I'm good for Wednesday. 8 o clock!

so, Wednesday, Honest Eds parking lot @ 8:30, is that good for everyone?

Edit: for those of you that are new to the forums here's a map to our top secret Honest Eds meet up spot https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=365610.

Things to do:
- Check out the "From Scorchers to Alley Cat Scrambles" exhibit (https://www.bikehistory.ca/exhibit.html).
- If you're a geek, take a look at the computer district west of College/Spadina. Start at that intersection and make your way west. Canada Computers (north side of the road, just west of Augusta) has the best prices on most things.
- Kensington Market is just south of College/Augusta (Patty King's spicy beef patty + cocoa bread for teh dirt cheap win, Big Fat Burrito second place, random empanada place third, European Meats' cheapass burger combo honorable mention). Walk down Augusta until you get to the Freshmart grocery store. Look across the street. See that low white fence? Look further down the alleyway. That's where George's Parts Unknown is. Head over his way, say hi and root through piles of used goodies.
- Critical Mass probably doesn't work w/ your timeline, but people meet at 6-6:30ish at Bloor/Spadina (Aug. 25). Failing that, post about a Critical Vacuum ride and the people from this thread will get together for some chaos/fun/destruction/good times/etc.
- Toronto Island is a really nice place to ride a bike and relax if you don't have to dodge too many kids. If you're in town during the week this could be a nice option. Head south down to the waterfront (it'll be near Yonge and ... err, the water. Ask for directions to the ferry dock).

Bike Shops:
- I hear Cavern Cycles (Queen and Jarvis, across from the guys w/ the rifles and the crackheads in the park) is hip w/ the kids riding those one-speed bikes these days. There's also Urbane, Bikes on Wheels, Curbside, Cycle Therapy, Cycle Solutions and of course Igor's (only go to Igor's if you plan on setting fire to it. That's a stolen bike shop and the guy's literally nuts).

[QUOTE=eyefloater]T

Bike Shops:
- I hear Cavern Cycles (Queen and Jarvis, across from the guys w/ the rifles and the crackheads in the park) is hip w/ the kids riding those one-speed bikes these days. QUOTE]
Rifle's? Really....zip gun's are the firearm of choice around here....rifle's are much too expensive and hard to hide with torn up clothes and emaciated bodies. Ever try to aim a rifle whilst doing the crack twitch? C'mon Mike...think man.

I agree 100%, I thought that's what you meant. I'm supposed to fly into Manila xmas next year to kick off a month in the Philippines. We have alot to learn about high density living if we're going to have even the slightest chance in the next century. So you totally can't ride Hong Kong? When you mention the pollution, how does it compare to some of the other places you've been? Some of the smogginess reminds me of Mexico City on some days, though we have only a fraction of the people.

HK is mad dense. The streets are 1 lane each way, traffic is horendous. Hills everywhere. Whats makes it impossible to ride is that on most major streets the sidewalk and is seperated by a metal fence the height of your chest. Ride on the sidewalk and get stopped by the the crowd, ride on the street and eat fumes, or get run over by double decker buses, taxicabs or other motorists who aren't nearly as polite as North Americans.

I still think you could pull it off if you knew your way around as there are many back alleys that intersect every which way, just watch out for tossed noodles or rotten produce while you're braking, those things are slippery.

Brings me back to my proverb from last Friday: "The cyclist is faster than the crackmonkey"

But yeah, for places to ride, I second the Islands. There's also some other nice places to ride like the Don Valley trail, High Park, the Humber trail, etc. If you go to a bike shop, ask for a copy of the city's bike map. It's free and it has all the bike trails, roads with bike lanes, and suggested bike routes.

Definitely go to Kensington for food and/or drinks and/or simple exploration.

If you like coffee and want some places to taste (not that Toronto is typically a good coffee city):
-Jet Fuel - good coffee and former UCI pro road team sponsors (519 Parliament Street)
-Mercury Cafe - damned fine espresso and close to Cycle Therapy (915 Queen Street East)
-Cherry Bomb - I haven't been there, but apparently the coffee is great and there's a rotating stock of bikes hanging on the wall as art (ps. we should all meet there for coffee sometime) (67 Roncesvalles Avenue)
-Bulldog Coffee - kind of expensive, but really good (89 Granby Street)
-Linux Caffe - a plug for the place that keeps me fueled.. the owners are super nice folks and the (organic) drip coffee wakes me up in the mornings. Plus, you know, the nerdy connection (326 Harbord Street)

(in fact, while googling places for addresses I found this: https://www.coffeegeek.com/resources/...onalpressrelea)

Little Italy (College Street, between Bathurst and Ossington, basically) is good for a more upscale night out.

If you want to get together with us for a ride and/or dinner and/or drinks, just let us know!

[QUOTE=cavernmech]Okay, so here's a fun story regarding crack[heads|wh0res]:

I showed up at C.T. the other morning before work, hopped off the bike and lit up my morning smoke. Looked down, oh great - I'm almost standing on a condom. So ... get that nasty **** tossed in the dumpster and then I of course see the pile of empty crackhead liquor cans/bottles lying all over the place. Into the dumpster they go too. It doesn't stop there though - I also found the patented crackhead homemade crack pipe and for the grand finale, the crackhead skidmarked tighty whities lying on the ground. This was pretty much the filthiest **** I've ever seen at a workplace. Oh, and they broke the bench outside the shop as well. I don't even want to think about what that scene looked like. There's an addendum to this story as well: weeks later I noticed what might be a bra lying on the ground behind the dumpster. Judging by its state of decomposition, it may have been from that same lustful freebasing night.

You can ride in Hong Kong just riding on Hong Kong Island is probably a death wish. The island is basically a giant hill and whats not hilly is reclaimed and filled with stores/offices/people. I think in Wang Chai and Causeway Bay you could still ride a ton and out in the New Territories I hear there are lots of nice trails but commuting on a bike seems basically unheard of.

The pollution is bad but not nearly as bad as Beijing or Shanghai. There you can't even see the sun if its a clear day there is another secondary "smog cloud" layer that is one of the most frightening things I've ever experienced. How the atheletes are going to deal with the pollution levels for the olympics will be really interesting to see. I would seriously doubt that any endurance world records are going to be broken considering the air quality.

*considering himself pretty lucky right about now*

I agree in full. You could mountain bike some of the trails on the SE part, but road cycling is a very bad idea.

Those are some of the busiest parts of HK island - not recommended. Wan Chai is a big pub/club district, so it may be more managable in the day. The traffic in HK is just too heavy anywhere outside the New Territories, so riding to a good route there would be very hazardous. I did see some roadies when I was there, so it IS possible. Repulse Bay was popular too.

The government is shuting down most heavy industry to the north of the city and will use tracks well away from the industrial centers. They're doing everything they can to look make Beijing like a modern city. If you want nasty, nasty pollution, go to the industrial centers around Guanzhou - the air smells like the inside of a fresh tube of tennis balls. Revolting.

I spent time in Guangzhou it was pretty heinous as well, Shenzhen too. Then Chengdu and Chonqing aren't great either. I don't know what your saying about wan chai and causeway bay, at night, through traffic hauling arse I think it would be better then doing NYC. Might not be your cup of tea but man I can't wait. You probably wouldn't ride a track bike through shanghai either but you'd be missing an incredible time.

Shutting down the industry is going to do squat. Beijing is so full of lies, I love how they take the pollution readings in Beijing, they seed the clouds cause a rain shower and take the readings immediately after the rain shower so the water has washed out most of the particulate matter. I'm not an "elite endurance" athelete by any means, but I'm definately in better shape then most people and I could barely breath after a week in Beijing. I can't imagine what the actual elite atheletes will do. China is such a farce when it comes to anything the government says, they are very good at making money and polluting their country in order to make that money but man oh man are they going to pay in twenty years when the cancer starts to hit.

Not a good possible reflection on the future where it's too congested AND to polluted to effectively/safely use the cheapest most efficient means of transportation. Adds an interesting kink in the ultimate equation. This brings up the question of HK messengers, or is the business district not the same as the rest of the city?

someone hurry up and buy this before i do......
https://toronto.craigslist.org/bik/194361887.html

No bike couriers that I've seen or heard of. The city is so small that walking is probably more efficient in Central most of the time. Also the fact that its quite hilly and a general lack of cycling lanes/knowledge makes for an interesting town. The MTR kicks the TTCs butt though, no competition what so ever

i think hk is totally bikeable. just don't do it to commute. you don't want hills? don't go up em! plenty of non-hilly places for cruising around. the harbour around tst is nice. central is not hilly if you stay on the main streets. head out west on hk island and traffic thins out nicely. i think the new territories would yield the best biking spots. there's so much to see that you'll probably discover yourself walking the bike or trying to lock it up somewhere. pollution is bad but the heat/humidity killed me more. by all means, take the bikes, it's just that it might be more hassle than it's worth. japan on the other hand is extremely bikeable and i would highly recommend it.

oooooo, is this gonna be a weekly thing? i'd love to join you folks when i'm back in town and have my fixie! tho it might only be my 2nd or 3rd ride EVER on one by then - will it be harsh to keep up?

by the way, not sure if my bro Pete has ever joined you. he rides a custom Fetish track frame, no brakes or bar-tape, thing is black, super-sxxxxy.

SFW: https://tinyurl.com/majqm

Methinks I can make it out for this one. I assume beverages are in order?

A custom Fetish track frame is an oxymoron. Come on out and drag Pete and Dave with ya.

ahh, touché...

heck yes - if anyone knows my bros, i should've figured you would. and here i live right around the corner and haven't even been to your shop yet. what's wrong with me?

i think you still have a wheel that Dave was getting built for the now-AWOL Specialized Allez i was riding. word is it MIGHT be retrievable from you-know-where.

see you soon... not this week, but soon.

joe

Hrm, interesting; I asked you-know-who about an Allez last week and he didn't have it. Odd. I do kinda look like a cop though

Well you-know-who loves to talk how he plays both sides, like a french resistor in the occupation. I bet he's managed to tunnel halfway across the park by now.

I am faster than eddy merckx on speed!

Alsop: ok

Yowza, that's a claim sized LARGE boiiii!!!