Word.

bah saw all you guys riding down bathhurst (just south of front)... looked like an awesome night to ride


hope it all went well


i might be out next week....


looked like there were lots of low batteries in lights tonight, i only saw the last half of the group riding south (i turned around to see how many there were out, and saw everyone in front).... i dunno, thought you might like to know

I rode 58's for far too long before knowing better. I do now.

I bet mine wasn't dim :p
Twas a fun ride. I seemed to be the only one with the foresight to pack a pint for the inevitable flat delay. First real ride on the track bike this year. I love how even after a few month's away from it, as soon as I jumped on it tonite it felt like that old comfy chair in the basement T.V. room.

your light is the blindingest - i love it!!!

thanks again for the wheel help - i'll most definitely get you back when i get back later in the month... they ride great!

i dropped off the ride when i realized that i still had to get home, install the second cog, a brake, re-wrap the bars and give the old bici the once over before it gets boxed up tomorrow... not long projects by any stretch but the prospect of doing any of them when i was ready for bed didn't appeal to me much so i figured i'd skidaddle before we got too far east...

good ride tonight - flats aside... it's been a while since i've gotten out with a group and been able to open 'er up just a little... can't wait for this summer.

Great ride guys. We may have dropped Ryan there, sorry dude, I thought you latched back on and then I get caught up with the prick who wanted to take on the world driving along Dupont. Good times either way, and yes Matt it IS going to be an awesome summer!

So when does the weekly ride give way to sprints again? Or is the ride going to be "the thing" happening this year?

Yeah.. I had two old people yell/honk at me on Harbord yesterday too. All I did was follow the contour of the bike lane as it started just West of Bathurst, but apparently they wanted to drive with two wheels in the bike lane. Clearly my fault. :)

Yeah get on the sidewalk where you belong!

I know I'm preaching to the converted, but I rode into work for the first time this morning, and it was the first time I was on the bike outside this year. Man was it ever nice. Much better than the TTC.

Great ride last night. Shapelike, I'm pretty sure the sprints are on, pending some cleanup of the straightaway at Ontario Place. Right now, there's just too much dirt, sand, and glass.

nuts - double post.

hey matt i just saw a thing on citytv about the city insurance for pot holes and what not and they said out of hundreds of claims this year they have yet to pay out a single penny.

as in ... I've wrecked my wheels on one of the city's craters and here's the bill you bastids?
Is it because you need bring said pothole with you to City Hall in order to claim?

My buddy fought Ontario for two years after a frost heave wrecked his expensive spidery rims on his car on the 401. He eventually won, but had obviously paid out to replace them ages before they settled.

Haha, yeah. I figured as much.

I only filed a claim because when I called to report some of the mammoth potholes on Strachan (and the fact that in hitting them I nearly bruck myself) they asked if I had any damages I wanted to claim and I was like... uhhhhhh, yeah!

On one side I feel like it's bad of me to waste the city's (read: OUR) time and money when I don't expect to get anything from it but on the other side I feel like the only way they'll even consider fixing the ****ing streets is if the cost of dealing with angry taxpayers outweighs the cost of repairing the roads in the first place.

'zzzzzzzactly.

I just saw some street sweepers going up Sherbourne. Hopefully some of the glass will be gone soon.

Concerning the multi-use trail that runs along the north side of Lakeshore Blvd. It is still designated as a “road right of way”. However, there is a motion to officially preserve it as “parkland” which would preserve the conditions that are there now (bike path, walkway, trees, plants, storm water ditches, grass).

ON TUES. APRIL 8, 10:00 AM COUNCIL NEEDS TO HEAR THAT THERE IS SUPPORT. IF YOU ARE ABLE, GO IN PERSON TO CITY HALL COMMITTEE ROOM 1, 2ND FLOOR, THE ITEM IS TIMED FOR 10:00.

It would be important to mention the big picture. For example, this park belt fits into the bigger open space and bike route network. It will also be important to share any big-picture history you recall regarding how this park belt came to be. When the Gardiner came down this strip was envisioned as a linear park as outlined in an earlier document called “Greening the Portlands” (produced by the Waterfront Trust).

Designating it as parkland will preserve it as such. It will preserve the direct, east-west unobstructed commuter / recreation route.

YOU CAN CALL AND PRE-REGISTER FOR A DEPUTATION – contact Francis Pritchard (416) 392-7033, email: teycc@toronto.ca

OR JUST GO FOR 9:45 / 10:00

Here is an excerpt form the agenda which is available at http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2...08-te14-ar.pdf

I raised this issue in various discussions about riding offroad in the Don valley. In that situation, the city folks act downright paranoid about getting nailed with a lawsuit, and as a result the trails have been under a cloud of possible closure for some time. Meanwhile, I've been told in no uncertain terms that on pavement there is sufficient legal precedent to absolve the city from any liability fears whatsoever. Wish that made sense to me, but it doesn't. Personally I view pavement riding on 700x23 to be more technical than the Don valley on 26x1.9. It really hit home when I busted a coil spring driving my car last year on Bayview.

20% increase in bicycle ridership? good news!

Well I finally rode out here to Whitby this morning. Left later than planned, 7:55 and got into the office at 10:15, so not too bad. ODO reads 33 miles with an average of 15.9mph. 35 minutes longer than my journey with the GO train, so I'm pretty happy about that.

Will be riding to Oshawa with a buddy who's taking the train up, then both of us riding back into the city. Some lovely spots for stop offs, even though I did take the main roads here (Bloor/Danforth->Kingston Rd.)

Glad to read someone is taking it up with the city re: bike damages - I had read that they compensate for car damages but didn't know how that stood with bikes, as of course we can damage our stuff and selves on some of the monster holes out there. Good luck, they ought to get their act together on it already.

I personally really enjoy 700x35 + bunny hopping the gaping pits. :)

Though I will say that I've pinch flatted more on the streets in the past year than I have offroad.

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/yrk/bik/628727857.html

I will admit I dig the stainless on the chain stay.

To enact By-Law to permanently close the portion of the boulevard on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East, generally from Coxwell Avenue in the east to the Don Road Way in the west, the southern limit of the bicycle trail to the southern property line of the properties to the north.

What does that mean? Side streets would dead end instead of accessing Lakeshore? Would make it a bit less harrowing watching for cars poppin' outta there.

Has anyone on this board ever sued a driver for damage caused to their bikes? I don't know why that just popped into my head, but small claims court would be perfect to exact revenge and payment off of a driver's insurance (more likely to settle and automatic increase in premiums.)

Edit: If anyone does do this and needs help with any of the forms, let me know.

that seems like a bit more trouble than it's worth. i'm no legal expert but wouldn't it set a dangerous precedent of paying out of insurance? if the cops can write you a ticket taking points off your drivers license for a traffic violation on a bike, what's to say that the courts couldn't do something similar with your auto insurance? just a thought. besides, i prefer the instant gratification of horking on their windshield...