Celebrate Bike Month 2018! |

From May 28 to June 30, Toronto and several Greater Toronto Area cities will celebrate Bike Month with fun events dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of cycling, and to encourage people to ride their bikes more!

Toronto Public Library joins in on the celebrations by offering a variety of free cycling programs and workshops, led by Cycle Toronto, a not-for-profit organization that works to make Toronto a healthy, safe and vibrant cycling city for all.

Photo credit: Cycle Toronto

Topics include:

Safe Cycling 101: Bike with Confidence – Learn about safe riding techniques, equipment, choosing your route and more.
Road Rules – Learn about laws that apply to both cyclists and drivers, how to bike assertively or defensively in specific situations and what to do in case of a collision.
Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop* – A hands-on workshop on performing safety checks and maintaining different parts of your bike!
Advanced Bike Maintenance Workshop* – A hands-on workshop on fixing common issues with your bike.
Fixing a Flat Tire Workshop – Overcome this common bike issue by learning how to use a patch kit.

*Depending on the location of the event, there is the option to bring your bike and follow along with the instructors. Check with the branch. The workshops are for educational purposes; unfortunately, Cycle Toronto presenters cannot perform tune-ups or major repairs on your bike.

Photo credit: Cycle Toronto

To give you a little sneak preview of Bike Month 2018, I caught up with the Cycle Toronto team:

What is new for Bike Month 2018? What are you looking forward to the most?

This year, we’re looking forward to expanding participation in Bike to Work Day: our signature event that kicks off the month-long celebration. By signing up to ride with us to Nathan Phillips Square or ride to work/school on May 28, Torontonians will be entered into a draw to win a $500 gift card from Mountain Equipment Co-op and a $500 voucher from VIA Rail – the perfect package to launch your summer adventures.

One of our favourite parts of Bike Month is enjoying the diverse events that people organize in their communities. New events this year include group rides from the newly opened Community Bicycle Centre at York University, a bike-powered concert in St. James Park featuring Sultans of String, and Bites on Bikes, a delicious tour of some foodie favourites.

These new events complement old favourites like Bike with Mike, a family-friendly bike festival at Christie Pits, the Polka Ride through the Roncesvalles neighbourhood, and biweekly Bike Month commuter stations along popular bike routes around the city on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Photo credit: Cycle Toronto

We are also introducing a new ‘Great Places to Ride’ series showcasing on-street infrastructure, multi-use pathways, trails, and bike-friendly destinations across the GTHA. We encourage people to share where they are riding during Bike Month by tagging us on Twitter and Facebook, and using #BikeMonth across social media platforms.

Finally, Cycle Toronto is offering a brand new Road Rules workshop with tips on sharing the road. This workshop is not just for cyclists! We’ll lead participants through common scenarios, all with the goal of building empathy for other road users so that we can all enjoy friendlier and safer streets.

What is something people are surprised to learn about in your bike workshops?

Just how many common misconceptions people have on the road!

For example, people are often surprised that people are entitled to take up space on the road when they’re biking. This can include:

taking a lane of traffic if there is isn’t enough space to ride between parked cars and lanes of vehicular traffic
riding at least one metre out from parked cars on quiet, residential streets instead of positioning oneself right beside the curb where there is often debris, uneven pavement, or sewer grates that can obstruct one’s path.

Sign up for the new Road Rules workshop to learn more about the most common interactions on our streets. Many of us bike, walk, take transit, and drive, and so we can all pick up a few tips on respecting others around us so that we can all get around safely and confidently.

What has the response been like at the hands-on bike workshops?

Workshop participants leave with improved confidence to do basic maintenance and repair on their bikes. People feel empowered to know that they have the skills and resources they need next time they get a flat tire or need to ride in rainy or snowy weather. Participants also leave with a keenness to learn more and share tips and skills learned with their peers.

An added benefit to workshops is the social aspect. Participants enjoy meeting other people who ride, which contributes to building community around cycling across Toronto’s neighbourhoods.

Group ride Photo credit: Marvin Macaraig, Cycle Toronto

What are some bike-related resources you would recommend?

We’d recommend the following resources to cover the essentials of cycling in Toronto, whether it’s for work, to school, to run errands, or to get fresh air and exercise.

Toronto Cyclists Handbook, available online in 13 languages
Young Cyclist’s Guide
Toronto Cycling Network Map, which shows the different types of infrastructure in Toronto, including bike lanes, cycle tracks, and multi-use pathways
‘Ask a Cyclist’ blog series

Thank you so much for offering your presentations and workshops at so many branches at TPL this year!

If you're looking for some books to get you in the spirit of Bike Month, here are some recommendations: