Chain of Events
June 14, 2017
Make your bike beautiful, every ride
Join TBN for a special education session on how to check your bike before you ride, with a special focus on that worn part that might be about to break, or a loose connection that can cause excessive wear and tear. The session, presented by mobile bicycle mechanic outfit Velofix, will offer tips on what you can fix yourself, and when you might want to call for help, as well as how to check your chain for wear. The evening session takes place at Wallace Emerson Community Centre at 1260 Dufferin Avenue on Tuesday June 27. Check the website for more details, and to register.
Ready to picnic?
A nice summer bike ride, then a barbecue lunch by the lake? How can you possibly say no? Check out the website for details of TBN's annual summer picnic, which takes place at Toogood Pond in Markham on Sunday, August 13. The picnic is free, but we do ask you to register ahead of time so we know how much food to order.
As always, check the website for details of all the rides and other events that are coming up, and remember to check back a couple of hours before a ride in case it's changed or cancelled because of poor weather, or other factors beyond our control.
Getting out of town
Is this your Hairshirt year?
Registration is open for the Toronto-Niagara-Toronto double century Hairshirt, which takes you to Niagara Falls and back in just one day. Riders will leave from Mississauga at 6am on June 25, and return to the start place at the end of the day. Check out the website for detailed tips on how to tackle this challenging ride.
Canada's prettiest town sold out
Our July 14-16 camping weekend in the scenic Falls River Conservation area, near the pretty Ontario town of Goderich is sold out and the waiting list is closed. You have to register fast for these exciting adventures.
Enjoy Cyclon in Kingston
There are still slots available for Cyclon, our annual weekend away from the big city. This year's Cyclon takes place from August 4-7 in Kingston, with comfortable accommodation in Queens University residences and rides to suit everyone. Check the TBN website for more details of the event, including breakfast menus at the comfortable residence, which is an easy walk (or ride) from Kingston's town centre.
Or take a look at Kingston's website to see how the historic city is celebrating Canada's 150th birthday.
Here's what past attendees have to say:
“Really well planned and organized … great people” Susan Wong, 3 time attendee
“As a first time attendee, I loved that I got to try new routes in the country and also that I met tons of other riders” Cathleen Sullivan, first time attendee
Fall hiking
Join a small group for an Oct 13-15 hiking trip to the Bruce Peninsula. We'll stay in the tiny Fitz Hostel, near Lion's Head and set out from there to enjoy hikes through the fall colours. Registration opens on August 1.
Contact Jeannie at weekendtrips@tbn.ca if you have any suggestions for a trip or if you wish to lead one. Trip leaders have their fees paid by TBN. For more information about Cyclon, check out the Cyclon page on the TBN website, or email cyclon@tbn.ca
Hello Hoopdriver!
Introducing Hoopdriver Bicycles, a new full TBN discount partner, and the latest city bicycle shop to offer a generous discount to club members. Hoopdriver, which has already donated over $500 in prizes to the club, is located in the West end on bike-friendly Annette Street, between Jane and Runnymede. Show your membership card for 10% off parts and accessories, or 10% off regular price for any in-stock Bianchi bicycle, including the 'Strada', 'Lupo' and 'Volpe'.
Remember you must present your valid TBN membership card for a discount at Hoopdriver or at any other TBN discount partner.
TBN has an iPhone app
TBN has a brand new iPhone app, so you can see what rides are coming up with a single click. Just open up the AppStore and look for "Toronto Bicycling Network." We'll have an Android app soon as well, but for now if you don't have an iPhone, please bookmark our mobile friendly site -- you can reach the mobile site on www.tbn.ca/mobile.
Reminders:
Free on Fridays?
Our Freedom Friday rides have started, the latest addition to TBN's stable of rides. These early morning rides use start locations within an hour's drive from central Toronto, and aim to let you get home before the weekend traffic builds up.These are tourist class rides -- there's no sweep and no regrouping. But some are on paved trails, so the pace will be slower than for a regular tourist ride.
New coordinator
TBN is looking for a new coordinator for our popular Friday night rides. Contact Dave Mader at touring@tbn.ca if you can help.
RWGPS
1. You must be a member of the club account at RWGPS to take advantage of some of the features outlined below. First, create your own personal account (either a free one, or a paid one) and then go to the club page (https://ridewithgps.com/clubs/27-toronto-bicycling-network), and submit a request to join. Membership gives you access to 300+ club rides, and you can filter those down to find the ride you want.
2. Check this comprehensive summary of how to use the TBN account on RWGPS to load a map and route onto your Garmin or to generate a printable map and cue sheet. As mentioned above, you must be a member of the club account at RWGPS to use these facilities.
3. Visit YouTube for an instructional video on how to create and print a customized map and cue sheet using TBN's RideWithGPS account.
4. And check out this video for details on how to load a TBN ride onto your smartphone -- a useful tool for people who don't own a separate GPS device.
Deals and special offers on bike stuff, tours, rides, and so on
TBN partners offer great deals for our members. Newer entries include a couple of bike shops, special bike tours outside Ontario, charity ride registration discounts, and much more. Please support TBN's great partners. There are so many new businesses out there that its tough to keep up and so If someone can help to keep this list up to date, please contact publicity@tbn.ca.
Suspending jersey sales
Our first order of 2017 was a success, but sales dropped off with the second order and so we are suspending TBN jersey sales for the year. If demand picks up again, we may set up a wait list and open up a new production order for late summer.
Remember to visit the TBN calendar of events to find out more about what's coming up. That little TTC logo below will help alert you to any subway closures, of which there may be many in 2017.
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