Biking is a great way to get around while supporting your physical and mental well-being. It’s a liberating way to get outdoors, explore your community, be active and reduce your carbon footprint.
There are countless benefits to biking that make it a great way to get around. Learn more about some of the health, environmental and social benefits by expanding the tabs below!
Cycling for transport regularly has been shown to benefit both physical and mental health. Cycling is a low impact exercise that can get you moving while minimizing strain on joints. Regular physical activity is associated with decreased anxiety and stress among university students and active forms of transportation such as cycling are a great way to incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine. Like many forms of physical activity, regular cycling has also been shown to reduce the risk of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Sources: Environ. Int. 2018;120:199-206 J Am Coll Health 2013;62:67-74 BMJ 2017;357:j1456 prev. med. 2015;76:103-14
Cycling is an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation and most trips made in large metropolitan areas are short (<5 kilometres) and thus can often be as time efficient, or even faster, than driving. For every kilometre cycled, carbon emissions are reduced by 0.25kg compared to traveling by car. The City of Hamilton, along with many other Ontario municipalities, have declared a climate emergency. Reducing dependency on single occupancy vehicles can be part of our strategy to mitigate climate change. Cycling can also help reduce excessive air and noise pollution in busy areas. By choosing to bike, you can help contribute to more people-friendly streets.
Sources: Increasing Cycling In Canada, A Guide to What Works Hamilton declares Climate Emergency UN Environment: Cycling, the better mode of transit Share the Road: Benefits of Cycling
Cycling is fun! Being active and spending time outdoors has been shown to contribute to higher energy levels and better sleep. Cycling can also be a great way to explore your community. By biking to new destinations, your navigation skills will quickly improve and you’ll be exposed to new areas.
Cycling is affordable and convenient; it can save you time and money for short distance trips and can be a great way to connect different transportation modes as part of a multi-modal journey.
Cycling can also be a great way to socialize and build relationships. Whether going for recreational rides, meeting other cyclists in your community or engaging with community organizations, advocacy or mentorship, the cycling community is a welcoming space for people of all ages and abilities.
Sources: The Social Effects of Biking Sports Med. 2012; 36:767-80 Extrem Physiol Med. 2013;2:3 Friendly Streets Toolkit
Learn about routes and Wayfinding resources to take your from your desired origin to destination.
Learn more about how to ride a bike safely, including how to prepare before riding and how to ride in different traffic settings.
Learn more about the components of a bike that are helpful when buying a bike or learning to ride.
Learn where you can access Hamilton Bike Repair, Bike Share, and other tools.
Learn more about finding resources if you are outside of Hamilton.
As of 2018 Hamilton’s cycling network consisted of 418km of cycling routes, about 150km of which are designated bicycle lanes or multi-use recreational trails. Hamilton plans to implement around 500km of additional cycling routes over the coming years outlined in the Cycling Master Plan.
You can use a map of Hamilton’s Urban Cycling Facilities to help plan your route or view their bikeways as an interactive layer of Open Data.
Additionally, you can check out HamOnt Healthy Loops from the Everyone Rides Initiative for some fun and safe routes you can bike in your neighbourhood to get outdoors and active.
Want to try biking to get class, errands or recreational spaces but don’t know what route to take? A group of SUSTAIN 3S03 students mapped out safe biking routes to student identified destinations from McMaster University. Give them a try to get outdoors and get active while you travel around town!
Follow along as a group of students take you through the route from McMaster to Westdale (Food Basics King St) and share tips on how to navigate traffic safely!
A flat paved path stretches from princess point to Bayfront park and then further along the waterfront to piers 4 and 7. Be sure to watch out for other trail users and yield to pedestrians. The trail is also a great connector to the downtown, it can take you from the Westdale area off Longwood to Bay St which has a bike lane connecting to the Cannon Cycle Track as well as passing the west side of Jackson square. The trail is part of the Great Lakes Waterfront trail and a portion of the HamBur loop.
The Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail is a 32km trail connecting the 2 cities through a beautiful, flat trail surrounded by nature.
Notes:
Adjacent to Mountain Brow Blvd a 2 metre wide paved shared path takes you from Mohawk Rd E to Oakcrest Dr (a block east of the Jolly Cut). It features stunning views of the Niagara Escarpment and the lower city below.
Notes
The Escarpment Rail Trail is a roughly paved trail that connects Corktown park with Albion Falls taking you up the escarpment. The trail follows the path of an old railroad track with a slight incline the whole way when heading east.
The Red Hill Valley Trail is a mostly gravel trail connecting to both Confederation Beach Park and the Bruce Trail. Its southern section is technical featuring some steep hills.
Whether you are an experienced cyclist or a new rider, safety should be your first priority. You should always use your discretion to be as safe as possible but preparing in advance and understanding your rights and responsibilities when sharing the road is a good place to start.
As a cyclist you are subject to the same rights and regulations as a vehicle.
Learn more about other safety considerations when riding from the Ministry of Transportation.
While a one-step left turn is safe at all way stop signs and intersections with advanced left turn lights, other settings may require a 2 step turn.
Learn more by watching a video on how to cycle through intersections.
Remember if you are entering a pedestrian space such as a crosswalk or sidewalk you should first dismount your bike.
Learn more about navigating intersections from CycleTO
Cycling in the winter can be intimidating to some riders, but if you are adequately prepared it can continue to be a fun, affordable and sustainable mode of transportation year round.
Read more about the benefits of winter cycling
Check out this guide on winter cycling for More tips
What to know and look for when buying a bike: buying a bike can be confusing as there are many different types and features available, however, there are often many options that can meet your needs. Check out one of the many amazing bike shops in Hamilton to help you in your search.
Road bikes often have thinner tires and drop handlebars. The top bar is higher up and riders are more bent over. They are lighter and thus popular among folks who want to go quickly on smooth (paved) terrain. However, with less grip, their features are less appropriate for riding on gravel and in wet environments.
Mountain bikes are moderately upright and often have thicker tires with more “tread” enabling for greater grip on dirt and gravel surfaces. They also often have shock absorption which can make going over bumps more comfortable.
Hybrids are popular with urban riders and have features between road bikes and mountain bikes (e.g. weight, tire width). They are designed to handle multiple riding conditions but features differ between bikes. Some types of hybrids are also called “trekking”, “cross”, or “commuter/city” bikes.
Some other jargon you might encounter is “fixie”, “cruiser”or “BMX”.
Different styles of adaptive bikes such as tricycles are also available. The Everyone Rides Initiative offers a selection of adaptive bikes to Hamiltonians.
Learn about bike body positioning, fitting your bike and making adjustments. The angle of your handlebars and height of your stem can also sometimes be adjusted to improve fit.
Other features you might come across are the:
Don’t be overwhelmed in a commuting or recreational setting, often many variations of the same feature are appropriate.
If you are interested in these features:
Hamilton has many used bike shops and co-ops that can help you find or restore a used bike.
Remember you can often always add items to your bike to make it more convenient for you. Some items include mirrors, carriers, trailers, baskets and fenders.
While more in depth bike maintenance is required semi-annually to keep your bike running safely there are a few things you should be doing regularly
Hamilton’s bike share known as SoBi (Social Bicycles) is a great option if you don’t have a bike, want the convenience of making one-way trips or don’t want to deal with maintaining or storing a bike. Monthly passes, pay-as-you-go and student options are all available.
Integrating transit with cycling allows you make longer journeys more convenient while still being affordable and sustainable. In Hamilton you can load your bike on the front rack of any HSR bus.
In Hamilton, the bus can also be a safe and convenient way to get up and down the mountain as a cyclist. The Mountain Climber program allows cyclists to ride the HSR up and down the Niagara Escarpment for free.
ERI focuses on removing barriers to accessing bikes in order to increase equity in cycling. They are also facilitate group rides that build and support the cycling community
A non-profit bike hub offering:
An advocacy and community group working to make cycling accessible for all ages and abilities and inspire people to ride their bikes
A volunteer trail association that helps maintain trails, grow community, and advocate for mountain biking
A program helping employers and commuters explore sustainable and multi-modal commuting options
Check out the City’s listing of cycling groups & shops