The local place you should ride to that you haven’t - Scotch Hollow Market & Deli
I have a little secret, I know a local place you should ride to that I can almost guarantee you haven’t been. New route, new road. I know, I know…I can hear all you locals say…”I’ve ridden all roads in this area and drank coffee at all the cafes, what are you talking about?”.
Scotch Hollow Market & Deli is located in the heart of Singhampton, to the rear of Mylar and Loreta’s parking lot. New this spring, owners Scott Holmes and Kate Sparling have been huge supporters of cycling and mountain biking in the area for many years. The cafe is open most days between 10am - 5pm (10am-4pm Sun & Mon). I’ve been up to visit a handful of times now and love going back. Great staff, fresh coffee, all local baked goods, deli sandwiches, small pizza’s, oat bars, butter tarts and of course ice cream (last weekend they included fresh strawberries on it!).
So your asking, how do I get there? Personally, my favourite route includes gravel, so most of the time I take my cx bike. If you are setting out for a back road adventure, head straight up Tenth Line, climb up to the Duntroon quarry. Turn left onto Grey Road 31/Simcoe Rd 95 and continue south straight into Singhampton (Scotch Hollow will be on your right). If you prefer all paved roads, head up the Pretty River Valley, take a left at Rob Roy and follow Grey Road 31 all the way to Signhampton. There is plenty of construction going on at the top of the valley this year, however, you should be fine if you stick to Grey Road 31.
The Scotch Hollow Market & Deli follow the simple philosophy “Shop local, Eat local, Spend local, Enjoy local”….we might as well add Ride local, I think it fits just fine with the rest of the mantra. Stop by and check them out, I promise you won't be disappointed.
Roads to avoid
It looks like another amazing weekend to ride! Mid summer means the middle of road construction season in the area so there are still a few places to avoid. Construction on Fairgrounds Road has been completed from the railway tracks just south of Airport Rd to County Road 91. Grey Road 31 also has new pavement along with a healthy 1 meter shoulder for bikes (thanks to a group of locals rallying the County of Grey this past winter). Places that are still torn up include a short section at Rob Roy heading south one concession as well as Grey Road 119 from Banks to Ravenna. If you avoid these two sections, you should have a great weekend of riding.
Weekend Weather Outlook
The weather outlook couldn’t be better, sunny with temperatures in the mid to high twenties on Saturday and Sunday, with a light winds out of the west. Pretty idea weekend to ride.
See you on the road!
