London has been working towards creating a bike-friendly culture for a few years now. With nearly 350 kilometres (London’s 2020 Bike Map) of pathways, cycle tracks and bike lanes to ride throughout the forest city, there are plenty of options to move towards cycling as your new mode of transportation.
While the cost of a bicycle may be out of your budget (with most road bikes averaging between $350-$700), Fanshawe students aren’t out of luck!
Fanshawe bike share
Fanshawe Student Union events and activities manager, Kevin Masterson wants students to know that you don’t need to own a bike to cycle your way through the forest city.
“It’s a free service for students. They can sign out a bike for up to three days and ride it all over the place and then return it to the Biz Booth and as long as it’s in the same condition that they got it then everything is great!”
Masterson says that the initiative was started by a past F-S-U president, Carlie Forsythe to help get students out into their communities. With many Fanshawe students living away from their homes are forced to rely on the bus system to get around. Although London’s bus system can get you nearly anywhere in the city, it can be restrictive when it comes to timing. Renting out a bike for a few days can allow you to pair the bike with the transit system to travel more places is lesser time (front-loading bike racks are on most LTC buses).
When does the bike share run?
Although Canadian winter is approaching, that doesn’t mean a little snow will stop you from renting out a bike from the F-S-U.
Masterson says that as long as the paths/roads are in a safe riding condition, the bike share program continues to run.
“We sort of wait until the snow falls and it looks like it’s going to stay and it’s not safe to ride the bikes on the streets. So then we pull them and store them for the winter and then when the weather gets good again we roll them back out and start up again.”
Upcoming London temperatures are currently sitting at double digits for the next week so why not take advantage of what may be the last month of cycling weather?
London becoming a more sustainable city
In part of London building towards a better bike culture, there are not only many projects in place but many cycling groups as well.
Image by The City of London
Some of the 2020 cycling construction includes:
- creating a separated bike lane from downtown along Dundas Street east into Old East Village
- extending existing bike lanes on Colborne Street north to Oxford Street east
- creating a separated eastbound bike lane on Riverside Drive from Wilson Avenue to Kensington Bridge
London Cycle Links Mission:
WE HELP MORE LONDONERS RIDE MORE. WE DO THIS BY BUILDING CONFIDENCE, ADVOCATING FOR SAFE STREETS, AND DEVELOPING A THRIVING CYCLING CULTURE.
The London Cycle Link is a one of the many cycle groups that encourage Londoners to join the cycle community. They typically run weekly events that provide people with a way to get involved and have fun in the city of London. Due to COVID-19, there aren’t many upcoming events but this Sunday, Nov. 8 they encourage people to come and take part in the Inaugural North Branch Ride.
This ride celebrates the completion of two bridges built to complete thee gap on the North Branch of the Thames Valley Parkway. No sign-up is required, but they do encourage people to bring a mask incase safe distancing is not possible. Details can be found here.
Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter / Pixabay
Added benefits of cycling
- A great way to grow your social circle
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Improves mental health and mental well-being
- You can decide how high or low impact the exercise will be
- Builds muscle and promotes weight loss
- Way to do your part in improving the environment
Staying active is a proven way to reduce stress levels. Masterson says, that’s exactly what the Fanshawe bike share is for. No matter if you are new to cycling or your a seasoned cyclists without a bike in London. The F-S-U wants to make sure there are options for students to explore at their own pace.
Ultimately, whether you enjoy cycling or not– take advantage of the outdoors before the snow sticks and explore the forest city with these suggested routes!
Places to hike by London Tourism (bike friendly routes included)
City of London interactive map for biking and walking
Grab a group of friends and head to Fanshawe Trails (suitable hikes with or without a bike)
For a low fee you can access Boler Mountain’s trails until the end of this week
If you’re someone who already has a bike and thinks the winter will stop you from riding, check out this article for tips to prepare your bike for the winter season.
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