers that you can happily enjoy after your big ride.
After popping around a few spots in Shakespeare, I went a little south, and rode down the much more picturesque and less car heavy Perth Line 33 for the way back (FYI - Line 34 was a bit car heavy if you’re not used to riding with cars).
The Stratford to Tavistock Loop
This is a much more manageable root for those who are newer to cycling and want to ensure they don’t bite off more than they can chew. It comes in a little under 35 kilometres in length, with a moving time of under 1.5 hours. Here’s a link to the exact route. Much of the route is spent on Line 29, which is relatively flat route that’s nice and easy to cycle on.
Line 29 also has a classic, picturesque rural landscape to appreciate while riding along, as well as some intriguing buildings and a church or two.
After riding all weekend in and around Stratford, this was the perfect ride to wake up early and tackle before I took off.
Other Stratford Cycling Routes to Consider
If I had more time, I would have done the Stratford to St. Mary’s Loop, but I’ll have to save that for next time. When I first started cycling, I was almost obsessed about following established routes, but I’d also remind folks that you can create your own loops and routes as well. In this case, you base yourself in Stratford, then choose a town or city that’s a distance away that suits you.
If I’m feeling ambitious, perhaps I ride the 45 kilometres to Kitchener, and if I’m a little tired, then I can always go 15 or so kilometres to Tavistock. Anyway, you get the point.
That being said, I do know that there are people who may not be as experienced and would like more guidance, so let me link to some of the standard routes that Cycle Stratford have created over the years.
Stratford In-City Cycling Routes
These are shorter routes that stay within the limits of Stratford, Ontario. These routes aim to showcase different neighbourhoods in the city of Stratford as well as some multi-use trails.
Stratford & Perth County Routes
These are routes that begin and end in Stratford, but ultimately leave the city limits and journey through nearby areas of Perth County.
I think it’s safe to say that Stratford is an Ontario cycling destination now, right? Impressive stuff!
Stratford Awaits
I’ve visited Stratford in the past, but I can honestly say that I have a whole new appreciation for the city after having had the opportunity to explore Stratford by bike.
Not only did I encounter new views and perspectives, but I can also see how cycling is impacting this city in a positive way. Sure, it’ll bring in new tourists who will get to figure out what I did (that the city is an absolute gem when it comes to its restaurant scene and in a myriad of other ways), but also that there’s a real cycling community here. One in which I arrived as a fellow cyclist and feel I left as friend to handful of new people that I’d love to see again on my next visit.
The next time that you go to Stratford, you can definitely still feel free to bring along your theatre tickets but, all I can say is that you should also throw on the rack on your car, put your bike on it, and see Stratford in a whole new light.
I want to humbly thank Stratford Tourism for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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