Summertime and the bike commuting is easy
This blog post was written by our awesome ambassador – Tamsin! She’s an avid cyclist and an active commuter. Last season, she did a great blog post about winter commuting and shared her insight on how to get the most out of winter cycling. Here’s her follow up post about summer riding.
Thanks for the great write up Tamsin, and happy reading to everyone else!
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Raise your hands if:
????You are happy you can ride in sandals and shorts and not worry about freezing toes.
????You enjoy summer rain showers as a way to cool off naturally.
????You like to take advantage of the longer daylight hours to enjoy one of Ottawa’s many patios after work.
If you raised your hands to all three than you are a true Ottawa bike commuter!
I love the freedom of riding to work, to social events, to the grocery store which are all very doable in the summer when the temperatures are mild and the daylight plentiful.
Here are some things to keep in mind when bike commuting in the summer:
- Bring water along on the ride. Drink lots.
- Wear sunscreen and bring some with you for long rides or for your afternoon commute.
- Bring a hat if you are going to be sitting on a patio after work 🙂
- Bring a lock in case your bike isn’t allowed on the patio 🙂
- Bring a change of clothes to work because well you know…
- Reduce tire pressure if you are leaving your bike in a hot car for a long time. Otherwise, you might find you have a flat from an exploding tube.
And here are some of my favourite summer commutes:
- Tavern on the Hill where the Cava is chilled and the view top notch. (see below!)
- Lansdowne for dinner and a movie after work.
- Beachconers in Britannia for some artisan ice cream.
- Canal cruising to see the flowers and ducks.
- A ride out to Britannia beach to cool off in the river.
- A ride up to Pink Lake for the view and a workout. (see below!)
What are some of your favourite things to do by bike in the summer in Ottawa?
