Once again, several local cycling advocacy groups are joining forces to bring you the second annual Bells on Danforth bike ride. This family-friendly event to celebrate cycling on the Danforth takes place on Saturday, May 11, the day before Mother’s Day. Our pedal-powered parade starts at East Lynn Park (on Danforth, one block west of Woodbine) at noon. We’ll ride to Queen’s Park, where we’ll join groups from Bells on Yonge, Bells on Bloor, and Walk Toronto at the Cycle and Sole rally. Join us at the ride, and watch the Bells on Danforth site for more information.
Our popular social ride series returns this year with a mix of old favourites and brand new routes. Starting in East York, we’ll take a leisurely bike ride before returning to our neighbourhood for dessert and socializing. Each 90-minute ride will be on both streets and mixed-use paths. Routes may include riding (or walking!) up some hills, but we’ll try to keep the huffing and puffing to a minimum. The East York History Bike Ride on June 20 starts at Playter Gardens on Danforth, one block west of Broadview. All other rides start at the East York Community Centre. For all rides, gather at the starting point at 6:15 p.m. The rides leave at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s schedule includes five rides starting in May and stretching into July:
- Thursday, May 30: The Don Valley to Edwards Gardens.
- Thursday, June 6: Taylor Creek Park and Warden Woods
- Thursday, June 13: The Beach and the Port Lands.
- Thursday, June 20: The East York History Bike Ride. NOTE: This ride starts at Playter Gardens, on the north side of Danforth one block west of Broadview (at the beginning of the Bloor Viaduct).
- Thursday, June 27: Mount Pleasant Cemetery and Rosedale.
- Thursday, July 4: Riverdale and Cabbagetown.
All rides will proceed rain or shine but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are likely. Routes and destinations may change; more information about that week’s destination will be posted a couple of days before each ride. Always check our website for the latest updates. Contact us if you’d like more information.
Brick beach on the Leslie Street Spit. The trails are a little smoother than this.
Our Thursday Night Ride series this past June was so popular that we’ve decided to run a Sunday morning autumn ride to the Leslie Street Spit next Sunday, October 28. Meet at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues on Sunday, October 28 at 10:45 a.m. The ride leaves at 11:00 a.m. rain or shine.
This ride will take us through the streets of Riverdale and the Port Lands to the Leslie Street Spit, where we’ll continue all the way out to the lighthouse at the southern tip. Fall colours and cooler temperatures make autumn a wonderful time to cycle on Toronto’s streets and trails.
It can be chilly on autumn mornings, so we’ll be bringing a supply of warm (non-alcoholic) apple cider for riders who join us. Bring a snack for yourself and dress in layers if it’s cold. Remember that it may be a few degrees cooler by the water than it is in the rest of the city.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water and a small snack, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you next Sunday.
Just a reminder that we’re running a bonus Thursday night ride this week. The route is the same as the ride that was cancelled on June 21 and you can find the details in the original announcement for that ride. This will be our final formal ride for this summer. If you’ve enjoyed the rides and would like to see more of them throughout the cycling season, you should join us at an organizing meeting. Our next one is coming up on Wednesday, July 18; see the calendar listing for details.
As always, riders should meet at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues on Thursday, July 12 at 6:15 p.m. The ride leaves at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine, but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are likely. Email info@29bikes.ca before 5:00 p.m. if you want confirmation of the status of the ride; final determination will be made by 5:30 p.m.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water,
- money for refreshments after the ride, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you on Thursday.
Thanks to all of the Ward 29 Bikes members and supporters who joined us for the East York Canada Day parade on Sunday morning. With sunny skies and low humidity, it was a beautiful day for for a bike ride through the streets of East York surrounded by Shriners, Rotarians, marching bands, and many other East York community groups. Following the parade, even more cyclists approached us and asked if they could ride with us next year. Of course you can; everyone is welcome to join us. Let’s make next year’s parade entry the biggest ever!
Here’s a gallery of pictures from this year’s parade. Click on any picture to view it full size. Thanks for all of your support!
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- Ward 29 Bikes supporter Felicity arrives as a vision in red and white. Her finery and attention to detail won her the prize for best decorated bike. (Photo by Risa Gluskin.)
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- Ward 29 Bikes supporters Sandra and Tim are decked out and ready for the Canada Day parade to get underway. (Photo by Kathy Chung.)
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- Ward 29 Bikes members Val and Risa strike a pose surrounded by balloons and wearing their ceremonial headdresses. (Photo by Kathy Chung.)
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- The bikes in the staging area are festooned with red and white balloons, flags, and ribbons. (Photo by Risa Gluskin.)
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- Ward 29 Bikes members and supporters display their decorated bikes before getting underway. (Photo by Risa Gluskin.)
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- Everyone saddle up! The parade is starting any minute now. (Photo by Kathy Chung.)
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- The parade pauses at Dieppe Park for a marching band performance. (Photo by Risa Gluskin.)
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- Ward 29 Bikes supporters were not only the most colourful entry in the parade, but we also had the most fun. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- Risa smiles and shows off her red, white, and Ward 29 blue. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- Val and Risa flying the colours on Cosburn Ave. (Photo by Kathy Chung.)
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- Ward 29 Bikes member Charlotte and her bike are even more colourful and decorated than usual. She looks like she's hatching a plan. Maybe something to do with the Shriners just ahead of us in the parade. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- Charlotte joins the Shriners as they twist and turn along Cosburn Ave. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- The Shriners try to shake their tail loose, but Charlotte sticks to them through all of their loops and turns. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- We're not sure what's more fun than those little Shriner cars, but cycling along with them must rank right up there. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- Cyclists discover that riding around in circles is not only fun, but also generates a cooling breeze. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- With her drag chute of balloons deployed behind her, Felicity leads the group through another round. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- A young family watches Kathy go by on Sammon Ave. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
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- This intersection isn't normally a roundabout, but we won't let that stop us from turning it into one for a few minutes. (Photo by Val Dodge.)
Our fourth and last Thursday night ride for this year will take us on a loop ride through several downtown and midtown neighbourhoods as we explore Cedarvale ravine and the Beltline trail. This ride passes through Mount Pleasant Cemetery, which closes its gates for the night at 8 p.m. at this time of year. If the cemetery is closed (or about to close) when we get there, we’ll follow an alternate route.
Meet at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues on Thursday, June 28 at 6:15 p.m. The ride leaves at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine, but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are likely. Email info@29bikes.ca before 5:00 p.m. if you want confirmation of the status of the ride; final determination will be made by 5:45 p.m.
Riders will receive a copy of the turn sheet and map at the beginning of the ride, or you can print them from this PDF.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water,
- money for refreshments after the ride, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you on Thursday.
View Thursday night ride #4: Cedarvale ravine & the Beltline in a larger map
[Update, June 28: We've rescheduled this ride for Thursday, July 12. The time, starting point, and route remain the same. Join us!]
[Update, June 21: Tonight's ride was cancelled because of the unpredictable thunderstorms moving through Toronto this evening. Thanks to all the dedicated cyclists who showed up at the start point despite the weather; we hope to see you again next week. We may attempt to reschedule this ride as a bonus Thursday night ride in July.]
Our third Thursday night ride will take us through parts of Leaside and Rosedale on our way to the Don Valley Brick Works before heading back home. Note that this is a change from the original route. Meet at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues on Thursday, June 21 at 6:15 p.m. The ride leaves at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine, but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are likely. Email info@29bikes.ca before 5:00 p.m. if you want confirmation of the status of the ride; final determination will be made by 5:30 p.m.
Riders will receive a copy of the turn sheet and map at the beginning of the ride, or you can print them from this PDF.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water,
- money for refreshments after the ride, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you on Thursday.
View Thursday Night Ride #3: Leaside, Rosedale, and the Brick Works in a larger map
Our second Thursday night ride will take us along one of the most popular family cycling routes in the city: through the Don Valley up to Sunnybrook Stables. We’ll pedal through a string of parks in the valley including the Lower Don parkland, E.T. Seton Park, Wilket Creek Park, Sunnybrook Park, and Taylor Creek Park. Meet at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues on Thursday, June 14 at 6:15 p.m. The ride leaves at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine, but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are expected. Email info@29bikes.ca before 5:00 p.m. if you want confirmation of the status of the ride; final determination will be made by 5:30 p.m.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water,
- money for refreshments after the ride, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you on Thursday.
View Thursday night ride #2: Up the Don Valley in a larger map
Our first Thursday night ride starts at the East York Community Centre at the corner of Pape and Torrens Avenues tomorrow (June 7,2012) at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The ride leaves rain or shine, but will be cancelled if thunderstorms are expected. Email info@29bikes.ca before 5:00 p.m. if you want confirmation of the status of the ride; final determination will be made by 5:30 p.m.
Riders will receive a copy of the turn sheet and map at the beginning of the ride, or you can print them from this PDF.
You should bring:
- a bike in good working order,
- clothing appropriate for the weather,
- a bottle of water,
- money for refreshments after the ride, and
- TTC fare in case you get tired and need a lift home.
Contact us if you have any questions, and we hope to see you on Thursday.
View Thursday night ride #1 with Ward 29 Bikes in a larger map
As part of Bike Month, Ward 29 Bikes is hosting a leisurely group ride each Thursday evening this June, leaving from our East York neighbourhood to destinations within easy cycling distance. Each ride will be about 90 minutes long on streets and mixed-use paths and will end at a local restaurant or cafe for dessert and socializing. Each route may include riding (or walking!) up some hills, but we’ll try to keep the huffing and puffing to a minimum. If you’d like to join us, save the dates for our four Thursday night rides:
- June 7: Lower Don trail, Port Lands, and the Beaches. Ride the Lower Don River path and the eastern section of the Martin Goodman Trail out to the Beaches.
- June 14: The Don Valley to Sunnybrook Park. The classic Toronto family bike ride takes you up the Don Valley to the riding school at Sunnybrook Stables.
- June 21:
Rosedale Ravine, Cabbagetown, and Riverdale. Rosedale, Leaside, and the Don Valley Brick Works. The original route of this ride has been changed, but will be just as fun. Take the scenic route downtown before ducking into the Rosedale Ravine and passing under bridges that carry city traffic far above you. Finish up with a spin through the Brick Works.
- June 28: Cedarvale Ravine and the Kay Gardner Beltline. Ride this bike-friendly circle route on streets and in parks through Forest Hill and Rosedale. You’d never know how close you are to downtown!
All rides start at the East York Community Centre (1081½ Pape Avenue at Torrens Avenue). Meet at the bike racks near the front door at 6:15 p.m.; the ride leaves at 6:30 p.m. sharp, rain or shine. We’ll post additional information a few days before each ride. If you have any questions, send us an email or ask in the comments section of this post.
And remember that when you’re on a bike, getting there is all the fun.
[Update, June 20: Links have been added for the first three rides, and the route information for the third ride changed.]
[Update, June 28: A link was added for the final ride.]
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