Old Nipissing Road

[shanekingsley]

The other day coming home from a ride, I encountered some traffic and had to make a detour. My GPS sent me down this awesome road which turned out to be the Old Nipissing Road. I read up on it when I got home and it turns out it's a historical road which early pioneers and settlers used to use. Some info here: http://www.nipissingroad.ca/

Basically it starts around Rosseau in the south and ends in Commanda in the north.

If you're not scared of a little dirt or gravel mixed in with your pavement, this is a fun road. Apparently the far north section is pretty rough, but still largely passable by a bike or at least with room to turn around if you encounter a section that isn't. I'm going to go and ride the whole length one of these weekends to see what it's like. It's also nice that it goes through the 518 which is just all kinds of awesomeness to begin with.

I haven't been on the whole section mapped here, but have been on a good portion of it and feel it's one of the better runs through the Muskoka's and free of traffic. The paved sections are really nice with endless hills, turns and all kinds of curves. It is generally paved in the south and gets progressively more dirt and gravel moving north, except of the sections just south and north of Magnetawan, where the road reminds me Southwood #13 but more fun, because when it's paved you know what to expect and there are no loose surprises, and same goes for the gravel/dirt portions. Where it's gravel, it is a hardpacked gravel road and same goes with the dirt section... both are not the really loose stuff. The run from start to finish is around 120km (and more if you include the out and back of Orange Valley Road to Broadbent which also looks like a nice and dirty 40km blast).

Avoid when wet because there may be puddles hiding big potholes

Route:

[omnivore]

Now that looks like a road I have to ride before I get rid of the KTM!!

[shanekingsley]

agreed - put some knobbies on that and enjoy It's also great that you could do a sweet mix of pavement (520/518/Ravenscliffe) with the backroads. Here's the route I did and it was such a good mix of soft and hard surfaces. Route:

There's so many good little roads up there that I'm going to have to check out. It makes going up to the Muskoka's so much more worthwhile now... Also, after that run, I think from now on I'm just going to run knobbies on the front, because it made it so much better - even fully aired up, my bike must have been pushing close to 600lbs with all my camping gear, so can't wait to go up there and run it stripped with no luggage weighing me down.

[Dan Dubeau]

SHHH, don't go telling everybody about the roads around Mmagnetawan. I've got family up there (live on the 510), and have been going up there since i was born. Fantastic scenic motorcycle roads up there.

[omnivore]

The KTM came with Pirelli Scorpion Syncs, that I removed immediately. Maybe I need to put them back on and go exploring.