President's message

Time to say goodbye. This will be my last President's message. First I want to thank all of you, the members, for giving me the opportunity to lead the board these past four years. I also want to thank all my board members past and present; you were all great to work with and we accomplished a lot. I've enjoyed being at the centre of things but it's time for me to move on and it's time for some fresh ideas on the board. Already I see new candidates running for the next board, along with experienced members staying on. The future looks bright.

I hope to see many of you at the AGM on Nov. 15 (details below at TBN Social/Education events) with a link to the Calendar event). We have plenty of spots available so take the opportunity to meet lots of other club members you may not see regularly, and to have a voice in the direction of the club for the coming two-year term.

Until then,

Gord Irish

Join us for the 2025 TBN AGM, dinner and dance

Registration for this great event is open and filling up quickly. This is your chance to have a say in the makeup of your board of directors for the upcoming two-year term. Be sure to register before the Nov. 2 deadline. We will be at the same location as last year, very close to Dundas subway station, but we will be in a much larger room. There will be a four-course dinner, followed by the AGM and then dancing to a great live and not-too-loud band. More information can be found here.

Nominations for TBN Volunteer of the Year closed

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for the 2025 TBN Volunteer of the Year Award. We’re delighted to share that we received more than 30 nominations highlighting the amazing dedication and spirit of our volunteers. The winner(s) will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on Nov. 15. We encourage all members to join us for this special evening. Please register for the AGM here.

TBN board proposes bylaws change

As previously reported in Chain of Events, our current board President will be retiring from the board at the end of this year. As part of the process of finding a new candidate for President, the board decided to propose bylaws changes to create a Vice-President role that would share leadership responsibility and make future leadership changes smoother. At the upcoming Annual General Meeting on Nov. 15, members will be asked to vote on the following bylaws amendments:

• Create the role of Vice-President to share duties with and be a backup for the President;

• Remove the temporary role of “Past President” as it has not served its intended purpose and the current President does not wish to assume that role after retiring;

• Clarify that board roles can be shared by only two people (previously the upper limit was not defined) except for the the President and Vice-President roles (limited to one person per role as they are expected to share their responsibilities as a team of two).

TBN Social/Education events

Please remember that very popular events fill up and may have waiting lists. If you register for one of these events, and you do not cancel if you can’t attend, you are denying someone on the waiting list the opportunity to attend.

Monthly Dining Out, Oct. 23. This social event, where we eat at different interesting ethnic restaurants each month, has become very popular. The restaurants are in different parts of the GTA, so everyone should have a chance to attend in an area convenient to them. This month’s dinner is centrally located at a great new Mexican place. Information about the event, the restaurants and registration is available here.

Trip presentation: Bike touring in Patagonian Chile and Argentina, Oct. 27. TBN members Narayana Reddy and Grahame Joy will share their recent experience cycling in the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile (see photo below). Starting in El Calafate, Argentina, their self-supported tour crossed 1,000 km of plains, mountains and ferry segments, ending in Ushuaia on the island of Tierra del Fuego. The presentation will cover the route, logistics and challenges, as well as touching on the Carretera Austral route. The event is free and open to all TBN members and their guests. Main floor meeting room, Northern District Library near Yonge and Eglinton, Oct. 27. More information can be found here.

TBN Pub Quiz, Oct. 28. We’ve had great turnouts for this event since changing to a new format. The quiz is at the Prenup Pub, one of the best and most interesting in the GTA. Registration for the October quiz is now open via the calendar. More details about the new participant-centred quiz format and about the Prenup Pub are available here.

Trip presentation: Great Waterfront Trail Adventure 2025, Nov. 17. TBN members Geoff Kettel and Donna Cottle will take you on a recap of their experience this past August riding the 2025 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, while Marlaine Koehler, Executive Director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust (WRT), will share the plans for next year’s GWTA. The 2025 edition featured eight days of lakeside riding, cultural stops, finishing back in Hamilton after more than 600 km in the saddle, offering participants the chance to dip their wheels in three of Ontario’s Great Lakes: Ontario, Huron and Erie. The event is free and open to all TBN members and their guests. Main floor meeting room, Northern District Library near Yonge and Eglinton, Nov. 17. More information can be found here.

Trip presentation: Veloroute Gourmande Bike Trip, Dec. 15. TBN member Dona Cottle will share her experience with Veloroute Gourmande Bike which she did this past summer. Veloroute Gourmande is a cycle path that connects Montreal and Sherbrooke. It is approximately 235 km through the picturesque Quebec countryside and can be done over four or five days. The mostly car- free route is relatively flat, passing by many lakes and hills with opportunities to stop along the way and enjoy some gourmet attractions. The event is free and open to all TBN members and their guests. Main floor meeting room, Northern District Library near Yonge and Eglinton, Dec. 15. More information can be found here.

Fall and winter hikes set to begin

TBN’s schedule of fall and winter out-of-town hikes kicks off on Oct. 26, in Rouge Park. Each hike starts at 10 am, and they will take place every Sunday until late December. These are for the most part loop hikes and will be about 13 km. Fall hiking will require you to have proper clothing and footwear. Winter hiking is a different animal. It will require you to not only have proper footwear and clothing but also crampon style icers. These may not be used on the hike but should be included in your backpack in case they are needed.

You must register in advance via the Calendar and cancel that registration if you change your mind and cannot come for whatever reason. Guest registrations at a cost of $10 per person will be allowed if space permits. Parking at some venues can be a challenge, so plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of hikes. Some hikes will require you to pay for parking but these will be noted on the TBN hike posting. We will try and keep these hikes to a minimum.

At this time we are not sure whether hikes will be scheduled in the New Year, as interest dropped off for those in 2025. If they are planned, they could take place less frequently. Watch the Calendar for dates, which will be posted as details are confirmed.  

Zwift your way to winter fitness

TBN will be returning for ithe fourth year of its winter program of virtual rides, using the Zwift computer platform to provide an almost limitless number of indoor rides as the weather turns cold, wet or snowy. Beginning Oct. 27, we will be scheduling morning rides on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As well, we are hosting Tuesday and Thursday evening rides. If demand is sufficient, we will host weekend rides (we need some more volunteer virtual ride leaders). Rides will be posted one month in advance. Check the TBN Calendar for scheduled rides.  

Zwift allows us to offer curated rides in two fantasy worlds: Watopia and a Japanese-themed Makuri Islands, as well as virtual routes in London, France, Innsbruck, Yorkshire, Richmond, Scotland and a futuristic New York City (including a new expansion of 31 new km of roads). There are more than 200 different routes, from gentle to extremely strenuous. Many of our rides will use the "rubber band" feature in Zwift to keep all participants close together.

If you are interested in Zwift rides, either as a participant or as a volunteer virtual ride leader, please email virtualrides@tbn.ca with your preferences (day, time, distance and duration) and whether you are willing to host an event. Details about upcoming Zwift meetups will be posted on the TBN website. For more information about the meetups and how to get started, see https://tbn.ca/zwiftmeetups.

TBN getting (more) social on socials! 

Did you know we have a lively presence on Instagram? Follow TBN on IG at @torontobicyclingnetwork. Let's show Toronto that we are the biggest, friendliest and best club in the six (416)! Calling all ride leaders and members to get group pics on rides and get tagging. Like and comment and we'll chat. Let's get to know each other better and show off how much fun we have riding around town and out of town. Share your group shots, selfies and scenic views on your own IG and collaborate/tag TBN! Or, send by private message on IG to @torontobicylingnetwork, send via email to our Instagram manager, or share on TBN's Facebook page. Just make sure you take those pics and share them.

TBN members get discounts at Bike Depot!

Great news! Bike Depot is offering TBN members 10% off most accessories (some brands like Garmin aren't included) and 20% off services. Just show your TBN membership card from your profile (https://tbn.ca/Sys/Profile) to get the deal.

Head to the Bike Depot site through the link on the bottom of each page in the TBN website to check it out!

We need your photos

We’d love to see all the amazing moments you’ve captured during our club rides and events. If you have any photos or videos from recent outings, please upload them to our shared Google album. It’s a great way to relive the memories, showcase our adventures, and help keep our club page lively and engaging. Whether it’s action shots, group selfies or scenic views, every photo counts. But pease be selective and upload only the photos you feel are your best. Let’s build a collection we can all enjoy and be proud of. Thanks for sharing your experiences—your contributions help tell the story of our awesome club!

“30-Day-Trial" membership to continue in 2026

Last spring we started a new "30-Day-Trial" membership option that has proven to be successful. Now that autumn is here, we are happy to report that 107 people tried the trial membership, and 22.4% of them became full members (individual, student or family). We consider this to be a good retention rate, and the 30-Day-Trial membership option will continue to be offered next year.

Reminder to update your TBN profile

Please ensure to periodically update your TBN club profile. Perhaps upload a photo of yourself (so other members know who you are), confirm that your email address listed is correct (as this is the primary way for us to contact you), confirm your phone and emergency contacts are still valid, and update your current (or former) occupation and let us know if and how you would like to volunteer with TBN. We are always looking for helping hands, especially those with needed skills. How to do this: Login to the website www.tbn.ca, click on your name, then click Edit Profile. When you are done, press Save to commit your changes.

Event registration reminder

Please remember to login to the TBN website prior to registering for our Events. If you are not logged in, the system does not know who you are, and may only offer you the Guest registration choice. Also, when you are logged into the TBN website, a lot of members-only content appears.