Reading Time: 3 minutes A new detour on the Ottawa River Parkway came into effect. I went out and checked it out for you. It is well signed, but I am not sure about those 'walk your bike' signs. The post Ottawa River Pathway detour near War Museum appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes This morning's local newspaper reports on the NCC mulling the Queen Elizabeth Drive as an alternative for the Rideau Canal Skateway after several disappointing skate seasons. Even the mayor might be on board. Here is the entire article. The post NCC mulls replacement for Rideau Canal Skateway. “QED likely”: spokesperson appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

Reading Time: 6 minutes As weather patterns change, more cities are looking into retaining rainwater locally longer. Here are some cool examples from the Netherlands and an article I found in a Dutch newspaper (translated). The post The Street as a Sponge appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

Reading Time: 4 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. The post Will the Rideau Canal open for skating this year? appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

Last week I showed a number of new bicycle infrastructure improvements in Ottawa. This week we'll look to several more new bike infrastructure projects in the city ..read more

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! The post New Raised Bike Tracks on Byron Ave appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

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. The post Dutch health experts increasingly vocal about helmet use appeared first on Hans on the Bike ..read more

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...] The post Time for a new helmet: sha ..read more

Reading Time: 7 minutes After our adventures on the Portuguese rail to trails in Dão and Évora, we moved on to Lisbon. The bike adventures in Portugal weren’t over yet though. We found another trail, one that would get us to the Atlantic Ocean. No cycling on Google Maps Portugal (as per 2023) Unfortunately Google doesn’t show bike infra options in Portugal yet, but Open Street Map does. Lisbon has a number of urban bike lanes and tracks. Totally coincidentally, there was a separate bike lane running right across from our apartment, near Oriente station, clearly designed to get people to this l ..read more

Reading Time: 7 minutes The Estriade is a 22 km bicycle route on a former railway bed. Combined with a route through a National Park, it makes for a lovely 52 km route, all on separate pathways. The post A 52 km loop along the Estriade and Yamaska National Park in Quebec appeared first on Hans on the Bike - Cycling in Ottawa ..read more