I have...idk im gonna guess 20-30,000 photos stored over the past many many years. My phone has this "featured photo" thing that shows old photos that it algorithmically decides has good composition, lighting or subject matter. One of the photos it keeps showing me is of Andrew with his new bike and it reminds me of this day. So, here it is. May 22, 2023.
So, I used to work at the Trek store down on queen street. And I would usually be able to swing some deals here and there for my friends. Anyways, Andrew wanted a new bike. He got like, stimmy cheque or something, or maybe a bonus from work? I forget, but he had the money to get a new bike. And why not go and get one from the store his friend works at.
I don’t remember if he got a discount or not. Maybe I got him a 10%? I don’t remember he will have to chime in on that.
Of course, get a new bike, it’s a big day it’s a big purchase you gotta go ride it right away.
Clearly, the only appropriate place to ride the bike is in the Don Valley, its like the best place in the city.
A classic spot.
I lived in the Annex at the time, so it wasn’t as close as it used to be for me. All the guys except Connor lived in the Annex. Why is it called the annex?
I don’t remember everything about this day. Probably met up wit Andrew and Addy at their place. To ride into the valley via Davenport and Bayview. I actually still have the Strava from that day. It said we did the pottery road climb, like right after entering the valley which is crazy, but does sound like something I would force addy and Andrew to do on like, the first bike ride of spring. Probably.
There are spots all in the valley where you can stop and chill. I used to spend so much time in there. I was familiar with most of the best spots to find in 2023. Here are these slabs of concrete stacked up near the water. I’m not sure what they used to be or how long they’ve been there. It looks like maybe an old concrete retaining wall that they broke down and left. I think they leave them behind because usually its easier than taking them out, or no one actually planned on how they would be ultimately removed from the valley that they just stayed there until it just became part of the scenery.
There’s always dog walkers in Toronto. And they are always off leash. A rant for another time… Oh well, it’s the spring, the dogs want to run around. There are probably not too many coyotes in here right now looking for food.
Addy looking in jealous gaze
I find it funny that the dog gets the tactical vest.
People who buy bikes always want to customize it, make it look rugged, capable and utilitarian. Especially a gravel bike. I got my frame bag for my bike day one. I wonder if the same applies for dog owners?
Connor shows up at some point. He has a Trek too. There are 3 Treks on this ride. Me and Andrew have the same bike. Connor has a 520 Grando. Nice bike, he got it just before Trek discontinued it. Lucky guy. Addy has my old bike. The one I built with left over parts when I was working at sport check. He still rides this bike to this day.
Do you guys remember 2023?
I think it was peak bike boom. The pandemic really squeezed bike manufacturing but everyone suddenly had and extra stimulus money and free time so everyone was buying bikes. Gravel bikes became the new hot thing. Everyone was excited about bikes, riding bikes, living the bike life. More so than when I was in high school, or uni for that matter. I could be biased. Working at a bike store and all. I also just recently got my sexy gravel bike so, I also felt like I needed to ride it all the time.
Oh my god tho. Thinking back to 2023 and working at that bike store… a lot of new people buying expensive bikes that also were sold at inflated prices because demand was so high. So many people not like, getting it. Buying expensive bikes, riding them a few times, not maintaining them or they ride them like idiots or don’t understand how a bicycle works at all coming back to complain. I probably did tens of thousands of dollars in free service to get these people to shut up. It was a different time back then and Trek was profitable regardless of how much free service they gave away. Different story now tho, I’m totally disengaged from the corporate bike space, idk if anyone is making money at a bike shop these days.
But its 2023. It’s all good for us down here in the valley. The best part about owning a bike is riding them with your friends. (Most of the trek customers didn’t seem to understand that. whatever! This really is a rant about how yuppies will latch on to hyped up life styles because they have sold their soul to the corporate machine and their reward is $$$ to give into advertisement and marketing hype that they are tiktok brainwashed to consume so that they can feel cool and relevant and not a lost void bouncing within unfurnished condo walls. I am not going into anymore detail!)
Its 2023. This has been established. It’s fun to ride bikes with friends. I pressure friends to get bikes so that they can ride bikes with me (Andrew, Addy). We are down here in the valley, Me and Connor are showing them around and seeing what is new down here.
The Don valley and connecting Taylor Creek has, in the background, been undergoing “revitalization” projects. Being one of the major ravine systems in Toronto, A LOT of water is moving thru here especially during rain storms/flood events. Many municipalities are realizing the importance of ravine maintenance in order to prevent flash flood events further down stream. On top of that, urban green space is kind of a hot commodity. Especially in the immediate post pandemic “outdoor-activity-is-really-cool-and-fun-now-you-guys-did-you-know-that-there-are-bike-paths-all-through-out-Toronto?-councillars-will-be-popular-if-they-approve-urban-greenspace-projects” mindset of it all, to say: The valleys here have been through changes, huge changes and multi-multi year projects, so its always different every time you come in to visit.
These huge Iron bridges have been installed, at least since… 2021? Me and Connor found them while exploring the north end of the taylorcreek-don intersection. I have not really been back in there, as of this writing, I can’t tell you if these bridges have appropriate approaches constructed for them yet.
An effort was made by someone to make these traversable. This “gravel ramp” solution was the best one we’ve seen yet. I remember when it was “pile of rocks and log staircase” and “fence laid on its side as a ladder/ramp” and of course, nothing at all. Just the full meter and a half drop.
If you had the bike for it you could hit it as a step-down. It would be pretty sick.
Ok ok, this is all leading somewhere. The point is that it’s all a good time in here. Have you not been seeing the photos? Bike ride with friends exploring a new place and enjoying greenery, outdoor air and the feel of a new bike.
There are a lot of trails in the valley. Many are dead ends, lead to nowhere, some are game trails that are not so obvious, some are old trails that became disused after a better one was made somewhere else by something else.
You never know where they lead to unless you go down them.
I was trying to show these guys an exciting time I knew a trail that followed the river. It was one of those… less obvious trails. And as the foliage starts to creep into your eyeline more and as leaves reach over to tickle your cheeks, there is a point where you realize that maybe this is not a rideable trail. We get off our bikes to push them further because there was something up here I wanted to show them. Branches tangling in our steps, twigs scratching over our knuckles as I convince everyone that we are on the right track.
Suddenly a ping! A ping sound? What could it be?
Andrew got a flat. But not any old flat. A tree branch lying in ambush had managed to get tangled in his wheel spokes and snapped off his tubeless valve. A mode of failure I have never seen before.
This is… bad.
This is not a problem that can be easily patched or fixed. As the name implies, tubeless systems don’t use tubes to hold air. It uses the tire itself, some soupy goop, and the valve.
I almost definitely found it amusing. What an absurd malfunction to have. We are also in the bush. Like, we got off our bikes because we couldn’t ride through it anymore, on the far arm of the valley, obviously, far from home.
Ok, lucky. Adarvan has an extra tube, what a miracle. And someone brought a hand pump as well. I usually don’t carry any flat repair stuff with me.. but… I think this made me reconsider that? Well, I forgot this lesson because I definitely don’t carry around my flat kit these days. May this serve as a reminder to you all. Flat kits are… like toilet plungers. You don’t really use them, but when you need one. You really need one.
We reverse course, out of this dumb side trail that I dragged everyone down. Into a clearing closer to an actual trail. Here we will regroup and assess the situation. A good a time as any to crack open a beer.
All is good, all is solved. I think there was some juggling we had to do with the valve types between bikes but it worked out. Thanks addy for the inner tube and for the Timelapse that almost missed all the action.
This is the photo that my phone keeps showing me.
Let’s continue along. This arm of the trail sort of deadends up near the Bermondsey transfer station. Look it up.
This is as far as we can go before we exit the valley and re-enter the city streets. We hang around here. One last photo opportunity before we turn around and go home. Someone hung up a rope swing here too. I hope its still there. Its a great reward to reach after biking all afternoon.
The process
You learn who your more photogenic subjeccts are. It's better to stick to them
The cycling constant that is wheelie kids
The process
Looking at satellite imagery today (2026) it seems like it is actually possible to continue on what I will call the “north Scarborough hydro corridor trail” that takes you all the way thru to Morningside/Ellesmere. Would have added another hefty chunk to the ride, but we didn't know about the hydro corridor at the time. An adventure for another day.
