Cyclists and motorists take a lot of flack from each other for bending the rules of the road. But even the police will tell you that it’s pretty much impossible not to break the law. With bike month around the corner, we learned what it’s like to try to follow every single rule.

read full article: The Grid TO.

OK bike nerds and design connoisseurs, this is an event to have on your radar. Brooks, the England-based saddle and bike accessory manufacturer, has organized a five city travelling bike show called “Dashing,” which lands at the Kensington Market location of Bikes on Wheels June 8th. More akin to an art/design exhibition than a strictly commercial display, the idea behind the show is to highlight brands that aren’t well-known in North America but which are nevertheless noteworthy for their design and craftsmanship. Well, that and to celebrate a little.

read full post: BlogTO.

via facebook:

The Grid is doing Burger Week again! 

What better way to honour this momentous occasion than by touring some of Toronto’s finest eateries on two wheels to enjoy their delicious hamburgers!

Burger tours will run from Wed, May 29th to Sat, June 1st. The route lengths will get progressively longer as the week goes on.

We’ll be aiming to do take-out at each burger stop. Each restaurant will be serving 1 special burger for $5. You don’t have to eat at all the stops. Stay hydrated and bring water (or some other beverage of your choice).

The routes have been tentatively set, but not quite finalized, so they are subject to change. You can check out the start times, meet-up locations, burger stops, and route details of each day’s tour at the links below:

Day 1: Wed, May 29th @ 5:30pm  (Stockyards and Triple A Bar)  Route: http://goo.gl/maps/l35me

Day 2 Thurs, May 30th @ 5:30pm  (Rock Lobster and South St. Burger) Route: http://goo.gl/maps/YtvJm

Day 3 (Fri, May 31st @ 5:30pm) (Barque Smokehouse and Hey Meatball) Route: http://goo.gl/maps/nX6jc

Day 4 (Sat, June 1st @ 12:00 noon) (The Good Fork and Goods and Provisions and Holy Chuck) Route: http://goo.gl/maps/ujm8G

Join us for as few or as many of the rides/burgers as your legs/stomach can handle! There is no fee to participate in the rides themselves. The only cost will be for your own food & drink.

Bicycle safety encouraged. Helmets and bike bells are strongly recommended! Happy and safe riding.

RSVP on facebook

Note: This event is not officially sponsored by The Grid. We’re simply using their Burger Week as an excuse to bike a lot and eat tons of burgers!

New details have emerged through a Freedom of Information request regarding the August 31, 2009 death of Darcy Allan Sheppard. Sheppard’s father claims the evidence he has obtained through the freedom of information request does not support the explanation in the decision to drop charges against the man who killed his son.

read full article:  The Urban Country.

According to “The American Bicyclist Study: On the Road to 2020,” released in 2012 and conducted by the Gluskin Townley Group, the women of Generation Y represent an important change to who is buying and riding bicycles. To us, this is a clear indication that it’s high time for the bicycle industry to embrace the next generation of bicycle riders, a group that will represent 100 million adults in the next seven years.

The bicycle industry needs to adapt as the market shifts towards a new bicycle consumer: women who use the bicycle as a tool. A tool that serves many purposes and is used for transportation, for exercise, for spending quality time with their children, for stress relief, and, most importantly, for fun.

read full article: Momentum Mag.

Toronto police said the incident happened around 3:45 a.m. Monday near Lower River Street and King Street. The man was riding a rented BIXI bike with four of his friends, said Sgt. Jeff Douglas.

“He was trying to do some sort of stunt with the bike, some sort of jump,” said Sgt. Douglas. “He fell backwards. He banged his head.”

The victim, who was not wearing a helmet, died on the scene after his head hit the concrete ground, said the sergeant who called the incident “death by misadventure.”

read full story: National Post.

If you’re fairly new to cycling, or just getting back on your bike, this is a great workshop for you. Actually, even more experienced riders are likely to learn something new! I’ll be packing a bunch of need-to-know information into this afternoon session, so come prepared to gain some important city cycling knowledge. 

We’ll discuss the following: basic rules/etiquette of the road, rights and responsibilities of cyclists, how to properly lock your bike, traffic violations that apply to cyclists, what to do in case of a collision and how to avoid them, clothing / riding in all weather, using your gears, how to carry stuff, and other ways to make your ride more enjoyable. Bring your most niggling bikey questions – someone else will probably be wondering the same thing.

Session host: Yvonne Bambrick

full event listing: Bike Month 2013.

An application has been submitted to the City for a building totalling 69-storeys, featuring a glass and steel skyscraper rising behind a reconstruced 1890s heritage structure at the corner. Currently housing an Atmosphere sports store, the Jamieson building’s facade, now half hidden by aluminum panels from a partial restoration in the 1980s, would be fully restored, and would continue to be used for retail.

The tower above is proposed to contain 580 rental suites and a bicycle parking space for each. No car parking is proposed: the tower is located immediately adjacent to the Queen subway station in the heart of the city, and can claim a walk score of 100. The redevelopment presents opportunities to improve the building’s connection to the Toronto Eaton Centre and to provide better street access to the subway station below.

via Urban Toronto.

dandyhorse has been busy in preparation for our Spring Safety issue due out this June. We talked to cyclists at Bayview and Blythwood, Dupont Triangle, Queen and Cameron, York University, the Danforth and Chester, Regent Park and Queen and Dufferin, to learn about safety concerns throughout the city.

We asked: Do you feel safe biking here? What would you to to make it safer?

Here’s a sneak peek at this special Bike Spotting series done to compliment original research by U of T on bikeable neighbourhoods in the city, which will be featured in our Spring issue.

read full post: dandyhorse magazine.

Announcing the first Cupcake Ride for 2013!! We are co-hosting this ride with Councillor McMahon’s Office (thanks for all your help Kristin!) to celebrate Ward 32 during our upcoming Bike Month in Toronto!

Date: Saturday, June 8th

Time: 1:00pm

Start place: Tori’s Bakeshop (2188 Queen St East – between Maclean & Balsam Ave)

read full post:  Toronto Cupcake Ride.