Exploring the personal stories of those who choose biking as a lifestyle
Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is a city in constant growth, and with that expansion comes the development of new infrastructure to accommodate its residents. Among the many changes, cycling has become an increasingly popular mode of transportation, exercise, and leisure.
The city has responded to this demand by investing in new bike lanes, multi-use paths, and cycling-friendly initiatives, making it easier and safer for residents to travel on two wheels.
As a result, Ottawa’s cycling community is thriving, with more people choosing to bike for their daily commutes, weekend rides, and even as a primary means of transportation.
To better understand the impact of cycling in the city, we spoke to several avid cyclists who shared their experiences.
Many highlighted how biking has transformed their daily routines, offering a faster and more enjoyable way to navigate the city compared to driving or public transit.
Others spoke about the positive effects on their health, emphasizing improvements in fitness, mental well-being, and overall lifestyle.
Beyond the physical benefits, some riders mentioned how cycling has given them a new perspective on Ottawa, allowing them to explore areas they wouldn’t have otherwise seen and fostering a greater sense of connection to the city.
Cycling Represents Freedom, Fitness and Friends
For Alain Paradis, a graphic design program coordinator and professor at Algonquin College, cycling is a lot more than just getting on a bike and peddling.
“I love to cycle for the health benefits, both mental and physical,” said Paradis. His first real cycling experience began in the summer of him being in ninth grade.
“I’ve always had a love for cycling and I did it in my teens, where I gained more experience when I had a cycling trip through Europe. I traveled through Ireland, France and Germany,” said Paradis.
However, having kids and starting a family made Paradis put a pause on some of the things he loved to do like being an avid cyclist. He got back into cycling about ten years ago but found it was not as easy when he was a teenager.
“When I got back in the saddle, it was quite a struggle to get any significant distance done,” Paradis said, “It took time to get back into shape. The first ride I did was about six kilometers and I was huffing and puffing.”
Once, Paradis cycled more often he found the sport to be incredibly rewarding and it reminded him of why he started cycling when he was a teen in the first place.
Exercising is an important part of his day too and cycling played an important part in that for him too. “Cycling, like many other forms of outdoor activity, is great exercise, so it’s good for the body,” Paradis said.
Now that Paradis has been cycling more often for enjoyment, exercise and mental well-being; he can cycle over 50 kilometers without the huffing and puffing.
“There’s just something that feels so natural about a human being pedalling a bicycle,” Paradis said, “One aspect I really appreciate is that cycling really gives us the opportunity to appreciate our surroundings, rather than speeding by them in a car.”
Paradis’ favourite way to bike is away from all the hustle and bustle of the Ottawa downtown traffic. Living on the east side of Orléans, allows him to leave directly from his house and explore gravel roads in Cumberland, Hammond, Limoges, and beyond.
“Riding on gravel roads is really relaxing because of how little vehicle traffic goes there,” Paradis said, “I can ride in the middle of the road and hear cars coming from quite a distance. In my opinion, it’s a much better experience than riding on a busy street in the city.”
When I asked Paradis about any advice he has for beginner cyclists he said, “I would just say don’t worry about spending a lot of money on equipment, just get out there and pedal.”
To Me, Biking Means Freedom and Active Living
“I’ve been riding bikes ever since I was a little kid as a way to get to school and see friends. As a cyclist now, I’m just doing what I’ve done my whole life,” said Eddie Warren, a Level 2 student at Algonquin College, studying aircraft maintenance.
Warren now bikes for many reasons, one of the main reasons is that he commutes to Tunney’s Pasture to catch the bus to Algonquin College. He even commutes in the winter time, not minding the cold and snowy pathways.
“I continue to commute by bike because unlike driving, I don’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic or finding parking,” said Warren.
The winter conditions though can take a toll on Warren and he feels while the city pays more attention to city roads, very few bike lanes and paths are ploughed.
“For cyclists this means we have to adapt our routes to roads with ploughed bike lanes or drive or take transit more often if biking isn’t feasible,” said Warren.
Sometimes though he can find having to take public transit to be a nuisance. “Cycling can beat public transit as it allows me independence and reliability since I don’t have to wait for buses or trains to be inconvenienced if they’re late.”
Though this is what happens when you live in a city that has snowy or icy weather like Ottawa says Warren.
However, he also finds that commuting by cycling is the best method too because of the environment, especially in areas like Ottawa where there’s a lot of urban surroundings.
Road biking and commuting has become one of his preferred methods of getting exercise. “Road biking is great even in the warmer months for sport because it’s a great endurance activity that allows me to be outside and I can go ride anytime right from my door,” said Warren.
When Warren road bikes he’s doing rides from either 30 kilometers to 60 in distance but he finds it to be rewarding. He enjoys being active outdoors and loves that satisfying feeling coming home after cranking out a good number of kilometers.
“Cycling is integrated into my daily life. Not only for the exercise I get from it, but from the consistency and routine daily rides provide,” said Warren.
His advice for new cyclists is that while cars, buses, and trucks can be very scary to try first going on protected bike paths and roads. The roads typically have wider bike lanes and he recommends also going on more quiet roads.
“Always pay attention to your surroundings and I suggest riding with bike lights and reflective gear,” said Warren.
Cycling is an enjoyable, outdoor activity that improves my physical and mental health
Biking isn’t just about fitness or transportation, it is deeply personal. Gabe McReynolds is the leader of Power to Change-Students, and because of the influence of an avid cyclist friend, McReynolds got into cycling as well.
McReynolds says it started as a way to fitness and occasionally as a way to commute, but it also gives him a different feeling when he rides.
“Once I started, it reminded me of how I used to cycle everywhere as a boy, so I also feel younger when I am cycling,” McReynolds said.
McReynolds really started road cycling about 10 years ago. He wanted to get fit by riding, so he went to a bike store near his home and spent a lot of money on a hybrid bike designed for urban use and fitness.
At that time he was ready for fitness, but in reality, the bike was not used very often.“Despite my good intentions, I did not use it that much until two years later when I realized I needed to cycle more if I was going to become fit,” McReynolds said.
So over the next five years, McReynolds incrementally added more time to his riding until he rode across Canada in 2021.
McReynolds participated in Cycling 4 Water‘s cycling fundraiser for 65 days. The route is approximately 10,000 km. Start in Tuktoyaktuk at the Arctic Ocean, touch the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert then finish the journey at the Atlantic in the Halifax area.
The experience was unforgettable for McReynolds.“You cannot do something like that very often, it gave me the opportunity to see and experience Canada in new ways,” McReynolds said.
Besides his favorite 1-1.5 hour fitness rides, he also takes on a few long rides throughout the year, riding from Orleans Ottawa to the top of the Champlain Lookout in Gatineau Park and back. This 100-kilometer ride is one that McReynolds does several times a year.
Not only does road cycling help McReynolds stay fit, it has already brought a certain discipline to his life.“I choose to ride even on the days where I don’t feel like it because I don’t want to regress in my fitness,” McReynolds said.
McReynolds feels that Ottawa is a great city for road cycling, and he recommends starting with short rides and working your way up. “ I would encourage people to start with an affordable hybrid or road bike even a used bike could suffice,” McReynolds said.
Road cycling started out as a way to get fit for McReynolds. But in his involvement with cycling, he has continued to challenge himself, overcome obstacles, and use cycling for fundraising. For him, it’s not just a form of fitness anymore.
What does cycling mean? Cycling means having a stronger body.
Renhua Zhao can never stop talking about cycling, it’s like a blossoming flower in his life, and while he feels the changes in his body, he also enjoys the different experiences that cycling brings him.
Zhao is a member of the MQQ cycling club, which was founded in China and organizes many challenging road rides. Zhao joined the organization because of his deep love for cycling.
When he first learned about bicycles, Zhao was attracted by the thrill of their speed. The bike then became a great companion on his way to school. As he grew older, he learned that riding wasn’t simply a commuter tool.
“Starting in elementary school and continuing through high school, I rode for commuting,” Zhao said, “After high school, I met a lot of friends who loved biking, and from then my purpose for riding became fitness and competition.”
After realizing that cycling is not only enjoyable but also improves physical fitness, Zhao joined the MQQ Cycling Club and has gone through many challenges, unforgettable experiences, and achievements.
One of his most memorable experiences was a 260km long ride organized by the MQQ Riding Club in the summer of 2024.
“I left at 6 a.m. and arrived home at 5 p.m. It was a complete mental and physical grind, and I finally pushed through to finish,” Zhao said.
Another reason he was impressed by this long-distance ride was the way he scrubbed his data. “As a professional rider, data is very important to us,”Zhao said, “I have a goal to accomplish in a week or a month, and long-distance riding helps me reach that number faster.”
In addition to honing his will, the unpredictable Canadian weather has also challenged his body. “It was sunny when I set out, and soon after that it started raining heavily without any sign, and the huge temperature difference caused my body to lose temperature,” Zhao said, “That one scared me, and it took me a long time to adjust before I gradually recovered.”
And all these setbacks and difficulties dissipated when he saw the data of his progress. “Whenever I find a breakthrough in my riding stats, I get a sense of satisfaction and motivation to keep going,” says Zhao.
Riding has also become the one thing that both of his parents support him doing. “On the holidays, if I don’t ride my bike, I spend the whole day playing games, and my parents don’t want to see me spending my time like that,” Zhao said, “but if I spend it on riding, I get both exercise and support from my parents.”
Cycling has become an indispensable part of Zhao’s life, and it has helped him both exercise and hone his mindset.
“Cycling has made me mentally calmer, and I don’t know how it has done that, but it has had a positive effect on me.”
