OBC’s largest and best-known event is the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour (RLCT), normally held the second weekend in June. Passing through picturesque countryside between Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario, the RLCT attracts cyclists from all over North America for an unforgettable cycling experience.
The 51 edition of the Ottawa Bicycle Club’s Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour (RLCT) is scheduled for June 8-9, 2024. With up to 1500 cyclists, this two-day event is one of the largest such events in Canada. Cyclists start in either Ottawa or Perth and ride to Kingston on the Saturday, then return on the Sunday.
There are four routes with one-way lengths of 118km to 220km. The routes go through the scenic countryside of the Rideau Valley passing many picturesque lakes and historic towns. The Ottawa Bicycle Club provides luggage transfer to and from Kingston, facilities at official rest stops, mobile repair services, police supervision at major intersections, and other support on the supported routes – see the routes page.
Accommodation on Saturday night will be arranged at Queen’s University, but there is a Ride-Only option for anyone who wants to arrange their own accommodation. The accommodation at Queen’s University includes a buffet dinner and breakfast.
Registration is done through CCN Bikes – please read the registration page before heading to CCN Bikes. The cost varies depending on whether you are an OBC (or Ontario Cycling) member and whether you want accommodation at Queen’s University and whether you want extras such as the BBQ on your return. Full details are on the costs page. Once registered, you will get a confirmation email, plus emails on the specifics of the event and pre-event activities.
A goal of the OBC is to minimize the environmental impact to the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour. For this, we buy carbon offsets for the support vehicle’s GHG emissions and we no longer supply individual bottles of water but only use piped water or large returnable water bottles. If people choose not to get an event T-shirt, the money saved is donated to a local Ottawa charity.
Volunteers are needed before and during the event. Some volunteer tasks can be done even if you are riding the tour. For more information on volunteer tasks go to the volunteers page. From there, you can sign up through i-volunteer.
Congratulations on hosting ANOTHER extremely well organized event. I rode the century+ ride for my third RLCT. The entire process was very well done: registration, bib pickup, luggage transfer, meals and accommodation at Queens, route and route directions.
David Cole