Biking
Once the snow is gone, we dust off our bikes and do day trips every week or two, from late spring to early fall. Most are on the bike paths in the Ottawa area, with the occasional remote start, such as the Long Sault Parkway or the 1000 Islands Parkway, both along the St. Lawrence River. Note that we bike fairly leisurely, and take time to smell the flowers. If you're training for the Olympics, there are a number of other bike clubs that would suit you better.
Biking Program
CYCLING SAFETY GUIDELINES
We've put Cycling Safety Guidelines on our website.
CYCLING SIGN-IN SHEET
For the cycling sign-in sheet, click here.
HANDS ON THE BIKE - QUEBEC'S NEW CYCLING REGULATIONS
Quebec Reflector Requirements Don't get caught without reflectors and reflective tape! Lots of reflectors are required, and if you don't have them all, the fines are stiff. Recently, one cyclist in Montreal racked up $381 in fines for missing reflectors (and a faulty brake). The website details the requirements. Some changes in the laws in Quebec:
- Cycling with earphones or headphones is not allowed.
- Cyclists are no longer required to signal their intentions to slow down or stop. However, they must continue to signal their intentions to turn, but they are no longer required to do so if it endangers their safety. (Read: hands on the bars override signalling if the situation requires it.)
- This is interesting: When encountering a red light and an activated pedestrian light, cyclists are allowed to continue on their way. In this case, they must stop, give priority to pedestrians and proceed at a reasonable and prudent speed.
HANS ON THE BIKE WEBSITE
www.hansonthebike
An interesting blog about cycling in the Ottawa area. He has lots of neat stuff, and he'll let you know if there's a new bike path in the region.
BIKE OTTAWA WEBSITE
www.bikeottawa.ca
This website has a number of news items about cycling in Ottawa.
GO BIKING WEBSITE
gobiking.ca
This website covers cycling in Ottawa-Gatineau (including Quebec and Ontario and beyond.) Many cycling routes both locally and further away are covered.
NEW POLICE PROGRAM TO REDUCE BIKE THEFTS
The Ottawa Police Service has launched a new app called 529 Garage which aims to help cyclists in the nation's capital register their bikes, report if they've been stolen, and speed up the return of the bicycle if it is found by officers.