Ontario By Bike E-News: March 2026 | | |
This is the first regular edition of our e-newsletter for 2026.
Look out for it monthly through till October and in your inbox mid month. Find ride ideas, resources, inspiration, news and events to help plan your next bike ride or cycling getaway.
To ensure you never miss an update, please add our email to your address book or safe sender list.
| | Cycling Through Prince Edward County, Ontario's Rideable Wine Region | | |
Prince Edward County has quietly become one of Ontario’s most rewarding cycling destinations – not because it was engineered that way, but because of its scale. Villages sit close together, and roads connect logically. Riders rarely travel more than 10 to 15 kilometres without encountering food, water, beaches, or other natural stopping points.
This rhythm makes planning multi-day rides unusually straightforward. Rather than relying on one signature route, The County offers an interconnected network where cyclists can design any type of route from a relaxed cafe outing to a full endurance day.
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Two Days on the K&P Trail:
Sydenham to Sharbot Lake
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Cycling on rail trails is trending – it’s a choose your own adventure where you determine how far you want to go. On a mostly level, groomed stone dust gravel surface, it’s an experience available to almost all skill levels, bikes, and abilities (yes, even e-bike riders).
The K&P Trail (named for the Kingston & Pembroke Rail line and nicknamed the “Kick & Push”) is a rail trail that stretches over 180km from Kingston to Renfrew, traversing epic Canadian Shield terrain, unique biosphere topography, and passing through numerous small towns along the way.
This itinerary is an easy two-day one-way or out-and-back route that will introduce cyclists to the region from an off-road and on-trail perspective.
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NOW AVAILABLE
2026 Cycling in Ontario Guide
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We are excited to share with you the 2026 edition of the Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario guide which is now available in print and digital formats.
For information on how to receive a print copy or to view online visit: OntarioByBike.ca/2026
This is the 14th annual edition of our extremely popular free magazine publication, available in both English and French.
Get inspired to ride this cycling season with interesting articles and more than 50 day trips and multi-day ride ideas and itineraries for all different ride types.
Articles include: Rediscovering Georgian Bay; Ontario's Best Cycling Loops; Island Hopping in Eastern Ontario; Bicycle Friendly Farm Stays; The Gear - all about tires; Cycling to Good Health; and MORE.
Click the button below to read in digital format or order your free print copy.
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2026 Ontario By Bike Rides
- Booking Now Open -
| | Ontario By Bike's 2026 group rides are now available for booking. Planned for this year, are 4 fabulous weekend rides to 4 different ride destinations in Ontario that you may not have biked before. Sign up to come ride with us on an Ontario By Bike Ride this summer. | | | |
Just bring your bike and ride!
Join us on a weekend tour to explore Ontario by bike. All rides are small group (~45 cyclists) and include hotel accommodations, luggage transfer if needed, lunches, mid-ride snacks and water, parking, SAG van, ride ambassadors, social gathering, route maps, and group ride option. Let us take care of the logistics while you ride along enjoying these four cycling getaways.
To book, please use our ride booking form on our website, linked from the ride main page and each ride page. Note we only accept payment by credit card and e-transfer. Please be sure to check our 2026 cancellation policy.
For more information on all 2026 Rides visit: OntarioByBike.ca/Rides
*Be sure to book early, as our rides are extremely popular and sell out early.*
Spaces are filling fast, with one ride already sold out,
from advance booking open to past riders.
Once rides sell out, we will fill spaces as they come available from a waitlist.
Ontario By Bike/Transportation Options
TICO#50026868
Email: booking@transportationoptions.org
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Stratford & Country Gravel Explorer
OntarioByBike.ca/MayRide2026
Dates: Saturday May 23 – Sunday, May 24 (2 days / 1 night)
Total Distance: 156km
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Cataraqui Kingston Wolfe Cruiser
(Sold Out, Waitlist Only)
OntarioByBike.ca/JuneRide2026
Dates: Saturday, June 13 – Monday, June 15 (3 days / 2 nights)
Total Distance: 160km
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Simcoe County Loop Trail
OntarioByBike.ca/AugustRide2026
Dates: Saturday, August 29 – Monday, August 31 (3 days / 2 nights)
Total Distance: 173km
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Guelph Wellington Routes & Rivers
OntarioByBike.ca/SeptRide2026
Dates: Saturday, September 26 – Sunday, September 27 (2 days / 1 night)
Total Distance: 141km
| | 2026 Ontario By Bike Rides presented in partnership with: | | ® CAA trademarks are owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association | | |
2026 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards
Nominate Your Favourite Bike Friendly Business
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We're calling on you to nominate your favourite bicycle friendly business to win an award in 2026!
Do you frequent a business that:
- Excels in catering to and welcoming cyclists that visit their location?
- Goes above and beyond offering specific services and amenities for cyclists?
- Is the most bicycle friendly business in the region?
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Is certified as bicycle friendly by Ontario By Bike? (review all locations HERE)
Then we want to showcase and celebrate all that they do!
Deadline to nominate is Monday, March 23, 2026.
To nominate a business, find out more and also view past winners visit: OntarioByBike.ca/2026AwardWinners
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Ride Destination:
Guelph & Wellington County
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Throughout Guelph and Wellington County, cyclists will find scenic rural roads and well-maintained trails linking vibrant small towns, farmland, and river valleys. Historic communities offer welcoming stops for food, culture, and local exploration, while regional trail connections make it easy to extend your ride beyond the county.
In Guelph & Wellington County:
- Enjoy family-friendly trail rides along rivers and farmland on the G2G / Kissing Bridge Trailway, Elora-Cataract Trailway, and Guelph’s Royal Recreation trails.
- Explore historic small towns including Elora, Fergus, Erin, and Harriston, with cafes, shops, and markets.
- Ride scenic country roads on one of Wellington County’s Signature Cycling Routes.
- Connect to major regional trails including the Goderich to Guelph Trail (G2G), Trans Canada Trail, and Greenbelt Route.
- Visit Guelph’s vibrant downtown and markets and ride its expanding network of cycling routes and riverside trails.
- Try the Guelph Lake Mountain Bike Trails, featuring over 20 km of singletrack.
To start making plans, check out the Ontario By Bike Guelph & Wellington County Great Places to Cycle page to find more cycling info and also bicycle friendly businesses to eat, visit and sleep
Photo Credit: Wellington County
| | Photo Contest 2025 - WINNER | | |
'Afternoon light in Tommy Thompson Park ’ by Victor Cabahug from Toronto is the WINNER of our 2025 Ontario By Bike Photo Contest! Victor's photo perfectly captured the relaxing and beautiful atmosphere in Tommy Thompson Park (known as the Leslie Street Spit). The Spit is a nature area in Toronto just east of downtown (originally a human-created spit of land) that is closed to motorized vehicles and is a playground for cycling and hiking.
The 2025 photo winner is published on page 2 of the 2026 Cycling in Ontario/Le vélo en Ontario guide. Every year we receive hundreds of incredible cycling photos from around Ontario, certainly making it hard to pick a winner.
To see some more stunning shots and photos that received an honourable mention, and to find out how to submit to this year's contest, visit:
OntarioByBike.ca/PhotoContest
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2026 Cycling Events
View the 2026 Cycling Events Calendar and discover the most comprehensive list of cycling events in Ontario! Events can be displayed in your choice of list or calendar view, search for events by location, and find all the useful info you need to plan ahead and sign up to participate at events that suit your ride style in 2026.
View the full 2026 calendar here: OntarioByBike.ca/Events
*New events being added frequently, so be sure to check back throughout the year
Upcoming Events
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Get Inspired to Ride:
Gearing up for the Cycling Season?
Check how your helmet fits
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Time to start pulling all your outdoor cycling gear out of storage.
Check your helmet and make sure the straps and sizing fits well - and don't forget - you should consider replacing your cycling helmet every 3 to 5 years.
Watch above VIDEO and read this article HERE for more info.
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Recent & Upcoming Shows/Events
We were happy to be at a number of recent shows talking to so many cyclists that were keen to get riding and make plans to get out there and cycle this year. We were also pleased to be able to share with those that stopped by, advance copies of the 2026 Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario guide.
Thanks to all who came to say hello at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show, Montreal Bike Show/Salon du vélo and the Toronto Bicycle Show & E-Bike Expo.
Our Ontario By Bike Cycle Tourism Info Centre will also be at these upcoming events:
- Note: Exciting new start venue - Aga Khan Museum -
| | Local Beat - If Interested... | | |
March 22 - Georgina, York Region
This pretty area along the southern shores of Lake Simcoe is looking for input as they build out their long term plan to improve walking and cycling. Public meeting as well as gap map online for comments.
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March 24 - Campbellford, Trent Hills
Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist, a casual rider, or just getting started, the Safe Cycling Forum: Ride Smart, Ride Safe in Trent Hills might be of interest and runs from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.
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Prince Edward County: E-Bike Business for Sale
Passionate about cycling?
Looking for a post retirement or new career job?
Find out more about this established seasonal e-bike business for sale in the County and located at Base 31. Contact info on website link.
| | Powered by... Maple Syrup | |
What an exciting time of the year ... with all that winter snow melting, warmer temperatures and bright sunshine it is hard not to get a little tingling of spring fever, even if it is only March!
This time of the year is also known as maple syrup season as there are an incredibly huge number of maple syrup inspired activities, festivals and events all across the province.
If you get lucky with the weather, you might want to consider pairing a ride at one of the maple destinations featuring events listed HERE. Find a ride route near the maple outing of your choice on one of our Great Place to Cycle pages.
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Ontario By Bike Network
Project of Transportation Options
850 Coxwell Ave ~ Toronto, ON ~ M4C 5R1
Office: 416-827-2774
Toll-Free: 1-866-701-2774
Email: info@ontariobybike.ca
| | | Want to read more: Link to our e-Newsletter archive HERE | | Stay Connected with Ontario By Bike! | | |
Share using the hashtag #OntarioByBike & #BikeON!
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