New Directors elected to TBN Board

We are thrilled to announce the election of returning and new directors who will be guiding the Toronto Bicycling Network through the next chapter of our journey. As a club deeply rooted in fostering a vibrant cycling community, we believe this new board will bring fresh perspectives, dedication and passion to enhance our member experience and grow our organization.

This board showcases a remarkable lineup of candidates, all of whom demonstrate a strong commitment to cycling and community engagement. These individuals will help shape our future initiatives, events and community outreach.

Our new directors bring diverse skills and experiences, from competitive cycling and recreational advocacy to event organization and strategic development. Together, they aim to expand club programs, strengthen partnerships and create inclusive spaces for cyclists of all levels.

On behalf of the entire Toronto Bicycling Network community, we congratulate our returning and new directors and look forward to the enthusiasm and innovation they’ll bring to the board. Here’s to new roads, new challenges and a shared journey ahead!

Returning to the Board

• Treasurer - Jean Dell’Agnese
• Technical - Martin Lansche
• Touring - Dennis Szilvasy

Appointed earlier this year

• Communications - Italo Bravo
• Director at Large - Ed Ravin
• Member Experience - Elena Balland

Other continuing Board members

• President - Gord Irish
• Secretary - Catherine Newhook
• Social - Ken Lackman
• Director at Large - Marc Giles
• Education - Andrew Paterson

On behalf of the entire club, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to outgoing Board member Lora Flanagon for her dedication and hard work as our Overnight Trips Director. Lora's attention to detail, her planning skills and her unwavering enthusiasm have transformed our trips into unforgettable experiences for everyone involved. From organizing seamless itineraries to ensuring every member’s safety and enjoyment, she has gone above and beyond. Lora's impact on the club will be felt for years to come, and she leaves behind big shoes to fill. 

Know Your Rights (Zoom) workshop

Join us Nov. 18 for a virtual session with Dave Shellnutt, managing partner of The Biking Lawyer LLP who are lawyers for injured cyclists but also are dedicated road safety advocates and cycling community champions.

The online workshop will focus on cyclist rights and entitlements should the unfortunate occur and you’re involved in a collision with a motorist. Dave will also discuss recent road safety challenges and ways to push back.

The 20-30 minute workshop will be followed by a lengthy Q&A to give all an opportunity to share and discuss. Topics covered will be bike cameras, road rage, police, rules of the road, cycling insurance and more.

This will be a Zoom session. The Zoom meeting details will be sent to you in your event registration confirmation and reminder emails. Check the Calendar for details and to register.

Hiking anyone?

TBN’s schedule of fall and winter hikes kicked off on Oct. 20 in the Rouge Urban Park and continues throughout the fall and winter (weather permitting), starting at 10 am. These are for the most part loop hikes and will be about 13 km. Fall hiking will require you to have proper clothing and footwear. Winter hiking is a different animal.  It will require you to not only have proper footwear and clothing but also crampon style icers. These may not be used on the hike but should be included in your backpack in case they are needed.

You must register in advance via the Calendar and cancel that registration if you change your mind and cannot come for whatever reason. Guest registrations at a cost of $10 per person will be allowed if space permits. Parking at some venues can be a challenge, so plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of hikes. Some hikes will require you to pay for parking but these will be noted on the TBN hike posting. We will try and keep these hikes to a minimum.

Social/Education events

Dancing on the Danforth, Nov. 16. This will be a very special evening as it will feature the band that played the TBN Spring Fling in May. The Junctioneers offer 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 can be found here.

TBN Pub Quiz, Nov. 21. The TBN Pub Quiz series continues on the third or fourth Thursday of each month at one of Toronto’s best and most interesting venues, the Prenup Pub. Registration is now open via the calendar. More details about the new quiz format and about the Pub Quiz series are available here.

Erie Canal bike tour info session, Nov. 25. Interested in participating in New York’s annual Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour? Or maybe you would like to cycle Erie Canal on your own? Then come to listen to Dawn and Randy Domm, and Terry Walsh, discuss "Travel Erie Canal by Bicycle,” Nov. 25, 6-8 pm, in the main floor meeting room at Northern District Public Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd, one block north of Eglinton on the west corner. Click here to register.

Wolf Den announcement

Do you like to ski, skate or snowshoe? Or maybe you prefer bird watching and hiking? Then you can register for our Wolf Den Winter Trip to Wolf Den hostel which takes place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2025. The hostel is located very close to the west gate of Algonquin Park. Registration is now open via the Calendar.

City Walks

Our Sunday City Walk program continues every Sunday until Dec. 15, and on the evening of Dec. 21 we will have our traditional Christmas Lights Walk.

We will also be running some weekday walks again, with one coming up on Nov. 14. Additional weekday walks may be offered, so please check the TBN Calendar for times and details.

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!

Zwift your way to winter fitness

TBN will be offering its third year of winter virtual rides, using the Zwift computer platform to provide an almost limitless number of indoor rides as the weather turns cold, wet or snowy. We will continue scheduling morning rides on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As well, we are hosting Tuesday and Thursday evening rides. If demand is sufficient, we will host weekend rides (we need some more volunteer virtual ride leaders). Each ride will be posted two weeks in advance. Check the TBN Calendar for scheduled rides.  

Zwift allows us to offer curated rides in two fantasy worlds: Watopia and a Japanese-themed Makuri Islands.  Also available are virtual routes in London, France, Innsbruck, Yorkshire, Richmond, Scotland and a futuristic New York City. There are more than 160 routes, from gentle to extremely strenuous. Many of our rides will use the "rubber band" feature in Zwift to keep all participants close together.

If you are interested in Zwift rides, either as a participant or as a volunteer virtual ride leader, please email virtualrides@tbn.ca with your preferences (day, time, distance and duration) and whether you are willing to host an event. Details about upcoming Zwift meetups will be posted on the TBN website. For more information about the meetups and how to get started, see Zwift Meetups.