Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.

New: Take Part in the March Giveaway: Coming Soon 3/24


Road cycling culture in Canada?
#1
I'm considering moving from the UK to Canada for work, and I wanted to find out about how it's like cycling in Canada, specifically the greater Toronto area but also open to other cities like Vancouver.
I currently live in London and love the access to parks and hills close by, cycling lanes, as well as the ability to take a train to nearby villages and cycling there. While the weather is pretty **** right now in the UK, we still do get a good summer and fall season for riding outside. Moreover, from my experience cycling in the USA vs UK, drivers are more considerate here and used to cyclists. There's also tons of group rides and clubs to meet people.
So my question is - what is the overall cycling culture like in Canada? In terms of weather, safety, access to parks, road conditions, group rides etc.? As a cyclist, how do you deal with the rough Canadian winters? Will I be disappointed if I'm used to cycling in the UK? I've never cycled in Canada so looking for any information I can get on how it's like biking there.
  Reply
#2
Hi Ian,

I currently live in Toronto, Canada. This thread kind of took me by surprise, as I think cycling in the UK looks amazing. However, if you're considering changing the scenery and want to cycle in Toronto or Vancouver I think those two places are good places to start.

I've been cycling in Toronto for about 5 years now and I can say the cycling community has grown a lot over the years and the city has done a great deal of changes to make the roads safer for cyclists. Ie. Bike lanes, road closures, road repairs and more green space. So when it comes to drivers and cyclists in Toronto. I would say there's still a big need of improvement in this area. Most drivers in the downtown core are donsiderate when it comes to cyclists downtown but that doesn't mean everyone is on the same page and this doesn't make them good drivers also. I would probably say the drivers downtown are more forgiving then drivers outside of the core.

So in terms of weather, I would say riding in the winter here is not as bad as people think. I have also been riding in the winter for the past 2 years. The city maintains all bikes lanes very well throughout the winter months as they know cycling is people's form of transportation all year long. My only advice for riding in the winter is to give yourself extra time to get to where you need to be.

So with group rides in Toronto, there's a ton of them! I'm currently in 2 different cycling clubs and there's a lot of group rides happening between the two. Not to mention, I have other friends that are passionate about cycling and they prefer riding as a group. So with that being said, you won't have to worry about shortage of group rides.

So with cycling in Vancouver I can say it's safer then Toronto. I was fortunate enough to cycle in Vancouver, but it was only for a few days. From what I experienced there in a short period of time I can say I was blown away from all the bike lanes and bike friendly shops. There's even bike lanes on the highway! I thought that was awesome. The cycling infrastructure in Vancouver is far more ahead then Toronto. From what I experienced, the drivers there are probably more considerate to cyclists then Toronto.

Overall I think both cities are a good start to get your journey going. I hope this has given you a good idea of what to expect or helped you to get a better understanding of what to expect.




(06-02-2021, 07:08 AM)ian13 Wrote:  I'm considering moving from the UK to Canada for work, and I wanted to find out about how it's like cycling in Canada, specifically the greater Toronto area but also open to other cities like Vancouver.
I currently live in London and love the access to parks and hills close by, cycling lanes, as well as the ability to take a train to nearby villages and cycling there. While the weather is pretty **** right now in the UK, we still do get a good summer and fall season for riding outside. Moreover, from my experience cycling in the USA vs UK, drivers are more considerate here and used to cyclists. There's also tons of group rides and clubs to meet people.
So my question is - what is the overall cycling culture like in Canada? In terms of weather, safety, access to parks, road conditions, group rides etc.? As a cyclist, how do you deal with the rough Canadian winters? Will I be disappointed if I'm used to cycling in the UK? I've never cycled in Canada so looking for any information I can get on how it's like biking there.
Helping broken wings fly again
  Reply
#3
Thanks for the insights @Raxel_bikes
"Carbon is faster"
  Reply
#4
Hi Ian,

Good on ya! I don't know if you've landed yet or where, but you should add Montreal to your list of cities to visit and bike. Over the past 20 years they've built up the infrastructure so that there is now 500km+ of bike lanes in the city. There are several segregated bike paths (pistes cyclables) that get you into most parts of the city, and are crisscrossed by bike lanes and 'sharrow' routes to get you quite close to where you are going. In some neighborhoods it seems there are more bikes than people, so the drivers are GENERALLY respectful of cyclists (still, there's always a few, eh?) The current mayor is an avid cyclist -- she biked down to city hall when elected -- so the future looks good. That said they use the same bad tarmac for the bike lanes as they do for the roads. Our roads are horribly: nice when freshly paved, but they deteriorate quickly.

Winters here are much more severe than Toronto, where they are mild (comparable to Boston in the US). You can get snow tires for your bike, or just get a fat bike. The bike lanes are plowed, often before the roads (to the ire of drivers). If you are outside in winter more than 10 minutes a cyclist WILL pass you. In warm months you will wait at a light with a dozen or two other cyclists during rush hour, or when on a popular route on a weekend. As well there are legions of parks here, most with at least one path through. There is a path along the Lachine Canal from the Old Port out to Lake Saint Louis, plus a connected path which goes along the Saint Lawrence River almost entirely through parks. Need I say more? And there are several bridges that connect the island to the south shore and Laval (the island city to the north) and the north shore.

Last bit: the pistes cyclables are mostly part of Route Verte, a network of bike routes which cross southern Quebec from east to west. If you bike across the province campgrounds will always have a place for you. Last year during the pandemic I took a special one of these, the P'tit Train du Nord (chekc out their website). It's an old rail line the province took over and repaved (some asphalt, some gravel) and runs 201 km from a suburb north of Montreal through Mont Tremblant to Mont Laurier, in the heart of the Laurentian mountains. They restored and repurposed all of the stations along the route -- galleries, cafes, a bike shop, a restaurant, tourist centers, etc. -- and this early 20th century route hugs lakes, rivers, and passes through the heart of villages that sprang up when the line was built. It is spectacular. There are many other famous bike routes in Quebec (Route des Bleuets comes to mind) as well as outside (you can circle the Niagara River basin behind the falls in Ontario in a few days). And I know several people who have biked from here to Ottawa, a few less who have crossed Quebec, and a handful who have crossed Canada. So I think you will be happy biking in Canada. Safe travels!




(06-02-2021, 07:08 AM)ian13 Wrote:  I'm considering moving from the UK to Canada for work, and I wanted to find out about how it's like cycling in Canada, specifically the greater Toronto area but also open to other cities like Vancouver.
I currently live in London and love the access to parks and hills close by, cycling lanes, as well as the ability to take a train to nearby villages and cycling there. While the weather is pretty **** right now in the UK, we still do get a good summer and fall season for riding outside. Moreover, from my experience cycling in the USA vs UK, drivers are more considerate here and used to cyclists. There's also tons of group rides and clubs to meet people.
So my question is - what is the overall cycling culture like in Canada? In terms of weather, safety, access to parks, road conditions, group rides etc.? As a cyclist, how do you deal with the rough Canadian winters? Will I be disappointed if I'm used to cycling in the UK? I've never cycled in Canada so looking for any information I can get on how it's like biking there.
  Reply


Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
What tools have you bought recently?
Yesterday 06:57 PM
Santini fluted frame
Yesterday 06:47 PM
Expensive bikes with crappy wheels
Yesterday 10:15 AM
Where are you from and What is your favo...
03-27-2024 11:43 PM
2007 Trek Pilot S.P.A. 5.2
03-27-2024 07:06 PM
2010 Specialized Hardrock
03-26-2024 09:16 PM
1990 Specialized Rockhopper How to Fluff...
03-25-2024 07:05 PM
Thread busted on right pedal crank
03-24-2024 08:52 PM
Trek domane tyre
03-24-2024 05:48 PM
Modern rims crack at spoke holes
03-24-2024 05:32 PM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. Painkiller
21 posts
no avatar 2. ReapThaWhirlwind
16 posts
no avatar 3. Jesper
15 posts
no avatar 4. GirishH
15 posts
no avatar 5. meamoantonio
15 posts