Hans on the Bike
  • The Food Map of Merivale Road in 2024

    Reading Time: 4 minutes This is the second year I am posting a Merivale Rd Food map. The 2024 Merivale Food map shows all food outlets on a stretch of Merivale Road, and the post describes who left and who started.

  • An image showing a polar bear and a pinguin skating between and around data about the Rideau Canal skateway

    Will the Rideau Canal open for skating this year?

    Reading Time: 5 minutes The Rideau Canal in Ottawa has been a beloved skating destination since 1970. However, warmer winters are affecting its ice quality and duration. With fewer days open in recent years, speculation arises about this year’s opening. Upcoming cold nights could lead the canal to open end of January and when it does, don’t wait to go out.

  • there is a new bike track and a new side walk running from the photographer into the distance along a road. An overlay text says: Visiting the new bike tracks on Byron Ave.

    New Raised Bike Tracks on Byron Ave

    Reading Time: 5 minutes Part of Byron Ave in Ottawa recently went through an integrated road, sewer and watermain upgrade. The city used that as an opportunity to upgrade the road with separate bike infrastructure. Let’s have a look!

Latest posts

The Short Life of the Ottawa & New York Railway

February 14, 2024 2

Reading Time: 12 minutes At some time in our history, Ottawa had a direct train connection to the Adirondecks and Tupper Lake in New York State via Cornwall. From there, you could travel further south to New York City. The original idea was to create a direct connection to NY, NY, but that didn’t materialise. (with video of the route)

The Food Map of Merivale Road in 2024

February 8, 2024 3

Reading Time: 4 minutes This is the second year I am posting a Merivale Rd Food map. The 2024 Merivale Food map shows all food outlets on a stretch of Merivale Road, and the post describes who left and who started.

An image showing a polar bear and a pinguin skating between and around data about the Rideau Canal skateway

Will the Rideau Canal open for skating this year?

January 11, 2024 0

Reading Time: 5 minutes The Rideau Canal in Ottawa has been a beloved skating destination since 1970. However, warmer winters are affecting its ice quality and duration. With fewer days open in recent years, speculation arises about this year’s opening. Upcoming cold nights could lead the canal to open end of January and when it does, don’t wait to go out.

there is a new bike track and a new side walk running from the photographer into the distance along a road. An overlay text says: Visiting the new bike tracks on Byron Ave.

New Raised Bike Tracks on Byron Ave

November 29, 2023 5

Reading Time: 5 minutes Part of Byron Ave in Ottawa recently went through an integrated road, sewer and watermain upgrade. The city used that as an opportunity to upgrade the road with separate bike infrastructure. Let’s have a look!

A woman and a man wearing bicycle helmets are standing in front of historic locks in downtown Ottawa

Dutch health experts increasingly vocal about helmet use

November 19, 2023 2

Reading Time: 6 minutes Dutch authorities are increasingly worried about the rise in traffic deaths among seniors on e-bikes. They would like to see Dutch seniors and children starting to wear helmets. That’s not an easy task.

Time for a new helmet: shall I go urban?

November 12, 2023 6

Reading Time: 7 minutes It was time for me to start looking for a new bicycle helmet. And just like that someone called me and we discussed the Melon helmet this spring and I ended up trying one out. One of the most contentious debates in the world of urban cycling is to wear or not to wear a helmet. While the vast majority of the Dutch absolutely despise the idea, actually can’t even imagine wearing one, the Danes are kind of split about the idea. In Canada it’s generally accepted that you wear a helmet while out on a bike, although there are [Read more…]

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