Saskatoon Cycles April 2023 Newsletter
Bike Valet: Get your volunteer hat on!
Anticipation of this year’s Bike Valet continues to build!
We’re hoping to park over 4,000 bicycles for 2023 which means we’re continuing to work with event organizers and inviting everyone to sign up for some shifts this season. Hopefully you’ll help us deliver the best bicycle attendant service anywhere!
Our upcoming venues are below. Each link will take you directly to the volunteer sign up page for that event. Grab your shifts early and often and help our Coordinator out ahead of time!
- May 28th, 2023 – Saskatchewan Marathon
- June 1 – 4, 2023 – Nutrien Children’s Festival
- June 17, 2023 – Saskatoon Pride Parade
- June 30 – July 9, 2023 – SaskTel Jazz Festival 2023
Please note that for the Nutrien Children’s Festival, it will be mandatory for potential Bike Valet volunteers to get a valid criminal record check including a vulnerable sector check in order to operate onsite. The fees for these checks are waived* when accompanied by a volunteer letter (see below).
If you live in Saskatoon, download the Children’s Festival letter for Saskatoon City Police
If you live outside Saskatoon, download the Children’s Festival letter for the RCMP
*There may be fees for online processing if applications are not made in person.
If you already have a valid vulnerable sector check letter (processed within the last two (2) years), you will not need to apply for one this year. Please bring your letter with you for Festival staff verification.
If you have any questions about this year’s Bike Valet, please contact us at bikevalet@saskatooncycles.org
We’re looking forward to seeing you out for another great year of fun, professional bike valet service!
Spring BYXE Week: May 15 – 22, 2023
Spring BYXE Week 2023 is starting to take form. We can’t share all of the details just yet, but we can tell you it’s going to be FUN. Save the dates, book some time off, bookmark your pages, and set the PVR. You’ll want to get the whole family out for some cycling activity!
Activities to plan for:
- All week – Our venerable scavenger hunt. Always an opportunity to find new places and things on your YXE rides.
- All week – The brand new “Great Saskatoon Bike Passport Adventure”. You’ll be tasked with tracking down stickers from different locations throughout the city to fill out a card that might be your ticket to win!
- Thursday, May 18 – Bike to Work Day. Businesses will be set up in the morning (and some in the afternoon) to provide you with commuter stations on your way to and from work (or just while you’re out and about).
- Saturday, May 20 – A “tune-up tent”, where we’ll be providing free chain-oiling and tire inflating, maybe even a seat adjustment. Nothing fancy; just a smoothing out of your ride before the season really kicks off.
- All week – The return of our QR Tour. Find neat cycling spots around the city and learn about the area while solving a puzzle that can be entered for prizes.
This season, we’ll have hundreds of dollars worth of prizes and swag up for grabs. The more you participate the more fun you’ll have and the better your chances to win!
We’ll have many more details available in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to our social media posts and watch the website and your email for updates.
Bike Valet Supervisor Position – Help wanted!
Saskatoon Cycles is seeking an energetic and personable part-time contractor to operate the Bike Valet between May and October at many City festivals.
Duties include:
– set up and take down of equipment,
– coordination with towing company for equipment storage and transport,
– maintenance of equipment,
– volunteer guidance and supervision,
– collection of data and communication with lead coordinator,
– a written report at the end of the season.
Shifts will include some weekends and occasional long days.
Estimated earnings between $3,500 – $4,500
For more information contact Erin at: bikevalet@saskatooncycles.org or 306.241.1937
Resumes requested before April 30, 2023.
Slow Rolls
Our Hop Along Slow Roll on Saturday, April 15 was a huge success! A huge thank you to everyone who participated!
We had:
- lovely spring weather (with only a skiff of rain)
- over 60 participants, aged from 3 to 83
- chatty and enthusiastic company for Gord on our lead bike
- one young cyclist who had gotten her first pedals put on two hours earlier!
- tasty chocolate eggs (and a wonderful spirit of sharing!)
- hot dogs
- great conversation
- a lot of fun
We hope to see everyone back out again at our next slow roll: the Spring BYXE Week Kick Off, Saturday, May 13th.
Start Rolling
Bicycles are freedom. They’re community builders. They’re equalizers. They’re powered by people, and they empower in return.
We’re passionate about bikes, and we’re excited to announce that on May 6th we’ll be sharing that passion with others through a partnership with the Saskatoon Open Door Society and Bridge City Bicycle Co-op and with the generous support of Participaction, SaskTel, and Sport Canada.
The project is Start Rolling, and for the inaugural run we’re matching newcomers and new Canadians from Open Door to a bike of their own from BCBC. We’ll be offering basic cycling instruction, navigation, and safety tips to all participants to help them gain the confidence and freedom that comes from active transportation.
This all leads up to the Participaction Community Challenge: a national physical activity and sport initiative that encourages everyone in Canada to get active throughout June in search of Canada’s Most Active Community. The Start Rolling participants will be ready!!!
This is only the beginning. We’re going to pursue funding through grants and donations to ensure that after this initial fully-filled classroom is kitted out, many others will get to Start Rolling in Saskatoon, barrier free and with ongoing community support.
Watch for more updates on our social media, website, and newsletters.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our sponsors and partners, without whom this project would not exist. Our thanks!
*This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.
Bridge City Bicycle Co-operative “Cycling Shorts” Annual Fundraiser
Our friends at Bridge City Bicycle Co-op will be celebrating their 11th anniversary on Friday, May 12th at 6PM with “Cycling Shorts”; a presentation of short videos, a silent auction, and friendly folks.
If it’s half as much fun as their Bowling for Bikes fundraiser, you’ll be in for a treat. Please consider supporting them and the wonderful work they do in the community.
Atlas Outdoors – Newest Friends of Cycling!
We’d like to welcome a new Friends of Cycling to our family of cycling supportive businesses.
Atlas Outdoors is based in Warman, SK but their enthusiasm for all kinds of outdoor activity is universal. When asked to describe the shop, co-owner Scott MacDonald said:
Adventure is what we do at Atlas Outdoors! We offer a wide selection of camping, hiking, and fishing gear, as well as bikes and bike accessories (we even repair bikes!). Plus, we sell pellet grills and more. But beyond selling products, we’re all about getting you outside and active in this beautiful province. Join us on our next hiking, camping, biking, or bike-packing adventure! We make it easy with rentals, expert advice, and our passion for adventure.
Scott
If you’re in Warman, pop in, say “hi”, and show Atlas Outdoors some Saskatoon Cycles love!
Donations
Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.
We want your kids and their grandma to simply hop on their bikes to go grab an ice cream and enjoy the beauty of Saskatoon. For you or your partner to pick up groceries or a library book. And we really want you to be able to commute to work and back safely and conveniently.
Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:
- Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable and well maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations
- Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
- Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.
