Saskatoon Cycles February 2020 Newsletter

Giving great bikes a second wind

Our second annual Used Bike Sale and Expo will take Saturday, May 9th from 9 AM to 3 PM at Brunskill School (101 Wiggins Ave). It will feature donated bikes and used bikes for sale on commission, as well as used bike accessories (racks, bells, lights, etc). All donated and consignment bikes will be checked by a mechanic before being accepted into the sale. Bike drop-off and sale setup runs from 6:30 to 9:30 PM on Friday, May 8th.

What can you do to help?

• Spread the word: If you know of family or friends with bikes in reasonable shape that are just taking up space in their garage or basement, please encourage them to donate those bikes to our sale.
• Volunteer: Help us set up for the sale. There will be lots of jobs that can use another set of hands.
• Check it out: This year’s event will also include a Bike Expo featuring local businesses, organizations, and events. If you know of a business or group that would be a good fit, please let them know about this opportunity.

All donated bikes that are not sold will go to the Bridge City Bike Co-op, to support their important work in providing space, tools, parts, and volunteers to help anyone learn how to fix their own bike or build/restore a bicycle using donated frames and parts.

To have a bike picked up, volunteer, or get more information, contact info@saskatooncycles.org

LiveableYXE: Building a better Saskatoon

One of our strategic priorities this year, in the lead-up to the November 9th municipal election, is to support the work of LiveableYXE. It is a non-partisan, community-driven initiative to bring awareness to the importance of urban quality through local democracy. The project defines a liveable city as one that contributes significantly to a positive quality of life for its citizens. The more liveable a city is, the more choices and freedoms are available to a more diverse range of people. A liveable city is active, attractive, vibrant, accessible, walkable, green, healthy, diverse, and above all, people-friendly.

From the LiveableYXE website: “With this initiative, we hope to engage candidates in the upcoming civic election in a conversation about what makes a liveable Saskatoon, and what their positions are on a number of key contributing elements. Ultimately, this initiative will be used to push forward a conversation about ‘liveability’ issues in our city, and help Saskatonians identify candidates in their ward, and for mayor, that want to act on and promote liveability in Saskatoon.” A “report card” will reflect candidates’ positions on the following issues or themes: active transportation; arts and culture; climate change; economy and finance; environment; equity; food; health; housing; public transportation; and, urban planning.

Check out their website and follow them on social. And stay tuned for updates from Saskatoon Cycles on how we’re getting involved.

12 strategies for centering and prioritizing equity in transportation (ITE Journal)

As I reflect on the past decade and prepare myself for the months and years ahead, I feel a real sense of professional and personal responsibility to share with my peers and colleagues in transportation effective strategies I have learned as a street-level researcher/urban planner in centering and prioritizing equity in transportation. These strategies are consistent with my belief that effectively centering equity requires an unwavering and unselfish commitment to the fact that equity cannot be achieved without 1) trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full healthy lives; 2) ensuring the presence of justice and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems; 3) understanding the underlying or root causes of inequalities and oppression within our society; and 4) deepening our collective knowledge about the connection between social identities, access, mobility, power, and privilege. Click here to read the full article.

Ticketed for riding on the sidewalk?

If you have received a ticket for riding your bike on a city sidewalk, we’d like to hear about it. Contact our board chair, Cathy Watts, by telephone (306-664-3908) or email (ctwatts@sasktel.net) to share the details — including where it happened and when. If you have friends or family who have been ticketed, please encourage them to contact us.

Speaking of Saskatoon’s cycling bylaw

It is expected that Saskatoon’s updated bylaw — which includes new rules allowing children under 14 to ride on sidewalks, and cyclists to ride in traffic even when a bicycle lane is available — will come to City Council for debate and a vote February 24th.

And baby makes three…

In February 2017 Sara Crawford and her husband Shannon Hards were expecting their first child. They purchased a second vehicle, an SUV, in preparation for their family growing. Less than a year later, the couple decided to ditch their other vehicle — an older Honda Civic — and replace it with a cargo bike. We posted their great story to our blog. Here’s the link in cased you missed it.

Save the date: Membership meeting on May 21st

We will be holding the first of our member meetings this year Thursday, May 21st at Amigos. Mark the date in your calendar now and plan to join us that night to socialize and to share your ideas on work Saskatoon Cycles should be tackling. The meeting starts at 7 PM in the back room of Amigos.

A fat bike sampler

Kudos to our board member Erin Edwards who helped introduce winter riding to Saskatoon residents as part of the recent Winterruption festival. Erin led test rides on a fat tire bike donated for the afternoon by the Bike Doctor. Seventy people climbed aboard for a two-wheeled taste of winter fun.

Donating to Saskatoon Cycles

Thanks so much to Stephen Paterson and Stephanie Graves for their generous donation to help support the work of Saskatoon Cycles. We are always delighted to receive this kind of support.

Saskatoon Cycles accomplishes a lot on a shoestring budget. Your donations help maximize our influence and efforts. If you’re interested in providing financial support, you can donate online, through our website. Because we are not a charity, we cannot issue income tax receipts.

New: Friends of Cycling fundraising program

Did you know that…

• Studies on consumer spending by mode of transportation have all reached the same conclusion: People on bikes spend more money. In some cases, people on bikes spent the same per trip as people in cars, but in all cases people on bikes spent more overall in long-term spending because they make more trips.*

• People on bikes shop more often: A study in Muenster, Germany found that people on bikes shop more regularly than people on cars – 11 times per month compared to 7 times for motorists, thereby increasing their exposure to temptation on every trip.*

• People on bikes make more unplanned stops: While pedestrians are the most likely to make spontaneous stops, people on bikes also ride slowly enough to notice businesses, and bike parking is easier than finding a spot for your car.*

• People who ride have more disposable income, because they spend less on car insurance, maintenance, parking, and fuel.*

One of our members, Lucas Conly, is spearheading a new fundraising program that will recognize bike-friendly businesses, and encourage Saskatoon riders to shop at these stores. Watch our website for more details about this new initiative. (* “Why Businesses Want Bike Riding Customers” MomentumMag.com, July 2015)

Introduction to electric bikes

This summer, we will be trialing a new program to introduce riders to e-bikes. Learning sessions will take place in June or July, on the Meewasin Trail. Electric bikes will be provided for all participants. Watch our website, social media feeds, and this newsletter for updates.

Got design chops?

We can always use help promoting our programs and activities. If you have a knack for graphic design and would like to help out, call 306- 664-3908 for more details.

Lands of Lost Borders: Reading by author Kate Harris

Plan to attend this author reading by Kate Harris Wednesday, March 5 at the University of Saskatchewan. Kate will reading from her book, Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road, which tells the story of her travels by bike across Asia. There is no charge to attend, but you need to register here.