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 was glad to have brought my bike along during my travels in Quebec, as opportunities abound for cycling adventures on La Route Verte.
Here are some views from a ride along the Aerobic Corridor between Weir and Lac-des-Seize-Iles in the Laurentians.
We finished off with a stop at Morgan's Farm for some produce to juice.
Another day, in the Eastern Townships, I rode 62 km of the Sutton Mountain Tour route. There were some serious climbs, but worth it as I was treated to some great views of the countryside.
Owl's Head
The rain came down hard for about 20 minutes, so I grabbed a snack and took shelter at a general store at Vale Perkins.
Mansonville has a lovely main street lined with shops, restaurants, churches, and parks.
I happened upon a market and grabbed some lunch. I also toured an exhibit in the historic round barn seen in the background.
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.
Warden Avenue is one of the most popular recreational cycling routes in York Region. You can ride it from Markham all the way to Lake Simcoe in Georgina.
Here's some footage of my ride on Warden travelling southbound from Stouffville Rd to Major Mackenzie Drive on Sat, June 20th at about 1pm. Major Mackenzie is around where the country meets the city. Unfortunately, the City of Markham's urban boundary expansion is pushing development further north. There are lots of farms, greenery and rolling hills. This particular segment has a wide paved shoulder, but further north it is a shared roadway with no shoulders.
Warden, Kennedy, McCowan and others are enjoyed by hundreds of cyclists each week. I often hear of complaints between motorists and cyclists. Either motorists are trying to pass unsafely or aggressively, or cyclists taking up the road and not leaving space to pass.
The campaign was launched on May 14 with a
media event at Highway 7 and Leslie Street in the Town of Richmond Hill.
The York Region Cyclist’s Handbook, a
practical guide containing rules of the road and safety tips, was launched at
the event.
On June 2nd, the Province passed the Making
Ontario’s Roads Safer Act, which includes increased fines for offenses like
dooring a cyclist, and a 1m safe passing law.
We all have a part to play in making our roads safer. Please ride and drive with care.
York Region recently released a new 2015-16 York Region Cycling Map. It shows a better connected bike network and includes other enhancements such as:
Greenbelt Route (launching Aug 2015)
Steep hills
Bike-friendly businesses
Mountain-biking locations
Featured routes
Hiking trails
You can find it in a number of formats: 1) In print at bike shops, libraries, municipal buildings, and chambers of commerce throughout York Region 2) Download the pdf at www.york.ca/cycling 3) View the interactive maponline (now mobile-friendly) 4) Try thenew app at https://www.pdf-maps.com PDF Maps is a mobile map application that enables you to download maps for offline use (doesn't use data) on your Apple iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. Use your device's built-in GPS to track your location on the map. Plot and recod information about locations, import and export placemarks, measure distance and area, and even plot photos. Step 1: Get the app
Step 2: Get the map (search for "York Region Cycling" and download the north and south maps)
