Ottawa Cycling News – May 2026 – Hans on the Bike

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As we approach June, there are two important events I would like to bring to your attention. Most likely you are familiar with them already: “Let’s Bike Ottawa” organised by Envirocentre and the national bike count by VéloCanadaBikes.

Let’s Bike Ottawa

The first one involves counting your cycling kilometers for a month. It is a bit of a fun thing, but it also gives you an idea how much people actually cycle, bearing in mind that the participants are still only a small sub group of all cyclists. In 2024 the total number of kilometers reached around 400,000 km, a year later it was 600,000 km. So let no one tell you that ‘no one cycles in Ottawa, this is a winter country‘. On a side note, I saw someone writing in a comment somewhere that Canada is an “artic country” as a reason for not investing in cycling infrastructure. Given that the latitude of France is similar to the GTA, Ottawa and the Quebec cities, France is by that definition an Arctic country too I guess. In 2026, exactly 10,165 people participated and 350 teams registered.

You can sign up and register here. June starts this Monday, so register now and get that Monday morning ride in. If you had an account before, you only need to login. You can connect with Strava too. There is no need for an app from what I remember, you only have to add the total km of your ride after every trip. Cumulatively in June, I cycled 54 trips and 680 km in the last two years that I participated according to my stats: it all adds up throughout the month. Note, all counters will be reset to zero per May 31st. The latest Let’s Bike newsletter can be read here with lots of useful information, such as ward rides and work shops. I signed up for a ward ride with councillor Johnson later this month. I am looking forward riding in this very Bungalow Belt ward.

Pedal poll

Vélo Canada Bikes is an organization providing a strong national voice for everyday cycling in Canada. For several years now, they run a week long count of cyclists in many different places in Canada. Volunteers take their cell phone, download an app and start counting for a given period of time at a somewhat given date. There is a bit of flexibility, there is no point standing in the pouring rain waiting for that one lonely cyclist battling into the wind, bent over their bars on the Experimental Farm. Over the years, pedestrians too have been counted and this year, bike share bikes, e-motos, cargo bikes and e-bikes will be counted too.

If you have never helped counting before, the instructions might be a bit overwhelming, but once you fold out your lawn chair at an imaginary line assigned to you, you’ll find it is not so bad. Find a lot more about how to help here.

Velo Canada Bikes is not the only one that counts, we have in Ottawa dozens of counters counting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week everyone on a bike crossing a buried wire or passing an electronic eye. I saw a counter in in camo colours in Gatineau Park this winter too, they are not bigger than a lighter nowadays.

Experimental Farm’s McCooey lane

I was crossing the Experimental Farm yesterday afternoon and saw that finally it appears all the work on McCooey lane is done. A workman was picking up all the traffic cones, two workers watched a colleague raking soil and the fences along Fisher are up again. Last August I took a photo with modules being delivered and I had assumed it would soon be done, but rumour had it that they received an oval part for a round pipe. So that took many more months of unforeseen waiting apparently. The traffic signals were still bagged though, but that shouldn’t take along anymore. Be careful with crossing until the lights are working again.

E-bikes regulation

I have always found the nomenclature of everything e-bike very confusing and so did the Ontario government apparently. Why moped-like vehicles without any sort of pedal are called e-bikes is beyond me. The only thing in common are two wheels. But things are going to change. The province is proposing different classes with each their own requirements.

From what I read and what Giacomo Panico explains on the CBC website, for those who ride e-bikes that look like regular upright-ish city bikes/trikes and drop bar type bikes with a battery somewhere mounted or built, nothing changes. For all others, roughly everything without (functioning) pedals, licensing and insurance is very likely on the horizon. You can give your input until June 7 here.

Fanmail

Hello Mr. Hans on the Bike,

I wanted to send a message of appreciation as a new biker in Ottawa. I am originally from Alberta and although have lived in the capital for a few years, only recently mustered the courage to incorporate cycling into my daily commute and exercise regimen. Your detailed photographed blogs of various routes have been very helpful for someone like me who does not have perfected knowledge of city pathways, and a bit of anxiety with athleticism.

I often turn to your page when modern apps like Google Maps or Apple cannot help, and expect to continue to do so.

I just wanted to appreciate you and your efforts. 

Just adding to this a link to the on line recreational cycling network map I created earlier this year. The story behind the map is here. Hoping to have a Google Maps version too this summer.

Previous Ottawa Cycling Magazines

• 

  Ottawa Cycling News – May 2026

  Reading Time: 4 minutesAfter a cool spring, temperatures are starting to rise again this week. I have heard from several people that on good days, the pathways were busy and people were out and about on bikes. Here are some updates and two events you could participate in and/or volunteer for. Plus a reaction from a happy cyclist.

• 

  Ottawa Cycling Updates December 2025

  Reading Time: 7 minutesThe last issue for 2025. We take a look at bike theft, a new bike mirror, a presentation in Almonte and what the effects are of the two “stop road safety’ bills in Ontario.

• 

  Ottawa Cycling Updates november 2025

  Reading Time: 6 minutesNovember cycling updates: cycling at the Riverside Hospital, a new paved pathway through Ainsley Park, Bike Ottawa’s AGM, Lights on Bikes, what is happening to the canal pathway, a cycling documentary tip on PBS and more in this newsletter.

• 

  Ottawa cycling updates – October 2025

  Reading Time: 8 minutes A pannier full of a bike related stuff, a protest on October 20th, new infrastructure pictures in town and a nerdy but sweet documentary that has nothing to do with cycling.

• 

  Cycling updates September 2025

  Reading Time: 7 minutesHere are a several updates I encountered over the last month, including a trailer for BIXI bikes in Montreal, the new underpass at Churchill and a suggestion in Quebec to use crosswalks as cross rides.

 

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