General Information

Please read the KNBC Tour Etiquette before showing up for your first tour. Our rides have a wide range of distances and speeds. We suggest you choose rides that match your endurance and biking speed.

Tour and Ride Schedules 

The official up-to-date schedule of KNBC's rides and tours is found in the club's calendar. It will provide you with any recent additions, cancellations, or other changes to the ride schedule. To avoid any surprises, always check it before heading out on a club ride or tour. 

For the convenience of members, the weekly ride schedule is also presented in the Monday Bike Shorts. However, schedules change frequently, so always check with the online calendar.

Registration

Registration for day tours is mandatory. This is an insurance requirement and also allows us to manage group size, update riders of changes, track ridership, and collect various legal acknowledgments. The Register button can be found in the ride details of the event. If you show up for a ride without having registered, you will not be allowed to participate. 

In situations where registrations have exceeded the designated registration limit, you may be presented with a Join Waitlist button. If limits are increased or people cancel, riders on the waitlist are then registered in a first come, first served fashion. 

To avoid instances of people registering too far in advance and then forgetting about it, registration for each ride will only become available/active 2 weeks prior to the ride date. Do not be concerned if the ride shows "Registration is closed". This just means you are outside the 2 week window and registration is not yet available. 

After you register for a ride, you will automatically receive an email giving you full details about the ride for which you registered. You may also receive notices by email from your tour leader if there are any last minute changes, cancellations, special instruction etc. 

Starting Time 

Tours leave on time, so please arrive at least twenty minutes prior to the indicated departure time.

Starting Points 

Starting points are varied throughout the city. Common starts are at the Kanata Wave Pool (KWP), Whalen Park, Britannia Park, and Centrepointe.  Centrepointe starts are from the vicinity of 101 Centrepointe Dr, which is the parking lot behind the Royal Oak (just south of the City of Ottawa building on Centrepointe Dr). Parking may or may not be available at the start points, so prepare to park nearby.

Distances 

Distances quoted are either known, or in the case of estimates, they are believed to be within plus or minus 10%.

Remote Starts 

"Remote" is a relative term. If you live in Orleans, a Kanata start is remote, and vice versa. Always check the ride Location field and allow sufficient time to arrive at the start location.

When you register for a ride, the Tour Leader will get an email notification and know that you are coming. If the ride is cancelled, the start moved, or the start time adjusted, they will be able to contact you. Club members needing a drive may contact the tour leader to help you arrange a ride or check the attendance list and contact somebody on it for a lift. Clicking on a name will take you to the member directory entry for that member. 

Difficulty Levels (Speed Ratings) 
 Category Distance (increasing over season) Speed (flat surface, no wind)  Stops Terrain
 L1
 40-65 km 18-20 km/h frequent mainly flat
 L2 55-80+ km 21-23 km/h  occasional flat, rolling, hilly
 L3 70-100+ km 24-26 km/h occasional flat, rolling, hilly
 L4 70-100+ km 27-29 km/h limited flat, rolling, hilly
 L5 100+ km 30+ km/h limited flat, rolling, hilly