Click here
Benefits of Cycling
• Health – benefit from extra exercise, after cycling for a few weeks you’ll start to feel energized and less stressed
• Better focus – arriving at work by bike means your body is full of energy and your brain is ready to get started
• It’s fun – our Commuter Attitudes survey showed that cyclists reported the highest satisfaction out of all commuters
• Save money – trips taken by bike save you the cost of transit, gas and parking
• Speed – if you live within 10km of your destination, cycling is often faster than other modes
• Environment – reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution by taking a vehicle off the road
Finding the best route
These cycling maps are great resources for planning your route to work, school, shopping or simply exploring your area:
You can also create a map to your destination at Ride the City Toronto or get cycling directions on Google Maps and the Smart Commute tool.
Riding to work for the first time? Do a test ride on the weekend or consider finding a bike buddy on the Smart Commute tool.
Cycle Safety and tips
Before you get started make sure you know the rules of the road and how to stay safe. Downloading the handbooks below is a great place to start.
- Cycle Toronto Handbook – this book will teach you about your bicycle, traffic laws, and safe cycling habits.
- York Region Cycling Handbook – your guide to enjoyable, safer cycling in York Region
CAN-BIKE Cycle training
- If you’re not feeling confident on the road consider taking an adult cycle training course.
Find a bike buddy
If you’re new to cycling it’s worth finding a regular cyclist to show you the ropes. Cycling to work can be daunting at first and having the support of an experienced rider will help make the first few journeys much easier.
The Smart Commute tool can help you find a bike buddy with the new bikepool feature. Here’s how:
- Login or register, be sure to join your workplace network
- Enter your start (A) and end (B) destination and click Let’s Go
- Use the bike results to explore routes and bikepool options
- Get in touch with your matches
- Share your A to B or start a bikepool so others can find you
If you can’t find one in your area try reaching out to your workplace Smart Commute champion or Bicycle User Group.
Bikes and transit
Combining cycling and transit is a great way to travel further distances. Bikes can be taken on all buses at any time of the day. Watch how to properly load and unload your bike.
Nearly all subway and GO stations have bicycle parking onsite or nearby. Bikes can be taken on the subway and GO trains during off peak hours.
TTC bike repair stops
Self-service bicycle repair stations are available at many stations across the subway system. Repair equipment is free to use and includes wrenches, Allen keys, screwdrivers, a bicycle pump and a wheel chock.
Find out which subway stations have repair stops
Bikeshare
Riding Bike Share Toronto to a transit stop is a great way to incorporate the benefits of cycling into your commute without having to own a bike. They have 2000 bikes across Toronto, so if you live downtown there’s likely one close by.
Save 40% on annual membership with your PRESTO card.
Need some inspiration?
Check out these stories from fellow cycle commuters:
- Alyson enjoys zooming past cars stuck in traffic as she cycles to York Unversity, read more about why she loves cycling to work
- Melissa pledged to bike to school every day during the summer, find out how she got on.
- Winner of City of Vaughan’s Most Unlikely Cyclist contest, Daniela tells us why she loves cycling to work.
- Watch others share their York Region Cycling Stories
- Read inspirational stories from fellow beginner bike riders in Toronto
Additional Resources
Registering your bike
Safeguard your bike by registering it with your local police:
Bike Parking in Toronto
- Suggest a new location for a bike ring in Toronto
- Reserve a bike locker – sheltered bike lockers are available for a fee at many TTC subway and GO Transit stations in Toronto.
- Bike parking stations – secure indoor parking facilities for bikes are available at Union Station and at Victoria Park Subway Station.
