Road Cycling

Road cycling is an activity in which participants ride bicycles on paved roads for leisure, exercise, or transportation. Road cycling usually takes place in urban areas, either on city roads or paved trails. Recreationally, cyclists may ride leisurely to sight-see and explore landscapes, or to ride over a specified distance for exercise. Leisure cycling is often unstructured, and there might not be a common end goal for each leisure cyclist. An efficient means of transport, cycling is a popular method of commuting in urban cities in Canada and in many parts of the world.

Bicycles were developed in 19th Century Europe, and quickly became popular as forms of transportation and recreation. The first Canadian bicycle club, the Montreal Bicycle Club, was established in 1876. The invention of the safety bicycle in the 1870s significantly increased access to cycling, particularly among women, while the sport of cycling began to boom in the 1890s as it spread around the globe and became regulated by an international governing body

In the GTA, road cycling is most popular from spring to fall, with lower participation rates during the winter months.

Males and females of diverse ages and ethnocultural backgrounds. Although cycling can be a very expensive sport, cycling for leisure or transportation is relatively affordable and is thus accessible for individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.