Street Smarts Workshops

Three people ride bikes

Learn the rules. Learn your rights. Learn the skills to ride with confidence.

Interested in bringing a Street Smarts cycling workshop to your workplace or to the community? It can be as simple as inviting us to your event! Workshops that are open to the public we are often able to provide free of charge to the organizer and attendees and private workshops are available for a fee. We generally ask for at least two weeks' notice to provide a workshop and cannot guarantee our availability at a specific time or location.

Request a workshop

Note that Civic Engagement and Cycling cannot be requested through this form. If you are interested in hosting this workshop, please email info@cycleTO.ca with the relevant information.

See what events are already scheduled

What we offer

Cycle Toronto's interactive Street Smarts workshops cover the benefits of commuting by bicycle, laws that govern cyclists and motorists, techniques for safe street riding, basic bike maintenance, route selections, and more. We also provide copies of our Toronto Cycling Handbook and bike maps where possible. Every workshop is an hour long and includes time for questions.

Our trained facilitators have presented to both new cyclists and seasoned commuters. We do lunch'n'learns, evening presentations, and weekend sessions — including private workshops for businesses and government agencies, and public workshops at libraries and community centres for a discounted rate.

Workshops

  

Basic Bike Maintenance 
 

Cycle Toronto will show you the basics of how to maintain your bike to keep it running smoothly all year long. Topics include: safety checks, assessing air pressure and flat tires, tightening your brakes, lubricating your chain, and ensuring your bike is the right fit.
 

Biking in All Weather Conditions
 

Make all-season cycling a breeze. Cycle Toronto will guide you through topics including: choosing clothing and gear for wet and cold weather, bicycle maintenance and storage tips, winter route-planning, and safe riding techniques for weather-related hazards. (offered in early spring, fall and winter only)
 

Civic Engagement and Cycling
  Want to make a difference in your community but don't know where to start? This workshop can help with that. We will:
  • Provide an overview of the systems of government
  • Walk participants through how bike lanes get built from start to finish and show when residents can get involved.
  • Share how to get involved in various stages of decision making about safe streets: including what resources are available, how to participate in city consultations and surveys, and how to collaborate with neighbours and stakeholders with shared interests
 

Family Biking 
 

Learn tips and tricks for biking while pregnant, biking with babies and toddlers and teaching kids to ride for the first time. Cycle Toronto will also guide you through the kind of equipment you can use for each age group of children.
 

Going by Bike
 

In this webinar, Cycle Toronto will help show you how you can do more of your daily trips by bike. We’ll walk you through how you can do everything from commuting to work, picking up your kids and even do a grocery run by bike. 
 

Road Rules
 

Learn about everyday interactions with others on the road in this interactive quiz-style workshop. Topics include: laws and fines that apply to both people cycling and people driving, navigating shared space with other road users, common misconceptions about turns, parking, passing, right of way and more.
 

Route Planning
  Our experienced cycling educators will be ready to help you navigate Toronto's roads and paths. We can help with topics such as:
  • Different types of bike lanes
  • Finding routes that aren't on major roads
  • How to get to and from your essential trips
  • What types of bikes are allowed on multi-use paths
  • How to get to and from ActiveTO major road openings
  • Taking your bike on TTC and GO
 

Safe Cycling 101
  Cycle Toronto will guide you through everything you need to know about biking with confidence in Toronto. Topics include: equipment and bike fit, safe riding techniques, rules and responsibilities, interactions with others, choosing your route and more.

Testimonials

  • “I feel more confident to ride in this city.”
  • “LOVE THE HANDBOOK.”
  • “Learned a lot! Great for new/wannabe daily cyclists.”
  • “I actually didn't know a lot of this.”
  • “Encouraged to cycle more.”
  • “I never really considered riding during the winter. Now I might.”
  • “Made me want to consider cycling to work.”
  • “Feel more confident that I can ride on the road.”
  • “Excellent session. All cyclists should have a chance to attend.”
  • “[Made] the topic accessible to all ages & levels of experience.”
  • “I learned more rules for a car driver perspective in regards to cyclists.”
  • “Suggest drivers attend as well, there's a lot of information they could use.”