Call For Abstracts

2018 Vélo Canada Bikes 2nd National Bike Summit

May 28th-29th, Ottawa

Vélo Canada Bikes invites you to submit an abstract to present at the 2nd National Bike Summit. Vélo Canada Bikes is a pan-Canadian non-profit organization that advocates for increased federal support for everyday cycling in Canada. Our vision is a Canada where people of all ages and abilities can cycle safely and conveniently, in any community, for work, school, everyday errands, or leisure.

During the summit we will gather with politicians, researchers, private and public sector cycling supporters to discuss how to create a bike friendly Canada.  As part of the event we want to demonstrate that Canada is ready for a federally led National Cycling Strategy, and will be showcasing cycling research from across the country and beyond.

The format for presentations will be posters, and the deadline for submitting an abstract is 11:59pm ET on March 30th, 2018. Research may have been previously presented at other conferences and/or workshops, and may be presented in French or English. The word limit for the abstracts is 250 words (not including title, references, author information, and city/province). Abstracts should clearly state (1) the purpose of the research, (2) the methods used, (3) results or expected finds, and (4) conclusions and next steps. Please include at the top the abstract: the study title, the author names, the affiliated institution/organization, the city/province, and the authors’ email addresses.  Please submit your abstract using this google form.

We are looking for presentations that address all topics related to cycling, especially:

1. Policy and cycling: How policy has or can be used to create a bike friendly Country
2. Cycling and equity: Making cycling available for all, access to bicycle infrastructure, breaking down stereotypes about who rides and why
3. Best practices: Innovations in cycling infrastructure and safety
4. Bicycling education: Approaches to teaching new cyclists to ride, and non-cyclists (motorists, professionals such as taxi or delivery) to safely interact with bicycles.
5. Planning for a two-wheeled future: The role of cycling in community, transit and city Master Plans
6. Tourism: The development of bicycle tourism in Canada
7. Theft and storage: Understanding possible barriers to cycling
8. Winter cycling: Policies and practices that promote cycling twelve months of the year
9. The business of bicycles: From import duties, and the costs/barriers of local manufacturing, to the benefits small businesses can gain by catering to customers on bikes.
10. Cycling advocacy: Evaluation of cycling advocacy efforts

Evaluation Criteria
Using a blind review process, the Vélo Canada Bikes Events Planning Committee will guide a review of abstracts using the following criteria:

• Relevance: Does the topic address an important cycling issue?
• Originality: How interesting, novel, and innovative is the research?
• Design and methodology: Is the study design robust?
• Supporting data: Is the data reliable and are the results clearly explained?
• Quality: Is the writing clear and study objective clearly stated?

Notifications of acceptance will be sent via email in early April 2018. All presenting authors must register for the Summit and are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations. Summit registration is not complimentary. Accepted posters will be on display at the Summit on Monday May 28th and there will be a dedicated time for Summit delegates to ask question of the presenters.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].