Saskatoon Cycles September 2025 Newsletter
Ride to Wanuskewin – Sept. 30
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. We’re going on a cycling adventure to take part in Wanuskewin Heritage Park’s day of events, including a bannock bake, hide making, story sharing, beading, music, and more. Join us for this important national statutory holiday !
The details:
- ride leaves Gather Local Market at 8:30AM
- distance is approx 17km, one way (34km round trip)
- route will be exclusively on Meewasin/Trans Canada Trail mixed-use paths
- events begin at Wanuskewin at 10AM
- admission to the park is by donation
- ride pace to be determined by group (no guarantee of arrival on time for opening remarks)
- there is no fixed return group ride (you’re free to leave at your discretion)
- bike rack space is limited on site; bring appropriate bike security gear (extended cable, etc.)
- it’s a great day to wear an orange shirt if you have one!
We want this ride to be engaging and enjoyable for participants, but we also recognize the cultural and historical significance of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada and the emotional weight that it carries for many.
Whether you can join this ride, we encourage our membership to learn about Truth and Reconciliation and what it means to our country, the land, and its people.
Ride for Refuge 2025 – Oct. 4
The Ride for Refuge is a family-friendly fundraising ride/walk where people gather for local charities that support people who are seeking hope, safety, and freedom all across Canada.
At the time of writing, the local Saskatoon ride is at 92% of its fundraising goal for 2025, with proceeds going to Global Gathering Place. Saskatoon Cycles is once again part of the effort to meet and EXCEED that goal and we’d LOVE to have you get involved!
We’ve entered a team in the cycling event and you can join us for a 10k or 20k ride on October 4, AND/OR you can donate to the team and its riders. CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT OUR TEAM PAGE
The Ride for Refuge 2025 is also our last Bike Valet venue of the year, so we’re hoping to have an AMAZING turnout for the ride.
Bike Valet 2025 Update
The Bike Valet season is rapidly coming to a close. With only one venue left to service, we’re starting to look back with fondness at what we’ve accomplished, while also looking forward to a much deserved rest.
What a year it’s been! We opened a Bike Valet operation 38 times, using over 500 volunteer hours, and parking over 3000 bikes! For the first time in the Valet’s history, we had multiple days with two separate venues running at the same time. Truly, a feat of organizing and execution that we had not anticipated at the beginning of the year!
It cannot be stated enough times: our volunteers are the lifeblood of the Bike Valet, and we thank them to the ends of the earth. They give up their time, often on weekends and evenings, so that others can ride their bikes and enjoy the musical and artistic festivities that our city has to offer. (Our Bike Valet shifts are FUN, make no mistake, but it takes a special kind of person to regularly choose bike parking over big performances!)
So, thanks, volunteers!
Want to try out a shift before the 2025 valet season is officially over? Click the link below.
- 2025.10.04 :: Ride For Refuge
New Infrastructure Alert!
At the intersection of Cumberland Avenue South and 14th Street East, the City of Saskatoon has recently installed new infrastructure designed to facilitate the transition from cycling on-street to shared-use path, or vice versa.
The ramped curb extensions on 14th Street (eastbound direction seen inside the cones on the above photo) are intended to reduce traffic speed on turns, reduce the time it takes people to cross on foot, and provide a “refuge” space for cyclists who wish to make the deliberate change from roadway to pathway.
A cyclist heading east on the 14th Street Bikeway and wanting to move into the shared-use path beyond Cumberland *could* utilize the ramped curb extension and stop, wait for the light to change, and then walk their bike to the north side of the street. They would then do the same to cross Cumberland before entering the shared-use path and re-mounting their bike.
A cyclist heading west *could* walk across Cumberland in the crosswalk, mount their bicycle on the “refuge” ramped extension, and then merge onto road traffic into the 14th Street Bikeway when they feel safe to do so.
The option to remain on the roadway of 14th Street is also always a legal option for cyclists.
What do you think of this infrastructure design? Does it offer an additional sense of security in a busy intersection? Is it too confusing or cumbersome to be helpful? We’re interested in getting feedback from riders who frequent that area. Let us know at hello@saskatooncycles.org
Donate
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 families to be able 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.