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Saugeen Shores is a bronze designated bicycle friendly community and committed to providing safe trails and routes, promoting active transportation and offering ongoing education and outreach. Expand the sections below for more information about cycling in Saugeen Shores and surrounding communities.
Use our interactive map to view cycling routes and trails including surface type, amenities and bicycle-friendly businesses. As new cycling and trail infrastructure is added to the network it will be updated in the map.
Local and Regional Maps and Resources
Use the interactive map of cycling trails in Saugeen Shores to plan your route. Other local cycling resources and maps include:
Trail and Road Closures or Detours
For information on closures, check the Closures and Disruptions section of our website.
Benefits of Active Transportation
Choosing active transportation whether cycling, walking, or rolling, has many benefits extending beyond the joy of riding for recreation! There are positive environmental, health, social, and economic benefits from adding more active transportation into your day. Learn more about making active transport part of your healthy lifestyle with Grey Bruce Public Health’s active living website.
Check out the benefits below and make a goal of adding more active transportation trips to your daily travels. The benefits are supported by Share the Road's Bikes Can Do That! campaign and Ontario Active School Travel.
Park your bike with us, we'll keep it safe and secured. No lock, no problem! A bike valet works just like a car valet; drop off your bike and get a valet pass, then redeem your valet pass to pick up your bike. Bike valet areas are supervised.
Email our Cycling Coordinator (recreation@saugeenshores.ca) to talk about how to set-up and run a bike valet. Bike valets are an excellent way to encourage people to travel by bike to your event, especially where parking may be limited.
Saugeen Shores is part of the Ontario By Bike Network which certifies tourism businesses and locations as bicycle-friendly, helping businesses reach the growing number of cycle tourists in Ontario including accommodators, food services and attractions. Ontario by Bike is one of the leading resources for cycling-related information and where to find bicycle-friendly places to eat, visit and sleep.
If you operate a business that meets the bicycle-friendly business criteria, you can register for this free promotional opportunity.
There are bicycle repair stations located throughout the trail and cycling network. To view locations on a map, visit www.saugeenshores.ca/bikerepair
Bicycle repairs are available through Martin's Bicycle Shop.
Bicycle rentals are available through Martin's Bicycle Shop in Southampton and the Paradise Inn in Port Elgin.
CAA is more than just motor vehicles! CAA Bike Assist is a roadside assistance for your bicycle that is available to members. If you run into a problem that cannot be fixed on the spot, CAA will transport you and your bicycle to where you need to go. It's available as part of your membership 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Members will not have to pay extra to be eligible for Bike Assist, it is a permanent benefit for members.
Every June we celebrate Bike Month! Join us for activities and events throughout the month to celebrate, create awareness and educate the community about bikes.
Join us for a free, family-friendly event at Nodwell Park in Port Elgin on Tuesday, June 16 from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Plan on time trials, bike-themed activities, bike ramps, prizes and fun! Best suited for kids up to 12 years. Bike helmets are required for anyone participating in the timed races.
Spend the longest day of the year with us! Stop by Nodwell Park on Sunday, June 21 between 1:00 and 3:00 pm for free family-friendly activities, a bike car wash for kids, and an afternoon of fun.
Bike to School Week: June 1 to 5, 2026
This year we're celebrating Bike to School Week from June 1 to 5. Students are encouraged to ride their bikes to school and check-in with with the Town's social media accounts for daily CYCLE safety tips. Plan and practice your route to school, and experience the benefits of active travel.
CYCLE safety tips will be revealed each week day.
Follow our weekly Bike-Friendly Friday series; where we focus on everything from bicycle and road safety, to promoting cycling and its benefits, to frequently asked questions and more.
From May to October, we'll be sharing information every Friday through our social media accounts. Explore our cycling page for more information on each weekly topic. Have an idea for a topic, or a question? Send us an email at recreation@saugeenshores.ca with the Subject: Bike Friendly Friday Request.
Bruce County Smart Commute - Log your Kilometres
This June, in partnership with Smart Commute, Bruce County is inviting residents to take part in Bike Month. Bike Month celebrates cycling and encourages everyone to ride and build new skills. Riding during Bike Month also gives you a chance to win prizes!
Start by visiting www.brucecounty.on.ca/BikeMonth2026 and logging in or creating an account. Each ride you log is one entry in a draw. You could win one of five $100 shop local gift certificates. You’ll find full details for joining, the contest, and webinars on the webpage.
A key date to mark on your calendar is Bike to Work Day on Thursday, June 4, 2026. It is a great chance to swap the car keys for a bike ride. Bruce County encourages everyone to get out, ride safely, and make cycling part of your day.
Throughout Bike Month, Smart Commute will host a series of bike-focused webinars. Join your colleagues to learn something new during our weekly sessions from 12:00–1:00 p.m. Smart Commute will be giving away one $50 gift card (Mountain Equipment Company (MEC) or PRESTO (Metrolinx)) at each webinar.
This webinar will provide an overview of bicycles and how to ride them safely. You will learn about the benefits of cycling, bicycle parts, safety checks, common rules of the road, cycling gear, and etiquette and techniques. This webinar is perfect for anyone who is unfamiliar with cycling or would like a proper refresher on how to cycle safely this season.
Join City of Toronto Transportation Services staff to learn more about our recent cycling achievements and near-term plans to grow, connect and renew Toronto's cycling network. Attendees will leave the session knowing more about getting around Toronto by bike and how staff are building the City’s cycling future.
Working towards equity in active transportation requires ongoing engagement with equity-deserving communities to address barriers to participation. The session discusses how our positionality affects our experiences with active transportation, ways to engage equity-deserving groups at different budget levels as well as engagement with people with disabilities. The session will conclude with practical approaches for engaging equity-deserving communities in active transportation efforts.
Join our speaker, Allison Miller from the City of London, to hear how the City is improving bike parking and how these lessons may apply in your community. Allison will highlight the City’s Bike Parking Implementation Plan, provide examples of secure bike parking, share success stories, and offer tips you can apply in your own community to make your bike-commute destinations better for you and fellow cyclists.
We’re excited to welcome Ontario By Bike to share inspiration and information on how to discover cycle touring and cycle tourism in Ontario. Learn about what makes both a destination and business bicycle friendly, what services are needed to become certified and other opportunities as cycle tourism in Ontario continues to grow. With tips for touring by bike, whether you’re looking for family-friendly trail rides, bikepacking adventures, or multi-day paved routes, this is a great place to start planning your summer and fall cycling trips.
It's important to give your bicycle a quick ABC check before heading out on the roads or trails to make sure you don't run into any issues along the way. Follow these steps to check your bike.
Regular bicycle maintenance helps to ensure your bike is ready to ride, anytime. Local bicycle shops are also a great resources for your annual or routine maintenance needs.
Image credit: CAA Important Safety Tips for Drivers and Cyclists
Dooring will cost you. Under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), dooring is defined by a motor vehicle involved in an accident if any door of the motor vehicle that is open or opening comes into contact with a cyclist, a bicycle or a moving vehicle, even if the motor vehicle is stationary, stopped or parked. Dooring a cyclist has a minimum fine of $300 and three (3) demerit points, if convicted, under the HTA. If you practice the Dutch Reach every time you exit a vehicle, you help to create a safer environment for cyclists.
The Dutch Reach is a bike-friendly safety technique that helps drivers and passengers check for cyclists when opening their vehicle door. This method encourages drivers to reach across with their right hand and passengers to reach with their left hand to open the vehicle door. Using your opposite hand creates a body twist motion that leads to drivers and passengers checking their blind spot before exiting. This prevents opening vehicle doors into cyclists or vehicles that are passing by.
If drivers and passengers do not check their blind spot when opening their car door, it can cause serious harm to a cyclist passing by. The act of hitting a cyclist with your door as you open it, is called dooring. The Dutch Reach is a simple action to help reduce cyclist injuries and to be a bike-friendly driver!
The Dutch Reach is as easy as 1-2-3:
Image credit: CAA Important Safety Tips for Drivers and Cyclists
Dooring will cost you. Under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), dooring is defined by a motor vehicle involved in an accident if any door of the motor vehicle that is open or opening comes into contact with a cyclist, a bicycle or a moving vehicle, even if the motor vehicle is stationary, stopped or parked. Dooring a cyclist has a minimum fine of $300 and three (3) demerit points, if convicted, under the HTA. If you practice the Dutch Reach every time you exit a vehicle, you help to create a safer environment for cyclists.
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are becoming a common mode of transportation in Saugeen Shores, and throughout Ontario. E-bike riders are required by law to follow the same road and trail rules that apply to traditional cyclists, with extra safety precautions in place. Continue reading to learn more about e-bikes and how they compare to traditional bikes.
A power-assisted bicycle (e-bike) is a bicycle with an electric motor. An e-bike is not considered a motor vehicle, however, to maintain this non-motorized designation an e-bike must have:
These are the minimum regulations you must follow when riding an e-bike:
E-bikes are heavier and faster than traditional bikes, meaning that the distance required to stop is longer on an e-bike compared to a traditional bike. Due to these two e-bike properties, it is essential that you brake earlier than you would on a traditional bike. The best way to get used to your brakes is to practice with them before heading out for a ride.
Get to know the brakes on your e-bike:
E-bikes accelerate much faster than traditional bikes. When first riding your e-bike, start on the slower settings and get a feel for the bike before bumping it up to higher speeds. This will allow you to get comfortable with the bike and then increase the speed as desired after.
In Ontario, the maximum legal speed of an e-bike is 32km/h. When going this fast on a bicycle, it is important that you are aware of your surroundings because motorists are not expecting cyclists to move at that speed. Make yourself visible, use your hand signals and be predictable so motorists know what to expect.
The trails in Saugeen Shores have a recommended maximum speed of 20km/h. Be mindful of other trail users and how the speed of your e-bike affects them. Ring your bell well in advance of approaching other trail users and slow down around others.
An e-bike is much heavier than a traditional bike because of the electric motor and larger frame. This can make mounting and dismounting your bicycle more difficult. The e-bike will not be as stable as a traditional bike, and you must be prepared to hold the weight of your e-bike while getting on or off. Using your kickstand as a stabilizer when mounting/dismounting is a good idea. If you have challenges swinging your leg over the frame of the e-bike, buying a step-through e-bike is a good option.
Since 2015, Ontario drivers are required by law to provide at least one metre (1m) of space when passing a cyclist. Regardless of the law, drivers should always pass at a safe time, provide as much space as possible and pass at a slower speed. The law requires that drivers:
The One-Metre Safe Passing Law helps keep cyclists safe, as they do not have the physical protection of a vehicle. Cyclists are vulnerable because of their limited physical protection and as a motorist it is your duty to give them one-metre and help protect them.
Check out these great safety video resources.
Theft Prevention and Bike Locking
Registering your bicycle and keeping it locked properly are the best ways to prevent your bike from being stolen.
Invest in a high-quality, secure bike lock, such as a u-lock. They require more time to defeat compared to chains or cable locks.
Store your bicycle inside or in a locked garage, whenever possible. Avoid locking your bike to the front porch or at the side of the house or garage.
Lock the frame and wheel to a secure bike rack. When locking your bike outside, lock the frame and at least one wheel to secure bike rack such as an o-ring, wave or inverted-u rack. These types of bike parking are available in our downtown cores.
Be aware of what you're locking up to. Avoid using bike racks that are damaged or not properly anchored and avoid locking to objects that can be moved, dismantled or destroyed to free your bike.
Lock your bike in visible, well-lit, high-traffic locations. The more visible your bike is, the less likely is it will be targeted for theft.
Don't forget your accessories. Be sure to take your helmet and easily removed accessories with you.
Trail Etiquette and Code of Conduct
Anyone who rides a bike, including kids needs a bell. Bells are required by law under the Highway Traffic Act which states that "every bicycle shall be equipped with a bell and is sounded to notify others." Bells are cost effective way to improve safety for everyone. They:
Use your bell when cycling on trails or roadways and when approaching pedestrians or cyclists. If you hear a bell as a pedestrian, it means that someone on a bike is approaching and plans to pass. Please move to the right when it is safe to do so.
Bicycle and Road Safety Resources and Videos
Learn how you can help keep Saugeen Shores safe by respecting all users and obeying the rules of the road.
In 2017, the Town of Saugeen Shores worked with Share the Road Cycling Coalition to develop a report and recommendations to become a Bicycle Friendly Community. Community engagement and a local infrastructure tour were part of the report process. In fall 2018, the Town was awarded its designation as a bronze bicycle friendly community.
Contact Us
Recreation
600 Tomlinson Drive, P.O. Box 820
Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
Phone 519-832-2008 Ext. 131
Email
