Recently I made my yearly trip down to Toronto’s Green Living Show. As always I saw friends, heard inspiring speakers and tasted some great food. That said, it wasn’t what was inside the Direct Energy Centre that impressed me the most.
No, this year it was the combined efforts of the Toronto Cyclists Union and Mountain Equipment Co-Op outside of the event that really blew me away. Upon arrival I, and five hundred other people, were able to hand off our bikes to these folks for the free valet parking they were providing. This was a simple but clever service for them to offer.
I was ready to grab the numbered ticket I would use to retrieve my bike at the end of the day, when they asked me if I would like their mechanic to take a look at my bike. I figured, why not.
I then proceeded to spend the day at the show and was more than pleasantly surprised upon my return. Not only had the gentleman tuned up my bike at no charge – leaving me with a much smoother ride – but he also fixed up my brakes. I have always been a big fan of the Toronto Cyclists Union but this was first class treatment that went right over the top.
I highly encourage everyone to check out what the Toronto Cyclists Union is up to. Even if you do not ride a bike in the city you should still join the organization. For all you drivers, just think about how much less traffic there will be in your way for each new person the TCU helps to move out of their car and onto a bike.
The Toronto Cyclists Union has already done great work but we all know how far Toronto needs to go. Let’s support this group and make the change we need happen that much faster.
Jordy Gold is the OpenCity Projects Editor and is a sustainability consultant. He has worked and studied in Geneva, Lund, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Jordy learned from the Swedes how to cycle in all conditions and can be seen on his bike 365 days a year throughout the core of Toronto.
photo used with permission by Yvonne Bambrick
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