Rides and Races - Toronto Fixed

Wow, that does look refreshing. I am a Guiness man m'self but sometimes a Hoegartten (sp?) or a Corona is really nice, especially on a patio just as the sun is goind down. Dang, it isn't even cold yet and I am already longing for the summer...

Though Guinness is a perfect drink for the winter time, IMO. Hoegaarten is good, too. I love a splash of (ruby) port in my Guinness once in a while, too... mmm, Guinness...

Mmm, port.

VeloNews covers the Toronto Cyclocross race (http://velonews.com/article/85027/powers-johnson-rule-toronto--cross-elliott-does-the-double)

broke a spoke on the way home from work tonight.
any suggestions on where i should go to get it looked at?
who's good at tensioning?

broke a spoke on the way home from work tonight.
any suggestions on where i should go to get it looked at?
who's good at tensioning?

Keith at Cyclesolutions on Parliment or Phil and John at Cycletherapy. I have handbuilt wheels from both that are indistructable. The one Phil built is a rear fixed wheel I've abused for 2 years and is still perfectly true. And Keiths work is very well know for being top top quality.

went for a ride tonight, met up with some longboarder friends and raced them down russel hill rd. we were hitting 50-55km/h (GPS) which means on a 42:16 gear ratio thats 160 rpm-ish... :D

that's funny, i "raced" some skateboarders down russel hill maybe 3 weeks ago

i was riding by them and one of them said "wanna race?", i said "yeah let's go", and 5 seconds later all i heard was "you win!" from way behind me ... i was on my road bike but i guess it wouldn't have mattered .. i'm sure we both got a kick out of it

That is/was Rob (Bikeophiles). He had an accident and left it at BOW. I was under the impression he left it IN the store. The front wheel was toast. But he did have Record Pista cranks that I see are no longer there. SO SAD!!!

And for the record..he doesn't hate his bike...but riding it with a busted arm and sprained wrist wasn't a possibility. Thanks for the usual kneejerk response.

didn't he used to have a spicer frame or something? i remember him riding a nice oversized frame last time i saw him. actually last time i saw him he had a bike in your shop with a broken frame i believe. what luck...

Rode east last night, going east up York Mills from Yonge definitely sucked as much as I thought it would, but I didn't walk it at least :) The wind did a good job of kicking my ass most of the way south/east, but damn .. spinning high with 80GI available is scary quick (35mph down that hill Wilson toward Yonge - 145rpm?) - the difference is there's still plenty of "go" in her, man I love that - can just keep feeding it to the thing and I don't spin out. I love that work, the hill up from Bayview on York Mills was really nice to hit - the one from Yonge is just a bit too much for my comfort, I gave it what I could be bothered, then let it sag and just mashed the rest of the way (thank Dog for clipless/foot retention)

tdot-miele: What say you? I can ride east to Yonge-ish with you if you want company on Wilson. Other than some hairy pothole-ish areas, it's decent enough. Lemme know, else I'll be flying straight south down Keele.

Blargh. I never knew tool chests/cabinets were so expensive. I went to Canadian Tire looking for something to help tidy up my 'bike room', but wasn't really prepared to spend hundreds of dollars on something with a few drawers in it. *sigh*

Wes... check out the pawn shops, tools and such are some of the first things to go in tough times.

anybody know if/where these are available downtown?

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-84224226242177_2025_18219826

It is getting tough out there, isn't it? Everything has slowed down at my work, my friends in finance have all lost their jobs, my friends in retail are praying they don't lose their jobs and my friend in real estate is hoping she gets laid off with a severance package. The one friend who is doing well is a pharmacist, go figure.

*continues scrambling to live paycheque to paycheque and pay off student debt*

Rode east last night, going east up York Mills from Yonge definitely sucked as much as I thought it would, but I didn't walk it at least :) The wind did a good job of kicking my ass most of the way south/east,


Was riding east myself last night, the wind the past few days has been murderous.



It is getting tough out there, isn't it? Everything has slowed down at my work, my friends in finance have all lost their jobs, my friends in retail are praying they don't lose their jobs and my friend in real estate is hoping she gets laid off with a severance package. The one friend who is doing well is a pharmacist, go figure.

I just recently secured a steady 9 to 5 handing out welfare cheques, with the way things are going it looks like one of the few jobs with guaranteed job security at the moment :(

anybody know if/where these are available downtown?

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-84224226242177_2025_18219826

i've seen them at urbane before, they have a little piece of cardboard that you take them out of, setup by the pedals, toe clips, etc, on the left of the parts desk

rob(steelwool owner) might be interested in this:

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/916587272.html

I just recently secured a steady 9 to 5 handing out welfare cheques, with the way things are going it looks like one of the few jobs with guaranteed job security at the moment :(

that and my friend in the repo business... hes making a ****ing killing

In regards to my new sig, I am absolutely dumbfounded at the misinformation that gets tossed around these forums.

In regards to my new sig, I am absolutely dumbfounded at the misinformation that gets tossed around these forums.

You mean it's not the cold?

FFS, that goddamn steelwool is still locked outside of BoW; I just passed it again tonight. I don't want to sound like a dick, but if the owner had previously left the bike in the shop for two days, how did the staff not have his contact info to call him to unlock the bike?

Keith, if you need me to, I have some time tomorrow morning, so I can run over, grab the frame and wheel and bring them to you. I'm afraid that what's left over will get jacked.

well the ride back from brampton to yonge and eglinton area only took 2.5 hours!! Wish i would have seen these posts about Finch being a deathtrap before though hahaha You guys weren't kidding!! Between the semi --trucks and the crazy 90KM/h drivers it was interesting. But i gotta tell ya... the roads outside of toronto are AMAZING!!! They're sooooooooo smooth in comparison and there's way less lights; so you can get a nice cadence going for once! Once you pass kipling or so it's very noticeable. And ya there's no way i could have ridin that GI fixed... it was on the single-speed. But it's like people north of steeles have never seen a bike before hahaha But on the plus side i did get a good view of "Wild Water Kingdom" on the way by...

And ya, when i finish building my rear wheel i'll be dropping down to my 42 chain ring... based on all the advice i've heard on here

If you had mentioned Yonge & Eglinton, I would have suggested you take Finch -> Albion -> Weston -> Eglinton ->Yonge. Its pretty safe, and you skirt the 401 / Wilson / Albion / Weston interchange by going through a park along the Humber river.

The roads outside of Downtown Toronto can be really nice, but it still depends on where you are. Take a ride along Humber College Blvd to see what I mean (P.S.: I hope you don't have fillings in your teeth) ;)

i'm usually panting cuz of my rediculous GI anyways so i have some room for jaw bounce.... it's the nut and ball bounce that gets me everytime haha there's something to be said for riding a "fatter" saddle sometimes hahaha due to the lack of a decent front light, at night the dips and doodles can catch me by surprise and not leave enough time to post :(

anybody know if/where these are available downtown?

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-84224226242177_2025_18219826

yup - urbane has em; $2.75 each i think. it's one of those things that doesn't cost much but adds and nice finishing touch to a bike.

*continues scrambling to live paycheque to paycheque and pay off student debt*

i have to say there is a certain security in having next to nothing - at least it can't be taken away from you!

*continues scrambling to live paycheque to paycheque and pay off student debt*



It is getting tough out there, isn't it? Everything has slowed down at my work, my friends in finance have all lost their jobs, my friends in retail are praying they don't lose their jobs and my friend in real estate is hoping she gets laid off with a severance package. The one friend who is doing well is a pharmacist, go figure.

I just recently secured a steady 9 to 5 handing out welfare cheques, with the way things are going it looks like one of the few jobs with guaranteed job security at the moment :(

man, i am never coming home... :(

Cyclist's leg severed in hit-run

Nov 14, 2008 06:37 AM

ADRIAN MORROW
Staff Reporter

A cyclist is in hospital after his leg was almost severed by a car police say might have been a taxi early this morning.

Police were called to Dovercourt Rd., in the Queen St. W. and Ossington Ave. area, around 2:30 a.m. where they found a man bleeding heavily from his right leg, said Staff Sgt. Vince Tso.

The victim was taken to St. Michael’s Hospital in serious condition. Doctors were working to re-attach the leg.
"He’s in surgery right now. He received massive trauma to his right leg, as well as injuries to his pelvis," said Sgt. Tim Burrows.

Police are searching for a Beck taxi.

In another incident, the driver of a Beck cab reported being assaulted by a cyclist. Police are investigating both incidents, but don’t know yet if the two are linked.

Anyone with information on the incident can contact police at 416-808-1900, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

Police Interviewing Cabbie Following Bizarre Incident West Of Downtown

Friday November 14, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff

Was it a hit-and-run? An attempted robbery?

Police are still trying to iron out the details of a bizarre incident early Friday morning. A cyclist was taken to hospital after his leg was reportedly severed in a collision with a cab near the intersection of Dovercourt Rd. and Dundas St (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=dovercourt+and+dundas,+toronto&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=27.284961,50.800781&ie=UTF8&ll=43.65182,-79.424715&spn=0.012141,0.024805&z=15&g=dovercourt+and+dundas,+toronto). It's believed the cab backed into the man, hit a pole, and took off at about 2:30am.

However the cabbie apparently contacted police to tell them that the cyclist had tried to rob him, and that he fled in fear. The injured man was taken to hospital where doctors worked to reattach his leg.
Investigators are looking into the circumstances, whether to lay charges, and if they do who they'd lay them against.

Witnesses apparently heard two men yelling around the time of the incident. Anyone with information in the case can contact police at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

wow. that's crazy! how do you sever someone's leg by running them over? streetcar track? so, do you think some desperate jerk tried to rob the cabbie and got run over for his efforts or did a careless cabbie run a poor cyclist over and is trying to cover his butt with his defense explanation?

on a non bike note: eagles of death metal ****ing rocked it last night! and so did an uncharacteristically rowdy toronto crowd! woo!

FFS, that goddamn steelwool is still locked outside of BoW; I just passed it again tonight. I don't want to sound like a dick, but if the owner had previously left the bike in the shop for two days, how did the staff not have his contact info to call him to unlock the bike?

Keith, if you need me to, I have some time tomorrow morning, so I can run over, grab the frame and wheel and bring them to you. I'm afraid that what's left over will get jacked.

i've had the whole week off(not that I wanted it off, freelance isn't fun sometimes) so I ran out of tasks like, 2 days ago. i'll go pick it up! gimme a mission! please! yesterday i achieved a 5 star review on every song on medium in guitar hero: world tour. i'm bored. c'mon!

If you pinned his leg up against the pole the cabbie backed into, that outta do it. The pole has a small enough surface area to act almost like a blade with so much weight (car) behind the impact. (Especially if it's one of those metal ones for street signs, more so if it's one of those square ones. Craziest thing I've heard of in a while. I'll be staying tuned to this one.

Now... day 2 of the Great Basement Cleanup, now that the waters have gone I can sanitize it.

i've had the whole week off(not that I wanted it off, freelance isn't fun sometimes) so I ran out of tasks like, 2 days ago. i'll go pick it up! gimme a mission! please! yesterday i achieved a 5 star review on every song on medium in guitar hero: world tour. i'm bored. c'mon!

your mission is to ride out to whitby and back on the water front trail or 20 rounds of disc golf on the island

If you pinned his leg up against the pole the cabbie backed into, that outta do it. The pole has a small enough surface area to act almost like a blade with so much weight (car) behind the impact. (Especially if it's one of those metal ones for street signs, more so if it's one of those square ones. Craziest thing I've heard of in a while. I'll be staying tuned to this one.


Yeah, that was my thinking too. That sucks.

I got cut off very badly yesterday by a Beck taxi near the Mental Health Centre and I was pissed-off and still thinking about it when another Beck taxi cut into my lane at Spadina. Pure coincidence of course but still, what jerks.

I suppose it is part of my anti-taxi agenda that I am thinking the cabbie called 911 to make up a story about getting robbed in order to cover his ass but we will see what happens.

i'm surprised the title of that isn't "cab driver survives vicious robbery attempt by cyclist"

2:30 am in front of the drake is one of the best spots I can think of to get into problems with a taxi in Toronto.

i'd say next to king street between bay and york at rush hour the drake after last call is the worst cab zone in the city. u-turn central.

2:30 am in front of the drake is one of the best spots I can think of to get into problems with a taxi in Toronto.

+1 That whole stretch to Gladstone can be insanely tricky. Mod club on College has been my second trickiest spot, barring Union (on Front) at rush hour.

Yeah, that was my thinking too. That sucks.

I got cut off very badly yesterday by a Beck taxi near the Mental Health Centre and I was pissed-off and still thinking about it when another Beck taxi cut into my lane at Spadina. Pure coincidence of course but still, what jerks.

I suppose it is part of my anti-taxi agenda that I am thinking the cabbie called 911 to make up a story about getting robbed in order to cover his ass but we will see what happens.

I see them as a mixture of jerks, goons and sharks. The sharks are the really hungry ones in a game of survival of the fittest. When the city bumped the number of licences to 5000 or whatnot, things must have got that much harder for them. So yeah, yesterday in the rain I was forced out of a bike line and into the curb by #323 Diamond, got a flat and a pinched rim out of that. All I can say is, heck no I won't be calling 911 if I ever see one of those little trunk lights flashing.

Hello,

I came across this forum and have found it really useful in helping me put together my first Fixed gear bike. Just wondering if anyone can recommend a place in T.O. where I can find a good cheap 165mm crank.

Thanks in advance,
FW

yup - urbane has em; $2.75 each i think. it's one of those things that doesn't cost much but adds and nice finishing touch to a bike.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/3029895227_440365b46c.jpg?v=0

Hello,

I came across this forum and have found it really useful in helping me put together my first Fixed gear bike. Just wondering if anyone can recommend a place in T.O. where I can find a good cheap 165mm crank.

Thanks in advance,
FW

If you want new, I'd try Urbane or Cycle Solutions on Parliament.

It is getting tough out there, isn't it? Everything has slowed down at my work, my friends in finance have all lost their jobs, my friends in retail are praying they don't lose their jobs and my friend in real estate is hoping she gets laid off with a severance package. The one friend who is doing well is a pharmacist, go figure.

I can only thank my lucky stars I'm in the last 1/3 of a very secure career with a defined benefits pension plan. As a matter of fact, we have a tough time keeping people around. They move on to other parts of the company once they decide they don't want to work shift anymore. We're hiring 40 more this coming year to try to staff the shift crews, and that will barely do it.

Where are you hiring? I needs me a job.

Hello everybody! Haven't posted in a long while.

In regards to my new sig, I am absolutely dumbfounded at the misinformation that gets tossed around these forums.

C&V + Mechanics are the only "good" places on this forum, aside from this thread. The rest are G4N.

Where are you hiring? I needs me a job.

Ontario Power Generation - Nuclear Operations. Anyone with advanced maths and sciences is qualified to apply.
-guaranteed 6-figure income within 8yrs if you work shift.

Just a reminder for anyone looking for a domicile, my apartment will be available on Dec 1st. $680/month for a two bedroom in Leslieville (Dundas and Jones). Short walk to good coffee, good shawarma, and excellent sushi. PM for details.

So dude ended up losing his leg but he's expected to live at least. Police still haven't been able to interview him because of his condition.

Here's hoping he'll pull through. Total madness

I've been trying to stay neutral on this one until all the facts come out but this is just too much:

http://www.citynews.ca/images/2008-11/nov1408-bikecab1.jpg

So not only was the guy a mugger who planned to escape by bike but the bike in question is also a road bike with SPDs and STI shifters? Not ****ing likely. This incident has really got to me. How many of us have yelled at some idiot on the street for doing something dangerous with several tons of steel? And then to have the guy hit you and something like that happen ... guh, it makes my skin crawl.