Cycling

North Bay is A Cycling Destination for all Ages

North Bay offers a cycling adventure for every rider, from casual cyclist to expert riders. With its vibrant community of passionate cyclists, including mountain bikers, road cyclists and gravel riders, and its ever-growing and diverse cycling-friendly infrastructure, North Bay is emerging as Northern Ontario’s cycling destination of choice.

Best Family-Friendly Bike Paths in North Bay

The Kate Pace Way 

The whole family will love the ride along the waterfront on the Kate Pace Way, a flat 12-km multi-use paved trail along Lake Nipissing, through forests and quiet communities, where you can stop for ice cream or a swim at the dock in North Bay or Callander. Rent Bikes for kids and adults at the North Bay Waterfront.

For those heading out to Callander, don’t miss the Cranberry Trail, a short 2.5 km gravel trail leading past a cranberry bog with interpretive trail signs to a lookout on Lake Nipissing.

• Distance: 12 km (one-way), 17 km to Callander (one-way)
• Suitable For: families, casual cyclists and road cyclists heading to the Voyageur Cycling Route
• Nearby Attractions: Kiwanis Splash Pad, Shabogesic Beach

The Kinsmen Trail

The Kinsmen Trail is a series of paved trails winding throughout the heart of North Bay, along creeks, city parks and through neighbourhoods that is enjoyed by everyday commuters and explorers alike. Along the way you’ll find educational plaques describing the ecological and Indigenous history of the Chippewa Creek Ecopath, which forms 3.2 km of this easy and quiet urban cycling path.

• Distance: 5-6 km
• Suitable For: families, casual cyclists 
• Nearby Attractions: Heritage Railway & Carousel, Lee Park

North Bay Skatepark & Pump Track

North Bay celebrated the opening of the Kiwanis All-Wheel Park in late 2024. This free and public space, overlooking Lake Nipissing, is a popular spot for cyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers and scooter riders of all skill levels. The smooth asphalt track features flowing berms and rollers, while the skatepark offers kids (and parents) of all ages opportunities for practicing tricks and technical riding.

• Distance: 212 m
• Suitable For: cyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers and scooter riders
• Nearby Attractions: Public basketball and beach volleyball courts, Farmer’s Market

Best Road Cycling Routes for Cycling Tourists

The Voyageur Cycling Route

A testament to the strong cycling community in North Bay, the 645 km Voyageur Cycling Route, stretching from Ottawa to Sudbury, is the brainchild and project of North Bay’s Discovery Routes Trails Organization. Discovery Routes has created several self-guided tours, complete with maps and itineraries for the best road routes around North Bay and the surrounding quaint towns and villages.

Self-Guided Bike Tours

The Spirit of the Bay tour leads you through the heart of North Bay, revealing hidden spots and local gems and offers routes between 30-84 km. Explore the quiet roads and wide-paved shoulders along the Voyageur Cycling Route between North Bay and Callander. Take in the lake views along the south shore of Lake Nipissing, where you’ll find public beaches and cool local spots for food and drink. 

For cyclists craving a longer day-trip or potential overnight trip, the 86 km (one-way) Red Toque Tour is a bucket-list trip for the curious and free-spirited who revel in wide-open spaces and long sweeping climbs. The tour brings you through North Bay, Callander, Astorville and the gravel hills of Bonfield to the Mattawa River and the historic town of Mattawa, rich in Indigenous and early French fur-traders culture.

Best Mountain Biking Trails in North Bay

North Bay is a mecca for mountain bikers in Northern Ontario. The North Bay Mountain Bike Association manages over 13 km of expertly curated mountain bike trails and pump track at their Three Towers Mountain Bike Trails mountain bike park, where the trails flow over granite ridges and natural bedrock berms. The Association offers races, clinics and training events for kids, adults, women and visitors.

The Laurentian Escarpment Trails are about 20 km of well-loved, but unsanctioned local mountain bike trails in the Laurentian Escarpment Conservation Area. Currently a project is underway to create a management plan for this trail system that traverses the rocky escarpment, ensuring North Bay will become a must-visit spot on the mountain biker’s bucket list.

Cycling Races & Events 

North Bay is regularly selected as a major cycling event hub and welcomes riders every year for local mountain bike races, provincial cycling championships and charity gravel events.

The Voyageur 200 Annual Gravel Race

Dubbed the toughest gravel race in Ontario, The Voyageur 200 charity gravel race features mixed gravel roads, double track trail, single track trail and asphalt roads in the North Bay – Mattawa region.  

North Bay’s annual gravel grind celebrates inclusivity and community in true gravel style by offering multiple distances to appeal to beginners and gravel grinders alike. Opt for the 30, 60 or 100 km race or go the distance and dare to do the full 200 km through the VMUTs trails, hundreds of kilometres of a remote off-road trail system in the ancient Algonquin Highlands and Laurentian Mountains, bordered by the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers. 

Weekly Mountain Bike Race Series

North Bay Mountain Bike Association hosts weekly races and training events for cyclists of all ages and genders. A local favourite, that draws mountain bikers from all over Ontario, is the weekly Angry Johnny race series. Contact the NBMBA for details.

Cycling-Friendly Accommodations

North Bay regularly welcomes cyclists and has several cycling-friendly accommodations. 

The following accommodations are certified as bicycle-friendly accommodations by Ontario By Bike.

• Best Western North Bay
• Comfort Inn Lakeshore
• Canadore College Residence & Conference Center
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott

Cycling Shops and Bike Rentals

North Bay is well-supported by quality bike shops with passionate owners. Each of the bike shops below offer rentals, gear and repairs, as well as expert local knowledge of events and routes.

• Cycle Alley 
• Wheelhouse Bikes
• Cheapskates
• CycleWorks
• Boathouse Rentals
• SportChek

For additional information, including cycling maps, itineraries and local tips, check out these links below.