BikeFest Toronto returns to MEC on May 30

The MEC store in Toronto is welcoming summer in truly bike-obsessed style, and welcoming the local cycling community to share in the fun.

On May 30, BikeFest Toronto comes to the 400 King Street location, with a host of all things bike-related in store for participants. Rides, clinics, tune-ups, and more are scheduled for the day, with MEC issuing a special invitation for families to come and celebrate cycling. Starting at 11 a.m. and running until 5 p.m., this community event aims to support Toronto’s cycling community by running educational clinics and demonstrating the various bike equipment available—and that’s just for starters.

For those of us who don’t spend the winter on our bikes, it’s an official kick-off for the cycling season, marking the occasion with group rides, activities for children, demonstrations from bike retailers and advocacy groups, onsite tuneups, and more.

The rides aren’t just a quick jaunt around the block, either. With both the rides and the clinics averaging one and a half to two hours in length, it promises to be another thorough, comprehensive celebration of cycling in a city that loves its bikes — like a cycling New Year’s event, welcoming the city back to the saddle after its long, hibernating winter slumber. Road rides include a 7:30 a.m. trip, a ladies-only ride at 11 a.m., with other, more recreational rides to follow—including an 8 a.m. breakfast ride to Evergreen Brickworks, a 12 p.m. Lakeshore ride, and tours of the west and east ends of the city leaving at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

As well, Yvonne Bambrick, a local cycling advocate, author, and photographer, will host a talk titled “Surviving Urban Cycling” at 3 p.m., followed by a Q&A and a signing of her new book, The Urban Cycling Survival Guide.

Registration fees are $5 per person for clinics and $10 for rides, plus applicable taxes. Pre-registration is available by visiting events.mec.ca.