May 1, 2019

New home for the Spring Kickoff

TBN's popular Spring Kickoff is moving. Poor ground conditions at our traditional site means we will hold the Saturday, May 11, kickoff breakfast at the Sir Casimir Gzowski Park on the Martin Goodman Trail between Ellis and Windermere Ave. Please wear your new TBN jersey if you have one, enjoy free food, courtesy of TBN, and then participate in our rides at varying distances and speeds.

We're also looking for volunteers who can help set up the event, or run a stand where riders can try jerseys for size. Please email organizer Susan Bishop if you can help.

This event is free, but we ask people to register so we know how much food to buy. More details on the website.


Help run our Sunday/Holiday Tourist rides

TBN is looking for one or more volunteers to coordinate our Sunday and Holiday Tourist rides, a series of fast and longer-distance events that start from end-of-line Toronto subway stations. You can use maps and routes developed for previous years, or change the routing to meet riders' needs. If you want to help, please come to a no-commitment planning meeting at 6pm on Tuesday, May 16, at the Balzac's Coffee Shop in the Toronto Reference Library (at Yonge and Bloor). We will scope out interest in Sunday and Holiday Tourist Rides and seek advice on how the program worked in past years and what we could do better.

Please contact Touring Director Richard Anstett if you can help.

Non-rider registration

New for this season is the ability for non-members to sign up ahead of time to join a TBN ride. There's a registration link on TBN's ride pages, and all you need to do is show the ride leader a copy of your confirmation email before you join the ride. Preregistration avoids the need to hand the $5 non-member fee in cash, or to read and sign a paper waiver when you really just want to start riding. It makes life easier.

Have you got your TBN jersey?

TBN's new jersey is available for order in various styles, cuts and sizes. The jerseys cost $60 or $65, plus an optional delivery charge to your home address. Place your order by Saturday, May 27, and expect delivery by early July. More information here.


Europe by bike

You can still register for the May 1 special information session on European travel at the Deer Park Library on St. Clair Avenue East. Long-term TBN members John and Lorraine Golla will describe some of their European trips, and offer tips on transportation, packing, mapping and whether to take your own bike. Please register on the TBN website.

Fun bicycle related stuff

Bicycle related events this month include an evening Lambton House talk on the role played by Canadian cyclists in the Great War, and a Janes's Walk cycle ride from Lambton to Fort York. Check out the links in the what's coming up section of this newsletter.

Travel with TBN

Niagara Bike and Hike: May 18-20 WAITLIST ONLY

Our Victoria Day weekend cycling trip to the Niagara region is full, but you can still join the wait list, in case other participants have to drop out. More details on the website

Tour de l'Île de Montréal: May 31-June 2 WAITLIST ONLY

TBN's first trip to the Go Bike Montreal festival is sold out, but you can join the waiting list. See the TBN website for details.

TNTO: June 15-16 REGISTRATION OPENS MAY 1

Registration opens on May 1 (for members) or May 15 (for non-members) for the 26th edition of our Toronto-Niagara weekend. Ride to Niagara Falls from downtown Toronto for a hefty 160km+ each way, or take the shorter routes from Stoney Creek in Hamilton. Check the website for details. Hotel rooms at the Rodeway Inn in Niagara Falls are limited so book early.


CYCLON: August 2-5 REGISTRATION OPEN

Registration is now open for Cyclon 2019 , which takes place at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo. Enjoy three days of riding on quiet country roads, and explore an area of Ontario that many of us don't know that well. Early Bird pricing is available until May 31.


Wolf Den: September 13-15

Registration opens May 19

Fitz Fall hiking: October 18-20

Registration opens May 19

New trip ideas?

Contact Jeannie at weekendtrips@tbn.ca if you have suggestions for a trip or if you wish to lead one. Trip leaders have their fees paid by TBN.


Reminders

Help with Ride for Heart

TBN is still looking for volunteers to help at the June 2 Ride for Heart, a once-a-year ride along the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway with thousands of other cyclists. There are two roles: “Ride Ambassadors,” who will wear special Ride for Heart T-shirts and help throughout the route with roadside assistance such as minor mechanical issues or calling for first-aid; and “Ride marshals”, helping to ensure rider safety along the route.  We are also looking for a few TBN representatives to help out at the TBN booth in the CNE's Enercare Centre, to greet riders as they complete the ride and to provide information on TBN. If you are interested in the latter, contact Rick MacMillan at publicity@tbn.ca.

Please register by April 30.

Flat fixing workshop

Register now for our hands-on workshop from TBN's Flat Tire Gang on how to deal with those irritating punctures. Learn now to change the inner tube on your front or rear wheel, and then how to reinstall the wheel safely. There is a $5 fee for this workshop, which takes place on Tuesday, May 7, at the Wallace Emerson Community Centre on Dufferin Street. Check the TBN website to register.


What sort of rider are you?

Please check out TBN's ride classifications, so you can find the ride that fits you best. Our Tourist and Sportif rides are the fastest, designed for riders who can keep up with the pack or are happy riding alone or in small groups. The Urban Roller and Leisure Wheeler rides are no-drop rides at a gentler pace. There's something for everybody.

Ambassador alert

Please welcome TBN's new team of Club Ambassadors, who will welcome new members to the club and make sure they feel at home during their first rides. Ambassadors may introduce you to new members during a ride, or at the refreshment stop, so do take the time to chat if you can. We treasure our reputation as a friendly and welcoming bicycle club, and want to do everything we can to cement that reputation.

TBN's Ride with GPS

Did you know that TBN has a club account with Ride With GPS, so you can enjoy the full features of the service, without paying for an account. All you need to do is click on this link, and follow the instructions. (Note: This link is available only to TBN members, so you must be logged in on the TBN website for access.) If you already have an RWGPS account, you're good to go. If you do not have an account, it takes about a minute to set-up a free account.

As long as the ride is listed in the TBN Club section, you will get:

1) The ability to load the route to your GPS device.

2) The ability to customize your cue sheet PDF.

3) Turn-by-turn directions from the mobile app on your smartphone, or from your GPS device.

4) The ability to RSVP to rides.

What's coming up

During the cycling season, Chain of Events offers a quick summary of key events over the coming weeks and months. Please email the editor at coe@tbn.ca if there are items you would like us to add.

Wednesday, May 1: Education session on Europe by bike

Saturday May 4: Pedal Back in time. Curated ride from Lambton House to Fort York. (Part of the history-focused Jane's Walks)

Tuesday, May 7: Workshop on fixing flat tires

Thursday, May 9: Riding into Battle. Talk at Lambton House on Canadian cyclists' role in the Great War. 

Saturday, May 11: Season kickoff breakfast.

Sunday, June 2: Manulife Ride for Heart. Join TBN's volunteers helping to ensure the ride is safe.

June 15-16TNTO

Friday, August 2, to Monday, Aug 5Cyclon in Waterloo

Sunday, August 11: Toogood Pond picnic

August TBD: Toronto to Niagara Falls GO Home

Sunday, September 8: Alan Gordon Metric Century ride

September 13-15: Wolf Den cycling/hiking/kayaking weekend

October 18-20: Fitz Hostel fall hiking weekend

As always, check the TBN website for details of all rides and other events, 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.


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.


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