MEC Bikefest Burlington 2013

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Mountain Equipment Co-op is hosting this year's Burlington Bikefest at Christie Lake Conservation Area in Dundas (Map). It is taking place June 8th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. There are numerous helpful clinics and rides to attend ($5 each) that span bicycle repair, nutrition, riding styles, Yoga and nutrition. Be sure to sign up online, as they fill up quickly.

There are also free basic check-ups, a gear swap, used bicycle drop-offs, numerous exhibits and demos from Contour, Giant, Ghost, Marin and Trek. To top it off, there is also a 25k group ride from MEC Burlington to Bikefest that you can take part in as well.

Roof Rack Toy Count for Victoria Day Weekend 2013

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On the way to MEC Bikefest in Toronto on Saturday morning, the Trail Swag: Department of Investigations in VEhicular Roof Rack Toys (DIVERT for short) were conducting a count of what kind of toys were headed North on HWY 401 and HWY 115. Last year's August weekend count found kayaks were the clear winner, but this weekend's results shattered that record...

Canoe - 36

Kayak - 20

Road Bicycle - 6

Mountain Bike - 7

SUP - 4

Mattress - 3

At one point three cars were together in a clump all with Canoes on their roofs. I hope they all waved to each other and weren't all racing for the same campsite.

Snapshot: 2013 MEC Bikefest Toronto

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Here are a few photos from Mountain Equipment Co-op's Bikefest which was held at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto yesterday. I enjoyed the outdoorsy-feel it had versus a previous year when it was held at the Distillery.

People were casually dropping by on foot and bicycle and the weather was perfect. With clinics, a gear swap, group rides and many vendors, there was something for everyone.

Barrie Bikefest 2013

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Mountain Equipment Co-op is hosting this year's Barrie Bikefest at Memorial Square just off Dunlop Street (Map). It is taking place May 25th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend. There are numerous helpful clinics and rides to attend ($5 each) that span bicycle repair, nutrition, riding styles, Yoga and nutrition. Be sure to sign up online, as they fill up quickly.

There are also free basic check-ups, a gear swap, the MEC Marketplace, and numerous vendors to see. See the full schedule online.

2013 Hardwood Annual Mountain Bike Manufacturers Demo Day

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Tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the annual Hardwood Mountain Bike Manufacturers Demo Day. Bring your helmet and purchase a day pass to try 12 different brands of Mountain Bikes (Devinci, Ellsworth, Giant, Intense Racing, KHS, Kona, Niner, Norco, Marin Bikes California, Scott, Specialized and Trek). Bring your own bike too, the trails are open.

MEC Toronto Bikefest 2013

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Mountain Equipment Co-op is hosting this year's Toronto Bikefest at Trinity Bellwoods Park (Map). It is taking place May 18th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. There are numerous helpful clinics and rides to attend ($5 each) that span bicycle repair, nutrition, riding styles, Yoga and security. Be sure to sign up online, as they fill up quickly.

There are also free basic check-ups, a gear swap, the MEC Marketplace, free drop-in activities for kids and numerous vendors to see.

Friday Chuckle: Angry Eyes Bicycle Protection

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The Star reports this week that a team of researchers at Newcastle University have found that putting up a poster with eyes staring down at your bike reduced bike theft by 62%!

“One strong possibility is that the images of eyes work by making people feel watched,” said the lead author of the paper, Professor Daniel Nettle. “We care what other people think about us, and as a result we behave better when we feel we are being observed."
In a related BBC TV interview about the study, another expert points out that humans are like other animals: they glare at any enemy to protect themselves or their belongings. "There are birds, insects, animals out there that use exactly the same principle," David Holmes told the BBC.

Peterborough Cycling Club 2013 Open House

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The Peterborough Cycling Club held their 2013 Open House last night at Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough. Roller racing was the hit of the night, provided by the West of Quebec Wheelers. There were four fixed gear bicycles on rollers that were hooked up to a mechanical score board to show the racer's progress. As the evening progressed, the bracket of competitors were whittled down to the final four of each men and women. Do Levis commuter jeans help you win? How about galoshes? Does beating a Wild Rock owner net you a 20%-off discount? Head over to the Peterborough Cycling Club website to hopefully learn these answers and more about the club.