Federal return-to-office orders spark commuter bike demand across Ottawa

Bike shops across Ottawa are reporting brisk demand for commuter-style bicycles as federal public servants shift from remote work to more in-office days.

Grant Burke, front store manager at Full Cycle bike shop in Hintonburg, said the surge in sales and service appointments has defied the typical summer slowdown. "Normally we're like, 'OK, it's going to start to get a little bit chill,' right?" he said. "It has not been chill."

Many of Burke's recent customers are government employees looking for the same functional, unpretentious bike—what he describes as "a Honda Civic of bikes"—to get around on during their four-day office weeks. Outside government buildings downtown, bike racks are increasingly crowded.

City of Ottawa traffic counters capture cycling activity at three downtown locations: Laurier Avenue at Metcalfe Street, O'Connor Street at Somerset Street, and Nanny Goat Hill near Bronson Avenue and Slater Street. Data shows bike traffic in and out of the downtown core has been climbing steadily since 2020, after a steep pandemic dip.

Bike Ottawa's Florence Lehmann, a former public servant, documented the trend this week by photographing bike racks jammed with commuter bicycles after the federal four-day policy took effect. She notes that secure bike parking remains inconsistent across government buildings—some offer sheltered, card-access parking while others leave workers to lock bikes on the street, a deterrent for riders worried about theft.