● Nokia Sunday Bikedays & CycloFusion Bike Fair this Sunday, May 19, 2019

For many people, it’s been a slow start for the cycling season this year. It took an unusually long time for all the snow and ice to melt off various parts of the region’s network of pathways. A short time afterwards, flooding, and flood damage, made key sections of the pathways along the Ottawa River impassable for cyclists (with some areas remaining impassable as we move into the second half of May).

Fortunately, NCC’s Nokia Sunday Bikedays starts this Sunday, something which should help encourage people to get back on their bikes. Coinciding with the launch of Sunday Bikedays will be the CycloFusion Bike Fair.

Nokia Sunday Bikedays features over 50 kilometres of car-free parkways on Sunday mornings in Ottawa and the Gatineau Park from May 19 to September 1, 2019. In Ottawa, the parkways are closed to motorized vehicles from 9 am to 1 pm, and most of the parkways in the Gatineau Park are closed to motorized vehicles from 6 am to 11 am. Click here for more information and a map concerning the Nokia Sunday Bikedays.

New for this year are plans to open 9 kilometres of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway for fast cyclists from 7 am to 9 am starting on June 2. For a second year, the NCC will be offering this arrangement for fast cyclists on the Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier Parkway (with the same hours).

The CycloFusion Bike Fair.

Helping to kick off the beginning of the NOKIA Sunday Bikedays will be the second annual CycloFusion Bike Fair, which will be taking place on May 19 from 9 am to 1 pm. This year the CycloFusion will be held at the parking lot at the Remic Rapids (just off the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway).

Cyclofusion is organized by EnviroCentre and MOBI-O to help promote bike to work month. It features over 20 booths and displays from various members of the local cycling community, including CycloFusion stakeholders, sponsors, and partners, as well as local bike shops, organizations, and clubs. There will be demos, bike repairs, music, information, and more.

CycloFusion fills a hole left by the closure of MEC’s Bikefest, and the demise of Bushtukah’s annual Bike Night. Both these events used to provide a venue where local cycling organizations, clubs, and related stakeholders could come together to share information about their activities. Fortunately, this role is now being fulfilled by CycloFusion.

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