Our latest Bike Spotting: How does wool work its way into your fall and winter cycling wardrobe? What are you wearing today?

By Colleen Kirley
Photos by Tammy Thorne, Colleen Kirley and Miranda Newman

Since working with dandyhorse, cycling has become my sole source of transportation ~ almost.

You see, my roommate and good friend, Lindsay, isn’t a cyclist – which means whenever we go anywhere, we’re walking.

So I’ve declared it’s time to find Lindsay a bike. Over the past week, I tested out three different bikes from three bike shops across the city keeping in mind that Lindsay is a first-time city commuter, a “starving” student on a budget, doesn’t want anything heavy and isn’t necessarily interested in speed (yet).

First up: The Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Skyway.

MEC Skyway. Photo by Colleen Kirley

The new MEC Skyway is a road bike with no chain — instead, it has a thick plastic belt (like the ones used in some motorcycles). This makes maintenance really easy — no lubricating the chain and it’s a lot harder to snap.

Grease-free belt drive and toe clips come stock on the MEC Skyway. Photos by Colleen Kirley.

The Skyway is a single speed, which seems odd for a road bike. Especially, since this one was set at a pretty low gear, so climbing hills was easy enough, but it wasn’t very fast. Of course, after you buy the bike, you can change the cog to suit your preference, whether you want slow and easy or fast and a little more challenging.

This bike was a really nice ride. Initially, the seat was much too low for me, and was really uncomfortable. Thankfully, I was able to barter the assistance of a helpful courier lent with a multi-tool at the corner of Queen and University in exchange for the newest issue of dandyhorse, which features one of his two-wheeled compatriots courier Kevin Barnhorst. (He said he knew Kevin when I asked. Later, I when I returned the bike to MEC, bought my own multi-tool.)

Colleen hits the streets on the MEC Skyway. Photo by Miranda Newman.

Once the seat was at the right height, the ride was extremely comfortable.

COST: $925 at Mountain Equipment Co-op

PROS: Looks really nice. Got a lot of stares on this bike. The belt drive is a cool feature and may reduce the need for tune-ups. The brakes are nice and the saddle was comfortable.

CONS: The single speed is limiting. Need to get used to using the metal pedal straps.

IS IT RIGHT FOR LINDSAY? If Lindsay would ride a road bike, this would be the one for her. It’s low maintenance and light and not as intimidating as some of the skinny-framed “urban commuter” bikes can be. But, I don’t feel she’s ready for a road bike.

So, let’s look at an “upright” ride…

Next up: The TREK Atwood

Getting “upright” on the TREK Atwood. Photo by Colleen Kirley.

From a road bike to a cruiser — The Atwood, by TREK, was a really smooth ride. Coming from the perspective of a new cyclist like Lindsay, the wider tires seem a lot safer — especially when you’ve been regaled with tales of wet streetcar track wipe-outs and are already timid to ride in traffic.

Like a certain Canadian author who shares the name of this beautiful bike, the Atwood was graceful and sturdy. I felt a lot more ladylike riding this cruiser in a skirt than I do on my current Miele road bike. Sitting upright, I felt prim and proper coasting down Bloor street, past Christie Pits to my destination — the fine establishment that is the Palmerston Library!

The gear shifting was ridiculously easy, and I found myself shifting them for every little increase in altitude. The handlebars were comfortable, but extremely wide. I almost tore off a side mirror. Thankfully, the driver was unfazed.

Quick and efficient Shimano shifters and sturdy steel frame. Photos by Colleen Kirley.

COST: $570.00 at Sweet Pete’s

PROS: A beautiful bike, you can feel civilized while riding through the chaos of Toronto. The gears are so easy to shift and, for a heavier bike, it’s not difficult to use the hardest gear.

CONS: You take up a lot of the road. I could have had a small lawsuit on my hands (with the side mirror) — know your size.

RIGHT FOR LINDSAY? Getting closer. I can definitely see her riding this bike. It may be a little on the heavier side for her.

If I could just find something that was sort of in between the road bike and the big cruiser….

Final bike: The Linus Roadster Classic

Colleen takes the Linus Classic Roadster “off-road.” Photo by Tammy Thorne.

I see Linus bikes everywhere now. I always thought they were nice looking bikes, but I never really understood what all the fuss was about.

Then I rode one.

The ride is smooth and easy. It’s set at a pretty low speed, but you can still ride fast if your legs have it in them. Plus, the bike is really handsome. Without brakes on the handlebars, the frame is simple and clean.

Win this bike at the Food Issue launch party! Photo by Tammy Thorne.

It was odd getting used to the coaster brakes. I had a really embarrassing moment gliding south down Crawford Street, where I was coasting over a speed bump, attempted to back pedal (which engaged the brakes) and I jolted forward. Not so graceful.

At every red light, I would stop by back pedalling my left leg, leaving my right pedal in no place to begin biking. You need to be aware and thinking so you can set your feet up for the “push-off” at every stop. Or else you end up tip toeing your bike forward until the pedal is at a good spot to push off of.

COST: around $500 at Curbside Cycle

PROS: A smooth ride — a clean look.

CONS: A little slow for me. The coaster brakes take some getting used to.

GOOD FOR LINDSAY? Yes! Since she doesn’t have experience on any bike, I think she’d be able to get used to the brakes quickly. The gear is just the right speed for her. Climbing hills was really easy, and as long as you’re okay with a slower pace, the Roadster Classic was a nice ride for just cruising around the city.

All in all, these bikes were great. Each one offered something to a new cyclist. The MEC Skyway was a good introduction to a road bike for anyone who is considering the switch from a cruiser. The TREK Atwood is one of the lightest (therefore fastest) cruisers I’ve ever ridden, and the Linus Roadster is a great all-around city bike for a new commuter.

*****

Don’t forget — You can win the Linus Roadster Classic (or his lady-friendly sister, the Dutchi) at our dandyhorse Food Issue launch party at Parts & Labour, Monday, October 3, 2011!

by Colleen Kirley
designs by Dieter Janssen

Dieter Janssen, architect and former professor at the University of Toronto, wanted a custom bike and went to La Carrera Cycles. One day, while he was in the shop, he overheard owner Nadir Olivet talking about having the Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC) in Guatemala. Janssen had recently taken interest in racing tracks – he visited the 333-metre outdoor velodrome in Cuba and has ridden the Forest City velodrome in London, Ontario – and when Nadir mentioned the figure 8 track, he was immediately interested in being involved.

Janssen was up for the challenge. He enlisted some students and created a work-study program out of the track. “It’s a complex geometry,” Janssen said. “Because of the physics of that geometry – we really needed to get right in terms of making this track function properly.” On Janssen’s website, you can view just how complex this work was – pages and pages of diagrams and equations map out what will ultimately become the track. “We worked with a mathematician who recommended some people who were also interested in the project. Very quickly, we had a team together.”

Janssen’s team began sketching some ideas out and talked to Nadir about what he had in mind. They ended up finding out that they would be able to build the track in a soccer field in Panajachel, Guatemala.

Nadir was impressed by how they were able to manage designing a track in Toronto that would be built over 3,000 km away. He said, “They used topographic maps of the area to lay out the track. Without even having to go to Guatemala, they were able to make the track fit the area perfectly.”

After the schematics were figured out, it was time to build. Based on the Human Powered Roller Coaster (HPR) – designed by Toronto architect John Consolati and used for allycat races in the 90s – the track would have steep banked turns and a bridge that crossed over the middle.

La Ocho differed from the HPR in building technology. The HPR was made of solid plywood: La Ocho would be made out of dirt and plywood. Rammed dirt – densely compacted earth – became the foundation for the track. “It’s an interesting technology that’s common as a building practice in that part of the world.” Janssen said that the interesting thing for the team was that they were working so precisely with mathematics and high-tech models, yet using “a really low-tech process to realize it.” Nadir was extremely adamant on the track being ecologically sound, sourced from the earth and good for the community. Even the wood from the bridge was sourced out to members of the community after CMWC.

Once everything was calculated and the models were perfectly scaled, it seemed as if La Ocho would finally be a reality. The track was fast and challenging. If messengers had the chance to ride it for CMWC, they would have competed in heats of four for two days of preliminary racing, accumulating victories until the final day of elimination rounds. Unfortunately, no one got to race on La Ocho.

As the messengers were making their way from all corners of the world to Guatemala, so was a major tropical storm. Hurricane Agatha brought heavy rain and flooding to the city in Panajachel, wiping away homes, roads and bridges in the community. The rain washed away the polo court and swept La Ocho into the river.

“It was disappointing because we had almost realized it, but it’s never been ridden,” Janssen said. But he wants to see it in use – and is eager to work with someone to put the plans in motion. He said that the track can be made anywhere and that everyone is ready to start the project up again. “I think the team that we have was also excited to see this thing come together…a lot of us would love still see it happen.”

….

If you like unusual racing tracks you can check out the Red Bull Mini Drome at Evergreen Brick Works on October 8, 2011.

Story by Colleen Kirley
Photos by Christopher Kaiser

It’s eight p.m. at Scadding Court and the autumn sun has already set behind the trees of Alexandra Park. It’s dark, except for the large spotlights beaming down on the ball hockey court. Six men sit on single-speed bicycles – three on each side of the court. With white knuckles (covered by gloves if they’re smart) they grip their handlebars.

A twenty-something girl on the sidelines cups her hands around her mouth and yells, “THREE, TWO, ONE…POLO!” and players from each side pump their legs hard, racing into the centre of the court, charging at the ball like knights at a joust.

A young guy with a blue bike and no helmet hooks his homemade mallet around the ball and smacks it across the court. Two opposing players follow the ball as it hits the boards, pedalling hard on its tail. Scraping down the wall, the only player on the court wearing elbow pads manages to free the ball, but not before a member of the other team crashes into his front tire, bringing both men to the ground.

Mallet building

One player topples over onto his side, his bike crashing on top of him. He lies on the ground clutching his shoulder tight to his chest. The other player has jolted forward, over his handlebars, face-planting on the concrete. A teammate drives around the pile of bikes and limbs, scoops the ball from underneath, and the game continues. Crashes like these are a regular scene in the sport of bike polo.

Bike polo is a rough, gritty reinvention of the traditional game of polo most commonly played on horseback by the British upper-class. In a time where everything is pushed to extremes, bike polo is no different. This obscure sport mostly goes unheard of in Toronto, but in the past few years – this past summer especially – it’s finally starting to gain the attention it deserves.

Hugo of Paris at Northside Regional Qualifier July 2011 in Dufferin Grove Park

The game is played three on three and the first team to score five points wins. You can only score by hitting the ball with the narrow end of the mallet – using the wide end to score (known as “shuffling” the ball) forfeits the point. No player is allowed to touch the ground with any part of their body, so if a player falls off their bike – which is a usual occurrence – the player needs to “tap out” of the game by announcing that they have fallen. They need to ride to the centre of the court and tap their mallet on the centre line to “tap back in” and continue playing.

In bike polo some contact is allowed, but only mallet to mallet, bike to bike, or player to player. Accidental contact is part of the game and players all have their fair share of collision stories. “I’ve been hit in the face with a mallet,” Christopher Kaiser, a 24-year-old Toronto-based player and photographer says. “It can get pretty physical.” Players wear minimal protection and even if the hits aren’t intentional bikes can get tangled up easily and knock players off balance and to the ground. Kaiser said that he’s been crashing a lot in the past few weeks, “I’m just banged up in general.”

Jonathan of Ann Arbor’s injury at Northside Regional Qualifier July 2011

The history of bike polo can be traced back to the 1890s and was played as a demonstration, non-medal game in the 1908 Olympics held in London, UK. The recent resurgence of the sport is credited to young cyclists who became intrigued with the old sport in the late 1990s with teams forming worldwide. Bike polo didn’t reach Toronto until around 2005 when Navid Taslimi, a then 33-year-old bike messenger, stumbled upon an impromptu game being played on the streets of New York City.

Navid Taslimi at Scadding Court

In New York for the 13th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships, Taslimi watched a man make a polo mallet out of an empty Sapporo can and broom handle that he found in a nearby garbage can. A group quickly formed and began playing. Taslimi didn’t really understand what he was watching, but in getting a closer look, he realized that he was sitting in on his first game of bike polo.

When he returned to Toronto, he brought his friends together making their first set of mallets out of ski poles and short pieces of ABS plumbing piping. Bike Polo Toronto was born, and the players started learning the rules as they went along. “At first we only had three or four people – not even enough to have a proper three on three game,” Taslimi says.

Today, new players must learn the game quickly to be able to keep up with the veterans. Members of Bike Polo Toronto introduced welcome nights as an opportunity for new players learn the rules of the game and experience game play without feeling intimidated by the skill and intensity that the experienced players possess.

Rob watches Fall Ballin’ 2010 at Scadding Court

Christopher Kaiser started playing after seeing a bike polo championship in Toronto in 2008. He heard about the game while he was working as a mechanic at La Carrera Cycles on Harbord Street. “It seemed like a lot of fun. I saw the people who were crazy into the game,” Kaiser says. “I got hooked, and after that – I started playing.”

Playing three to five nights a week the league plays for a growing number of fans who sit in and watch the games. “Some of the regulars don’t even know any of the players,” Taslimi says, sounding surprised.

While the sport of bike polo is on the rise in Toronto it still has a few obstacles to overcome, such as finding a dedicated playing court. At Scadding Court the ball hockey and bike polo teams work with each other to set playing schedules. The league has also recently started playing at Dufferin Grove Park, and has worked with the staff to secure dedicated playing time on Thursdays and Sundays. In other cities, such as Ottawa, dedicated polo courts are starting to appear meaning that players don’t have to deal with the scheduling problems the Toronto league has when sharing the public ball hockey rink.

In addition to finding space and time for games Toronto players are face another challenge. Scadding Court is made of slick concrete, so whenever it rains, they have to call off games because the court won’t dry fast enough. “Unless someone wants to go out and squeegee,” Kaiser says, “we usually can’t play.” Plus, the courts get turned into an ice rink once the temperature drops past zero, ending the season.

Kevin (left) defends and Ngaihon (right) squeegees at Scadding Court

For winter games, Taslimi is considering moving polo to indoor gymnasiums, either at a local school or YMCA. The players will have to temporarily switch their bike tires to grey wheelchair tires so they won’t scuff the gym floor, and they’ll have to rent out the space, but Taslimi seems confident in the size of the league and the amount of money they can raise from players.

Along with their Facebook page and Twitter account, Bike Polo Toronto recently created a web site to keep players up to date with events and news about the club. The symbol for the group, naturally, is the letters ‘T’ and ‘O’ made from an upside-down mallet and red rubber ball.

Adam of New York City (left) and Eric of Chicago (right) at Northside Regional Qualifier 2011

The Toronto league has now hosted two largely successful tournaments, with players coming from all over north America and as far as Paris, Geneva, and Sydney. Most recently Toronto held the Northside Regional NAHBPC Qualifier, which was a qualifying tournament for the North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship, which was held in Calgary. “The whole club is really coming together,” Taslimi said. “I’m there five nights a week – polo has totally changed my life.”

Emily of Toronto at Northside Regional Qualifier 2011

On this night, while the weather is still playable, they get the most out of the court. A boy on a dark blue bike with a thin frame extends his entire body off of his bike, reaching his mallet out as far as he can stretch. He lightly taps the ball into the net and the force knocks him off his bike with a “thud” so loud that you know he’ll be feeling it still the next morning. “At least I got the point,” he yells victoriously from the ground.

Maija Eliashevsky at Bikeapalooza 2010 in Waterloo, ON

By Chris Simonen

Dandyhorse couldn’t have remained out of my hands for long. A really attractive, bike-centred magazine based in Toronto, frequenting all the same spots I do – it’s a match made in heaven.

Everything’s so exciting these days – it’s the moment in our lives to do what feels right. If for you that means making sandwiches, handing out flyers, or shouting through a megaphone at the corner of Bloor & Bathurst, well – you better do it. For me, two summers ago, it meant drawing every component of my bike as I built it up from a graciously donated frame. It was about this time that dandyhorse and I started co-mingling. First I saw it from a distance, but soon I was drawn in. Before I knew it, we were riding right next to each other like it was the most natural thing in the world, and soon, I was featured on its cover.

Now it’s been a smashing success. Nothing comes without work, but the more you put in, the more that comes back to you. I still feel driven by the colourspokes image I made for the cover – maybe now more than ever. The great thing about the colourspokes is that it keeps changing as it spins and each moment has the possibility of becoming a beautiful image – a snapshot in time. I hope that in the not-too-distant future, I’ll have some long-lasting prints of some of the more memorable instances of the changing spinning wheel. I know people like physical things to keep and hold and remember and to imbue with lots of feelings. But for now I only have two versions available for sale as giclée prints on watercolour paper. These are the most similar to the one on the cover of dandyhorse, but supplies are limited. Contact me quick if you want one of these first-printing gems! If you’re too late, don’t despair – God allows U-turns! And just by pedalling with the right intentions in your heart, you can create your own magical wheel.

Cycling in the winter can be painful – especially if you forgot to wear your mittens. And on the really cold days, even gloves won’t protect your fingers from the cold. Cheryl Douglass felt this pain while riding her bike through winters in Calgary and decided to do something about it – she created Handlebar Booties.

What exactly are Handlebar Booties?

Handlebar Booties were designed to protect your hands from the wind, rain and snow.  They are water resistant and fleece-lined for warmth.  They fit over handlebars and cables so you can put your hands inside where it is warm and dry.

How did you come up with the idea for Handlebar Booties?

I was working in Calgary as a courier and the winters can be extremely cold.  A friend of mine was making something similar, which I used for a long time. That product had serious design problems, so we addressed those problems with Handlebar Booties. Anyone who rides a bicycle knows first hand (no pun intended) what “wind chill” means.  The Booties will protect your hands from the additional impact of wind

What makes Booties better than mittens?

It’s awfully hard to lose your Handlebar Booties especially if they are locked to your bike. And they’re a great conversation starter! Folks want to know about them. How often do people come up to you and say, “great pair of mitts, how do they work?”

Mittens can be bulky and awkward. They need to be bulky or your hands will freeze in the wind. It’s hard to answer your cell phone with them let alone text anyone.  Booties are good for many years, and over the long haul the cost is under $10 per year.  Minus 10 degrees is still minus 10 degrees even out of the wind – you will still need gloves.   But with the booties, you won’t need those big bulky mitts.

People rave about Handlebar Booties after they use them for a while.  They don’t know how they ever rode in cold or wet weather without them!

How can you shift gears and grab your breaks in the Booties?

It’s very easy! There’s lots of room inside! As a matter of fact, I carry a pair of gloves in mine in case I have to walk anywhere.  Sometimes I carry my cell phone inside too! You can pack a snack inside. On the very, very, very cold days you can put a commercial hand warmer in there.  Then you have Hottie Booties (laughs)!

What kind of handlebars do the Booties work with?

They are adjustable so they will fit most handlebars except drop bars.  Sorry guys!

What pattern is on your Handlebar Booties?

The Booties are solid black with a reflective strip across the front.  There is piping on the edges to help maintain the shape.  We have some patterns that we made while we were developing the product, and we sometimes do special orders.  I had a pair hand painted for a friend of mine.

The handlebar booties are made out of a fabric called Denier Codura – why did you choose this particular type of material?

We tried different weights of fabric. We wanted the Denier Codura because it’s a strong, industrial fabric used to make commercial luggage. We liked it because of its durability, stiffness and the fact that it’s waterproof. We were pretty much sold on the Denier Codura from the beginning so we mostly played around with variations of piping, lining, and Velcro.

How did you test the different materials?

I rode for eight winters in Calgary, Chicago and Toronto. I knew what I wanted so there wasn’t a lot of fabric testing to do. We did test to see if they could be screen-printed. We also tested vinyl but found it cracked when we simulated cold temperatures by placing it in the freezer.

You used to make each pair in your shop, but stopped so you could lower the price. Where are the booties now being made?

They’re made in China. I had a lot of concerns about having the work done in China but the company in Toronto who handled the production assured me that the factory was in a city and monitored by the government so that no children can work there and so that workers are paid and treated well. I guess there’s a worry with everything we do as far as product creation is concerned. Any part of any product we buy or manufacture could come from a place where people are mistreated. It could be that one component on your bicycle came from a bad place. Even when we were manufacturing them in my home there was always the concern about the thread, machine oil and the fabric. It’s very hard to be one hundred per cent positive, but we did the best we could do in confirming that no one was being mistreated in the production of our Handlebar Booties.

What other winter cycling gear would you say is essential for cycling in Toronto?

For a damp climate like Toronto?  Gortex socks.

Handlebar Booties are sold for $60 dollars and can be bought at the following cycle shops: La Carerra, Dukes, Hoop Driver, Cycle Solutions (Beaches and Parliament), Urbane, Spokes and Sports, Dave Fix my Bike and Westside Cycles.