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Introduction to Cycle-Touring a.k.a. Bike-Touring (4/2/2011)

PRE-REGISTRATION & ADVANCE PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.After you sign up at the bottom, you will be presented with information about how to pay. Late payments are NOT accepted for this event, in any circumstance.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to read this page in its entirety before signing up. If you'd like to attend, we ask that you abide by our rules and procedures as a time/cost saving process (with an end result of keeping membership free and lower cost events).

The Basics:

Event Type:

Learn

Event Location:

The seminar will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.at a location in South Etobicoke. Closer to the date of the event, those who are registered will be provided with information as to the exact location.

Date(s) & Time:

Sat, Apr 2 2011 1:00 PM

Registration Cut Off:

Tue, Mar 22 2011 5:00:00 PM

Event Duration:

4-5 hours

Difficulty Rating:

D1: Easy

Event Coordinator(s):

Jim O
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.

Member Cost:

$11.50/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, All Ages Welcome

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

12 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

In recent years, cycle-touring, otherwise known as bike-touring, has grown in popularity around the world, including here in Canada. There are some excellent books available on this subject, and many websites as well, not to mention personal blogs in which people share stories and pictures from overnight bike trips that they have taken to various types of destinations, both local and international. If you are interested in this type of adventure, which can sometimes seem like "overnight backpacking with a bicycle", then this seminar may be for you.

Jim O, an Event Coordinator here at the TOC, with the assistance of Allan, a member of the TOC with considerable knowledge and experience in the area of bike touring, have jointly planned this seminar for members who want to learn more about cycle-touring or bike-touring. Both Jim O and Allan have done a lot of bike touring, and both would like to share their knowledge of and enthusiasm for this type of activity with others who might be interested but need some guidance on how to get started.

Taking this seminar with Allan and Jim O is your first step to making yourself ready for participation in upcoming TOC bike tours led by Jim O or other TOC volunteers.

Some possible tours that Jim O is contemplating for this year include two-day weekend getaways (Toronto to Brantford and back; Toronto to Alliston and back) and longer, multiple-day tours (for instance, a loop tour of the Niagara Parkway and the Welland Canal; an extended, week-long tour of Le P’tit Train do Nord, in the Laurentians; a five-day tour of Manitoulin Island; a multiple-day tour of the Central Ontario Loop Trail). There are so many wonderful possibilities for amazing trips!

Physical training for this type of activity is a must and pre-requisite even for the easiest of trips. Tours can range in difficulty from fairly easy two-day journeys on relatively flat terrain, to extremely challenging multiple-day tours on hilly terrain. The degree of difficulty depends upon the distances travelled, the duration of the trip, and whether the tour is a fully-loaded, self-supported trip involving overnight camping. Physical preparation and training are necessary for these types of trips, given that one is often carrying between 40-60 pounds of gear on one's bicycle for the journey.

On the positive side, one can burn an awful lot of calories when going on bike tours, even shorter ones, and campsite cooking always tastes delicious after an arduous day of riding.

This 4 to 5 hour seminar will be a hands-on seminar spotlighting the information you need to know, the equipment you must have and the skills to be developed to make your bike touring full of pleasant memories and experiences.

When you sign up, please use the "Notes" section to give Jim O specific information as to your level of cycle-touring experience and the kind of equipment that you have at your disposal (e.g. type of bike, whether it has racks, whether you own panniers, etc.) While the seminar will generally be aimed at the novice cycle-tourist, parts of the seminar are expected to be of use even to those riders with some cycle-touring experience.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
pen and paper for taking notes; snack and drink; questions

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

To be provided at a later date.

Notes:

- Registration is NOT COMPLETE until you've signed up and paid by the registration cut off date. The money must be in the TOC's possession by that date. No exceptions.
- When a minimum group size appears, this is to let you know that the event will be cancelled with full refunds to those who have already paid, if the minimum number of registered participants is not met. For any events where TOC needs a minimum number of participants, there will be absolutely no refund of money if you cancel.
- We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in TOC events.
- Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.
- Questions about equipment or rentals? Send them to safety@torontooutdoorclub.com.
- Notice any errors or problems in the information on this page? Please notify our Content Editor(s), Stacy, at content@torontooutdoorclub.com.

Cost & Payment:

Member Cost:

$11.50/Person

Cost Includes:

The cost includes the expenses incurred for any equipment rentals and the preparation of any handouts that will be distributed to event participants, as well as the TOC transaction fee of $1.50. Should all of the funds not be used, the unused portion will be refunded by the event coordinator or the TOC Treasurer to event participants.

Payment Cut Off:

Payment must be received by the TOC on Tue, Mar 22 2011.

Make a Payment:

Click here for the details. PLEASE PAY AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED UP BELOW.

Voluntary Donation: ( What is this?)
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $1.00/Person.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!
*Note: Because the number of participants in the event must be limited due to space limitations, please sign up only if you are committed to attending.