Road Cycling in #SJTownsByTheBay

One of the most popular places to ride in the region is on the Kingston Peninsula, a peninsula that basically separates the Kennebecasis and Saint John rivers. There are a number of scenic rides here but one of my favourites is the approximately 65 kilometer Kingston Peninsula loop. My hardest decision for this ride is where to start, or, more specifically, where do I want to finish. Sometimes I leave my car at Yip Cider, a craft cider maker with a great deck overlooking the Saint John River, or sometimes I will park at Reed’s Point Pub, which also has a great deck but this time overlooking the Kennebecasis River. I sometimes think I spend as much time deciding whether I will want a beer and burger or a cider when I am done than I do actually riding.

This ride follows Route 845 and since it is a loop it doesn’t really matter if you go clockwise or counterclockwise. If you are in the mood for a little exploring, there are a couple of side roads along the Saint John River side that go down to wharves. Around the mid to late 1800’s, the Saint John River was New Brunswick’s main highway and steamboats would travel up and down the river, stopping at these wharves and picking up produce and people. A lot of the produce would make its way downriver to places like the Saint John City Market. 

If you prefer to shorten your ride a bit, there are a couple of roads that cut from one side to the other of the peninsula. This is a hilly ride so it is one I pick when I am in the mood for a bit of a leg burn.

This ride ticks most of the boxes for me. There is no shortage of great river views. I can get an ice cream along the way at Fullerton’s Corner Market. I can see a bit of New Brunswick’s history with the riverboat wharves and a cute little covered bridge at Bayswater. And I can get a post-ride drink at either Yip Cider or Reed’s Point Pub.

Another nice ride from the Kingston Peninsula is an out and back from the small village of Kingston to the Evandale Resort and Marina for lunch. For this ride we often park at McDonald Consolidated School (when school is out) and follow Route 850 east as it passes right along the Belleisle Bay. At about 17 kilometers you can take the Belleisle ferry across the river. The Belleisle ferry is one of six free ferries on the Saint John River operated by the province as part of the highway system and taking the ferry across is both a nice break from riding and a free way to experience being on the river. Once on the north side of the river, follow Route 124 west and then cross the river at the Evandale ferry and the restaurant is right there on the water. After lunch, head back the same way for a total of about 52 kilometers.

On a hot day, there is nothing better than riding along the always cooler Fundy coast. One of my favourite ocean rides is to the east of the city on the way to St. Martins.  For this ride we usually park on Duck Pond Road, off Route 825 and ride west on the 825 through the small communities of Gardner Creek, Black River and Garnett Settlement to the junction of Route 111. We usually turn here and retrace our route back to Duck Pond as I find Route 111 a little busy with a narrow shoulder. This out and back is about 40 kilometres. Pack a picnic lunch to have on Duck Pond beach when you get back. Duck Pond beach is a long, very quiet stoney stretch of beach, perfect for a post-ride picnic. 

Last, but certainly not least, Hampton, a town about 40 kilometres east of Saint John is a great place to stage a ride. There a several loops of varying distances from Hampton but one that I really enjoy starts from the Park and Ride parking lot at the junction of Route 100 and William Bell Drive and heads east along Lakeside Road until it meets the Hammond River. Here you turn left onto Route 860. A left onto Passekeag Road takes you through some rolling farmland to Centennial Road. A left here will take you back through Hampton and to the parking lot. A right will take you to Bloomfield where you will turn onto Bloomfield Station Road and cross another one of New Brunswick’s iconic covered bridges. A left onto Route 121 will take you back to Hampton along the north side of the Kennebecasis River. This second option has the advantage of going by Kredl’s Corner Market, another popular ice cream stop. The shorter of the two options is about 30 kilometres. The longer choice adds another 8 kilometers. And Hampton has you covered for your post-ride treat. If you want a coffee and something sweet, Station 33 Café is the place. If you are in the mood for a beer, you have the choice of two brew pubs; Hampton Brewing Company on Robertson Road or Gridiron Brewing which conveniently shares a location with Beer Daddy BBQ if you are hungry for some ribs or brisket.

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There isn’t enough room here to describe all the great rides in the Saint John area, but this sample gives an idea of the variety of terrain we have.  Whether it is a coastal ride you are looking for, or maybe something along a river or pristine lake or maybe your preference is something more pastoral, it is all here.