Grey Highlands Gran Fondo: Housing a Cycling Club for the Markdale Ride

A club that wants one house for the weekend can start with our chalets for road-cycling groups, then match riders to routes. The organizer’s ride-info page describes the 2026 options this way:

• 2 km family ride: a short loop of Markdale streets, new in 2026, starting at 10:30 a.m.
• 26 km Sandy Matheson Memorial Route: rolling farmland south through Vandeleur, starting at 10 a.m.
• 53 km Mezzo Fondo: north to Goring and east to Rocklyn, with aid at Rocklyn Arena and Vandeleur Park.
• 77 km Medio Fondo: through Walter’s Falls and Bognor, then up the Scotch Mountain climb.
• 124 km Gran Fondo: the endurance route, including the Epping Main climb.

The ride is sanctioned by Ontario Cycling and capped at 500 riders, so register before sorting out rooms.

Markdale is not in our drive-time table. For scale, Flesherton, the neighbouring Highway 10 village, is about 49 minutes from 104 Brooker Boulevard before traffic and stops; map your own route to 75 Walker Street. Start times are staggered by route, with the shorter rides leaving later in the morning, so the riders on the longest loop set the alarm for the whole house.

Every chalet has four parking spaces and a full kitchen for an early breakfast, and all but Aqua Villa list a washer and dryer for kit. Ask us before booking about where bikes can be kept overnight.

After the post-ride lunch in Markdale, the club can drive back for a soak in the private hot tub. Sunday works for an easy spin or a stop at the Epping lookout, about 35 minutes away, for the view over the Beaver Valley. Mid-September is the tail end of the shared pool season, so do not count on a swim.

Riders who enjoyed the Rocklyn aid station can come back for the Rocklyn Fall Fair later in September.