- Cycling to Kìwekì Point in Ottawa
Reading Time: 6 minutesWe cycled to the recently opened Kìwekì Point, formerly known as Nepean Point. It is very well done and I encourage you to go and check it out. Here is a short description with a dozen photos.
- When are the NCC Parkways open for cycling in 2025?
Reading Time: 3 minutesOnce again, the 2025 NCC bike days and closing of the Gatineau Parkways for car traffic in one handy overview. Stick it on your fridge or store it on your cell phone.
- Is this funky bike cage being used?
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhile cycling through Guimarães in Portugal, we stumbled on this extravagant bike cage that was not being used. I had to check it out.
- Rethinking the Rideau Canal
Reading Time: 7 minutes Over the last two decades, boating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa has dropped considerably. More bike rides are on average counted on a single day than the total number of vessel movements on the canal during the entire season. Is it time to refocus for Parks Canada?
- A stone frigate in downtown Ottawa?
Reading Time: 5 minutesYou may have noticed an historic house boarded up across from city hall on the south side on Lisgar. It has an interesting story: it was a a so called 'stone frigate'.
- Gravel roads may return to suburban Ottawa
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn its quest to find savings, our city is looking into more gravel roads, even in suburbs. Here is the article I saw today.
- Should Ottawa – Gatineau try a bike share again?
Reading Time: 6 minutes We have had a bike share before in Ottawa. With LRT expanding, it might be time to look at it again. If we Quebec City can do it, we should be able too.
- How Strong Towns Ottawa got their Bank Street data
Reading Time: 6 minutesIt is not always easy to get data from the City of Ottawa. Strong Towns Ottawa had to go through a city councillor's office to receive the data they wanted to see. And then they got a 2500+ pages PDF with raw data of a Bank Street on line survey.
- A Bicycle Shed in Your Front Yard
Reading Time: 4 minutesCycling through Dutch towns, I started to notice more and more bike sheds in front yards. Back home, I took a look at the Dutch rules for building them and they are pretty relaxed about them. Let's see how they look like and what is allowed.
- New Cycling Infrastructure in Arte Nova Aveiro
Reading Time: 6 minutesLast October, we visited Aveiro in Portugal, a lovely mid sized town with pleasant weather. It is known for its salt lagoons (birding) and its Arte Nova. Cycling might be a good third thing to enjoy in this flat town behind the Atlantic coast.
- You can now see the ‘Fietsberaad’ website in Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutesFor the longest time we were not able to access two important Dutch cycling websites, but this has now changed. And you can sign up for their newsletter.
- Canadian Urban Institute 2024 conference wrap up: “Stop planning, start building”
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Canadian Urban Institute held its annual conference in Ottawa late 2024 and discussed the challenges of Canadian cities.
- Merivale Road Food Map 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutesHere is the annual overview of the Merivale Food scene, already in its third year. More Indian food, more grocery stores and a few name changes. Check out the map with all the possible places to eat or take out food on the stretch of Merivale Road, Clyde and a bit of Baseline.
- Cycling de Ecopista in Guimarães
Reading Time: 6 minutesThis fall we visited Guimarães and cycled the local Ecopista to Fafe. Here is a short impression and pictures to give you an idea of the pathway in this pretty northern Portugal town.
- November 7: opening new bike lanes with Ariel Troster
Reading Time: 3 minutesThursday November 7 at 11 am, ride with councillor Troster in Ottawa
- Off the Couch: Protest Ride Today
Reading Time: 5 minutesToday, we'll protest against the new law that forces municipalities to ask permission to build a bike lane if it hinders drivers. And worse, to remove existing bike lanes.
- Cycling the Thousand Islands Parkway from Gananoque
Reading Time: 5 minutesAs we turn on the Thousand Islands Parkway from Gananogue, we notice two police cars with their lights flashing. One of the cops is walking in the grass. As we get closer, we noticed he has a carbon race bike in his hands, mangled. Was it a collision, or did a bike just fall off a car? We will never know.
- Cycling the New York Central Fitness Trail in Russell-Embrun
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhen I was writing my blog post about the short lived Ottawa - New York Central Railway, I noticed that part of the former tracks were paved between Russell and Embrun, Ontario and baptised as the New York Central Fitness Trail. Time to check it out.
- My First Time in a Kayak on the Ottawa River
Reading Time: 7 minutesLast week, Maria, the owner of Escape Tours, invited me for a short kayak trip on the Ottawa River. Here are our experiences.
- Are Dutch Bikes Still Dutch?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn August 4, 2024 the Bicycle Craft Brewery in Ottawa hosts a Bikes + Beer pop up in Ottawa featuring sales of used Dutch bikes. But what makes a Dutch bike Dutch nowadays?
- New cycling film festival at the University of Ottawa
Reading Time: 2 minutesOn August 30-31, 2024, Joerg Esleben, Associate Professor, on behalf of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures organises a Cycling film festival at the University of Ottawa. This event will be the festival’s first North American screening.