Mississauga-Cyclist

The Return to cycling begins!!!

2011-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus from the world of cycling and with the soon arrival of Spring I have returned to the world of cycling. Surgery and cold weather and plain old laziness has kept me away from commuting for most of this year. Well today marked my official return to the saddle...and what oh what did I encounter on my way home? I chatted with an old man walking his dog (something I couldn't have done in my car) and also was lucky that I wasn't stuck in traffic trying to meander my way around another broken down car. I couldn't help but chuckle as I pedalled away. Have you been cycling all year round? Have you returned yet? Or do you have a specific date or event which marks your return to commuting to work?

Bell Malfunction

2010-11-14T21:07:00.001-08:00

The bicycle bell. What a great invention....helps to warn others pedestrians and other cyclists of your position to ward off potential collisions. Often times people pleasantly thank me for ringing my bell. This is all great, except when that dreaded day comes AND the bell malfunctions. I was on the road, tried to ring my two tone bell and ....nothing happened. :( The ringer was stuck. I had to resort to yelling at the top of my lungs which isn't always pleasant.

Thankfully the good boys at Curbside Cycle got me back in the 'ring' of things with a new bell. :)

ELECTION DAY!!!!

2010-10-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Across the province of Ontario today citizens will be out in numbers to cast their ballot and be part of the democratic process. It is my hope that many will choose to ride their bicycle to travel to the destination point to cast that all important election ballot. The secret ballot and the right for people to choose their leaders is one of the corner stones of western society. Make your voice count and cast that ballot today...and, do it by bike :)

I rode my bicycle to the near by school to cast my ballot, and (sadly) since there were no bicycle racks I walked my bike right into the school and many who were there couldn't help but look at my Pashley and comment on how beautiful she was. It is always a nice feeling to receive comments on our bikes. I even received compliments by the crossing guards and from people at the local bank branch too :)

Questions questions and more questions

2010-10-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

My bicycle bell. How little use we think of the bell...and how so important it is when we cycle. I will write more about the usefulness of a bell another time. But for now, I have something else to discuss. I found out first hand the other night as I cycled out on the town that my bell was stuck!!!! I was annoyed and confused. How does a perfectly functioning bell just get stuck? More importantly, was it something I did to it? Or was it violated by a passerby as it sat locked up and unattended? And why would someone want to damage someone else's property? I know these are questions that I will never get an answer for but one can't help but ask. Human nature I guess. Anyhow one quick phone call to curbside cycle and I was told more bells were on order. On a brighter side I guess I can consider this a reason to visit curbside, a great bicycle shop and of course where I purchased the Pashley :)

Public Spaces

2010-10-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well Last week Toronto hosted the awe inspiring Jan Gehl from Gehl architects to host a free lecture at the Toronto Architecture Society at the University of Toronto. I've seen him before but only on youtube. This was the first time to appreciate him in person...well..sorta. I arrived just at 6pm when the lecture was going to start but I had no idea that hundreds of others also were planning to arrive at the same time. So Alas, I had to be happy with watching him over the live video feed.

I wish planners, engineers and city staff from Toronto and the suburbs were there to appreciate what he had to say, otherwise, his message may have fallen on deaf ears. He truly is a visionary - planning cities for people AT walking speed. If you are interested in Jan's message then search for him on youtube.

The Long Road Ahead!

2010-09-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Long Road Ahead!

It looks like the city’s bicycle infrastructure is coming along nicely. It is by far not perfect and a WHOLE heck of a lot of work is needed in the coming years, but I think the city is finally taking bicycles seriously. I site the new Queensway trail as a great addition to Mississauga’s bicycle network. This is a roughly 13km bran new trail which was already getting use even before it was complete. The trail also incorporates a new bridge which crosses the Cooksville creek. Of course no picture or experience of the trail would be complete without a glimpse of my Pashley Sovereign :)

Mississauga Cycling Master Plan

2010-04-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well the City of Mississauga released its long awaited Cycling Master Plan the other day. It was attended by roughly 40 people or so at Central Library. The plan is extensive and has a 20 year completion date. The cycling committee of course is hoping to get the plan completed in half that time.

I find the City talks a lot but shows very little action. Sometimes it seems as if the city's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing.

I guess the only thing to do is wait and see if they truly start to implement some of the proposed changes.

Milestone Achieved

2010-04-21T03:02:00.000-07:00

As a cyclist commuter I achieved a milestone yesterday and snapped a photo for posterity. A grand total of 1000km reached on my Marin Fairfax.

Two Bikes - One Dog

2010-04-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well...here I am, back at my regular Starbucks hang out this cool Sunday night. Sadly it has that title as it is the ONLY coffee shop in town, within biking distance. Now that I have anything against Starbucks...it is a really nice place. Its just nice to have some variety.

Anyhow, I locked up on the usual spot and moments later, another bike pulled up. Two bikes locked up against the Dog Leash holder. I don't understand why Starbucks can't 'get it' and provide some decent bicycle parking. It is not like they don't have the space. Heaven forbid another bike shows up..oh oh..where will it be parked? Anyhow the photo was snatched from my iphone, hence why it is a bit blurry. Maybe it's time for an SLR? Time will tell.

Bicycle Parking

2010-04-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it will take for business in the suburbs to bring more bicycle parking, such as the local starbucks that I frequent. Even today as I sat inside enjoying my caramal machiato, a couple of cyclists had to leave their bikes leaning on an umbrella on the 'patio'.

Com'mon Starbucks....bring us some proper bicycle parking!!!

Spring is here

2010-03-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and in the air. Today we reached a balmy high of 18 degrees. The girls are out wearing less, the sports cars are out....but most importantly...there are more cyclists getting out there and enjoying the warm air. Myself I rode to my local Starbucks to enjoy a nice cool drink while I got some work done. I really wish they could instal proper bike racks. Currently im relegated to locking my bike up to the dog post :( To my surprise my new bike seems to be generating a lot of interest as random people are coming up to me to inquire into this beast. I am still working out how I want to finally equip her, but you can see a pic of the bike in its current condition. I must admit, I do like the attention.

Keep riding Mississauga. It is as someone in the Mississauga News wrote, "The better way". As more of us get onto the roads we are living examples to drivers that there really is a better way.

Cheers

Winter biker :)

2010-01-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Just another guy braving the cold weather and a shinning example to the rest of us that Winter Biking IS Possible

Winter is upon us!!!

2010-01-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I will make no apologies for not writing in a while. I've been busy and well lazy. Hopefully now that im biking again in the dead of winter, I can re-energize the blog.

Looks like things are looking good in the city. Cooksville for example is getting a much needed bike lane on the Queensway, which looks fantastic. Totally separated from traffic, very wide and quite long. Hopefully once it is complete the city will make a point of plowing it. For now it remains snow covered. The only issue with it, is that it does not have a north south connecting lane to it on the eastern side (between Cawthra and Dixie). Hopefully one day that will be addressed soon.

Grocery Shopping With A Bike!

2009-07-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

Here in good old Mississauga, or Hazelville as I once heard, grocery shopping is a must. It is a simple equation, to survive we must eat, to eat we must buy our food. With that in mind have you ever considered using your bicycle to do your grocery shopping? Why the need to load up the gas guzzling, polluting SUV, when with a little human power muscle the same can be accomplished. You may not be able to buy two weeks worth of grocery but you sure can pack quite a bit. In the pictures below you will see what I was able to haul with me after a trip to the local Food Basics.

I hope my pictures and post have inspired you to use your bicycle the next time you visit the grocery store.

Bike Racks at Grocery Store !!!!

2009-07-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

A huge improvement to the cooksville community came with the addition of bike racks at the local grocery store. It was about time one of the big chains decided to make their store cycle friendly. The racks are clean, strong and well placed. In the photo below you will see my bike sitting on the rack.

The competitors store across the street however has not been as proactive. They still do not have any racks installed although there is plenty of space to do so. You can see from the photo what a fellow cyclist had to do to lock up his bike. If only he knew that across the street there was a rack installed, maybe it would have changed his place of shopping.

Store with Rack installed

My bike on the rack

The Competition...no bike rack in sight

A biker who shopped at the competition...this is what he had to do. I have no idea how he secured the bike. What will it take for businesses to get on board and start making their facilities more bike friendly

Glenforest Bikes To Work

2009-06-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Glenforest Bikes To Work

On May 25th, Glenforest Secondary School students had the opportunity to participate in the City of Mississauga’s Bike To Work festivities at City Hall. The event brought together students of various backgrounds, regardless of their academic level, age, achievements or gender. It was truly an example of an inclusive activity open to all students that highlights what the Peel District School Board stands for. The students had a fantastic time at the event. They were able to start off the morning by getting some exercise on their 6km ride, eating pancakes on arrival to City Hall and then had a chance to practice using the new bike racks on Mississauga transit buses. The event ended for students with a Bike Safety Clinic hosted by a graduate of the Canbike program. Bike To Work Day was meaningful for Glenforest as it fell in line with the spirit of the school, of being a Green School that inspires staff and students and the community to embrace alternative forms of transportation to ultimately contribute collectively to the reduction of our carbon footprint. None of this would have been possible if it was not for the fantastic service and protection provided by Peel Regional Police, who escorted the 40 riders from Glenforest to City Hall along Burnhamthorpe Road, taking the right lane, not as obstacles but as traffic. Pedestrians and drivers alike were incredibly supportive of all the riders as they made their way to City Hall and back. The staff and students of Glenforest are thankful to the City of Mississauga and all the individuals involved who were able to bring this event alive for our students. We would like to offer our special gratitude to the Officers involved (for security reasons they shall remain nameless) who, with their patience, offered their time and services to provide a protected route for our students to arrive at City Hall safely. Without Police Services the event would not have been possible. Hopefully next year the event will be larger with more community involvement, parents, city and provincial officials and even greater student involvement. We also hope to continue the fantastic support we have received from Peel Regional Police.

From

Glenforest Secondary School

Janette Sadik Khan

2009-04-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

As many blogs begin (it's been a while). A lot has happened in recent months. On March 25th there was another forum discussing our streetscape, city centre and transit at the Living Arts Centre. This was a great way for citizens to be a part of hour our city is organized and being planned. It would have been nice if more city officials were present to hear the message from Gil Penalosa from walk and bike for life. Either way some great ideas came out of it and we are excited to get the final draft report from Gil and his team, as they were the ones hosting the event.

AND..on Earth Day, April 22nd, walk and bike for life was also influential in bringing Janette Sadik Khan to Port Credit for a free lecture on planning ideas and strategies. Janette is the Commissioner of Transportation for New York City and has worked really hard in transforming the streets-cape and re-conquering it for the people. Some of the changes she was influential in was removing on street parking lots, with green public spaces for people to enjoy coffee's, read the papers...etc.. introducing safe bicycle lanes physically separated from traffic and various other traffic calming strategies.

We need more of these types of events in the hopes that the city will get the message of the kind of place we want to live. The Mayor needs to 'GET IT'. It would have been nice if she had attended.

We will see if anything tangible comes out of these meetings.

Creating a Great Mississauga South

2009-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Things are looking positive for Mississauga. Maybe it is the warmer temperatures, maybe the sunshine or maybe, just maybe the politicians and the citizens and activists are all on the same page and understand the direction they must guide the city towards. Last Thursday, March 12th, there was a fantastic presentation and workshop led by Gil Penalosa at Chartwell Baptist Church. Gil presented on how to make people friendly, happy cities where people not only want to work in, but also to live and play. It was fabulous and I am interested in bringing him to the schools within peel region. The event was participated by citizens from all walks of life, including members of Council, (Pat Mullin who has been advocate for cycling facilities in peel) as well as other officials from the city and members of the Mississayga Cycling Advisory Committee. I wonder how much more value the event would have had if the Mayor could have been there. After the presentations the participants broke up into groups where we brainstormed ideas as to how to create a great mississauga. Some of the ideas included greater public drinking fountains, bike lanes on the lakeshore and a reversible lane as well. There is a renewed sense of optimism throughout Mississauga and part of it is due to the great work by Gil and the public. Great stuff and I look forward to further presentations and finally action by the city.

The photo is of Gil giving the presentation. The event was comprised of about 15-20 people.

Contested Streets - A movie night in Port Credit

2009-02-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well tonight the Town of Port Credit Association in conjunction with Walk and Bike for Life, a non profit group located in Port Credit dedicated to transforming our cities to places where people want to live, play and work from car oriented ones to people oriented, hosted a movie night at Clark Hall to preview the film "Contested Streets: Breaking the Gridlock. The film centred around New York but also examined actions taking place in London, Copenhagen and London.

The movie night and discussion was well received. I think its fabulous that we have community organizations at the grass routes level because only with support from them can Mississauga truly transform itself into a city of livable, walkable, cyclable villages.

I will continue to update this blog as events and dates become publicized.

Happy Cycling!!!!

Hwy 10 - Hurontario Street.

2009-02-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well last week the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee had a discussion about the renewal of Hurontario Street and how the city plans to move people from north to south. It is unclear as to what the city will finally decide but whatever they chose the hope is that a new design of the street will include a safe separated bike lane. I have voiced my concerns that unless the bike lane is separated it will not be used. Lets pray logic persuades city council to make the right decision.

Imagine the picture above with a separated bike lane...it would be an amazing step forward!!!!

My Commute home (improved video)

2008-11-01T16:45:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
My route consists of side streets and bike trails. This is the best part of that commute

check it out

My old Commute home - Video

2008-11-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

My old commute mostly consisted of the type of riding found below. I no longer travel this route :)

Mountain Biking tumble

2008-10-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Recently went up to Hardwood hills...and here is one tumble i took. The darn tree just jumped in front of my path

MY NEW MARIN FAIRFAX

2008-08-23T23:52:00.001-07:00

My Bran new MARIN FAIRFAX '08 CHECK HER OUT.....SHE"S A BEAUTY!!!!

Well, its been a week and she has now been named PAMELA!!!

Winter storm pics

2008-02-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

My First Post

2008-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my very first 'Blog Post'. One of the reasons i've decided to create my blog is to document my cycling adventures online. This blog was created while listening to "SHOUT IT OUT LOUD" by KISS!!!!!!!!! I'll write more later as more thoughts come my way :)

SHOUT IT....SHOUT IT......SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!!!