Annual event promotes winter cycling

CTV Ottawa: Annual event promotes winter cycling CTV Ottawa's Claudia Cautillo at the parade of bikes.

Dozens of cyclists in the capital took part in the second annual winter bike parade to promote winter cycling.

The cyclists followed a short route through the streets of downtown Ottawa on Sunday  to showcase safe winter cycling.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about cycling in the winter time, people think, ‘I have to store my bike somewhere in October and pull it out in April again’ but the season is actually much longer,” said Hans Moor, President of Citizens for Safe Cycling.

Winter cyclists say as long as you are dressed to face the winter weather, anyone can cycle through the season.

“I dress just like I do for walking or skating on the canal, biking’s the same thing,” said cyclist Lana Stewart. “Long johns, some wool sweaters, something to cover my face.”

Studded tires are recommended for winter cycling, as well as wearing layered clothing and a hat and gloves to protect against the wind.

“We want to show that -20 is actually a decent temperature to cycle in,” said Moor. “There are probably thousands of people skating on the canal today, and they skate in the same temperature we are cycling in.”

Eric Goodwin regularly commutes from Sandy Hill on his bicycle to get to work in Gatineau.

“I figured rather than take the bus, I would just ride through the winter, so I sunk my bus pass money into a new bike and some new clothes, it’s been really good,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin said the annual winter bike parade raises awareness that cyclists are out on the roads throughout the winter.

“For me it’s so much faster, I don’t drive, I don’t have a car, and the bus would take me twice as long to get to work as riding,” he said.

Moor says cyclists need to look out for icy patches on the roads, but cycling is a safe activity during the winter.

“It can be done, you just have to dress a little bit warmer, and it’s a lot of fun.”

With files from CTV's Claudia Cautillo