Toronto Donut Ride
Encyclopedia
The Donut Ride is an informal Toronto
road cycling
tour run every Saturday and Sunday as well as public holidays. Typical summer numbers range from 100 to 125 riders forming a large pack
, and weather permitting the ride continues year-round and often sees a dozen riders even in mid-winter. The ride is known for being fairly fast paced, often reaching speeds of about 50 kilometres per hour (31.1 mph) on straightaways. It is also known for being fairly unforgiving; riders who are dropped from the pack are on their own.
, two of the primary organizers being Roger Keiley and Barry Hastings. As the ride grew in popularity it moved to a new starting point more centralized in Toronto, although still somewhat east of the core. It remained associated with a bike store for some time, and was insured by the Ontario Cycling Association. A serious accident in the 1990s led to the entire group being sued, and since then the ride is completely unofficial. Although the ride often took place four times a week during the summers of the mid-1990s (including an extended 160 km run up to the Holland Marsh -- the "Marsh Ride" -- on Wednesdays), it is now primarily a weekend and holiday affair.
Over the years the ride has hosted many notable Canadian cyclists, including legendary Toronto guru Mike Barry and his son Michael Barry
(of US Postal, T-Mobile, and Columbia, Sky), Jocelyn Lovell
and others.
Local cyclists and filmmakers Aryeh Smith and Stephane Marcotte collaborated to develop a documentary about The Donut Ride in 2007.
over Bayview Avenue
.
The tempo is easy early on, with riders chatting as the pack heads north and out of the city. The normal route follows Bayview northward to Sheppard Avenue
. The ride winds through a number of smaller streets before turning onto Bathurst for a short period and then around a ramp onto Highway 7, a major six-lane highway, where the talking stops as the tempo picks up rather dramatically. The main high-speed portion continues from here across to Langstaff Road and then heading north on Keele St. Here the pack fragments, as the cross wind and rolling hills on Keele take their toll. Usually riders in the front group sprint for a line which is painted on the road on the outskirts of King City
.
Several routes branch off from here, including a shorter 87 km route across King Road, a middle distance route along Bloomington Road, and a longer and much more challenging hillier route further north on Keele and back on Dufferin. There are six traditional routes from 83 km to 122 km. The ride meets up again after turning east to Yonge Street
for a stop at Gramma's Oven, a small Polish bakery just south of King Road in Oak Ridges
.
After the stop, at around 11:00am, the ride continues eastward with several additional return routes centered on either Kennedy Leslie St./Don Mills Rd. The return portion of the ride starts slow, but is followed by a higher speed section culminating in a sprint at 60+ km/h on Leslie just north of Major Mackenzie and a sprint on Kennedy just north of Unionville. The ride slows as it reaches the northern end of the city and the traffic signals once again become an issue. Oddly the ride does not end at the starting point, but a location only a kilometer away to the southwest. Most riders have already split off from the main peloton by this point, though, making their way home by the shortest route once the main portion of the ride is over.
Route Maps
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
road cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
tour run every Saturday and Sunday as well as public holidays. Typical summer numbers range from 100 to 125 riders forming a large pack
Peloton
The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
, and weather permitting the ride continues year-round and often sees a dozen riders even in mid-winter. The ride is known for being fairly fast paced, often reaching speeds of about 50 kilometres per hour (31.1 mph) on straightaways. It is also known for being fairly unforgiving; riders who are dropped from the pack are on their own.
History
The tour was first organized in 1976 as the team ride of the Scarborough Cycling Club, affiliated with a bike store in ScarboroughScarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, two of the primary organizers being Roger Keiley and Barry Hastings. As the ride grew in popularity it moved to a new starting point more centralized in Toronto, although still somewhat east of the core. It remained associated with a bike store for some time, and was insured by the Ontario Cycling Association. A serious accident in the 1990s led to the entire group being sued, and since then the ride is completely unofficial. Although the ride often took place four times a week during the summers of the mid-1990s (including an extended 160 km run up to the Holland Marsh -- the "Marsh Ride" -- on Wednesdays), it is now primarily a weekend and holiday affair.
Over the years the ride has hosted many notable Canadian cyclists, including legendary Toronto guru Mike Barry and his son Michael Barry
Michael Barry (cyclist)
Michael Barry is a Canadian professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .Previous to riding for UCI ProTour team he spent several years with the . He also raced of the Saturn Cycling Team for a number of years before going to US Postal Service/Discovery. He was born and raised in...
(of US Postal, T-Mobile, and Columbia, Sky), Jocelyn Lovell
Jocelyn Lovell
Jocelyn Bjorn Lovell is a former cyclist from Canada.Lovell dominated Canadian cycling in the 1960s and 1970s; winning dozens of national titles as well as gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games...
and others.
Local cyclists and filmmakers Aryeh Smith and Stephane Marcotte collaborated to develop a documentary about The Donut Ride in 2007.
Ride route
The current route starts at 9AM at the corner of Eglinton and Laird, in the parking lot of a former donut shop - hence the ride's name (currently a Great Canadian Bagel). Only a small number of the eventual pack starts at the shop, however, with riders joining all along the route, notably from a church just past the starting point, and from the bridge carrying Lawrence AvenueLawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into east and west portions by Yonge Street, the dividing line of east-west streets in Toronto....
over Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue is a major north-south route in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. North of Toronto, in York Region, Bayview is also designated as York Regional Road 34.-History:...
.
The tempo is easy early on, with riders chatting as the pack heads north and out of the city. The normal route follows Bayview northward to Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue is an east-west principal arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A small portion of a continuation of the road in Pickering, Ontario is also called Sheppard Avenue.-History:...
. The ride winds through a number of smaller streets before turning onto Bathurst for a short period and then around a ramp onto Highway 7, a major six-lane highway, where the talking stops as the tempo picks up rather dramatically. The main high-speed portion continues from here across to Langstaff Road and then heading north on Keele St. Here the pack fragments, as the cross wind and rolling hills on Keele take their toll. Usually riders in the front group sprint for a line which is painted on the road on the outskirts of King City
King City, Ontario
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
.
Several routes branch off from here, including a shorter 87 km route across King Road, a middle distance route along Bloomington Road, and a longer and much more challenging hillier route further north on Keele and back on Dufferin. There are six traditional routes from 83 km to 122 km. The ride meets up again after turning east to Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
for a stop at Gramma's Oven, a small Polish bakery just south of King Road in Oak Ridges
Oak Ridges, Ontario
Oak Ridges is an unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada, and has been part of Richmond Hill's administrative area since its annexation in 1971. Although physically separate and distinct from Richmond Hill, it forms the northern portion of the municipality's boundary. Located about 16.5 km...
.
After the stop, at around 11:00am, the ride continues eastward with several additional return routes centered on either Kennedy Leslie St./Don Mills Rd. The return portion of the ride starts slow, but is followed by a higher speed section culminating in a sprint at 60+ km/h on Leslie just north of Major Mackenzie and a sprint on Kennedy just north of Unionville. The ride slows as it reaches the northern end of the city and the traffic signals once again become an issue. Oddly the ride does not end at the starting point, but a location only a kilometer away to the southwest. Most riders have already split off from the main peloton by this point, though, making their way home by the shortest route once the main portion of the ride is over.
Route Maps
Tips for riders
- The group passes by the Bayview subway station on the Sheppard Line at about 9:15am.
- Many riders from the north meet at the Petro Canada at Yonge and Crestwood Rd. The ride picks them up about 9:30am.
- A final group, mostly from the western side of the city, joins at the corner of Langstaff (old Highway 7) and Keele, at about 9:45am.
- In-city speeds are fairly low, but as the pack builds it becomes large enough to essentially ignore traffic signals and settle into a steady mid-30s.
- Once the ride exits the city around Highway 7, the speed quickly picks up into the high 40s.
- The pack normally starts to split up on Keele St, where a series of rolling hills drops the weaker riders, who form their own packs to continue. It's easier to hang in with the group on the return portion of the ride, which is downhill and frequently has a tailwind – allowing the pelotonPelotonThe peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...
to attain speeds of 45-55 km/h.
- Video history of The Donut Ride - Full documentary (DVD)
- sample of the ride - short "documentary" on the ride
- Make like Lance on the Tour de Toronto, Mike Grange, Globe and Mail, 2 July 2005