Cycling Tour de Mississauga 2009

The 2nd Annual Tour de Mississauga cycling adventure takes place on:

DATE: Sunday, September 20, 2009
FREE Registration @ 9:00 a.m. Departure @ 9:30 a.m.

RAIN DATE: Sunday, September 27, 2009
(an online notice will appear the night before the scheduled Tour date if there is to be a rain cancellation)

STARTS and ENDS at: J.C. Saddington Park (click for map) in Port Credit

ORGANIZED by: Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC)

REGISTRATION: www.mississaugacycling.ca/tour/register

ROUTE: There are so many trails and routes to discover in Mississauga that the Cycling Committee has decided to break the City into four quadrants, and design a cycling route for each that highlights points of interest and special trails in that part of the City.  All four routes will lead to City Centre at some point along the way, and the resultant map of all the routes will resemble a four-leaf clover emanating from the City Centre.  After a four-year cycle, Tour participants will know the entire City well!

This year, the Tour de Mississauga route will focus on the Southwest quadrant of the City.  This 50 km course highlights the off-road trails and other cycling routes available throughout SW Mississauga, starting and ending in Port Credit, and featuring a free BBQ at Memorial Park near the Tour’s end, courtesy of the Sierra Club.  Map and directions are now available.

We plan to break into 3 groups according to speed: the fast group may complete the route in as little as 3 hours; the middle group may come in at around 4 hours, and the more leisurely group at around 5 hours.  These times include washroom and refreshment breaks along the way.

The 2009 Tour includes an amazing array of experiences: the Waterfront Trail, highlights of new trail work, routes with bike lanes, public art (murals and sculpture), gardens, a brief “bike portage” in the Rattray Marsh, spins around the University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) and Sheridan Research Park, a fantastic view of the tall buildings in the urban core as well as a loop of City Hall and the Central Library.  Part of the ride will be along the Culham Trail which gets riders up close to the (currently) raging Credit River, after all the rains.  The last part of the ride features an easy cruise down the brand new Confederation Parkway bike route with all its fresh paving and paint.  Tunnels, bridges, natural areas and urban pavements, and rides by three (3) GO Stations: this route has got it all.

After this Tour, you’ll feel like you’ve seen the whole City, yet it is still only one quadrant!  And most of the route is fairly flat: any reasonably in-shape adult will be able to complete it.  There is a shorter, approx. 20 km route incorporated into the first leg of the Tour, which gives participants a chance to decide if they’d like to continue and do the whole ride, or quickly make it back to the starting point.  There is also a get-off point further along.

Come out on September 20 and see what you’ve been missing — learn a great route you can ride again and again!  A great way to meet other cyclists and people from all over the City.

Further details and this year’s route are being finalized. Meanwhile, check out last year’s (1st Official) Tour on the MCAC website to read about the experience and view last year’s route map and Tour instructions.

NOTE: Every September 22 is World Car Free Day.  MCAC is putting theory into practice and celebrating Car Free Day by creating and riding routes through the City that will help create permanant change in transportation planning and habits.  The Tour de Mississauga takes place annually on the weekend before September 22.  Get out and celebrate!