Lake Erie Bike Loop - Part 2 - Pelee Island, ON to Niagara Falls

Lake Erie Bike Loop - Part 1: • Lake Erie Bike Loop - ...
This video summarizes the last 5 Days of my solo bicycle trip around Lake Erie. The clips in the video were filmed between Thursday August 1 and Monday August 5, 2019. On Day 6 I caught a 9am ferry from Pelee Island to Kingsville, ON. For 5 days I followed along the Lake Erie Shoreline including Leamington, Erieau, Rondeau, New Glasgow, Port Stanley, Port Burwell, Port Rowan, Long Point, Simcoe, Cayuga, Dunnville, Port Maitland, and Port Colborne. On the final day of the trip I followed the Welland Canal to Port Weller, including a stop in Port Robinson, then followed the Niagara Parkway from Niagara-on-the-Lake back to Niagara Falls, ON.
STRAVA LINKS
Day 6a - Pelee Island to the ferry: / strava
Day 6b - Kingsville to Rondeau Provincial Park: / strava
Day 7 - Rondeau Provincial Park to Port Stanley: / strava
Day 8 - Port Stanley to Port Rowan: / strava
Day 9 - Port Rowan to Dunnville: / strava
Day 10 - Dunnville to Niagara Falls:
/ strava
The bike I used for this trip is a Linear Limo Recumbent Bike made in New York. I carried my gear in 2 Giant Waterproof Panniers, and mounted my tent and sleeping pad on the top of the rack.
Campsite Overnight Oats: • Campsite Overnight Oat...
My Bike Camping Gear: • What do I pack for a 1...
May 2019 - Ontario Bike Tour: • Oshawa to Cobourg - On...
July 2018 - Ontario Bike Tour: • Aurora to Brechin - On...
May 2018 - Ontario Bike Tour: • Burlington to Niagara ...
I hope you enjoyed this video. Please COMMENT and subscribe!
Thanks for watching.

[@dougsrepair1060]

I grew up in Kitchener and now live in Vancouver. This has been a wonderful reminder of the countryside and sea side of Lake Erie. Thanks for sharing.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@o2kala649]

I like how you celebrated each day’s ride with a nice meal and dessert. This loop could be something truly special if the communities along the way invested in upgrading the cycling conditions. Well done!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the trip!

[@JohnnyStrides]

This was a pretty epic journey, I thoroughly enjoyed both videos! My legs are beat after a 50km ride for a few days I can't imagine doing something like this. Thanks!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them! Since I was mostly following the shoreline on this trip, the terrain was quite a bit flatter than the one I did in May for example which made the distances easier.

[@mcampbellhowes]

Really enjoyed these last two videos. You have a wonderfully humble style of commentary that helps make your videos accessible. I also love how you always strive to pick local, independent places to eat.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks! When I'm traveling I make a point of trying to find foods that I don't normally get the chance to eat when I'm at home. Supporting local businesses is really important to me too, so I try to avoid the chains.

[@mikewypasek8855]

These videos were excellent and more importantly, interesting, humorous and informative. I live in Cleveland so I knew all those southern shore routes. I can’t ride like you, but I’ll have to take my car, including Pelee Island-and I’ll try to hit all those restaurants..sharing your meals and snacks with us viewers was a nice touch! . Thanks for the video!! Well done and congradulations on the ride.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the trip!

[@keithguiste2659]

Thanks for sharing your journey, both videos were very enjoyable. I particularly liked the fact that you narrarated instead of using annoying music like so many folks do😊

[@trep53]

Great ride great trip, great videos it’s priceless. Your smile alone can draw anyone to a bike trip. Our Great Lakes region is truly a wonderful area. BTW as an Ohioan I’ve been to Pelee Island many times and enjoy it a lot. I never thought of including it in a Lake Erie circle route, great idea.

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words. Pelee Island had been somewhere that I'd wanted to visit for a while and it was perfect that I could squeeze it into this trip. It also was really neat getting to actually be in the middle of the lake after spending so much time just looking at it from the shoreline.

[@billhardwick536]

HI CJ: I really enjoyed your around Lake Erie videos. I've done the St. Cath/Niagara River/ Port Colborne/Welland Canal loop & really enjoyed it Have also done part of the north shore of Lake Erie from Windsor to Leamington. Brings back good memories. Hoping to do some more next summer. Only did day trips the last couple of years. Lots of great cycling also in K/W area. I'm in Peterborough where we have the Great Trail going through & lots of quiet country roads. Thanks for your videos. Will be watching more.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! The Lake Erie trip is at the top of my list of favourite bike tours. I have family in Peterborough and have done a fair bike of cycling there. In May 2019 I did a 9 day trip where I passed right through Peterborough (I made a video of that trip too).

[@pmc291]

Enjoyed all the vids with Lake Erie. I did the the Circle tour for Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario from 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Nine days for each!

[@cjhoyle]

Very cool! Of the 3 great lakes you've looped, which was your favourite?

[@thishandleisntavailable1]

Sure looks like it was a good trip! Thanks for including a breakdown of your costs. That is really good for a 10 day adventure.

[@cjhoyle]

Ya for sure! Bike touring is a very affordable type of holiday.

[@freedomwon2004]

Cool trip and awesome 👍 video 👍 series! I miss the Lakes. So beautiful. I'm originally from Detroit. Now living in the desert.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed following along. Too bad I ended up by-passing your home city though haha

[@MrYu2ube]

Well worth the wait to see Part 2 of this tour! Glad you enjoyed it so much and thanks for sharing the details. I always enjoy the summary you provide at the end of a tour video. It was over 1200km! Amazing.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@annhysell6064]

Wow, what fun & great towns! I mentioned that Ashtabula is really awesome few days ago. Port Stanley is our "sister" yacht club. Loved this series and will check out your other videos. Appreciate all the research you must have done & then including in the videos. Excellent.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks! These video indeed take a lot of hours to put together, so I'm always glad when they're enjoyed.

[@transylvaniatjtravels931]

You rode there my hometown of Erie, PA I dont live there anymore but it was good to see it on video. Made me a little homesick

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks! Erie was a nice place to stop along the way. It's really handy that there is a campground so close to the city.

[@BrigidSamhain]

Wow great accomplishment indeed. You are so courageous.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, it's a tour I recommend!

[@mitchellblack8722]

Very nice video and very informative. Thank you for providing this great travelog.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@NobleEndeavours123]

I too love quiet country lanes where you can just absorb your surroundings while you ride. I quite enjoyed this series and greatly appreciate you sharing it! Consider going around Lake Superior, it's quite an experience!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I appreciate it! I definitely hope I'll get the change to do a loop around Superior one day!

[@puffysnow8504]

enjoyed the series .. i myself went to rondeau in may the weekend before may 24 and we had a doe and a fawn walk out beside are campsite after the sun had gone down. i took my girlfriend to Byng for her birthday in the summer , our site was decent the pool was different and wasnt a big fan of the showers but overall was a nice campground other then the people beside us who like you went thru were very noisey . we watched your video from last year of going to rockpoint so this year we did a day trip there and went walking around . i enjoy the videos what u do on your bike i have been doing in the car for the last 5 years so i enjoy seeing the places you go match up with the places i have gone or i am going to but what you did going into the states on these videos have made it very interesting but happy thanks giving and all the best

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you! It's always interesting hearing from other people who have visited some of the same places and their experiences.

[@EnjoyTimeOutdoors-Steve]

Well done! Great trip! I like your video and narration style- lots of great info, history, and detail covered in this two-part series.

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@mikelandry3375]

Thank you for part 2. A lot of interesting facts, glad you enjoyed your vacation. Looking forward to other biking adventures from Toronto. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, happy thanksgiving to you too!

[@TimFitzwater]

My friend Ben has brought this route up as a touring idea. Very cool to get an idea of what it is all about from your videos!

[@brianemerick6756]

I don't bicycle, but watched and enjoyed both videos.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the journey.

[@aliasnick4602]

I can't wrap my head around riding that much + sleeping in a tent over and over again. And you never complained once, not even when it rained! Would be cool to hear how your legs and body are feeling periodically in the next vid. I rode from midtown Toronto along the lake to Whitby a few times and it was exhausting. I got to sleep in a nice bed and took the GO train back each time. But the hardest part was maintaining the will power to not stop for food every time I saw or smelled a restaurant!!

[@cjhoyle]

haha well keep in mind that all the narration in these videos was written and recorded after I had already returned home from the trip. There was certainly the odd ache or pain which I'm sure cropped up during a trip like this, but looking back on the trip those are rarely the parts you remember. I actually biked from Toronto to Whitby this past weekend.

[@aliasnick4602]

@@cjhoyle What area in Whitby do your parents live? I grew up on Palace St. a few houses down from E.A. Fairman. Yesterday I paddled around all the islands in my inflatable kayak. And I found that random concrete pole between Senator Frank and Chippewa islands. Thanks for inspiring me to get out there!

[@brianr72]

Another great riding tour video.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@richardmorgan1588]

Watched them both and they were amazing! Subscribed!

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the journey!

[@RobertBeriault753]

Very instructive and enjoyable videos, Chris. You're a good patron for promoting bicycle touring.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks Robert! As you're aware, bike touring is truly a great way to spend a vacation. The primary reason that I make these videos is to inspire others, and I'm proud to say that I've had some success.

[@stephenterry1684]

Love your videos. Originally from Sudbury and now living in Halifax they give me a taste of Ontario that I sometimes miss. The geographic and historic context you add in your narration is great and sorely missing from a lot of other cycling channels. Thumbs up cj!

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the videos!

[@scenicyoga1066]

Thanks for taking us along on your journey. It was fun and informative.

[@JonnyImpreza]

Awesome as always, thanks for taking us on your trip! I was actually worried about you as you hadn’t posted anything for a while! Glad to see you back and hope you are okay.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks! I got busy working on other things, but stayed determined to get the video finished. Better late than never, right?

[@bethrodgers]

JonnyImpreza I was getting worried too. Well worth the wait.

[@pixar5]

that was a really good video you were very lucky the weather was good , you really planned this trip well . your one of very few in this world that would plan a trip like this . i really like biking , been doing it for years , i would not do such a long trip like this. but its a good idea to get good excersice and enjoy the great outdoors .

[@cjhoyle]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Bike touring is actually not that uncommon. Along the way I crossed paths with a few other cyclists who were doing similar trips. It's a really fun type of vacation and you can control exactly how far you want to ride each day. I would highly recommend trying to something similar, even if it's just a 2 day trip.

[@kydop6128]

very informative! makes me wanna get out and ride far!

[@cjhoyle]

Bicycle touring is a very enjoyable way to spend a vacation and I highly recommend it!

[@stevennunamaker3355]

Wow that's awesome I know you enjoyed it

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I definitely enjoyed it!

[@oldgael1]

An epic tour! Love your bike trip videos. Thanks

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@jonathanyunger2073]

Keep riding and recording!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@adventureswithjosie]

Another great video series! That's neat that you could ride along beside some of the Welland Canal! I will have to eat at the restaurant if I ever find myself in that area.

[@cjhoyle]

I really hope that you do get to visit that area. Not just because of your family heritage but because it's an area that I really enjoyed riding my bike through!

[@adventureswithjosie]

@@cjhoyle Yes, I look forward to seeing that part of Ontario sometime. The furthest south I've ever been before was Sarnia.

[@jackkerlin6658]

Great video! I recognized a lot of the places you pointed out. My friend and I have been riding from Erie, Pa to Niagara Falls for 47 years.

[@cjhoyle]

Wow, that's incredible! Where do you normally stop along the way?

[@jacquestardif5848]

Im a little late watching this lol. 4Yrs., I live in Dunnvile. great video.

[@cjhoyle]

Awesome! I think Dunnville is actually the small town that I've visited the most in my travel videos. 2018 by bike, 2019 by bike and 2022 by canoe :)

[@joepolach9725]

Really a fun and informative two videos. I am departing Erie, PA on St July 22 to do a circle tour of Lake Erie. This was helpful. I think the route is pretty straight forward. My only concern is where to cross over into Canada from Detroit. I'm thinking of stopping short and taking the Sandusky Ferry.

[@cjhoyle]

Glad you enjoyed it and found it informative. I've done many similar bike tours over the years, but my Lake Erie Loop trip still remains my favourite.

[@jasonallen3799]

Having grown up in Buffalo Niagara and living most of my adult life in Phoenix, you made me remember the greatness of living close to lake Erie and Ontario. Thanx for showing it off. Now in my seventies I don"t think I'll get a chance to do a trip like that except maybe an electric bike. Any comments on that possibility?

[@cjhoyle]

Glad you enjoyed it. Electric bikes can be a great equalizer for those less able.

[@MrCSRT8]

Really enjoyed these videos of your journey. Thank you!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@dwarren1010]

Great video.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@stevedrake2031]

Time for me to get super jealous again 🙃

[@cjhoyle]

haha, hopefully 'inspired' too...that's my ultimate goal with these videos! :P

[@JeremyCoasters]

Great videos!!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them.

[@odonnelletsu]

Great trip. Nice video. Thanks for posting. I've been wondering about the Underground Railroad. I'm pretty sure these Lake Erie port towns were big sites for enslaved people to escape the U.S. in the decades prior to the Civil War.

[@cjhoyle]

Yes definitely! I remember reading about Sandusky's important role in the Underground Railway.

[@martinkoole8854]

Hi CJ, thanks for the video which gave me an impression of the scenary north and south of the lake. I'm planning my ride from Chicago to Montreal. If you would be heading east would you prefer going north or south of the lake?

[@heraldo2881]

Great video cj... hopefully you can find more time to make more weekend videos. But most importantly stay safe out there on the road.

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@Brackers64]

Another great tour Christopher, I have been looking into doing a multi day cycle ride and considered Lake Erie, this really helped. Love the cost breakdown. Whats next?

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, Lake Erie is really beautiful and I'd definitely recommend it!

[@BGRANT777X]

Thats a hell of a ride. I just hit 1244kms for a whole summer of ridding and I thought that was a high number for my first summer with a bike and you did that in 10 days! What is your total distance ridden for the summer?

[@cjhoyle]

That's definitely a great accomplishment for your first summer with a bike! Since March 31st I've logged over 5500km on my new Linear Limo!

[@uhu69]

Awesome circumnavigational trip of Lake Erie! Great video and amazing facts of the areas you rode through. Did you use a Go-Pro to film? What was your average amount of kilometers per day? I'm hoping to tour in the future and it sounds like 60 to 70 miles (100 to 120km) is what most tourers do in a day. Thanks again for a great video, fantastic editing and very interesting facts!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. I filmed this used an old Canon point-and-shoot digital camera. My average daily distance on this trip was about 125km, but this also includes the extra riding I did in the evenings. This was higher than other trips I've done, but the terrain was mostly pretty flat in comparison. When planning a tour, I typically aim for the campgrounds to be less that 100 km apart.

[@TorstenLif]

Great ride and cool video. Thanks!

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks!

[@TorstenLif]

@@cjhoyle So, now that you're safely landed back at home again and can look back at the video creation process for this trip compared to your previous rides, which was easier to make, a lot of one day per clip shorter vlogs or these two substantially longer films? And how do you feel about the results? Do you like the "feature film" format better than the "shorts" or vice versa? I'm genuinely interested to know, because watching your tour films has inspired me to start thinking about getting out on some tours again myself and the idea of vlogging about them certainly has a lot of appeal. On the other hand I know that, for my own part, doing things that might be interesting to blog or vlog about, is pretty much mutually exclusive to actually producing the blogs or vlogs! I can do one or the other but not both. So how do you manage to combine them so well?

[@tombilcze1945]

Good tour! You did an excellent job of capturing what bicycle touring is. I am also a fan of overnight oatmeal when camping and on tour. How do you make yours?

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I actually have a link in the video description to my campsite overnight oats video.

[@waynesimmonds9646]

Nice

[@h0ll0wm9n]

A very well made video: photography, editing, narration ... all tops. Oh, and, ditto kudos for interesting content. Anything planned for Fall? Autumn leaves look nice on the screen ;)

[@cjhoyle]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@liammac5540]

Enjoyed every minute of this CJ. Have you ever cycled a European tour?

[@cjhoyle]

Thank! I did a bike and barge trip in the Netherlands several years ago.

[@Ticker2]

Yes, thanks for part 2. The cost break down was a great add too. I’m curious, what camera gear do you use? How much footage do you shoot and how do you keep things charged?

[@alexandrup1078]

what percentage of your leisure rides do you do alone? do you ever feel lonely biking for that long by yourself?

[@cjhoyle]

Over the past 2 summers I have done all of my long tours solo. No, I don't really get lonely because there are always interesting people to interact with along the way.

[@scottclarke8522]

Ever do stealth camping on these rides?

[@cjhoyle]

No, not exactly. I try to carefully plan my trips so that I can stay at a campground each night, or a warmshowers host if needed.

[@missyleng]

How did you find your camp site s and did u pack everything on your bike?

[@cjhoyle]

Yes, it was a self-supported trip, so all items were carried by bike. I researched the camping options ahead of time online.