My First Year of Road Cycling

Introduction

Just over one year ago in September 2024 I took part in a bicycle tour through Netherlands and Belgium, which also served as my introduction to road cycling, an experience which (unbeknownst to me at the time) would change my life, as it would lead me on a path of breaking down personal limits through sport.

Upon returning home I bought a road bicycle and was hooked onto road cycling. Since then I have attended bike shows, cycled in a hospital fundraiser ride, and most notably, cycled from Ottawa to Kingston and back. Here is a summary of my journey thus far.

What is road cycling?

For starters, road cycling, as the name implies, is a type of cycling that takes place on paved roads like the ones used by cars. Think of long stretches of asphalt with the occasional intersection or traffic light/stop sign.

Like this one

Cyclists generally share these roads with cars, except during cycling events when certain roads are closed to car traffic.

Other types of cycling include city, gravel, mountain, track, among others.

Year in review

How it all started

Leading up to the fall of 2024 I had been a casual cyclist, using my foldable Brompton to commute during the week and to cycle along Ottawa’s Rideau Canal on the weekends; in prior years I had also cycled all around Edmonton (when I lived there) on my way to fields where I played ultimate frisbee. When an opportunity arose to join a bicycle tour through two of Europe’s (and the world’s) cycling capitals, I did not need much convincing.

Read more: A Cycling Tour though Netherlands and Belgium

Throughout the tour I saw lots of beautiful sights, had great food, met people, and of course did a lot of cycling through Amsterdam, Gouda, The Hague, and Bruges.

A picture that captures the essence of Amsterdam

I cycled 362 km over five days, by far the most I had ever done up to that point in such a short time period.

Buying my first road bicycle

Shortly after returning to Canada I began researching road bicycles, as my experience in Europe had me hooked. There are a lot of bicycle brands out there (and many options within each brand), so it was not obvious where to start. I asked my friend who is a former cycling journalist, who recommended Giant (Giant was not involved in the writing of this article; cue the “not a spokes-person” joke). So I made several visits to Ottawa’s Giant store, asking questions of the staff. I eventually settled on the Defy Advanced 2, a carbon fibre endurance road bicycle.

While most (read: all) people who ride this type of bicycle will use clipless pedals (ironically named since the shoes clip into the pedals), I was not yet confident in my cycling abilities and opted for flat pedals.

Bicycle shows

I could only ride my new bicycle for a few weeks before winter weather set in. While waiting for spring, I attended two bicycle shows in Montreal on February 23 and in Gatineau on March 8. These events are like comic con for bicycles, featuring manufacturers, touring companies, cycling organizations, and more.

Including this Urban Arrow passenger

Both these events were good opportunities to look at some cool bicycle models and plan for a possible future cycling tour abroad.

Joining the road cycling community

In spring 2025 I started joining cycling organizations and events. First was the Ottawa Bicycle Club, which organizes weekly Sunday group rides through rural areas of Ontario and Quebec, and I quickly became a regular at these rides (Ottawa Bicycle Club was not involved in the writing of this article). Distances ranged from 50 km to 100+ km, and I had the opportunity to explore many locations previously unknown to me. Thankfully long distances were not a problem thanks to my previous year’s tour in Netherlands and Belgium.

On May 2, 2025 I joined my first large-scale, centrally-organized road cycling event, the CN Cycle for CHEO fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. There were different distances one could choose, and I did the 70 km route that wound through Ottawa and along the Rideau Canal (roads were closed to car traffic). This event was my first feeling on a bicycle of being a part of something larger than myself.

Read more: The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Fundraiser Ride

Getting a picture with the mascot is a bear necessity

My main event of the year was the annual Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour (RLCT), a round-trip ride between Ottawa and Kingston organized by the aforementioned Ottawa Bicycle Club. After months of training and anticipation, on June 21, 2025 I set out from Ottawa as part of a nine-person riding group, and we arrived in Kingston about ten hours and a couple of flat tires later. Six of us had a hearty dinner and spent the night at Queen’s University, with the remaining three members taking the bus back to Ottawa that same evening. The following morning after a big breakfast, we made the return ride back to Ottawa. In all I cycled 342 km in two days, eclipsing my Netherlands/Belgium record on a distance per day basis.

Read more: I Completed the 2025 Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour

Follow the leader

I was particularly proud of myself as a relative beginner at road cycling who started less than a year prior, for taking on the full round-trip RLCT.

After the RLCT I shifted focus towards individual cycling, as life got in the way and attending group rides became less practical. I continue to ride long distances and occasionally run into a friend on the road (figuratively).

Final thoughts

I could not have predicted the chain of events that would follow that fateful trip to Europe, and in that time have also accomplished more than I thought possible. Here is to another year of breaking boundaries through cycling.

Postscript: My greatest accomplishment since the RLCT is having finally graduated to clipless pedals. 🙂