Our weekly gravel rides are winding down for the season at the end of the month. but we’ll be hosting weekend rides throughout the fall. We’re going to kick it off with a gem; the Tour D’Ingram.
The Tour D’Ingram is a 58km mixed surface route with approximately 2300 feet of elevation gain in the Island Lake Wilderness Area. Primarily on logging roads, surface conditions are generally ok on this route. Rougher than the rail trail, but better than some other logging roads in the Western Crown Lands.
This ride will take approximately three hours at a 17-20 km/h pace. It’s fully self-supported, so you will have to carry anything you need on the ride including food and water. A gravel bike with 40mm+ tubeless tires or a trail/xc/fat MTB are all suitable. We’ll be out of cell phone coverage during portions of the ride but I’ll be carrying a satellite communicator in case of emergencies.
Where: Departs the Sonny’s Rd. Parking Lot, 9 Sonny’s Rd. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bg2V1S43e4friZZA9) in Upper Tantallon at 9:00 AM. Parking is available at the shop or in the nearby lot at Redmond’s Home Hardware.
Difficulty: Fitness: Intermediate. Technical Skills: Intermediate. This ride will test your endurance and climbing ability. There’s no singletrack on the route, but several loose climbs and descents. You will need a fueling plan.
Notes: A Cycling Nova Scotia membership is required. This is a self-supported group ride, please carry any water/nutrition and spares you might need to repair your bike on the ride. The club requires a bell for the SMB trail portions, and a red rear light for the road portions. This ride takes approximately three hours, there will be one stop at the 30km mark.
It’s a small parking lot. He probably doesn’t want it full of vehicles that will be parked there for a four hour ride, preventing other customers from dropping in.
When I ride from near there, I always park by Redmond’s (dedicated parking for trail access) and stop in at the Bean afterwards. It just makes sense.
Not so easy to figure out. The last time I planned a ride out of that lot I got put on blast by another group that had already planned to use it. I’m going to deconflict before I commit.
There is also parking (on the weekend) at the Tantallon Senior Elementary school across from the Esso on Hammonds Plains road.
If you cross over to the Esso there is an access trail to get to the SMBARTA somewhere at the back of their building. OHV riders use that lot all the time since they need so much space for their huge vehicles and trailers.
I’m on my gravel bike with 48mm tires. I’ve ridden this loop on my hardtail before and finished in pretty much the same time as on my gravel bike. I’d recommend taking whatever bike you’re most comfortable on for long rides. I’d be very tempted to take my hardtail if it didn’t have a stuck brake piston.
