How to Bike ON During COVID-19

While many of us were itching to get out on our bikes, looking forward to warmer temperatures and riding with friends, our daily lives have been drastically changed in the last few weeks as COVID-19 requires us to practice social-distancing and limits our ability to travel and get around. To keep the spring ride excitement growing and make sure you are ready to ride when we can, Ontario By Bike has created a list of activities and suggestions to keep your wheels rolling.

Currently, in Ontario we are still allowed to get outside and ride, maintaining a minimum distance of 2 metres. All group and club rides plus events are suspended. With travel not recommended, sticking closer to home and riding for physical activity or transportation needs is where we are at.

The following list of activities will help you bike ON until you can more easily hit the roads and trails again.

Ride Indoors

One of the best things about cycling is that it triggers all our senses. Feel a cool breeze on your skin while cycling downhill, enjoy beautiful vistas as you cycle along a waterfront trail or smell the fresh pines pedalling through a forest. While it is simply not possible to recreate that full sensory feeling indoors, cycling inside can still be a great alternative when going outside is not an option. Companies like Zwift, Rouvy or Fulgaz have done a great job creating virtual and appealing solutions to intensify your indoor cycling experience. Enjoy virtual trails or compete with communities all around the world.

If you prefer to ride your outdoor bike instead of a stationary indoor bike, you won’t have to miss out at all. Various bike stand solutions such as Kickr by Wahoo Fitness easily turn your bike into an indoor training solution. The Peleton app, which is currently free for 3 months, has ample cycling classes and more to get you further motivated.

Plan Your Next Adventure

An exciting part of going out for a ride often lies in the preparation and planning of your next adventure. Why not use the opportunity of being at home to dream about and plan new routes to explore in the future; a ride bucket list if you will. Find tons of great cycling itineraries by browsing our website or reading our brand new 2020 Cycling in Ontario Guide.

If you would like to create some itineraries yourself, there are great apps such as RidewithGPS or Strava, which let you plot your routes and simply save them as GPS files on your phone or smartwatch. You will be extra prepared to go back out there once the time is right.

Find Alternative Exercises

Cycling is a great way to stay in shape and train various muscles and body parts. To make sure you still keep your fitness level and maintain those muscles, many exercises can be done without going to a gym or owning expensive equipment. Dig around online as there are lots of exercise routines and classes and many are free. For a more focussed approach check out these 10 Essential Strength Exercises for Cyclists and if your training program has been interrupted here are some helpful tips in a Guide to Training During COVID-19.

Read a Book or Enjoy Some Cycling Screen Time

A new popular topic of conversation is centred on exchanges around what you are reading and what you are watching. While the choices are enormous, we have found a few lists that focus on cycling exclusively and other bits that may be of interest.

• Best Book Suggestions from Adventure Cyclists
• Bike Movies to Binge-Watch from Pinkbike
• Movies and Books from the European Cycling Federation
• Youtube Channel by GCN / Global Cycling Network

There are also a number of great cycling short films that are free to watch such as Standing Man, Life of Pie, Dirt Magic; From Dying Mining Town to Mountain Bike Mecca, and We are Epic from the Liv Trail Squad.

So whether you choose to be more active during this time (riding, planning, training) or want to enjoy more from the armchair (100% acceptable) we hope that we’ve given you some ideas to roll forward with, as spring will soon turn to summer and we will be exploring Ontario by bike again.