Naturally L&A Gravel Ride
We're sold out! Thank you to the 200+ cyclists that registered!
Nothing beats a day of backroad cycling. The first annual Naturally L&A Gravel Ride takes you through the wonderful rural countryside in Stone Mills Township, crisscrossing the Salmon River into the communities of Centreville, Croydon, Tamworth and Enterprise. Enjoy live music, local treats and a glass of beer from The Napanee Beer Company at the end of the ride!
- Saturday, June 10, 2023 (rain or shine)
- Check-in: 9 – 10am
- Depart: 10am
- Start & Finish: A Good Farm, 2017 Centreville Road, Centreville, Ontario
This 53-kilometre ride offers a great mix of asphalt and gravel roadways that are perfect for hybrid & mountain bikes. The loop takes riders past actively farmed land, back & forth over the beautiful Salmon River and into several charming rural Eastern Ontario communities.
You’ll love the rest stops… they showcase our wonderful homegrown businesses feature delicious local food creations and talented musicians. It’s sure to be an amazing day of cycling you won’t soon forget.
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The Route
Beginning at A Good Farm in Centreville, the Naturally L&A Gravel Ride takes you on a wonderful 53-kilometre journey along a combination of paved and gravel roadways that are perfect for hybrids and mountain bikes! Here’s a link to the route on Ride with GPS.
More to savour than the cycling...
As much as you’ll enjoy the ride, you may love the treats even more! From sweets and coffee from Stone Corner to local honey, maple syrup from Salmon River Sugar Bush, baked goodies from Devon Cafe and much more along the way, you may be replacing all the calories burned during the ride (and then some…)! And what’s wrong with that?!?
After the ride, you’ll have many food & beverages options back at the farm. You will receive a post-ride ticket that you can use for a complimentary beverage from The Napanee Beer Company or County Bounty Artisanal Soda Company. Food will be available for purchase from Mr. Jerry’s Food Truck too!
2017 Centreville Road, Centreville
The main event venue, A Good Farm, is nestled in the rural Eastern Ontario hamlet of Centreville. Owners Kathi McNeil & Allen Good are both cyclists and welcome you to their wonderful property.
You’ll love the authentic country feel the moment you enter the property. The well-kept grounds include century old barns and a beautiful homestead that has been in the family for generations. You’re encouraged to take a guided walk to their organic apple orchard, which may still be in bloom in June!
Pre-ride
Registration packages may be picked up at the site beginning at 9 am on event day. The ride begins at 10 am. Enjoy a complimentary beverage & treat from Stone Corner and hear live music from talented performer Erik Turnbull before you leave.
Post-ride
The main barn will be the headquarters for all the post-ride festivities, including live music by Doug van der Horden and The Napanee Beer Company will be pouring their amazing craft brews. Beverages from The County Bounty Artisanal Soda Company will also be available. Mr. Jerry’s Food Truck will also be onsite for the event.
Our first stop is at Matthews Studio, located just south of Tamworth. Stretch your legs as you browse their selection of products, and enjoy ice cream drizzled with local honey produced by McTaggart Apiaries. You’ll also hear some great music from Joe Ramsay at this stop.
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Matthews Studio creates hand-crafted functional and decorative turned wood bowls, carved burls and serving accessories. The father & son team of Gary & Curtis Matthews hand pick logs from various sites throughout Eastern Ontario. They use various wood types to create very unique and functional products.
McTaggart Apiaries is boutique apiary that has been in operation since 2018. With over 30 hives on five yards in Stone Mills Township, they produce delicious raw honey and beeswax candles. They also sell very popular honey sticks that are flavoured orange, cinnamon, Pina colada and original.
Our lunch stop is going to be a real treat. Not only will you enjoy great food, you’ll also be riding into a community celebration that’s 175 years in the making!
You can rest your wheels at the bike corral at the grounds outside The Black Cat Cafe, then head to the cafe where they’ll have various food items available to purchase. You can relax on their multi-level patio and enjoy all the fun activities that are happening in the hamlet.
You’ll see that Tamworth is celebrating its 175th anniversary with a full day of events and activities for everyone… from the youngest to the young-at-heart. You’ll be immersed in the culture of this wonderful rural community that has been a hub for residents and visitors for generations. We encourage you to take some time to explore the various businesses & vendors while listening to the great live, local music performances before heading back out on the road. Anything you purchase can be brought back to the Bike Corral to be delivered back to the end venue for you to pick up after the ride.
You can learn more about what is happening at Tamworth 175 here.
Our next stop is has a very historic significance, with a sweet spin. You can fill your water bottle and stretch your legs while learning a little bit about the unique Irish history of the area. You’ll also love the maple syrup samplings from Salmon River Sugar Bush and some live music too!
The North American Gaeltacht is the only location of its kind outside of Ireland. The Tamworth area has deep ties to Ireland, and the Gaeltacht Thuaisceart on Oileáin Úir (North American Gaeltacht) serves as a venue to commemorate where original Irish immigrants that fleed the Famine settled.
While the rest stop is set up near the road, you’re welcome to ride up their laneway to where various buildings are located. These buildings host various Irish language immersion weeks and serve as a venue where speakers can make connections with each other, learn and practice Irish.
This stop is pretty a pretty basic one, but may be needed after a bit of a hilly section of the ride. You’ll be able to fill up your water bottles and take a bit of a break before continuing your journey.
This stop takes you to the quaint rural hamlet of Enterprise. You’ll love a fantastic butter tart created from scratch by Marg at Devon Cafe. You can listen to some amazing live music from Mellow Lily while you prepare yourself for the home stretch of the ride.
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You’re in good company at Devon Cafe & Five Corners Craft in Tamworth. Owners Marg and Brian will help brighten your day at the café with some homemade goodness or as you check out the store for unique and one-of-a-kind offerings.
Just a simple stop here. Fill up your water bottle and enjoy the view of Camden Lake. You’re almost at the finish line!
The Naturally L&A Gravel Ride is an open course, meaning you and your bicycles will be sharing the road with motorized vehicles. Please be safe and obey all traffic laws. All participants are required to wear a helmet. Please ride single-file.
All participants will receive a ‘Naturally L&A Gravel Ride’ route map at registration. The route is marked with turn signage. Rest stops will be well-marked as well. Each rest stop has a water bottle fill station (please bring your own bottles) and snacks to keep you refreshed and charged for the ride. Support vehicles will be making regular trips around the route. If you require assistance, please flag us down and we will assist you.
A post-ride beverage ticket will be distributed to each participant at registration. It can be redeemed post-ride for either a glass of beer from The Napanee Beer Company or a beverage from The County Bounty. The beverage will not be served until the ride is complete. Additional beverages may be purchased at the end of the ride. Please drink responsibly and arrange for a safe ride home.
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