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 52nd edition of the Ottawa Bicycle Club’s Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour (RLCT) is scheduled for June 21-22, 2025. 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 Saturday, then return on Sunday. The Ottawa Bicycle Club provides luggage transfer to and from Kingston for all participants.
There are four road routes and one gravel route with one-way lengths of 118km to 220km. All routes go through the scenic countryside of the Rideau Valley passing many picturesque lakes and historic towns. On the Classic and Century routes, the Ottawa Bicycle Club works with community groups to provide refreshments and food at official rest stops where it also provides water and toilets. Mobile repair services, police supervision at major intersections, and other services are provided on the supported routes – see the routes page
Accommodation on Saturday night is 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 member and whether you want accommodation and meals 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.
