When will it be above zero? When?!
Enough snow has cleared the ground to start thinking about the plausibility of recreational cycling. Added bonus to this chilly spring: fewer pedestrians walking along established bike trails. See? Not all bad. The thing is, Toronto has quite a few bike paths, so if you’re new to this scene, give these suggestions a try, then tell us how it worked out and which were the best.
West Toronto Rail Path
Not only is it scenic, it has one of the finest collections of graffiti in the city thanks in part to Brian Gilham’s amazing panorama of artwork on the construction hoarding there. Other artists keep on adding to it, so it makes the scenery change each time you take another trip.
German Mills
From Steels to Sheppard, there might be a bit of a crowd on nice days, but I’d say it’s worth it.
Don Valley Trail
This one never gets old. A bit of nature stuck in the middle of Toronto.
Toronto Island
It’s easy to forget how great the Islands are, but a bike ride around Centre Island is one of those things you should really try to do once it gets warm enough to make that ferry ride seem worthwhile.
The Leslie Spit (Tommy Thompson Park)
If you make it to the lighthouse at the end, it’s great. However, beware, sunny days and warm weather draws a lot of pedestrians to share the path with. Also, new speed bumps can be a hassle.
There are lots of other options out there—lots. It’s always a good idea to check the city of Toronto’s Bike Network for ideas and trail updates. Other helpful reference points are biketrain.ca and, of course, the Toronto Bicycling Network.