Ottawa may have fallen into winter weather, but that doesn’t mean you have to let your beloved bike fall to disuse. Ottawa winter cyclists are out there, proving that navigating Ottawa in the cold can still be done with the right gear and attitude. If you’re a winter biking enthusiast or just looking for a chance to get out and try biking on winter roads, then the CfSC is hosting an event for you.

To promote winter cycling, Citizens for Safe Cycling is hosting the first ever Ottawa Winter Bike Parade this Sunday. Cyclists looking to celebrate winter cycling and get out with a group of fellow cyclists can meet at Laurier and Percy at noon. The parade will head down the Laurier bike lane and is set to run show or shine. CfSC encourages cyclists to bring friends, family, noisemakers and funky accessories for the parade. The event will end with free hot apple cider at City Hall. Or, if you’d rather stay in than head out for a ride in the cold, you can track the cyclists on the City’s counter or watch them on the live video feed at the Laurier intersections.

The City has committed to clearing the segregated bike lane on Laurier, though there may be temporary closures when conditions are unsafe. The segregated lane may help cyclists feel safer, but now that the cold is here to stay the number of cyclists on the Laurier bike lane has dropped significantly. The city keeps a counter tracking the amount of trips down the lane, which has gone from a high of 2331 trips in September, to 213 last Wednesday. But, despite the huge drop in riders since the weather got cold, there are still cyclists out on Laurier and this Sunday, it may see more.

The CfSC Winter Bike Parade starts this Sunday at noon. Meet fellow winter cycling enthusiasts at noon and Laurier and Percy to take the parade up the Laurier Bike lane to City Hall. 

Internet site reference: http://www.apt613.ca