You may know that BikingToronto organizes co-ed “Sweet Rides” that revolve around food every once in a while, and we organize them with Hyedie Hashimoto, the woman behind the Toronto Girls Cupcake Rides.

Hyedie has posted a re-cap and photo wrap-up of the latest Girls ride, and it looks like a great one. Go to the Cupcake Ride site to check in out.

In case you are wondering, yes… there WILL be a Sweet Ride soon… we’re aiming for mid-November, and we’re aiming for a warm food theme.

Two weekends ago, the Red Bull Mini Drome came to Toronto and set up at the Evergreen Brickworks. Dandyhorse Magazine was there and caught all the action:

In the heart of Evergreen Brick Works, next to the kilns that fired the bricks that built Toronto, 85 skilled and daring riders took on a steep and shrunken velodrome. With speeds reaching 35 km/h, on a track that appeared no larger than a suburban garage, the challenge was not only to set the best time but do so without slamming to the ground.

Johnny “Jet Fuel” Englar, made an appearance (racing a front rack-equipped single speed) as did many other legendary local riders from the days of the Human Powered Rollercoaster. But the big competition was Addison Zawada from Jacksonville, Florida who was also the Montreal mini drome champion.

Photos by Chris Kaiser

All photos courtesy of Dandyhorse. View a TON of photos on the DandyBlog post.

It was immensely successful (we estimated about 200 people showed up) and this will be an annual event. We kept hearing again and again how much fun everyone had and how they can’t wait until next fall when we do it all again (and hopefully bigger and even better).

The best part is the event raised over $10,000 for the fantastic work that Bikes without Borders does, which is currently sourcing and buying bicycles and bicycle ambulances for health workers in Malawi.

If you missed the event (or even if you were there, looking dashing and lovely in your tweedy best), you’re probably interested in seeing videos and photos from the event. This post is for you.

Let’s start with a great video put together by Xander of 416CycleStyle: Tweedride Toronto on Queen St.

The next video is also from Xander… of the massive tall bike (complete with propeller) on the ride. It has a funky soundtrack, that somehow mashes Tweed with the 1970s. haha.

After the ride, we all stopped at Dovercourt House (on Dovercourt, north of Bloor) and parked our bikes at the BikeValet provided by the Toronto Cyclists Union and Autoshare, and proceeded to have dinner and a swinging 2-floor party.

Here’s a video of Tweedsters and Swing Dancers cutting a rug to “Sly Blue”, a swing band from NYC.

Finally, there are hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos out there of the absolutely astounding fashion on the ride. Here’s a few from our TweedRideTO Flickr Group:

If you’re looking for more photos, you can find them just about everywhere:

• Dandyhorse Magazine: Bowlers, bow ties and bikes: Tweed Toronto Ride
• Dandyhorse Magazine: Bike Spotting at Tweed Ride Toronto
• BlogTO: Photos of the Toronto Tweed Ride
• Toronto Tweed Ride Facebook page
• Toronto Tweed Ride Facebook Photo Album
• The Grid TO: Snapshot – Tweed Ride Toronto
• Torontoist: Spotted: Tweedy Bike Riders
• Photojunkie: Tweed Ride Toronto

Your $15 registration fee gets you:

• Official participation in Toronto’s first annual Tweed Ride
• High Tea (bring your own teacup)
• Swag Bag
• A Swinging After-Party at Dovercourt House.

People are putting together their Tweed outfits (or outfits inspired by a bygone era), and we want to see photos of what you are planning!

In fact, we want to see your outfits so much (and have your outfits inspire others), that we’re having a photo contest (which also closes on Wed. Oct. 12)…. all you need to do is “tweet” your photo to our @TweedRideTO twitter account, or email them to info@bikeswithoutborders.org and you’re entered!

Prizes! The winner of the photo contest will win a Basil Memories Basket and a Giro Bike Helmet, courtesy of the Urbane Cyclist Co-op.

Here’s a few photos to get you started…. submit a photo to win!

Yvonne Bambrick, Mike Brcic, Kristen Corbet, David Miller, Tanya Smith, Casie Stewart and Ryan Smith

This is me, trying out some tweedy clothes.  Yes, I don’t usually have a beard… the things I do/grow for Tweed! haha.

Kristen of Bikes without Borders, with the Penny Farthing at the ING Direct Cafe

I was leading the ride through a unique route through industrial, residential, rich and poor neighbourhoods, through pedestrianized streets and car-free bridges… and didn’t get any photos of the ride (thankfully Hyedie did), but snapped a lot at each pie place!

We started out at Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream Shop.  It looks small from the front, but the back opens up in a large dining area and what I’m told is the very nicest patio anywhere in the neighbourhood:

Here we are relaxing on the patio… it was so nice, it took a while for us to get on our bikes.

Here is Hyedie, Rachel and Kyla, owner of Madeleine’s!

We finally got going on an interesting ride (again, check Hyedie’s great photos for some ride pics) and ended up at the Canadian Pie Company near Queen & Broadview. They have sweet AND savoury pies here, and if you’re gonna go… go HUNGRY. They PACK those pies with filling.

This was our 3rd Sweet Ride of 2011… and we’re starting to talk about a *warmer* themed one for early November. Stay tuned!

• Start Point: Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream, 1087 Bathurst Street (south of Dupont)
• End Point: Canadian Pie Company, 798 Queen Street East (east of Broadview)

Here are a few photos from her Flickr set from the ride (and I’ll be posting some later today or tomorrow as well), but be sure and read her full post here.

The awesome Pie Ride Group outside Madeleine's Cherry Pie and Ice Cream shop.

Alex, Rachel and Ian hanging on Madeleine's lovely back patio

Learning a bit of history while crossing the Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge between Rosedale and St. Jamestown

The Two Rachels at the end of the ride at the Canadian Pie Company

I can't say no to Blueberry Pie!

Lora's Peach Pie (look at all that fruit!)

There are way more photos in Hyedie‘s flickr set.  Check them out.

This time, we’re talking, eating and biking PIE!!!

We’ll be starting off at Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream up near Bathurst and Dupont and finishing way down in the Queen and Broadview area at the Canadian Pie Company!

We aren’t releasing our route just yet (and it’s hard to get onto Google Maps due to some car-free thoroughfares that Google doesn’t know are bike-friendly), but it’ll be interesting… we’ll be going through LOTS of different neighbourhoods in a relatively short period of time, as well as some hidden routes that not many people know about!  Curious, aren’t you? You should come on our Pie Ride!

Sweet Ride: Pie Edition

• When: Saturday, August 13th, 2011
• Start Time: 1 pm
• Start Point: Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream, 1087 Bathurst Street (south of Dupont)
• End Point: Canadian Pie Company, 798 Queen Street East (east of Broadview)

Check out our event and RSVP on Facebook too!

Here are some photos and a few words about the event:

People start gathering at Allan Gardens.  Lots of news media.

It’s like a two-wheeled bike party.

There were LOTS of bikes! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Dave Meslin addressed the crowd. He sounded like a politician with a lot of soundbites. A bike-friendly politician.  He also said he’d lay down on Jarvis in front of any trucks that would remove bikelanes.  I doubt he’d do it and that it would do anything for the cyclist cause, other than maybe get him arrested.

Jared Kolb, director of Membership for the Bike Union speaks… offering any non-members a break on membership – only $20 instead of $30.

Met Chris after seeing his Left Wing Pinko t-shirt.

Then everyone hit Jarvis Street! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Even some dogs! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Woo! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Then everyone gathered at City Hall [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

I’m working on a video of the whole ride passing Carlton. Stay tuned.

A few weeks ago we had a BikingToronto Social at the Madison, and we’re planning a “Biking Toronto Ice Cream Social” for mid-July… and last week a few of us got together for a few hours around a firepit at Dufferin Grove Park and chatted, ate chips and roasted marshmallows.

I’m sharing a few photos from the evening because it was fun, and pictures are pretty.

The firepit crew was Todd (of the Long Ride East), Sage (of Quirky Nomads), Daegan (of Todd & Sage), Annie, Georgette (of Georgie_Grrl on Flickr), Derek, Andre, Hyedie (of the Toronto Girls Cupcake Ride), Kathryn, Duncan (of Duncan’s City Ride) and myself.

Almost all of these photos are by Georgette on Flickr (the 1st and 3rd are by me).  You should check out her photos.

Getting Ready

Annie "the Fire Queen" - she took a fire certification course to book the firepit, and Georgette made her a funny little crown in recognition.

Derek and Annie coax the Fire Gods to come out and play

The wet ground was not co-operating. We let Derek work his magic...

Derek loves marshmallows

The one pic of Hyedie without marshmallows on her stick.

We’ll let you know when we finalize plans for the Ice Cream Social… it’ll probably involve bike riding and ice cream!

The Group!

Hyedie!

Annie!

Jen and Tanja!

Joe S. & Amanda!

See all of Hyedie’s photos on the Cupcake Ride Blog!