Anyone have roads or routes that are particularly good for interval training?
I’m thinking low traffic, wide shoulders, not too rolley, long distances bw stop signs, etc…
I’ve been dabbling on Crowsfoot which is pretty good but there’s no real shoulder.
Thanks for any ideas!
Manser from Crosshill south to the bottom. It has a few hills towards the south end but they’re short and sharp and good during an effort.
(2 stop signs and not busy with traffic)
Oxford Road 3, going south from Washington to Drumbo is pretty quiet anytime I’ve ridden it. There is a bit more elevation south of the 401 but it flattens out south of Drumbo going towards Princeton… The only stop sign is the one in Drumbo. Only catch is Washington is ~25km from downtown Kitchener but if you wanted to drive there’s a free public parking lot in Drumbo.
2nd line and middlebrook are also both good for intervals. If you are out around Monkton there are plenty of flat long roads for getting good efforts in.
Late to this thread but my piece:
Vo2s: Columbia extension/“Vista hills loop”
10 minuters: Crowsfoot + St Charles loop (rest between on the N-S roads connecting them
20 minuters: 2nd line/4th line (make a grid) in between Ariss and Elora (we take 2nd line on Thurs loop)
The other good one worth mentioning has already kinda been mentioned here, from Welleseley at Hutchinson (where it bends westward at the nith river), if you go up the hill heading west, turn RIGHT on manser, take manser all the way to linwood (3 stop signs on manser, but only 1 of them has legit traffic (William Hastings) - and the other 2 (Deborah G and Streicher) you can look for traffic way in advance), then right in linwood at ament (no stop sign), through the roundabout at hawkesville, over the hawkesville hill, then the road bends south and takes you to the light in heidelberg. Other than the potential for a few seconds delay at William Hastings, you pretty much have 30 km of uninterrupted paved road reasonably close to town.
EDIT: fixed thanks Bopper
One correction… on Gaelen’s suggestion. The turn on to Manser off Hutchison is a RIGHT turn… you can’t turn left at that corner… unless you want to go into a bush. 
LOL
Another good road for 20 to 40 minute efforts… Oxford Road 5 - south from Punkeydoodles Corners to the stop warning sign (just before you reach the T intersection at Oxford Road 8 - Bright-Hickson hwy). This is a 10 km stretch of road with only one minor hill at the start. Depending on when you do the intervals (weekends are best - quietest times) there is very little traffic. However - this road has been freshly tar & chipped this week (or this coming week) so it won’t be ready for road riding until next season. Gravel bike would be fine.
I also have a 17 km clockwise route with no stop signs (all right turns). Starting on Nafziger Road, on the corner of Wilby Road - outside of Phillipsburg. Head North West on Nafziger Rd which has a wide paved maintenance strip and was newly paved in 2020. Turn Right onto Gerber Rd in Wellesley (at Home Hardware), this has a full bike lane and good pavement. Turn right onto Sandhills Road - no bike lane, but lighter traffic and good road surface. Turn right onto Wilby Rd - quiet no traffic road - pavement is rough but rideable. End just before Nafziger Road. First leg is 5 km with 2 rolling hills. Second leg is 3 km with one minor hill at the beginning after the turn. Sandhills is 5 km downhill, Wilby is mostly flat with a small rise to the finish. Good solid 30-40 minute effort with no stopping.
Another suggestion (if the road work is finished) - Mornington Road 121 - from Topping to Dorking (Three Sisters Bakery at Hwy 86). That stretch of road has one “hill” through Poole, but is generally flat and has a little shoulder. That is approximately 17km from stop sign to stop sign. I use the stretch from Poole Mennonite Church to the stop warning sign by three sisters as a 30 km TT. Out and back with a N to NW wind makes for some great 40-50 minute efforts. Again traffic is lighter on weekends and later evenings… during the week around 4-6 pm is not great due to volume, however traffic tends to be respectful because they are used to dealing with Horse & buggy traffic on that road, and do tend to treat cyclists’ with a bit more courteous in my experience.
Safe riding all.
Yes thank you 
FYI…Wilby between sandhills and Nafzinger had a fresh layer of chip applied earlier this summer. The tire tracks are pressed enough that it’s rideable but edges/centre hump is still a bit loose.
