# Ottawa by Bike

> Ottawa by Bike is a curated guide to cycling routes in Ottawa and Gatineau, Canada. It covers road routes, gravel routes, and multi-use pathways across the National Capital Region, with GPS tracks, elevation profiles, photos, and local tips.

A community-maintained cycling guide with curated local routes, a cycling event calendar, and connections to local riding communities. Each route includes distance, elevation, difficulty, surface type, GPS tracks, photos, and local tips. Open-source and community-edited.

Detailed route data with full descriptions and GPX downloads: https://ottawabybike.ca/llms-full.txt

## Highlights

- There are 22 cafes along the routes.
- Quyon Ferry loop is 131.6 km — the longest route on the site.
- There are 12 beaches and swimming spots along the routes.
- There are 5 ice cream stops mapped along the routes.
- There are 80 cycling communities in Ottawa.
- 13 routes pass within reach of a swim spot.
- Britannia by Ottawa River Pathway passes by 2 places to stop — the most of any route.
- There are 5 lookouts mapped along the routes.
- Easy Loop around the Canal is only 13 km — the shortest route on the site.
- The Quyon Ferry Loop crosses provinces by ferry.
- You can bikepack to Plaisance with the Bienvenue Cyclistes program.
- The descent from Pink Lake can reach 60 km/h.
- The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour is one of Canada's oldest cycling events.
- You can ride from Ottawa to Carleton Place and Smith Falls on rail trails.
- The Champlain Lookout view is best at sunset.

## Sections

- Routes: https://ottawabybike.ca/routes
- Map: https://ottawabybike.ca/map
- Event calendar: https://ottawabybike.ca/calendar
- Communities: https://ottawabybike.ca/communities
- Local bike shops: https://ottawabybike.ca/bike-shops
- About: https://ottawabybike.ca/about

## Route Index

- [Almonte Roubaix mixes](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/almonte-roubaix-mixes/): 100 km, gravel, loop, hardest
- [Blue Sea: Véloroute des Draveurs](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/veloroute-des-draveurs/): 88 km, bike path, loop, hard
- [Britannia by Ottawa River Pathway](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/britannia-by-ottawa-river-pathway/): 31 km, bike path, loop, easiest, beginner friendly
- [Chill Loop to Lake Leamy](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/lake-leamy/): 24 km, bike path, loop, easiest, beginner friendly
- [Day-ride to Wakefield!](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/wakefield/): 46 km, gravel, loop, easy, beginner friendly
- [East End Petrie Island](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/east-end-petrie-island/): 20 km, bike path, one-way, easy, beginner friendly
- [Easy Loop around the Canal](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/easy-loop-around-the-canal/): 13 km, bike path, loop, easiest, beginner friendly
- [Epic Buckingham ride!](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/epic-buckingham-ride/): 93 km, mixed surface, loop, hardest
- [Experimental Farm and Carlington Woods](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/experimental-farm-and-carlington-woods/): 26 km, bike path, loop, easiest, beginner friendly
- [Gatineau Park: Meech Lake + Champlain Lookout](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/gatineau-meech-lake-champlain-lookout/): 63 km, bike path, loop, hardest
- [Gnarly ATV near Pakenham](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/gnarly-atv-near-pakenham/): 29 km, gravel, loop, average
- [Gravel Cup: 2022 Fall Grally](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/gravel-cup-2022-fall-grally/): 81 km, gravel, loop, hard
- [Gravel Cup: 2023 Spring Runoff](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/gravel-cup-2023-spring-runoff/): 111 km, gravel, out-and-back, hardest
- [Greenbelt](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/greenbelt/): 46 km, gravel, loop, average
- [Greenbelt Loop](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/greenbelt-loop/): 15 km, road, loop, easy
- [Hopetown Classic Loop](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/hopetown-classic-loop/): 78 km, gravel, loop, hardest
- [Let's visit Aylmer](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/aylmer/): 34 km, bike path, loop, easy, beginner friendly
- [Ottawa to Carleton Place and Smith Falls](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/carleton-place-and-smith-falls/): 80 km, bike path, one-way, average
- [Ottawa to Plaisance](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/ottawa-to-plaisance/): 71 km, road, one-way, hard
- [Pink Lake in Gatineau Park](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/pink-lake-in-gatineau-park/): 40 km, bike path, loop, easy, beginner friendly
- [Pink-Aylmer](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/pink-aylmer/): 80 km, bike path, loop, hard
- [Quyon Ferry loop](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/quyon-ferry-loop/): 132 km, gravel, loop, hardest
- [Richmond - Manotick](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/richmond-manotick/): 92 km, road, loop, hard
- [The Big Loop Around Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/the-big-loop-around-ottawa/): 32 km, bike path, loop, easy, beginner friendly
- [Towards Carp](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/carp/): 68 km, road, loop, hard
- [Vincent Massey and Beyond](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/vincent-massey/): 40 km, bike path, loop, easiest, beginner friendly
- [Wesley Clover & Shirley's Bay](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/shirleys-bay/): 52 km, bike path, out-and-back, average
- [Winchester Milk Run](https://ottawabybike.ca/routes/winchester-milk-run/): 78 km, gravel, loop, average

## Upcoming Events

- Wednesday Gravel Ride: May 6 – October 21, 2026, Major's Hill Park, Byward Market, Lowertown, Rideau-Vanier, Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Ontario, Canada
- BMX Local Race Night: May 7 – October 31, 2026, Nepean BMX Track, 93 Houlahan St, Barrhaven
- NCC Weekend Bikedays: May 9 – October 12, 2026

## Local Communities

- [Queer Bike Club](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/queer-bike-club/): Queer rides, bikepacking plans, and easy ways to join in, 21 events
- [For Our Kids](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/for-our-kids/): Climate-action family rides — the force behind Kidical Mass Ottawa, 12 events
- [Black Girls Biking in Ottawa/Gatineau](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/black-girls-do-bike/): Monthly rides by and for Black women in the capital region, 5 events
- [#OttBike Social](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottbikesocial/): Slow bike rides with nice people, 5 events
- [Centretown Gravel Rides](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/centretown-gravel-rides/): Gravel rides that start Downtown, 4 events
- [Step Thru Community Cycling](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/step-thru/): Feel the Party Pace!, 4 events
- [Canadian Shield Bikepacking](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/canadianshieldbikepacking/): Bikepacking stories, skills, and campfire plans, 3 events
- [Ottawa Women's Cycling Club](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottawa-womens-cycling-club/): 3 events
- [Rack à bécik](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/rack-a-becik/): Atelier collectif de vélo à Gatineau — vélos usagés, pièces et réparation libre-service, 3 events
- [MTB Chicks](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/mtb-chicks/)
- [re-Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/re-cycles/): Not-for-profit bicycle recycling and DIY repair shop
- [Recyclore](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/recyclore/): Volunteer-run charity keeping bikes out of the landfill
- [Trips for Kids Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/trips-for-kids-ottawa/): Outdoor recreation for Ottawa's underserved youth — biking, skating, snowshoeing
- [Vélo Vanier](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/velo-vanier/): Free bike lending program for Vanier residents
- [Ottawa Bicycle Club](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottawa-bicycle-club/): Club rides and long-standing tours on Ottawa Valley roads, 23 events
- [Critical Mass Ride](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/critical-mass-ride/): 13 events
- [Let's Bike Month](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/letsbikeottawa/): Workshops and bike month events to help more people ride, 12 events
- [Gravel Cup](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/gravel-cup/): Gravel races and big days out across the valley, 8 events
- [Nepean BMX Association](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/nepean-bmx/): BMX race nights and first laps for new riders, 6 events
- [Tour de Gatineau](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/tour-de-gatineau/): UCI women's road racing in Gatineau, 5 events
- [Bekane Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bekane-cycles/): Night rides and downtown spins with good company, 4 events
- [CN Cycle for CHEO](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/cn/): Ottawa's big spring ride for kids' cancer care at CHEO, 4 events
- [JHIntegration Velo](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/jhintegration-velo/): 4 events
- [Bike Race Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bike-race-ottawa/): Preston Street racing with room for every category, 3 events
- [Grimpeurs Cycling Club](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/grimpeurs-cycling-club/): A welcoming multicultural cycling community in the National Capital Region, 3 events
- [Somersault Events](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/somersault-events/): Triathlons, duathlons, and running races across the Ottawa region, 3 events
- [Bakkers Trailblazers](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bakkers-trailblazers/): Teaching biking through the lens of MTB, 2 events
- [BIKE MINDS](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bike-minds/): Stories, ideas, and bike people around a cafe table, 2 events
- [Bike Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bike-ottawa/): Rides and advocacy for safer cycling in Ottawa, 2 events
- [Cycling Ottawa-Gatineau En vélo!](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/cycling-ottawa-gatineau-en-velo/): Longer road rides out past the city, 2 events
- [MS Canada](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ms-canada/): Two-day charity rides through eastern Ontario, 2 events
- [Omnium Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/omnium-ottawa/): Grassroots race nights with a playful edge, 2 events
- [Ottawa Bike Café](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottawa-bike-cafe/): Winter riding workshops with practical city advice, 2 events
- [Ride with Rendall](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ride-with-rendall/): Ottawa's Tuesday Night Crits and youth/adult race programs, 2 events
- [Wendigo Ultra](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/wendigo-ultra/): Winter fat bike ultra on frozen rail trails, 2 events
- [Ottawa Fixed Gear](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ofg/): Brunch rides and easy company for the fixed gear crowd, 1 events
- [One Cycling - Ottawa Cycling Group](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/one-cycling-ottawa-cycling-group/): 1 events
- [Cycling Guide App](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/cycling-guide/): Free app that finds low-stress cycling routes so you can ride with less traffic
- [Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/kanata-nepean-bicycle-club/): Sometimes ambitious, always social
- [NCR Spoke Sisters](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ncr-spoke-sisters/)
- [Ottawa Mountain Bike Association](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/omba/): OMBA continues to advocate for more trail access in the Ottawa region.
- [Pedalheads](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/pedalheads/): We teach kids the skills to confidently ride on their own
- [r/bikeinottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/r-bikeinottawa/): Ottawa's biking community on Reddit
- [Western Ottawa Cycling Community](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/western-ottawa-cycling-community/): A group for cycling enthusiasts who ride in Ottawa's west end

## Local Bike Shops

- [Bikemobile](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bikemobile/): Mobile bike repair — repairs, mobile
- [Bushtukah](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/bushtukah/): Ottawa owned and operated since 1999 — repairs
- [Cyclepower](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/cyclepower/): Carling Avenue bike shop with deep roots in Ottawa's racing community — repairs
- [Decathlon](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/decathlon/): Sports retailer with bikes, gear, and in-store bike maintenance — repairs
- [Dinardo's Skis & Wheels](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/dinardos/): Bell's Corners ski, bike, and hike shop — repairs
- [Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/escape-bicycle-tours-and-rentals/): Guided tours and bike rentals on Sparks Street — rentals, tour
- [Euro-Sports](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/euro-sports/): Hintonburg shop for cycling, nordic skiing, and custom Prologue frames — repairs
- [Fresh Air Experience](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/fresh-air-experience/): Cycling and cross-country skiing shop in Wellington Village — repairs
- [Full Cycle](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/full-cycle/): Community bike shop with two locations since 1994 — repairs
- [Helping with Bikes](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/helping-with-bikes/): Registered charity providing refurbished bikes to families in need
- [Joe Mamma Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/joe-mamma-cycles/): Family-owned bike shop on Bank Street since 2004 — repairs
- [K2O School of Bicycle Mechanics](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/k2o-school-of-bicycle-mechanics/): Training school, repair shop, and custom builder in west Ottawa — repairs, workshop, mechanic-school
- [Kunstadt Sports](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/kunstadt/): Four-season ski, bike, and tennis shop with four area locations — repairs
- [Let's Go Cargo](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/lets-go-cargo/): Explore Ottawa by e-cargo bike — rentals, cargo, ebikes, accessibility
- [McCrank's Cycles & Skis](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/mccranks-cycles/): Service-oriented Hintonburg bike and ski shop since 1992 — repairs
- [MEC](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/mec/)
- [Nomades du Parc](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/nomadesduparc/): Bike rentals and trail access at the gates of Gatineau Park — gravel, mtb, workshop, group-ride
- [Ottawa Mobile Bike Repair](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottawa-mobile-bike-repair/): Ten years of professional bike repair, at your door — repairs, mobile
- [Ottawa Tool Library](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/ottawa-tool-library/): Practical bike maintenance workshops you can use right away — workshop
- [Phat Moose Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/phat-moose-cycles/): Full-service bike shop on Hawthorne since 2003 — repairs
- [Polo Vélo](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/polo-velo/): Les pros du vélo depuis plus de 60 ans — repairs
- [Quick Cranks](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/quick-cranks/): Ottawa and Gatineau bike shop focused on service and accessibility — repairs
- [Rack à bécik](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/rack-a-becik/): Atelier collectif de vélo à Gatineau — vélos usagés, pièces et réparation libre-service — workshop, social
- [re-Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/re-cycles/): Not-for-profit bicycle recycling and DIY repair shop — workshop, social
- [Rebec & Kroes Cycle and Sport](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/rebec-and-kroes/): Family-owned bike shop on Alta Vista since 1989 — repairs
- [Recyclore](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/recyclore/): Volunteer-run charity keeping bikes out of the landfill
- [RentABike](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/rentabike-ca/): Bike rentals on the Rideau Canal — rentals
- [Tall Tree Cycles](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/tall-tree-cycles/): Bicycle boutique on Sunnyside — repairs
- [Tunes on Wheels](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/tunes-on-wheels/): Mobile bike repair at your door — repairs, mobile
- [UOSU Bike Co-op](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/uosu-bike-co-op/): DIY Bicycle Repair — workshop, repairs
- [Velofix Ottawa](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/velofix-ottawa/): Mobile bike shop that comes to you — repairs, mobile
- [Z's Bike Fix](https://ottawabybike.ca/communities/z-s-bike-fix/): repairs