ALMAGUIN HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Taking the Road
LESS PAVED I Jennifer McCourt PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Monette BY
t has been called the next frontier in cycling. The gravel bike entered the cycling marketplace less
than a decade ago and it has seen an absolute explosion in popularity. With its grippy tires and drop [handle] bars, the gravel bike is quick on pavement, but also capable of conquering more technical off-road trails. That ability to go anywhere makes riding a gravel bike feel like you’re a kid again! Couple that with a ‘gravel’ community that is inclusive and not concerned with who comes first and you’ve got the makings of a cycling revolution. . Unlike a city ride, a self-supported gravel cyclist can ride uninterrupted for hours, exploring new places on and off the beaten path. Across the Almaguin Highlands there are 100s of kilometers of backroads, some maintained by municipalities or local roads’ boards, and still others forgotten over time, tracing the original roads into the Northern reaches of Ontario. One such old road, the inspiration for Northern Ontario’s first major gravel cycling event, is the Old Nipissing Ghost Road. Ontario’s first major gravel cycling event, is the Old Nipissing Ghost Road.
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