Always In Motion
LIFESTYLE
Together in this
WHERE DOES CYCLING TAKE YOU?
Welcome to the OC Lifestyle webpage, a hub for all things cycling – routes, gear, tips and more. Join us on this healthy, adventurous, sustainable journey and explore our province on two wheels. It doesn’t matter if you are new to cycling or if you are a passionate veteran; this page is designed to cater to all your cycling needs.
Ontario’s vibrant community of cycling enthusiasts not only share a passion for racing but also for our all-common love – the freedom on two wheels. Together with our partners, we provide a huge bandwidth for recreational topics beyond simply providing routes. Ontario Cycling is committed to promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through the power of cycling.
Our team of seasoned cyclists and sports experts is available to guide you through this journey. Discover insightful tips and tricks that will enhance your skills and performance, keep you safe on the road, and show you awe-inspiring routes in the province. Don’t wait any longer, grab your helmet, hop on your bike, and embark on the next journey toward a brighter, more active future.
WELCOME TO ONTARIO
Ontario has a lot to offer. Exploring the province by bike is probably the most beautiful option. Cycling will provide the freedom of drifting away along the rivers and lakeshores or rolling over the escarpment or the highlands. Discover the hidden gems that might otherwise go unnoticed, and let the journey become on mesmerizing experience.
Our partner Ontario by Bike offers everything you might looking for. Whether you are interested in meandering recreational trails, rugged mountain biking terrain or paved road riding, there are trail and route types suitable for any kind of rider. Many of the rides range from accessible trails in the city to charming country roads.
There is something for everyone. Dust off your bike, grab your helmet and get ready for a journey like no other. Ontario eagerly awaits you.
For cyclists, the Ontario By Bike™ Network offers a variety of information on cycling in Ontario; inspiring visitors and residents to explore more by bike. Find great places to cycle in Ontario with links to useful cycling maps and plan your day trip or multi day cycling itineraries with stops at certified bicycle friendly businesses enroute. Click on map above to see all locations.
YOUR FRIENDLY BIKE SHOP IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Bike packing - The art of slow riding
What is Bike Packing
Simply put, bikepacking is a combination of all-terrain cycling and backpacking. Carrying only the essentials, it allows one to explore corners of nature impossible to traverse with other types of vehicles. Due to travel occurring on single-track dirt and gravel pathways using a mountain or gravel bike, a multi-day bikepacking adventure also allows one to cover more ground than with regular backpacking.
What Type of bike to i need?
The great thing about bikepacking is that the bike you currently have should be good enough for the adventure. Due to the nature of bikepacking, which involves travelling on dirt roads, trails, and gravel pathways, mountain or gravel bikes would be preferable.
KEY COMPONENT OF A BIKEPACKING BIKE
Since bikepacking involves overnight adventuring on low-traffic single-track dirt and gravel trials, it is important that you check, and potentially modify, certain aspects of your bike to ensure safety and comfortability. Some parts of the bike you should focus on includes:
Ensure they work efficiently! Hydraulic brakes are becoming more common and more reliable, however, there are also many reliable disc brakes. Pick the brakes you find more reliable and are more comfortable with.
This aspect of your bike heavily impacts comfort, so it is very important that you find what style you prefer. Alt mountain bike bars and flared gravel bars are preferred by many regular bikepackers as they provide much comfort; however, this may not be the case for you. Be sure that you find and test what is comfortable for you before heading out on your overnight bikepacking adventure!
You will be on your bike for long periods of time, so a comfortable seat is essential!
Make sure you have a good set of tires that can handle all types of terrain, or at least the terrains you know you will encounter on your bikepacking route(s).
If this is your first time bikepacking, it is important to remember that you will be carrying much more equipment on your bike than you usually do, and more equipment means a heavier bike. The extra weight on your bike will result in you needing a much lower gear for climbing. Therefore, before you leave, be sure your bike can support the necessary gear. If it does not, you can always either upgrade your bike or pack within your current gear range.
While these are some aspects of your bike you should pay extra attention to before leaving on your bikepacking adventure, it is not an exhaustive list. Be sure to check all parts of your bike for safety and comfort before beginning your journey.
More information
It is important to spend time thinking and researching what and which types of equipment you should be packing for your excursion. Remember, if you are trying this kind of excursion for the first time or do not plan on participating in it many times a year, it may not be worth buying new fancy equipment. Try to use the camping or backpacking equipment you already have or borrow a family member’s or a friend’s equipment.
Since bikepacking is a combination of backpacking and all-terrain cycling, it should be no surprise that you should be bringing everything a backpacker and all-terrain cyclist would bring on their adventures. Some equipment that is important to bring include:
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Backpacking/mini stove
- Water Bottle
- First Aid Kit
- Bug Spray
- Hiking Boots
- Food
- Bike Shoes
- Helmet
- Tire/tube Repair Kit
- Chain Tool
- Extra Chain
- Portable Tire/Bike Pump
- *Weather-appropriate Clothing
- Spare Tube
* Ensure you pack layers! It is common for it to be cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon, and cold at night. Weather can also be unpredictable so be sure to pack extra clothes and a raincoat in case it suddenly begins to rain
One advantage of bikepacking is that you have your bike, which means you do not have to carry all of your equipment on your back. However, it is important to note that bike bags can be expensive, so carrying equipment on your back and strapping it to your handlebars can be a cheap and effective alternative. If you are looking to buy some bike bags, some common ones utilized by experienced bikepackers are:
- Large Seat Bag
- Handlebar Bag
- Water Bottle Cage
- Frame Bag
- Top-Tube/Gas Tank/Bento Box Bag
Keeping your bike light will allow for a more pleasurable bikepacking experience. Therefore, be sure to pack only the essentials and place most of the weight as low as possible on your bike.
If you are new to bikepacking, it would be a good idea to select a short route close to home and only spend one night. This gives you one less thing to be stressed about as you are familiar with the area, so you will be more confident on the route and campsite.
If you do not know any bikepacking routes, you can also search the internet for routes. There is an entire community of bikepackers out there who have ridden and created different routes, so there is bound to be one in the location you are looking for. If you want to be a little more adventurous, you can also create your own route. When creating your own route, it is important to remember that it is better to cycle on low traffic/traffic-free routes as this allows for immersion in the experience, including nature and riding, and increased safety.
Finally, no matter if this is your first or fiftieth bikepacking adventure, it is important to always have a backup plan. Weather, equipment malfunctions, and accidents are not always predictable; therefore, it is important to know the area you are travelling through just in case you need to find an indoor place to stay, a bike repair shop, or emergency help/hospital.
Hopefully you now have enough information to start planning and researching your own bikepacking adventure! Have fun and be safe journeying to places many have not.
GRAVEL ROUTES
Gravel cycling is becoming more and more popular. It involves traversing unpaved roads and paths, adding an adventurous twist to the traditional biking experience. With a blend of off-road excitement and endurance, gravel cycling attracts enthusiasts seeking to explore nature while enjoying a challenging ride. The versatility a gravel bike, which is designed to handle rough terrains and various surfaces, allows riders to access into remote areas and picturesque landscapes that are mostly inaccessible by conventional road bikes.
Gravelmap is an interactive database of gravel and dirt roads and paths, submitted and managed entirely by gravel enthusiasts. It was started with two purposes in mind: give people a way to discover new gravel roads and allow them to post and manage their favorite routes for others to enjoy. Web-based mapping tools are a great resource for planning rides, and while they generally contain plentiful road data, they have a couple of shortcomings.
Online maps generally do not give any indication of a road’s surface type. If you’re planning on riding gravel (or if you want to avoid it), you must rely on satellite imagery, which may or may not tell you what you need to know about a road’s surface. Unless you’ve ridden or driven the road before, the process is largely one of guesswork.
Occasionally, especially in rural areas, an appealing road on a map may end up being inaccessible due to land ownership, gates, adverse conditions or other situations that a map alone will not indicate. That’s why all routes on Gravelmap are user-created. We encourage people to post routes that they’ve ridden before and know are free of restrictions. As a result, while gravel roads don’t show up on Gravelmap until someone adds them, you can use them to plan a ride with confidence.
Photographer Acknowledgement
The photographs and images used on the official website of Ontario Cycling are courtesy of:
The photographs and images used on the official website of Ontario Cycling are courtesy of:
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