Ride, Baby, Ride

Wanna live life in the fast lane? Try a bike path or trail instead. You can let the kids go faster and all stay safe at the same time. Don’t ditch your bike just because summer is over; you still have a few good riding months before hibernation.

It’s like an underworld, actually. Any hip biker will know that the city is littered with great places to ride. So don’t get bored of going around the block—find a destination and get out there. Even the ones too small to pedal can go along for the ride and have fun too in a bike trailer.

Our favorite place to ride around with kids is Ward’s Island. It’s a great get-away-from-the-city destination complete with a ferry ride for the kids. 

For some more ideas, we spoke to our local bike shop expert, Alan Chow from Sports Swap on Bayview Ave. He thinks that kids should stay in ravines and bike trails instead of on busy roads, so if you want to ride a distance, consult a map and find out where the paths connect.

His top recommendation for accessibility and safety in the city is the Beltline—a 4.5 km trail built as a commuter steam railway in 1890 and converted back to walking and bike trails in the 1970’s, connecting many parks and open spaces for safe riding. Most people know of the Beltline if they live close to it, but they might not know where it begins or ends. It actually starts at Yonge St and Merton and ends at Allen and Castlefield. (Note that there are a few points along the way where you do have to emerge into the real world and cross at traffic lights.)

For a detailed map of the city with all the trails, paths and how they connect, go to www.toronto.ca/cycling/map/map.htm. We prefer to use the hard copy version that you can pick up at your local bike shop for free. Ask the staff for some pointers on where the best paths and your closest access points are.

A great way to get into the Brickworks Conservation Area, without having to ride along Bayview Ave., is to enter at the corner where Moore Ave. meets Welland Rd. (Just near the Moore Park Cemetery.) The path will take you right into the Brickworks area. On a Saturday morning you can take a break, look around the market, have a treat and rest up for the ride back.

Feeling daring and looking for a change of scenery? Drive out to King City and tackle the mountain bike trails created just last year. They have paths set up for all skill levels so children over six can handle it if they can ride a bike. There is no name or website, but all the savvy bikers know where it is. Take Highway 400 North to King Side Road, then east to Jane Street, then north five km until you hit the entry point. You’ll see two stone pillars set back with a parking lot on the right hand side if you are driving north.

High Park is always a fun space to discover on a bike so you can cover more area in one day. The bike path is five km and we like the parking lots scattered throughout the park for convenient access.

For new bikers looking for flat surfaces to practice on, try the track at your nearest high school. They are great for serious pre-schooler racing. 

Did we mention that teaching kids how to ride a bike gets them away from the screen? And did we remember to mention that bikes do not release any carbon emissions?

So get out there and GO (but don’t forget the helmets)!

Good to Know:
See reviews of bike trails.

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