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!
I rode the Hwy 7 bike lanes across the 404 interchange this week. York Region has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation to make this a safer and more effective interchange for cyclists and motorists. Completed in Fall 2014, the bike lanes with green markings across the ramp mixing zones are among only a handful of such examples in Ontario (I only know of 403/Fairview in Burlington, and 400/Duckworth in Barrie).
There were a few wet spots, and some stored snow was encroaching the bike lane, but the buffer provides some extra width for cyclists and I thought it was a relatively comfortable winter ride. A cyclist could easily use this commuter route year-round (though the left turn bike boxes were completely covered with snow).
Hwy 7 BEFORE (no bike facilites) - westbound approach 404
Hwy 7 NOW (buffered bike lanes, sidewalk, transit lanes) - westbound approach 404
With MTO's #CycleON Action Plan 1.0 released in 2014, it appears that these types of interchange improvements will become the norm rather than the exception, making the crossings a lot less challenging by bike. All road users will benefit.
A couple of weeks ago, I learned about International Bike to Work Day on Feb 13, 2015. I was up for the challenge and immediately signed up to ride that day. I've ridden in cold weather before, but only about minus 5C or warmer. When that morning came, the temperature read -22C (-33C with the windchill), but it was a clear sunny day, and I remained undaunted. My original plan was to combine biking and transit for the 35 km, but I didn't have that much time to spare, so I threw my bike in the back of my truck, parked about 10 km away from work, and biked the rest of the way.
Here I am riding the Tom Taylor Trail (check out the bare pavement):
I have a few observations from my winter ride:
1. I was quite warm, though my fingers and toes started to get uncomfortable toward the end. I could have used warmer boots and gloves (mitts) to help with this.
2. My mountain bike took more effort than I expected, particularly up the hills, for several reasons:
- slower bike than I'm used to (thicker tires, no clip-in shoes)
- terrain is a little rough in the winter
- things don't lubricate as well in the cold (e.g. my bike wouldn't shift to low gear for an unknown reason)
3. Newmarket has awesome winter trail maintenance; Aurora does not
4. It was a fun way to start the day and I'd definitely like to do it more often.
5. Most people I talk to think it's crazy to bike in winter. It's certainly not considered normal in the 905.
I find it interesting to see which cities have high participation in winter bike to work day. It's an indicator that they have normalized winter cycling.
# of Participants in 2015 Winter Bike to Work Day
York Region - 3 (including me)
Mississauga - 2
Brampton - 2
Hamilton - 13
Toronto - 44
Peterborough - 44
Thunder Bay - 21
Ottawa - 115
Montreal - 292
Winnipeg - 179
Saskatoon - 38
Edmonton - 219
Calgary - 292
Ankorage - 194
Minneapolis - 275
Halifax - 62
2015 Winter Bike to Work Day made headlines in some Canadian cities: Edmonton | Halifax | Winnipeg
I'm hoping that it will catch on here in York Region too.
I recently read the book Frostbike, by Tom Babin. Going in, I had a lot of questions about whether year-round cycling is a realistic option for most people. The book is a refreshingly inspiring take on winter. Winter cycling is certainly doable, and very common in many cities. How do we get there? Firstly, we have to personally plan for it by choosing the right bike equipment and clothing. Secondly, our city needs to support winter cycling through adequate infrastructure and maintenance. However, what's the main thing holding us back?: our attitude.
Some quotes from Frostbike:
"Bike infrastructure can work wonders for most of the year, and having it used less frequently for a few winter months doesn’t negate its need."
"Our personal and collective outlooks on winter are key to the mass acceptance of year-round cycling."... "A city that encourages year-round cycling helps normalize it."... "The three most bike-friendly cities in North America have harsh winters: Montreal, Minneapolis, and Anchorage"
"When women, children, and the elderly, not just aggressive young men, start to see the bike as an easy way to go shopping, to school, or to work, then our cities will start to enjoy improvements in our street life, our economy, our health, and our transportation systems."
I snapped this photo in a Toronto a few years ago. But the truth is, most of our winter days aren't this extreme. We tend to exaggerate our winter weather.
I would say that most of the neighbourhood residential streets in York Region are quite bike-friendly all year round. Rural and arterial roads are a different story, but getting better as each new project gets built. As for the trails, try a Fat Bike!
Remember the ice storm last December? Well, there was at least one winter enthusiast at the Richmond Hill GO Station.
My main takeaway from Frostbike: Get outside and embrace winter, whether it's cycling or another type of outdoor adventure. It makes the winter season a lot more fun!
On Jan 29th, I went for a bike ride around Maple. Temperature was -5C. It turned out to be a very comfortable and enjoyable ride. Many think that winter cycling is quite daunting, but the main things you need are warm clothes and plowed snow! It you have these then you are good to go except in the most extreme conditions. Ride on, friends. Here’s a map of my route.
