Sharing my cycling experiences north of Toronto (in York Region and beyond, aka the 905), from bike commuting, to family leisure rides, to road touring, to mountain biking, and everything in between. Opinions are my own. Ride on!
On May 4th, 2016, about 100 high school students, teachers, and decision-makers came together at the Markham Pan Am Centre for the first York Region Youth Bike Summit to talk about the future of cycling. The theme was "your vision, your future". Justin Jones from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition opened the day by challenging participants to make a difference in their school and community.
Participants were asked....
The Environmental Club at St. Robert CHS were won the cycling video contest for this submission:
The following were recognized for their contributions to cycling in York Region
Cycling Leader Award - Nelson Mahmoudi, Newmarket High School
Cycling Group Award - York Mountain Biking Association
Bike-friendly High School - St. Robert Catholic High School
Olympian Isabelle Turcotte Baird gave an inspirational talk about the power of goal setting and perseverance.
Several interactive workshops were held throughout the day
School Bike Clubs and More
Design Your Dream Street
Advocacy 101
Cycling Jeopardy
Cycling Skills Training
Exhibitors
Rock the Bike
York Region Public Health
York Region Transit / Viva
Real Deal Racing
York Mountain Biking Association
Summit Cycle Bike Shop
For me, the Youth Bike Summit was a chance to hear perspectives from high school students. It was refreshing to meet teens interested in building bike racks at their school, or starting a bike club, or asking for protected bike lanes on Highway 7. They get that cycling can be transformational! I left the conference with a renewed sense of optimism that this generation of youth will help to shape a brighter future.
Bike Month 2015 has come and gone, but I had some memorable cycling experiences. Here are a few more photos from some events in York Region that I participated in.
York Region Pedalpalooza - Tom Taylor Trail in Newmarket
Myles from Spoke O Motion set up some bike demos. A quality bike makes such a difference in your cycling experience. I rode my first tandem and fat bike!
Tom from Bike Sports showed off some different types of bikes including an electric bike. Going faster and further with some power assistance makes me want to use a bike for more trips. Pat from Smart Commute was there with her new e-bike.
Vaughan Bicycle User Group hosted two rides. The Napa Valley Bike Lane celebration went from Sonoma Park to McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg.
Hydro Corridor trail south of Sonoma Park
Odette checking the map on the William Granger Greenway
The other Vaughan BUG ride was a Peter Rupert Bike Lane Celebration. Starting from Walmart at Major Mackenzie / McNaughton, we biked south on Peter Rupert/Confederation to Hwy 7 with a stop for refreshments at McDonald's, and back north on the Bartley Smith Greenway.
I participated in the Toronto Bike Network's Dim Sum Ride. The ride was led by Fred (who I previously met at Bike to Work Day Newmarket), and had about 10 cyclists. We started at Finch Subway Station and headed north to Markham for an authentic chinese cuisine near Pacific Mall.
Finch hydro corridor in Toronto
Locking our bikes before lunch
Bike Month York Region had many other events, like bike valets at festivals, charity rides, mountain bike races, and kids bike camps.
I'm all geared up for more cycling through the summer!
Here's another video to get you inspired to ride your bike.
