Riding the old Push Trail

Jeff Green | Jul 15, 2020

Brendan Gorman loves cycling on trails and gravel roads all over the Ottawa Valley. From his home base in Renfrew he has been organising the Gravel Cup for a couple of years, a series of events that run from spring to fall, each one in a different location. They are geared to dedicated cyclist but each on includes a shorter course from more recreational cyclists.

2020 was going to be a banner year for Gorman and his cycling events.

Unfortunately, like so many other grand plans in 2020, the Gravel Cup saw event after event get canceled for this year, and the entire series has ultimately been scrapped.

Undaunted Gorman is planning a ride he has always wanted to undertake, with family members and close friends in his bubble. The plan is to ride the entre length of the K&P rail line, from Renfrew to Kingston, 170 kilometres, on Sunday July 26th, stay over in a hotel in Kingston, and then ride back the next day.

An ATV will support the cyclists between Renfrew and the Trailhead in Verona, and will pick them up on the way back.

“I have done most of the sections we will be riding, except the parts in Central and South Frontenac,” he said when contacted this week, “and I am looking forward to the new sections.”

The new, smooth and flat section between Sharbot Lake and Kingston will be welcome by the riders, because 170 km on consecutive days is a significant ride, he said.

And when they reach Kingston, “we will be looking for a brew pub because there will be some beer involved” he said.

The Verona ATV, Kingston Velo Sport, Back Forty Cheese, and Frontenac County have all been contacted and will be providing support of one kind or another to the riders, who will be documenting the ride in video.

The former K&P rail line, which was called the Kingston to Pembroke line (K&P) but was only completed between Kingston and Renfrew, and from reason was never renamed K&R, perhaps so it could keep the nickname Kick and Push, has been re-purposed as an almost continuous trail.

“There is on section, about 10 kilometre,s around Calabogie Lake, where we will need to detour on Hwy. 511,” said Gorman, “but the rest is fine. And that detour is only because a small bridge is out, otherwise we could us the trail all the way. The only other exception is a section in North Frontenac between Snow Road Station and the Gulley Road, south of the Mississippi

If the ride goes well, look for a K&P themed ride in the Gravel Cup in a future year.

The ride will be chronicled on the Gravel Cup Facebook page.