After what felt like a very long winter, the weather is finally starting to warm. And I couldn’t be happier – I’ve missed spending time in the outdoors without needing to put on 300 layers of clothing!

So early in the year, with the encouragement of my buddies from my cycling group Pedals & Pints, I signed up for Turas Mór. It’s an annual cycling event (that everyone kept raving about) which is held out in the town of Creemore. I had no idea what I was in for, but having never participated in a race or cycling event, this felt like as good a time as any to dip my toes in. And man, I had a blast! Let me tell you all about it.

Where was it?

Creemore is a small town within Simcoe County, Ontario. It’s about 130 Km northwest of Toronto and from Hamilton, it took about 2 hours to drive there. But the drive was super chill and scenic, so it didn’t even feel that long.

As I approached the town though, I started to feel nervous when I kept seeing ‘steep hill’ warnings along the roads leading into Creemore. And those hills looked scary steep! I knew I’d have my work cut out for me!

Did I win?

Well, Turas Mór is not a race, so I guess I did win. It’s an annual event put on by Creemore Springs Brewery, and it tends to sell out quickly. The town is surrounded by farms and rolling hills and it’s honestly a gravel cyclist’s Paradise. The route was mainly paved streets in the town but this quickly turned to unpaved gravel roads once you leave the centre.

The ride is a chance to connect with people with a shared interest and have fun on your bike while you push your physical limits. And lemme tell you – I pushed my limits. The hills were the hilliest I’ve ever ridden it was not uncommon to see folks walking their bikes up the hills. Right from the start, it was obvious that I was in for a long ride. 

What’s the distance?

Well, this year there were 4 different routes: 85, 60, 40, and 20 km. I did the 40 km (which almost killed me) but some of the stronger riders in the group did the 85km loop. The ideal bike for this ride would be a gravel bike. It may be tricky to do this on a road bike and my big heavy mountain bike wasn’t exactly ideal either, but I made it work.

The ride starts at the brewery, then takes you out of the town, up and down the rolling hills, then back to the starting point. There were also aid stations along the way, which provided an opportunity to get off the bike for a bit while grabbing a snack.

Did I die?

Yes! Yes, I did. I’m kidding (obviously) but it was really really hard. I started cramping a few km out from the finish line, so by the time I made it back, I was struggling to straighten my leg. But it was still great. The terrain was the kind of stuff I dreamt of riding as a kid. And the Pedals and Pints group made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. Plus, we were able to show off our group jerseys, which attracted loads of comments. The back of our jersey has written “Just One More Hill”and since the hills were the toughest part of the ride, everyone had something to say!

Final Thoughts.

Turas Mór was such a fun time. The routes were challenging without being overwhelming and the company was the best I could hope for. The cost wasn’t too much – I think it was around $130, but this included a coffee and croissant on arrival, a 6 pack of beer, snacks at the aid stations and lunch once you made it back to the starting point. So well worth it, in my opinion. I’m pretty sure that this won’t be the last time I do this ride. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be shooting events such as these. Man, that’s the dream!

Anyway, thank you for stopping by. If you enjoyed this post, I’m sure you’ll like my video about the ride that I’m currently working on. It will soon be on my Youtube channel, so head over there and get subscribed so that you don’t miss it once I upload it

Ok, stay well you guys. We’ll talk soon.

Damion