President's message

Another TBN riding season will soon be upon us, so be sure to check out the many rides that our coordinators are posting on the club calendar. The weather is looking up and I know everyone is anxious to get out there soon.

As some members know, I was in hospital a few weeks back for a week to have surgery. This was not an emergency but a long-standing issue that had deteriorated over time. I am back home from hospital now and recovering well. Full recovery will take about three months, I look forward to joining you back on the roads in May. 

Thank you to Martin Lansche for acting as the President while I was in hospital.

--Gord Irish

We are all club ambassadors

Every member should be a TBN Club Ambassador and share the love of riding with someone new! It’s fun, it’s easy and you’ll make someone feel at home with us!

Be a TBN Club Ambassador on a ride, or at any event, welcoming and supporting new club members so they can enjoy TBN as much as you do. Help new members with information about our different rides and paces, finding events (rides, social, etc.) and registering, understanding club policies and rules. Talk up our events and simply get to know new members. Make sure they don’t ride alone. Kindness is contagious and the new members will appreciate it.

When you encounter new members who have recently joined the club:

• Welcome them

• Offer to tell them more about the club and the rides, and answer any questions they have

• Advise them about what rides might be good for them to go on, given their current riding experience

• Make sure they know about resources like the TBN website and Facebook page

• Invite them to attend any new-member events

• On rides …

• Be alert for new members and introduce them to at least three other people

• If you stop for coffee breaks or après-ride make sure they are not alone and ask them to join you or your group

• Make sure they don’t ride alone. Check in on them occasionally or ride nearby so they feel a part of the group

• Let them know about other rides and club events they might enjoy

Any questions or suggestions please contact experience@tbn.ca.

Zwift Meetups Season Completing Soon

As this year's IRL (In Real Life) rides are starting up, the Zwift Meetups Virtual rides are winding down. Thanks to all TBNers who have, over the season, joined the Zwift Meetups for exercise, advice, encouragement and conversation. By the end of the season we will have held just under 90 Meetups, with a total of over 2,000 kms of riding, and untold 1,000s of metres of climbing. Well done everyone! Some ending thoughts as we go back to real-world cycling:

• Layering of clothing is important in 5C weather. Speaking of weather, there is this thing called wind and rain you will have to deal with.
• Cracks in the pavement, potholes, etc., all hammer your tailbone, over and over and over. In Zwift, the roads are smooth.
• Remember to steer. And brake. And balance. All skills that have been unused since autumn.
• Unclip, then come to a stop (not the other way around). There is no trainer there to keep you upright.
• The other "avatars" are solid: Cars, trucks, people. You don't pass through them. You can crash and it can hurt.
• There is no Trainer Difficulty in the Real World, there is only 100%.
• Out of the saddle is far more dynamic in the Real World. You have to control your bike.
• Traffic lights/stop signs. They should be obeyed.
• Use the brakes. Especially when descending and turning on descents. In real life it is impossible to take 180 degree hairpin turns at 75 kph, so slow down!
• Rain and puddles mean you need to clean your real-world bike.
• Adjust your expectations... In Zwift we average around 30 kph. With real-world hills, stop signs, traffic lights and other obstacles, that will be much lower. And your virtual bike is probably much lighter than your real bike.
• The Real World has real butter tarts and cappuccino. We are looking forward to seeing you all (putting faces to names) on the roads!

TBN Social/Education events

Epic Bike Adventure Presentation, March 17. Dream of cycling across stunning landscapes but not sure where to start? Join us for Epic Bike Rides for the Average Cyclist: RAGBRAI, BRAG, and the Tuscany Trail—a free, engaging presentation on three incredible cycling experiences. Learn what it’s like to ride across Iowa, Georgia and Italy, from logistics to must-see highlights. Whether you're a casual cyclist or planning your first big ride, this event is packed with inspiration and practical tips. TBN Communications Director Italo Bravo will draw from his experiences during this hour. The event will be held in the main floor meeting room at the Northern District Library near Eglinton subway on the Yonge line. You can register here.

The next presentation in this series is Bike Packing Across Portugal by TBN member Phil Sokolowski. He will talk about 5 Boro bike tour in Portugal and great Southern Ontario bike trails. It will be held at the same location on April 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. Again, see the calendar to register.

Dancing on the Danforth, March 22. This will be a very special evening as it will feature the band that plays the TBN spring parties and the one that will play our next AGM. The Junctioneers play a mix of covers, mostly from the 1960s, '70s and '80s. Come to Noonan’s Irish Pub and dance to or just listen to this great band. There is no cover. More information, music videos, and registration are here.

TBN Pub Quiz, March 25. Registration for the March quiz is open via the calendar. More details about the new participant-centred quiz format and about the Prenup Pub are available here.

Know Your Rights 101 (with The Biking Lawyer), April 10. The Biking Lawyer will be presenting a session on cyclists' rights at Bike Depot's Leaside location, 1588 Bayview Ave., April 10, beginning at 6:30 pm. Free for TBN members and guests, but space is limited. You can register here.

Dancing on the Danforth, April 19. This will be a really fun night with a really fun band.The Swinging Blackjacks have been entertaining Canadian audiences for more than 20 years with a mix of classic rockabilly, jumping blues, and old-school rock and roll. Come to Noonan’s Irish Pub and dance to or just listen to this great band. There is NO COVER. More information, music videos and registration are here.

Monthly Dining Out, April 24. This new social event, where we eat at different interesting ethnic restaurants each month, has become very popular. This month’s choice is the famous Terroni but at a special location. Information about the event, the restaurants and registration are available here.

Flying With Your Bike & Bikepacking 101 presentations, April 30. Bike Depot, 1588 Bayview Ave, is presenting two info sessions April 30, beginning at 6:30 pm. “Flying With Your Bike” will demonstrate how to disassemble, pack, unpack and assemble your bike for travel. For “Bikepacking 101” TBN Board member Greg Andre-Barrett will show the bike(s), bags and gear that he typically takes on trips. Information and registration are here.

Spring Fling, May 3. Last year's inaugural spring party was a huge success. We will have the same great venue, same great food, and the same great live band on May 3. This year, there is a minimal charge of $10 for all of that. Registration opens March 18 at 8:00 am. Information and registration are here.

Spring Kickoff, May 10. Don’t miss this opportunity to eat breakfast, socialize and ride with members you haven’t seen for a while. It’s a great way to meet potential new members and those who ride at different levels. The event is free for members and non-member guests. Registration is now open. Please consider registering as a volunteer as we need help setting up the food and cleaning up afterwards. Information and registration are here.

TBN's Spring Kick-off is on for May 10. Don't miss it!

Overnight Trips 2025 

For the latest trip information visit our Overnight Trips page. As of March 12 the events below with highlighted links have been posted, and the others are in the planning stage. 

• April 26-27: Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe and return bikepacking

• May 16-19: Victoria Day Niagara Bike & Hike

• June 10-12: Wednesday Wheelies Return to Collingwood

• June 14-15: Toronto-Niagara-Toronto Overnight (TNTO)

• June 27-30: Wolf Den June Trip. Enjoy biking, hiking, swimming, canoeing, wildlife watching, saunas, campfires and stargazing. The January trip was amazing. This will be even more fun. 

• July 12-13: Lake Erie Shore Breezes Tour

• July 18-20: Barrie: Ride, dance, swim (and ice cream!)

• July 26-27: Niagara Winery Tour

• Aug. 8-10: Simcoe County Loop XL bikepacking

• Aug. 12-14: 3 Days in Orillia

• Aug. 16-17: Mennonite Country Ramble

• Sept. 6-7: Flesherton Hills Tour

Any questions or suggestions please contact the trip leader or Greg Andre-Barrett, the Overnight Trips Director, at WeekendTrips@tbn.ca.

Algonquin Outfitters Old Railway Bike Trail: Just one of the many perks in TBN's June trip to Wolf Den

Technical Director's Corner

There are a number of topics this month.

Web Page updates to be aware of: The Ride/Event Leaders Tools page and the Ride Leaders Documents and Notices page have been completely rewritten. Also, there is a new Ride Leaders Checklist PDF.

TBNApplications Dashboard Updates: There are now four applications on our dashboard which is found here.

View a Report: Have you ever wanted to view a previously submitted report? Choose the View a Report menu item on the dashboard to view any report.

Hazards Report: Based on feedback from a ride leader last year, we have introduced a mechanism for Ride Leaders to document requested changes to routes to include warnings about hazards or other items of note in the RideWithGPS route information. A new field in the reports called Route Hazards should be used to identify recommended improvements to the route information. Any report containing any text in this field will be listed in the Hazards Report menu item on the Dashboard. Reports marked with a ** have not yet been updated by the Ride Coordinator. Below is an artificial example for demonstration purposes.

Ride Leaders Report: 

The Ride Leaders Report has added support for the Route Hazards feature, and the various help prompts have been clarified.

Who's coming on my ride?:

As the outdoor cycling season will soon be upon us, we will be seeing new faces at our rides. If you are a ride leader, one of your responsibilities is to ensure newcomers are welcomed, assisted and engaged. The new and improved "Who's coming on my ride?" application will give you a list of all who are registered for your event, and will provide clues about those who are "new" to TBN: members who have recently joined TBN, those who have been at few events, those who are 30-Day-Trial members, and those who are non-members are highlighted on the application. 

You can use this tool for events up to seven days in advance, and it can also be used at the start location from a mobile phone for last-minute checking. 

Below is a sample of what this application produces for an event on the calendar.

Committee volunteers needed

Volunteer of the Year and Awards Review Committee. There was significant feedback regarding the volunteer of the year citation at the AGM. The program needs a review and some improvements. The board has decided to create a committee of three to five members to conduct the review and recommend changes to the program. Typical tasks for the committee would be to review the current feedback, conduct research and then compile the results and recommend changes. The term of the committee would run until the changes are accepted by the board. We need some input on this, so please do consider volunteering, especially if you have wondered in the past how these decisions have been reached. Fresh ideas are most welcome and the time commitment is minor.

Presidential Nominating Committee. The President is stepping down at the end of this program year at the AGM. The board is looking for a committee of three to five members to search for and nominate a new President to be elected at the next AGM. The club must have a President to function so this is a very important volunteer position.

If you are interested in volunteering for the nominating committee or have any questions about it, please contact the President at president@tbn.ca.

If you are interested in running for President or nominating someone else directly, please also contact president@tbn.ca.

Ride Leaders Workshop meeting via Zoom

TBN Touring Director Dennis Szilvasy will be leading a Zoom meeting April 13, 7-8:30 pm, to discuss leading club rides and other events. This session is based on the TBN Ride Leader Handbook which Dennis will be updating and making available to registrants prior to the Workshop. Dennis will be holding an in-depth discussion on the logistics of leading rides and what the club expects from "ride" leaders. He will also be taking your questions. For more information, and to register, click here. 

New “30-Day-Trial" membership

We are changing how we offer non-members a chance to try out TBN. We have heard feedback that non-members do not like the $10 fee to try out a ride in a TBN ride program that may or may not have been at their level. Or perhaps that specific ride was cancelled due to weather. So starting in 2025, we are changing to a new "try-us-out approach" to include a new “30-Day-Trial" membership class. For $10, an individual can ride on as many rides, across all our ride programs, during a 30-day window from the day of purchase. We hope that after trying us out, these Trial members will upgrade to full membership. When upgrading to a full membership, the $10 trial fee will be refunded to the new members.

For current existing TBN members, this new Trial membership option will be mostly invisible. Our future TBN calendar events will begin to have both the old "Free for TBN Members" registration option, and a new "30-Day-Trial members" registration option. You will continue to use the "Free for TBN Members" registration option.

Exclusions:

• Note that some events, with limited availability, may not be available to 30-Day-Trial members. 
• The Wednesday Evening and Friday Night ride programs will return with the "Free for non-members" option. 
• The Hairshirt ride will continue to offer a simple $10 fee, but will also be open to Thirty-day Trial members. 

Tell your friends who may be wondering about TBN, and who want to give us a try, about our 30-Day-Trial option.

TNTO is back for 2025

We are thrilled to announce that the Toronto Niagara Toronto Overnight (TNTO) ride is back for its 28th year, taking place June 14-15. TNTO is a two-day cycling challenge for experienced cyclists featuring rides from Toronto and Stoney Creek to Niagara Falls, and back the next day. Visit TNTO page for more information.

Registration will open Jan. 18 via the calendar. To ensure everything runs smoothly, we need your help. We are currently looking to recruit one or two enthusiastic volunteers to join our Sag Squad to drive the sag wagon. Specifically, we need a driver to assist with transporting luggage and snacks to the hotel in Niagara Falls. Accommodation is complimentary and a $100 per diem per day to cover food will be provided.

Alternatively, driving the sag wagon can be shared among two volunteers if members are interested on riding only one day and driving the sag wagon the other day.

Your involvement will be crucial in making TNTO 2025 a success. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please reach out to us at tnto@tbn.ca.

As of this writing, this event is full but members are encouraged to join the wait list. 

Please share your favourite gravel routes

TBN is planning some upcoming gravel rides and we would love to gather your route ideas and suggestions! If you have any favourite gravel routes close to the Greater Toronto Area, please share them with Communications Director Italo Bravo at publicity@tbn.ca. We're especially interested in routes with a mix of scenic paths, safe road crossings, and some great gravel stretches.

Feel free to include details like distance, elevation, gpx files and any must-see spots along the way, such as stops for coffee or lunch. Looking forward to hearing your ideas!

Reminder to update your TBN profile

Please ensure to periodically update your TBN club profile. Perhaps upload a photo of yourself (so other members know who you are), confirm that your email address listed is correct (as this is the primary way for us to contact you), confirm your phone and emergency contacts are still valid, and update your current (or former) occupation and let us know if and how you would like to volunteer with TBN. We are always looking for helping hands, especially those with needed skills. How to do this: Login to the website www.tbn.ca, click on your name, then click Edit Profile. When you are done, press Save to commit your changes.

Event registration reminder

Please remember to login to the TBN website prior to registering for our Events. If you are not logged in, the system does not know who you are, and may only offer you the Guest Rider registration choice. Also, when you are logged into the TBN website, a lot of members-only content appears.