Toronto Biking Community?

[MetroMan]

I'm a total newbie with regards to bikes. I had a grand total of one mountain bike as a kid. It took me four visits during a week to the Cycle Shoppe on Queen West to finally pick out the right bike for myself.

They were great, offered excellent advice, were very very patient and rarely pressured me. I had originally gone to Duke's after hearing their good reputation but they seem to be geared to Pro's. I didn't find any bikes within a reasonable price and nobody approached me to help when I wandered around clueless.

I'm very happy with the decision to pickup a Marin Alpine 29er and now I can't wait to take it to the trails.

I've lived 9 years in Toronto and every summer, I would be on the verge of buying a bike but was deterred by our city's fame as North America's bike theft capital.

I invested in a pin system that locks the wheels, steering column and seat to the frame with a key. I also spent 10% of the purchase ($120) on an excellent lock. To compromise these Masterlock Cuffs would require a blow torch or cutting the frame of the bike. Just enough inconvenience and difficulty to deter most thieves:

What bothers me is how easy it is to break the bike rings that the city provides. All it takes is a 2x4 and some leverage to snap the pins out of the ring and walk away with the bike.

The original proposal for new rings would have prevented that but the city decided to keep a similarly vulnerable ring design:

I guess I'll be locking my bike to gas meters and stop signs.

Are there any UT members who do a lot of cycling and can offer advice?

Where to ride? Safety precautions? Riding groups? Internet forums?

Cheers!
Metroman

 

[CDL.TO]

My #1 piece of advice to anyone planning to bike in the city is to buy a city bike, not a mountain bike. When my mountain bike got stolen and I replaced it with a hybrid, I discovered that I could cycle twice as far and twice as fast in the city right off the bat just because I was using the correct tool for the job.

You've bought a good lock. That's the most important step to making sure your bike doesn't get stolen. I'm confident that 95% of locked bikes that are stolen had nothing more than a $20 Walmart special that took nothing more than a pair of wire cutters to steal. It looks to me that those handcuffs will limit where you can lock your bike, so I hope that doesn't cause you any problems. I don't think the rings are as bad as you think, but with such a nice bike it's wise not to take any chances.

I assume you have had the quick-releases removed from your wheels and seatpost (if there were some)? If not, have that done ASAP.

Register your bike with the police ASAP. There's lots of stories out there of people getting their bikes back because they took the time.

Cycling on back streets can be a real joy compared to the arterials. Consider planning routes based upon these.

Where to ride? Well, do you prefer street riding (which affords the ability to be an urbanist and check out the city), or trail riding? Check out the map below for suggestions on both. Martin Goodman Trail and the Leslie St spit always make a good combo.

Precautions? Be respectful and practice defensive riding. Behave predictably! Make eye contact with drivers and follow the rules when in their vicinity (please be one of those riders who helps support a positive image of cyclists). Get lights for nighttime and wear a helmet. Watch for people opening car doors on streets with parking and inattentive pedestrians everywhere. Watch for streetcar tracks and potholes.

I hope you enjoy your new bike! I'm planning on taking mine in for a tuneup tomorrow so I can get out and start riding again (I miss it!).

Toronto Cycling Map:
http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/map

Blogs:
http://biketoronto.ca/
http://www.ibiketo.ca/

Forum:
http://www.bikeforums.net/

 

[MetroMan]

^ Thanks for all the advice.

1) I considered getting a street bike, but I found that my main objective is to get fit and have fun. Commuting is an additional benefit of having the bike, not its main purpose for me (I often walk everywhere). I'll be making good use of Toronto's parks and exploring both Humber and the Don Valley. With the tires that I got, I hope to be able to continue biking in the winter.

2) I did remove the quick releases. I replaced them with a system of pins that only open with a unique key.

The benefit here is that I won't have to remove the seat and won't have to thread a lock through the wheels. I can simply lock one end of the cuff to the frame and the other end to the bike post.

3) The first thing I did when I got home with the bike was to register it with the Police (www.torontopolice.on.ca/bike/). In addition, my pin lock system above has a unique identifier number and online registration. So if my bike got stolen despite all my efforts, the pins are in the bike forever (without destroying the bike) so the bike can't be dismantled and if found, I can prove the bike is mine because I have the key with the matching number.

4) I used to own a motorcycle. The single best lock I had then was one that clamps on to the break disc. Since my new bicycle has a disc system as well, I'm planning on getting one of those. If the thief manages to release the bike from the ring, they'll have to carry it on their back because there's no way they'll be able to remove the clamp...

 

[MetroMan]

It seems that the city is solving the problem with art. These are proliferating all over the city.

I've seen them in Parkdale, Chinatown, @ the ROM and now on Yonge St. Maybe our iconic lollipops will be slowly replaced by these and I don't think many people will complain.

They're iron cast so there's no way they'll break. The only weak point I can think of is ripping them out of the ground! lol

 

[khris]

I want to get a bike, but honestly with all of these safety percautions one must take... I don't know if it's worth the time. Not to mention it's expensive to have to buy all these other items on top of the bike itself.

 

[jn_12]

Do you drive? there's more precautions and costs associated with driving than biking.

 

[khris]

Do you drive? there's more precautions and costs associated with driving than biking.

No, I don't have my own car. Can one get bike insurance? Or is that covered under some other type of insurance? Maybe home insurance?

 

[MetroMan]

I want to get a bike, but honestly with all of these safety percautions one must take... I don't know if it's worth the time. Not to mention it's expensive to have to buy all these other items on top of the bike itself.

That's why I took me so long to get one. I finally gave in knowing the right measures to take as to not fall victim to bike theft.

If you're going to use your bike for commuting, you're going to probably have your bike locked up, exposed for longer periods of time than if you're looking to get a bike to go out and ride for fun.

 

[urbandreamer]

Sounds like you're taking the fun out of cycling!

Here's what I did:

bi ci cell on Shaw north of Dundas, probably deals in stolen bikes--who cares? They're clunkers.

$20 for a classic 80's racing bike, works just fine, and because it's so uncool/rundown looking, a $20 lock works fine as well.

Spend the money on a good helmet, and you're set for life.

 

[cruzin4u]

I cannot offer you much advice, as I do not own a mountain bike nor do I cycle downtown. However, there are some trails posted here that you may find useful - http://www.bayviewcycle.com/NewFiles/Trails.html . Of course, you could pick up the book, which I'm sure is more detailed, in a local cycle shop.

The most important thing is to have fun and be safe! Or is it be safe and have fun?

 

[MetroMan]

Yikes.. I did my first commute along Queen St today. I went from Trinity Bellwoods Park where I live to the Eaton Centre to pick up a MacBook @ the Apple Store.

Taxi drivers are F'd up in the head man. They'll literally ram you!! I've heard horror stories about cyclists and cabbies but I attributed it to hyperbole. It's true!

As a vehicle on the road, I'm entitled to take up an entire space and ride right down the middle of a lane... but to avoid confrontation and pissed off drivers, I drive on the side. Won't you know, cabs drive closer and closer to you until you get wedged between them and parked cars. One did it suddenly and almost had me go straight into the back of a parked car.

Also, I thanked God that I bought a bike with mountain tires. The streetcar tracks would have gotten me flipped right over with thinner tires. I unlocked my front hydro suspension and didn't have much trouble getting in and out of the tracks.

I tried to take side streets but there's too much zig zagging because of one way streets everywhere. Richmond or Adelaide needs a bike lane. College has one but it's too far up north. Queens Quay will have one but it's too far south. One right along Adelaide or Richmond would be the sweet spot. There's plenty of room.

I discovered that the best place to park is right next to a restaurant patio. My new bike shines out and apparently a thief was eyeing it. I parked next to the Duke of York, applied my cuffs and a brake disc lock. I was gone for maybe 20 minutes. When I got back, a group at a table told me somebody was messing with my lock. Looks like they assessed the situation and realized they couldn't get to it... or went home to get a blow torch!

 

[urbandreamer]

^It's interesting how I can picture who you are based on what you write....

Anyhow, tons of alternatives to Queen West, but you know what? I f***ing love biking along Queen West with all the traffic, people, chaos etc. Makes me feel alive!

Your attitude towards "entire lane is mine" is so wrong!

(ever heard of back alleys? Too scared to deal with traffic along main streets? Back alleys from Niagara to the back of that Portland condo site, then zip through the parking lot and it's alleys all the way to the Eaton Centre.)

 

[CDL.TO]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience.

Cabbies ARE nuts. As an urban cyclist you WILL learn to despise them (actually, it sounds like you've learned this already). There's a lot of crazy stories out there.

Queen is a good crosstown route. It's VERY flat and there's lots of cyclists, so you have strength in numbers. But now and then you'll get caught behind a hipster riding at 8km/h on her vintage boat-of-a-bike.

Sorry man, but the mountain bike tires is complete hooey. Notice the HUNDREDS of people riding road bikes around the city every day and how they're not all lying in the middle of the street due to track-related wipeouts. Just take the tracks at the correct angle, it's that simple.

Once you get used to the sidestreets, they can be easy to navigate and a lot of fun (not having to deal with traffic). I used to use this route to travel crosstown. Took a few minutes longer than Queen, but was far more relaxing and fun!

And finally, that "bike thief" might very well have just been a fellow cyclist admiring your new bike. I know I stop and look at bikes on occasion. Don't always assume the worst!
`

 

[MetroMan]

^It's interesting how I can picture who you are based on what you write....

Do we know each other? I'm curious what you meant now... PM me.

I like to keep my identity private because I like to speak my mind freely but my business could take a hit were certain politicians to know how critical I am of them and their policies... lol

I used to use this route to travel crosstown. Took a few minutes longer than Queen, but was far more relaxing and fun!

And finally, that "bike thief" might very well have just been a fellow cyclist admiring your new bike. I know I stop and look at bike on occasion. Don't always assume the worst!

Thanks for the map. I'll try it out tomorrow.

The alleged "thief" wasn't admiring the bike from afar. He was literally handling the lock. He still may be an admirer.. but one who's gene pool is threatened. If I saw the dude handling my lock, I'd kick him in the head without warning..lol

 

[CDL.TO]

Thanks for the map. I'll try it out tomorrow.

The alleged "thief" wasn't admiring the bike from afar. He was literally handling the lock. He still may be an admirer.. but one who's gene pool is threatened. If I saw the dude handling my lock, I'd kick him in the head without warning..lol

Really? Cool. Cycling through Kensington Market and Baldwin Village is fun. Okay, here's my #1 tip for that route. The traffic lights at Robinson and Bathurst are three-phase ACTUATED. This means it's one of those intersections where you won't get a green light unless it detects a car waiting or someone presses a button. You can use the location as practice for trying to get the traffic lights to change with your bike (stop on the dots if there are any, otherwise stop on the tar "snake" in the asphalt) if you want. Also, take extra care at the all-way stops at McCaul and Elm and at Elm and Elizabeth.

As for the "thief", he might have been simply looking at your lock. Keep calm. Very, very few people use the 'cuffs you use. People seem to have this strange idea that if something is parked on the sidewalk then they are free to poke around. Funny that they don't seem to have the same idea with cars parked on the street (Actually, scratch that. I've seen people sitting on the bumper of other people's cars.).