Looking for a restaurant that allows you to wear spandex?

In 2013, when the Barrie Cycling Club received a two-year Ontario Trillium Foundation grant for $219,000, they partnered with Simcoe County to develop cycling infrastructure and tourism in the county. 

Part of that partnership developed Cycle Simcoe, a not-for-profit organization that is helping to develop a sustainable plan for cycling in our area focusing on Safety, Accessibility, and Fun. 

Since its development, Cycle Simcoe has been working on their cycling strategy. The plan began in Oro-Medonte where they ironed out many details of the cycling strategy, before expanding into neighbouring municipalities around Simcoe County. 

Although still in draft form, the strategy is expected to become public as of June 2016.

Despite the plan not yet being finalized, Cycling Strategy Coordinator, Brendan Matheson has already seen an increase in the amount of cyclists on the road and in cycling clubs around the area which he partly attributes to the work of the organization. In addition to local cyclists, there are more tourists coming to the county.

“Last year we had a group of 120 cycling tourists from Quebec," said Matheson. "They stayed for five days, which is fantastic after only two-years of running the project.”

When attracting cyclist, local or otherwise, there are many factors to consider when trying to make the area cyclist friendly. “At the end of the day, you want to make sure that cyclist, whether they are staying at a hotel or eating at a restaurant, that they’re having a positive and memorable experience.”

Working with the community to develop more cycle-friendly businesses is important for tourism. “Do they offer water if a cyclist is out of water? Do they have washrooms available for cyclist? Or do they have something as simple as a bike rack?” said Matheson, who himself has been a cyclist his whole life. "If I walk into a restaurant in spandex am I going to be welcomed? Will they have healthy food options?”

One thing Cycle Simcoe confirmed will be launched in 2016 are more cycling maps including Heart of Georgian Bay Routes, Ontario’s Lake Country Routes, and South Georgian Bay Routes. And these maps will feature identification of more cycle-friendly businesses, as well as minor adjustments to the routes.​

The Heart of Georgian Bay Route map, as well Oro-Medonte, Ramare and Severn are set to launch at the Toronto International Bike Show on March 6.

Matheson hopes this will help to further increase the number of cycling tourists coming to the region. 

With an increase in the number of cyclists in the area, the main focus of the 2016 campaign is safety. The organization wants to help to make sure that there is a balance between motorists and cyclists watching out for each other and following the rules of the road.

Matheson noted that part of the Trillium grant would be used to install signage around the county for both safety and direction. The organization looked at best practices from other counties in Ontario. “Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?” said Matheson. “We definitely took great pieces from different regions and we’re trying to make our own standard here.” 

Find out more about Cycle Simcoe, here.