The Toronto Bicycling Network Inc.

May 15, 2019

Help run our Sunday/Holiday Tourist rides

Here's a last minute reminder of our Thursday, May 16, meeting to discuss our Sunday and Holiday Tourist rides, a series of fast and longer-distance events that start from end-of-line Toronto subway stations. Can you help coordinate these rides, or offer input on how the program worked in the past, and what we could do better? If you can help, please come to a no-commitment planning meeting at 6 pm at Balzac's Coffee Shop in the Toronto Reference Library (at Yonge and Bloor).

Please contact Touring Director Richard Anstett if you want more details.

You can still volunteer at Ride for Heart

We've had a good response to our request for riders to act as marshals and ambassadors at Toronto's annual Ride for Heart, an explosion of cyclists along the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway. But we can always use more volunteers, and we still need help running the TBN booth at the end of the June 2 ride, where we have a captive audience of enthusiastic cyclists who might want to join the club. Please contact Communications Director Rick MacMillan if you can help.

Sign up for Hairshirt now

The Hairshirt, TBN's classic long-distance cycling event, is open for registration. Ride 322 km in a single day, starting and finishing near Square One in Mississauga. Full details, including training tips, are available on the TBN website. This year's Hairshirt is on Sunday, June 23, so you have plenty of daylight to complete your marathon adventure.

Jersey deadline only weeks away

You are running out of time for the first 2019 order to purchase TBN's smart new jersey, which is available 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 May 27, and expect delivery by early July. More information here.

Travel with TBN

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 OPEN

Registration is open for the 26th edition of our Toronto-Niagara weekend. Ride to Niagara Falls from downtown Toronto for a hefty 160 km+ 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.

NEW Pittsburg Cycling: June 27-July 1 Details coming soon

Watch the website for details of our inaugural trip to Pittsburgh, the steel hub that was dubbed Food City of the United States this year. We'll stay in AirBnB accommodation, and enjoy rides hosted by members of a Pittsburgh cycling club. Pittsburgh, a five-hour drive from Toronto, is experiencing something of a renaissance, and our trip will include a morning tour of Fallingwater, the over-the-river masterpiece from architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

NEW Wending Awenda: July 12-14 REGISTRATION OPEN

Enjoy two days of cycling along Georgian Bay, based from the campsite at Awenda Provincial Park. There's hiking and swimming too, and a couple of pancake breakfasts included in the (very moderate) $40 price. More details on the website.

CYCLON: August 2-5 REGISTRATION OPEN

Registration is 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.

New member night

Save July 5 as the date for our special welcome to new TBN members -- anyone who joined in the last year, and anyone interested in joining the club. The New Member evening will be a chance for new members to meet others from the club and to learn about various TBN rides and special events. We'll also offer tips about bike safety and road readiness, and about the fun and safety of group riding. Existing members are encouraged to attend and bring a guest. Details on registration coming soon on the TBN website.

Who will be member of the month?

We're seeking nominations for TBN’s Member of the Month. Please email our team at memberofthemonth@tbn.ca if you want to nominate a TBN member who went above and beyond the normal call of duty this month. Please include your name, the name of the member you are nominating and what that member did to justify your nomination. The winner gets a $50 gift certificate and the chance to be recognized as Member of the Year.

Thanks to our kickoff volunteers

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped at our Spring Kickoff, held this year in a new, Lakeshore location. Well over 100 people attended, both members and non-members, with breakfast, speeches, jersey try-outs and rides all on the agenda. Also thanks to TBN partner Velofix, whose mechanics provided valuable assistance to a number of the Saturday morning cyclists.

Reminders

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.

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 a little slower, with a sweep to make sure riders don't get left behind. 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? Just click on this link, and follow the instructions. (Note: This link is available only to TBN members, so you must be logged into 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 be able to load the route to your GPS device, customize and print your cue sheet and get turn-by-turn directions from the mobile app on your smartphone or from your GPS device.

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 cycling-related items you would like us to add.

Thursday, May 16: Meeting to discuss Sunday/Holiday Tourist rides

Sunday, May 19: Our first GO-assisted ride of the season. Ride 105km from Burlington to Niagara Falls and take the GO train back.

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

June 15-16: TNTO

Sunday, June 23: Hairshirt

June 27-July 1: Pittsburgh cycling weekend

July 5: New members night.

July 12-14: Awenda camping/cycling weekend

Friday, August 2, to Monday, Aug 5: Cyclon 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.