Saskatoon Cycles

Saskatoon Cycles May 2026 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:52:30 +0000

Cycling Guide Mobile App

There’s a new, easy way to navigate the streets of Saskatoon. Welcome to Cycling Guide!

It’s a FREE, made-in-Canada app that finds the lowest stress routes for any bicycle trip in the city; instead of taking a Google route that might not distinguish you from a car, Cycling Guide is designed for cyclists who want to feel safe on their journey.

The app will constantly be evolving with updated data, and users are encouraged to help develop even better routes by providing feedback and suggestions.

You can DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR FREE HERE. Check it out today!

Gordon Holtslander, Saskatoon Cycles (L) with Scott Wieting, Cycling Guide volunteer.

Bike Valet Season Is Here! Volunteers Welcome!

The 2026 Bike Valet season officially kicked off on Sunday, May 3rd with a windy but delightful community art display at Kaleidoscope. This amazing neighborhood celebration exemplifies exactly what the Bike Valet loves to be a part of: community building, accessibility, and active transportation.

The Valet has a busy schedule this year; over 15 different venues across multiple days. This is important for two reasons: 1) there will be excellent coverage of popular city events for you to cycle to, and 2) we’ll be on the lookout for volunteers who love hanging outdoors and keeping an eye on bikes!

We would love to have you join the Bike Valet volunteer team! Please check out the schedule for the year, and pick some fun shifts! We have two coming up soon that have some openings left:

YMCA Y Cycle for Strong Kids – May 30, 2026
2026 Marathon Bike Valet – May 30-31, 2026

You should know that the Valet has a new Site Supervisor this year: Christian. You’ll have to sign up for a shift to get a look at him, but he shared this information with us for publication:

Christian is passionate about active transportation, sustainability, and creating welcoming public spaces that bring people together. As the new Bike Valet Supervisor with Saskatoon Cycles, he is excited to help make cycling events safe, fun, and accessible for everyone this season.

Outside of work, Christian is also a proud dog dad to two chihuahuas, Rune and Vin, who will be joining the bike valet team this summer as the unofficial upgraded security department.

It looks like a fun season ahead for the Bike Valet. Check it out and join us!

Ride for Your Life 2026 – June 14

Save the date!

Sunday, June 14th is the 3rd Annual Ride for Your Life, a rally inspired by the life of Natasha Fox to raise awareness around the need for pedestrian and cyclist safety and infrastructure.

Starting at 2PM, we’ll be gathering to remember Natasha and continue the call for action to make Saskatoon streets safer. We’ll talk a bit about the state of cycling advocacy in the city. We’ll have our Tune-Up Tent in attendance for any minor repairs or adjustments that your bike needs, and the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute will be onsite with safety literature and hand-outs for kids.

And we’ll ride. The more of us the better, so we can show elected officials and our neighbors that the city cares about active transportation and the need for all road users to get home alive.

Visit the Ride for Your Life website to learn more. While you’re there, check out the newly designed 2026 shirts; they’re only $30 and all money raised supports our work.

See you there.

Slow Roll – Geocaching May 30

Join us this Saturday, May 30 for a completely different Slow Roll experience: Geocaching!

We’ll be mustering at Gather Local Market (414 Avenue B South) for a 2PM start.

After a brief course in Geocaching (what it is and how to do it), riders will take a leisurely ride along a quiet route and see what “caches” they can “geolocate”!

Bring your sense of adventure and have fun!

(You can also learn more and download the Geocaching App here.)

Save the dates of future Slow Rolls from our schedule here.

BYXE Week

The weather was challenging for most of Spring BYXE Week 2026 (we have no documentation for SNOW during the spring event) but as with every historical inclement day of BYXE cycling, the riders rallied and brought an unparalleled spirit to Saskatoon’s celebrations of “bikes”.

Wind, rain, and yes, snow marked most of the nine days of Spring BYXE Week this year.

Things started off auspiciously: over 50 cyclists were in attendance for the Slow Roll (May 9) to officially launch the festivities, and enjoyed a relaxed ride around the Meewasin and refreshments at Gather Local Market afterward. People started collecting stickers for the Great Saskatoon Bike Passport Adventure, checking off tasks for the Scavenger Hunt, and taking selfies as they went.

May 10 was still pleasant enough to bring dozens of people to the world famous Saskatoon Cycles/Jay’s Transportation Tune-Up Tent under the Sid Buckwold Bridge. Free minor repairs and adjustments to all proved an inspiring invitation, and we estimated around 70 bikes left our hands a little more road worthy.

Then things got interesting.

Conditions steadily grew poorer, culminating in a forecast of extreme wind (up to 80km/hr at one point) that almost led to a cancellation of Bike to Work Day (May 14). The morning turned out to be fairly calm and dry, but the afternoon was gusty, cool, and wet.

The weather remained “discouraging” for the rest of the week, dampening the spirits of all but an extremely hardy and determined crew of cyclists.

All said, there were still hundreds of Bike to Work Day visits to over 20 commuter stations, hundreds more visits to local businesses to collect Passport stickers, and hundreds more entries in our Scavenger Hunt submissions.

BYXE Week 2026, despite climate variations, was a success!

A reminder: all BYXE Week celebrations are dependent on support from local businesses in order to *really* squeeze the fun out of things and get people excited about participating. Our profound thanks go out to all of the businesses and organizations that donated time, energy, and prizes to make this community event a true joy! Be sure to thank them yourselves!

New Friend of Cycling – The Colombian

Our Friends of Cycling program has a new member: The Colombian Coffee & Roastery!

The Saskatoon location at 902 Victoria Avenue is The Colombian’s newest outlet, joining six others in the Edmonton area, all focused on sourcing and roasting high quality coffee beans from small producers in Colombia (including their family farm).

Screenshot from The Colombian’s website.

The Colombian was a late addition to this year’s Spring Bike to Work Day and a very generous donor for the BYXE Week prize packs!

We’re extremely happy to have them as a new friend, and we look forward to future community-building collaborations. Please say hello from us when you stop in for a fresh brew.

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

We want families to be able to simply hop on their bikes to go grab an ice cream and enjoy the beauty of Saskatoon. For you or your partner to pick up groceries or a library book. And we really want you to be able to commute to work and back safely and conveniently.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles May 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles April 2026 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:05:57 +0000

Hoorah! Spring BYXE Week 2026 Is Near!

Celebrate your cycling city!

Spring BYXE Week is just over the horizon, and we’re hoping the weather will have settled down enough to entice everyone out for some biking fun and exploration.

The Spring 2026 edition runs from Saturday, May 9th to Sunday, May 17th, so mark your calendars now!

In partnership with the City of Saskatoon, there will be a lot of activities lined up to get people of all ages and abilities out on their bikes enjoying the rich cycling culture of our city. We’ll have:

A Slow Roll Kick-Off (with refreshments at the end) to launch the week (May 9)
The legendary Tune-Up Tent, for quick bike adjustments (May 10)
Bike to Work Day, the BYXE Week Crown Jewel, with LOTS of fun commuter stations (May 14)
The 4th Annual Great Saskatoon Bike Passport Adventure (with a grand prize of $650 in gift cards from Outtabounds) (all week)
Our ever-popular Scavenger Hunt (all week)
The always fun Social Media Contest (all week)
Prizes, prizes, prizes

Start gathering your friends, planning your routes, and dusting off your wheels, because this year is going to be HUGE!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE BYXE WEEK PAGE WITH ALL THE DETAILS!

Bike Valet 2026

The 2026 season of the Saskatoon Cycles Bike Valet will officially start on May 3rd!

We’ve been planning for months: events have been booked, a new supervisor hired, and equipment organized. The Bike Valet is ready to get to work!

We’re hoping to have a HUGE, fun season of parking thousands of bicycles at great Saskatoon festivals and events, but the final integral piece of the Bike Valet is YOU, our volunteers. By donating your time to this community-driven service, we can make the service free for cyclists and keep operational costs lower and more accessible to more venues. And that means more trips by bike, fewer cars on the road and in parking lots, and more convenience.

If you’ve volunteered for the Valet before, you know how much fun the shifts can be and how quickly they’re over. (It’s why we get so many people returning, year after year.) If you’ve never “worked” a Valet shift before, why not make 2026 your inaugural year? You’ll get a free t-shirt and guaranteed smiles of appreciation from patrons who like having their wheels watched over by people who care.

Our first venue of 2026 is coming up fast: Kaleidoscope 2026 (previously Art in the Park) is on Sunday, May 3rd from 1PM to 7PM. There are still spots open for volunteers, and this will be a fun venue to check out before or after your shift: kids’ art in a park, food trucks, and many other activities.

If you can’t make it to this venue, please visit our Bike Valet page and find an event and date that works for you. Signing up is easy, and you’ll be contributing a great service to the community.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE BIKE VALET SHIFT CALENDAR FOR 2026

Cycling Data: Show off Your Routes!

This is your reminder to connect with a couple of free apps that can help city planners and advocates get the robust data they need to promote and build better and safer cycling in Saskatoon.

Strava and BikeMaps.org are apps that aggregate crowdsourced information to help decision-makers understand transportation habits and patterns. The information collected is all anonymous, but can be extremely useful when accumulated and sorted on a city-wide scale. To help out, you can:

1. Install Strava on your phone and track every ride or walk you take. You only need the FREE version to do this. And if you already use a tracking app, check to see if it has a Strava integration. There are more than 100 apps that Strava connects with.

Get Strava

Find out more about the Strava app at strava.com

Strava anonymizes the data from all users in an area and creates the Strava heatmap. Images from these heatmaps can be a powerful visual to show that there are cyclists and walkers using the streets all over Saskatoon (like this presentation on Circle Drive on Ave C). But we need as many cyclists as possible using this system!

2. Bookmark Bikemaps.org and report every time you have a cycling crash, a near-miss, see a cycling hazard, or have your bike stolen. (NOTE: Please use Bikemaps.org AFTER you have contacted the appropriate emergency service for assistance.)

Bikemaps.org is a system that aims to catch as many as possible of the almost 70% of all cycling incidents or near misses that don’t get reported officially.

Donate

Saskatoon Cycles works year round to make the city a safer and more enjoyable place for everyone to get around on their bike.

You probably see some of that work, like the ubiquitous Bike Valet that parks thousands of bike a year at major events, or our faces and voices on the news talking about the latest council decisions.

You might not see some of our other work, though, like the Bike Bank and Keep Rolling programs that we’re building to make sure newcomers and equity-deserving folks have access to safe cycling training AND the equipment (bikes, bells, helmets, and locks) that they might need.

With every interaction, we’re strengthening existing community relationships and creating new connections, making sure that everyone wins when safe, accessible cycling is part of the societal fabric.

We regularly “punch above our weight,” getting the job done with budgets tighter than a well-tuned brake cable, so you can imagine how appreciated donations are. They keep our existing programs running smoothly and can also open up new possibilities.

The post Saskatoon Cycles April 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles March 2026 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:35:16 +0000

Bike Valet 2026 – Job Opportunity!

Have you ever wanted to hang out with bikes and nice people and get paid for it? We might have a solution for you!

We are looking for an energetic and personable Site Supervisor to operate the Bike Valet between May and September 2026 at many Saskatoon festivals and events. This is a part-time/casual contract position, requiring availability for a variety of hours and days (including weekends), depending on the venue.

The Bike Valet is a treasured community-building program, and you could be exactly the right person to make sure it is run with professionalism, friendliness, and fun.

Please review the complete job description here and see if the Bike Valet is the right fit for you!

Please apply by April 5th, 2026.

Full job description for Bike Valet 2026 – Site Supervisor

Bike Valet 2026 – Volunteer Links Open!

We’re always scouting for enthusiastic and fun people to help out with the Bike Valet operations.

Each two-hour volunteer shift invites you to be part of a program that makes cycling in Saskatoon easier and more secure. You get to spend quality time in the fresh air, meet other volunteers and patrons, and take home a groovy blue shirt.

The 2026 Bike Valet Event Schedule is already live, so you can start picking out your shifts today!

We’d love to have you join us in this Saskatoon mainstay.

BIKE VALET VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE HERE

BCBC’s Women and Queer “Keep Rolling”

On April 13 and 27, 2026, we’ll be working with the Bridge City Bicycle Co-operative to bring our “Keep Rolling” bike instruction to their Women & Queer programming. These “learn to ride” or “learn to ride more safely” sessions are open to anyone who identifies as a woman or queer.

As stated on the BCBC’s social media post, “This is a super chill, no-pressure space to learn (or re-learn) the basics. We’re talking balance, pedalling, signalling, road rules, and actually feeling comfortable on a bike.”

There is limited space to the sessions, so be sure to r egister to reserve your spot.

No bike? No problem. BCBC can lend you one, or help you build one to keep.

REGISTRATION LINK HERE

Spring BYXE Week 2026 – Save the dates!

Start marking your calendars! The return of BYXE Week is not too far away, and you’ll want to be available for some annual cycling fun!

From Saturday, May 9th to Sunday May 17th, 2026, Saskatoon will be celebrating cycling across the city with engaging activities, contests, and prizes for all ages.

With the help of our City of Saskatoon partners, we’ll be offering another Bike to Work Day (May 14), the venerable Scavenger Hunt (all week), the FOURTH Annual Great Saskatoon Bike Passport Adventure (all week), slow rolls, and much more.

Stay tuned to our website and social media platforms for updates and more information.

Upcoming Slow Rolls

If you’re ever looking for an excuse to get out on your bike, Saskatoon Cycles organizes a number of Slow Rolls every year.

These casual rides are an opportunity for people of all ages and cycling ability to get together and ride for an hour or so at a very relaxed pace. We try to avoid overly challenging elevation or navigation on the routes, no one gets left behind, and there are no winners or prizes. Sometimes we’ll hand out some treats or baking, but they’re not distributed based on performance, just presence.

Our next ride is the “Cupcake Slow Roll” on Saturday, March 28, 2026. We’ll have cupcakes after the route, with a simple decoration station so you can customize your own treat!

We’ll muster at the Gather Local Market (Ave. A South and 19th St. West, east doors) and start the ride at 2PM.

For more upcoming Slow Rolls, please visit our schedule here.

Pedal Express Challenge 2026

This trophy doesn’t exist (yet), but after last year’s hair-raising, nail-biting, and downright gut-wrenching contest to see who would deliver the most Pedal Express packages in 2025, the question has been asked: “Does the honourable victor not deserve more than a simple free lunch?”

The Saskatoon Cycles Pedal Express Committee is considering the addition of a trophy as part of the recognition to the volunteer couriers who fuel the program, and have reached out for feedback.

Last year’s winner, Jason Hanson, commented recently that the idea was “absolutely ridiculous” and “one year too late.” Tyler Rittinger, fan favourite and runner-up in 2025, was more open to the concept. “Anything that incentivizes more cyclists to get involved is surely a positive thing, right?” he said, adding, “I’m certainly up for the challenge!”

Other couriers, including current leader and delivery firebrand Jory Cadman, could not be reached for comment before publishing deadlines.

The current standings for 2026 are:

Jory C. – 9
Tyler R. – 4
Jason H. – 3

Stay tuned for Challenge updates in the Saskatoon Cycles monthly newsletters. If you’re interested in becoming a Pedal Express courier or business, please visit the Pedal Express page here.

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles March 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles February 2026 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:40:16 +0000

Winter BYXE Week 2026

Winter BYXE Week 2026 will hopefully be remembered as another fun cycling event that celebrated and motivated Saskatoon bike riders to embrace winter. From February 7 – 15, through scavenger hunt tasks, warm Bike to Work Day stations and treats, social media posts, group rides, and prize draws, many smiles were generated and many memories were made.

One question that might haunt the historical record is whether the success of the week was due to its inviting lineup of activities and community, or its temperature range. For as long as Saskatoon Cycles has been involved in Winter BYXE Week, there’s never been a stretch of days that hovered so consistently around 0 degrees C! This mild snap created a good deal of icy conditions on the streets and trails, but unlike previous Winter BYXE Weeks, there was no threat of -30C to frighten away the curious.

We may never know conclusively what led to almost double the Bike to Work Day station visits this year, but certainty is secondary to the results and our appreciation of everyone involved.

Thanks to all of the participants who ventured out on icy trails (whether as a sage or an acolyte) and let us know about it. You are fuel that powers the “BYXE,” and you’ve shown your city a willingness to burn brightly.

Thanks to all of the businesses and organizations that contributed your energy and resources to provide Commuter Stations on Bike to Work Day, staff to welcome riders, and prizes to entice others to participate with more gusto. You are the “BYXE,” waiting for riders.

Our biggest thanks go to the City of Saskatoon, our partner in BYXE Week and its activities.

Be sure to save the dates of May 9 – 17, 2026, for Spring BYXE Week! We’ll be back with more opportunities to explore your city on two wheels (and win swag at the same time)!

Pedal Express Challenge 2025

It was a contest for the ages.

Two Pedal Express couriers squared off to see who could deliver the most packages by bicycle for the free service (operated by Saskatoon Cycles and financially supported by The Better Good) over the course of the year.

On the line: the victor would receive a lunch paid for by the “loser.”

Jason Hanson, the aged and doughy veteran, and Tyler Rittinger, the young and fit cyclocross phenom, were an unlikely match but Hanson’s semi-retired, no dependents lifestyle afforded him a schedule that kept him in the running. Despite falling far behind early and taking a month-long holiday in France, Hanson was able to claw his way back and in December was only three deliveries behind Rittinger.

When the holiday season hit, Hanson pounced. With Rittinger enjoying his vacation time and local Christmas purchases piling up, the wizened contender snagged a flurry of packages and blew past The Family Man in the last few days of the contest. Final tally:

Hanson – 24
Rittinger – 21

In a last-minute twist expected only by him, Hanson celebrated the win by treating his “opponent” to lunch, citing the hours of cycling Rittinger saved him by competing so aggressively.

Hanson and Rittinger are already stacking up the deliveries for this year’s contest, but they are aware that other strong contenders have joined the race. It may prove to be the most closely fought contest yet!

Who will be crowned The Pedal Express Champion for 2026? Stay tuned to find out!

Update on Millar and 51st Administration Reports

Director of Transportation Jay Magus and Councillor Randy Donauer

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation reviewed a number of reports related to traffic safety and active transportation in the city, notably:

Director of Transportation Jay Magus presented the reports to Committee and then fielded a number of questions regarding traffic operations, stakeholder engagement, safety, tree removal, and concerns related to driveway access. (Interestingly, no one brought up the importance of having walkable access to transit stops – there is currently no sidewalk along Millar.)

Recurring themes of opposition for the Millar and 51st intersection redesign were a) the loss of left turn access into McDonald’s and Tim Hortons and b) the apparent omission of the “Impact to Businesses” criteria in the overall project evaluation.

Mr. Magus correctly pointed out that the left turns across two lanes of traffic around the intersection were dangerous and contributed to many accidents in the area, and further clarified that the “Impact to Businesses” criteria had not been omitted from the report, but was a typo on one list (see below). The business criteria clearly remained a part of the evaluation, as noted on the graph on the following page of the report.

Despite Mr. Magus’s clarifications, the Committee expressed concern that the area businesses had not been adequately considered or consulted.

In the end, both reports were unanimously deferred, with the direction that: “…the Administration engage affected businesses in an effort to address their concerns, bring back a summary, and propose solutions.”

The good news is that these reports have not been rejected by the Committee, but rather delayed while the Administration is tasked with revisiting concerned businesses in the area yet again.

We highlighted these reports in our January newsletter and called for the cycling community to offer letters of support. Many of you did. Hopefully the broader community will have another chance to be heard when the reports come back after further consultation, and we can remind the Committee and Council that facts still matter, and concern for safety and accessibility for all citizens should always weigh more heavily on council than economic unknowns.

You can visit this Global News segment for a quick synopsis.

You can watch the SPCT meeting in its entirety here.

Traffic Smarts for Cyclists

We officially introduced our collaboration with the Center for Cycling Education back in May of 2025, but we want to remind people again of this affordable, easily accessible, and strategically beneficial “vehicular cycling” course that you can take at your own pace.

Using our discount code, the cost of the course is only $25. No matter your current proficiency on a bike, the material will have something for you, and if you don’t feel you’ve gained skills, there’s a 30 day money-back guarantee. There is zero risk to try out “Traffic Smarts for Cyclists.”

Our original pitch:

Whether you’re a rider with many years of experience, or someone planning to head out for the first time into traffic (or onto the Meewasin Trail), there is much to learn.

The Center for Cycling Education (The CCE) has a ‘Traffic Smarts for Cyclists’ online course that will add significantly to your tool kit, increasing your competence and comfort through innovative, effective, and enjoyable training.

Topics include:

Choosing & configuring your equipment
An explanation of the laws (and your rights)
Choosing your place on the road
Proper approaches to intersections (and how to trigger a traffic light)
And so much more.

(Here are some testimonials.)

Sample frame from the CCE “Traffic Smarts for Cyclists.”

Saskatoon Cycles has partnered with The CCE and we’ve arranged for a $10 discount for you.

More details on the course can be found here: saskatooncycles.org/traffic-smarts-for-cyclists/

Working with cycling instructors in both Canada and the United States, The CCE creates programs that exceed nationally recognized standards.

Cycling Data Collection

A Strava “heat map” showing active transportation volumes.

This is your reminder to connect with a couple of free apps that can help city planners and advocates get the robust data they need to inform their approach to better and safer cycling in Saskatoon.

Get Strava

Find out more about the Strava app at strava.com

Strava anonymizes the data from all users in an area and creates the Strava heatmap. Images from these heatmaps can be a powerful visual to show that there are cyclists and walkers using the streets all over Saskatoon (like this presentation on Circle Drive on Ave C). But we need as many cyclists as possible to be using this system!

2. Bookmark Bikemaps.org and report every time you have a cycling crash, a near-miss, see a cycling hazard, or have your bike stolen. (This is NOT meant to replace the calling of an ambulance or the police. Absolutely, do that first if it’s needed!!)

Bikemaps.org is a system that aims to catch as many as possible of the almost 70% of all cycling incidents or near misses that don’t get reported officially.

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles February 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles January 2026 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:30:46 +0000

Winter BYXE Week 2026

Winter BYXE Week 2026 is just around the corner!!

Saskatoon Cycles is excited to announce that we are once again partnering with the City of Saskatoon to bring you BYXE Week (pronounced “bikes week”).

These annual celebrations aim to promote and encourage cycling year-round by providing fun activities for everyone, whether they’re a seasoned veteran of cycling, a beginner, or just thinking about becoming a beginner.

We want to help everyone make cycling a part of their life. Ride a bike to work or school for a change of pace. Go for a long ride and work up a sweat just for fun. Explore your community and enjoy Saskatoon’s beautiful parks and trails with a loved one on a slow ride. Grab some groceries and skip the car.

BYXE Week might not change your life, but it could help you look at the world differently. We’ve been delivering BYXE Weeks with the City of Saskatoon for years and we’ve seen the smiles that come from people rediscovering their bikes, or trying a new adventure on their bikes. We’re looking forward to making 2026 more fun than ever, and maybe you’ll be similarly inspired!

You can find all the details on our Winter BYXE Week page, but some notable takeaways are here:

Winter BYXE Week runs from February 7 – 15, 2026
Winter Bike to Work Day is Thursday, February 12, 2026
The Scavenger Hunt (all week)
The BYXE Week Launch Slow Roll on February 7 (register to get treats!)
The Social Media Contest (all week)
The “Winter is Awesome” Slow Roll on February 14
Lots of great prizes up for grabs
and always more!

Save some dates and plan to participate in any way you can. For every person who gets involved, we spread more fun, become all the more visible, and amplify our collective desire for a safe, healthy city even more.

These celebrations are an invitation from the City of Saskatoon to make cycling a part (or a bigger part) of your life. Get out in the snow and show your community how it’s done!

Check out Winter BYXE Week info here!

Please note: some details on the BYXE Week page are subject to change. Watch for updates and new information regularly.

BYXE Week is a City of Saskatoon program.

Advocacy Action Alert – Comment DEADLINE Feb. 2!

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation (SPCT) will vote on three important infrastructure reports.

Make your voice heard by the deadline of 5PM Monday, February 2, 2026!

Our Action Alert page has all the information you need to send a comment or request to speak:

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A COMMENT OR REQUEST TO SPEAK

Saskatoon Cycles agrees with and supports the administration’s recommendations in these documents and is urging the SPCT to forward them to Saskatoon City Council discussion and voting. The reports:

51^st Street and Millar Avenue Intersection Improvement – A redesign of this problematic intersection has been developed to improve safety and operations for people walking, cycling, and driving at the intersection of 51st Street and Millar Avenue. Saskatoon Cycles is recommending Option C, which includes a better road configuration for traffic, pedestrian accessibility ramps, and a shared-use pathway on both sides of Millar Avenue.
Connecting Millar Avenue from 43^rd Street to Marquis Drive – Active Transportation Improvements – This project identifies active transportation improvements along Millar Avenue and connects the avenue to the new pedestrian/cycling railway crossing at Assiniboine Road. Saskatoon Cycles recommends “Functional Design Report Option 1” which would include shared-use pathways on both sides of Millar Avenue.
8^th Street at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Rail Grade Separation Evaluation – This report examines the grade separation options at the 8th Street and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail crossing in Saskatoon. These design options will provide a vital connection from the Brighton neighbourhood to the east end of 8th St. E, and both include consideration of active transportation users. Saskatoon Cycles supports either design.

Saskatoon Cycles is encouraging the SPCT to move all three recommended options forward to City Council.

Please submit your comments of support to the committee as well, using our handy Action Alert page! It will walk you through the process and provide a template letter to get you started!

Ice Cycle 2026

Saturday, January 24th, 2026 was a bitterly cold day, with temperatures between -25 and -30C (without windchill added), but it didn’t stop dozens of Saskatoon bike riders from coming out to have fun!

From 1PM to 5PM at Gather Local Market, participants had access to demo fat bikes from Bike Doctor, expert knowledge and advice from Bruce’s Cycle Works, food and beverages from the Gather vendors, prizes, activities, and a slow roll along the Meewasin/Broadway/University areas.

Despite the temperatures, foot traffic and enthusiasm was high for the event. Many attendees were curious, some were regular winter cyclists who still came out to chat but had a personal riding temperature red line of -15C, and others stopped only briefly as they continued pursuit of 150km for the Global Fat Viking Race! Participant ages ranged from 8 to 78. Local media outlets attended and interviewed a number of cyclists. Many litres of hot chocolate were consumed.

Our hearty thanks go out to everyone who braved the crisp weather to participate, our amazing volunteers Garret and Anne, Gather Local Market, additional prize donors Doug’s Spoke N Sport and Turning the Tide, Shea and Chris, and the City of Saskatoon for their WinterCityYXE Grant.

Your Saskatoon Cycles Board

On Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 the newly minted Saskatoon Cycles volunteer board of directors met to strategize for the coming year. We weren’t surprised at our conclusion: there’s a lot to do!

We have major, well established programs that will need steady hands again this season:

Bike Valet (free bike parking at events)
Keep Rolling (cycling instruction and equipment for newcomers and new riders)
Pedal Express (bicycle delivery service)

And we have new and existing projects that we plan on strengthening throughout the year:

Advocacy with the City of Saskatoon to advance better, safer cycling infrastructure
The “Bike Bank” (a collaboration with Bridge City Bicycle Co-operative to make more bikes accessible to more people)
Promoting Traffic Smarts for Cyclists (a collaboration with The Center for Cycling Education)
SafeConnect (campaign for a baseline network of active transportation routes)
Ongoing networking and community building with other great local organizations and businesses
and much more to come

Saskatoon Cycles is proud of the work we’ve done since our inception in 2010, but we’re not resting on past accomplishments; there is always more to do.

We hope to have your ongoing support as we continue forward with our vision of “a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages, confidence levels, and abilities.”

New Board of Directors Spotlight: Stephanie Siemens

As a non-profit, Saskatoon Cycles relies heavily on the efforts of its volunteer board. Our Board of Directors bring a range of perspectives and skill sets to the organization, contributing what they can without pay or very much glory. At our AGM on November 13, 2025 Stephanie Siemens joined our Board. Allow us to introduce her!

Q: Why do you ride a bike?
Most often it serves the very practical purpose of getting from A to B; be it for work, groceries, volunteer activities, socializing, etc. I don’t own a car, so biking year-round is my go-to. But if the question were about why I like riding my bike, the list would be endless! Riding my bike makes me feel good. The movement is good for my mental health, as is the fresh air. It is cheap and aligns with my values of respecting and caring for the earth. It also reinforces my relationship to the earth and my community. I get to take in my environment as a participant in that environment when I’m on a bike, rather than being boxed in and separate from it. I feel accomplished when I arrive places, I feel alive and energized. Getting from A to B on a bike never feels like some annoying thing that is a necessary evil. Rather, it is enjoyable.

Q: Why did you decide to run for the board?
I don’t know if I so much ran for the board, as I was asked to join. But I agreed to let my name stand because I wanted to be part of the good work the organization does. I’ve benefited from the work of Saskatoon Cycles for years, and I found that in this season of life I have capacity to give back. Also, the other people on the board seemed really cool. Who doesn’t wanna hang out and do good things with cool people who understand the love and the struggles of being a cyclist in our fair city?

Q: How would you describe cycling in Saskatoon to someone new to the city?
Depends. Saskatoon is small and generally flat, this makes for easy riding! Unfortunately, the lack of safe infrastructure often leaves cyclists vulnerable to the whims and ignorance of motorists. This can be really scary. My therapist and I talk about my cycling experiences a lot (:-) . BUT! It is absolutely doable to ride around Saskatoon, and with a little planning, it is worth it and enjoyable.
Of course, if you exclusively ride for recreation, then zero complaints. The Meewasin does a great job of keeping the riverside paths enjoyable to ride all year-round, and it is a beautiful way to enjoy the river valley.

Q: If you could make one change to the cycling experience in Saskatoon overnight, what would it be?
Well-protected bike lanes everywhere would be the ideal, wouldn’t it? Short of that, I heard-say someone once suggested that every 4th street in the city should be bike and pedestrian-only street. I like that idea too.
Maybe those dreams are too big though. I guess if I could be confident that everyone in a motor vehicle would respect cyclists and their right to use the road safely, that’d be nice.

Q: Do you have any favourite cycling rides or routes in or around Saskatoon?
I love riding anywhere with other people. It’s a powerful thing to do something you love with others who also love it. The feeling of not being alone on the road makes every ride with friends my favourite ride.

Q: When you’re not cycling, what are your favourite activities?
In the summer I love going camping off my motorcycle. I know, I know, I just raved about loving cycling, and now I’m listing being on a motorcycle as one of my favourite activities. I love both (:-)! It’s just that I can get a lot further on two wheels that have a motor, ya know?
I also help lead a Girl Guides unit, which brings me so much joy.
Being involved in social circles that value social justice and community building is another important way I spend my time.

Memberships!

If you like the work we’re doing, you should consider becoming a member. It’s easy to sign up, there is a range of affordable price options, and you’ll instantly be a part of something that matters.

When you become a member of Saskatoon Cycles, you help us advocate for new, expanded, or better places to ride throughout the city. We engage at City Hall with both elected officials and administration staff to keep active transportation issues on the front burner with a steady, constructive voice. The more members contributing to that voice, the more clout we have.

By joining Saskatoon Cycles, you also connect to activities and programs that educate, support, and encourage more people to ride and enjoy the freedom of being on a bicycle. There is strength in numbers at every level of our work.

Check out our membership page and get on board! We’d love to have you as part of the team making Saskatoon a safer, easier, more fun place to ride.

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles January 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles December 2025 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 18:09:30 +0000

Gratitude for Giving Tuesday 2025!

The heartiest of thank you’s to the great cycling community that stepped up to support us during Giving Tuesday 2025! Your generosity is both validating and practical; it affirms we’re putting our energy in programs that resonate with our membership AND it provides the resources we need to execute those programs. We thank you so much.

2025 was an incredibly busy year for Saskatoon Cycles. Our Bike Valet parked another 3000+ bikes at summer festivals, the Keep Rolling program provided cycling education and skills to over 100 newcomers (and bikes and accessories to many), and our delivery of the BYXE Weeks with the City of Saskatoon engaged hundreds of people in various cycling activities. We held the second Ride for Your Life bicycle safety rally in June. Our Tune-Up Tent serviced over 100 bikes at various events. Our volunteer Pedal Express delivery service hit record numbers again. Our advocacy presence was steady at any community information session or open house that dealt with active transportation, access, and safety issues.

We’re looking forward to another exciting and productive year in 2026. We’ll again be running our slow rolls every month from our new meeting place at Gather Local Market. We’re going to be pushing hard to build our “Bike Bank” partnership with the Bridge City Bicycle Co-operative so that everyone who needs a bike will have access to one. We’ll be running our regular programming and looking for more ways to expand Saskatoon’s imagination when it comes to bike culture and infrastructure. And through it all, we’ll be engaging city administration, our members, and the general public to make our city more “liveable”.

The engine that keeps all of this running is YOU, so we hope you’ll join us in 2026 as we continue to work and play hard!

Again, we thank you!

Ice Cycle 2026 – January 24th

For the first time since 2023, Saskatoon Cycles will be hosting the ICE CYCLE, an event designed to introduce riders of any skill level to winter cycling, offer expertise and support for those trying it out, and provide a warm social event to everyone who is willing to brave the lower temperatures on two wheels.

This year’s ICE CYCLE will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Gather Local Market, from 1PM to 5PM. It will feature:

demo fat bikes from Bike Doctor and others
winter cycling experts from Bruce’s Cycle Works and Saskatoon Cycles
a “slow roll” ride at 2PM
random draws for prizes
free Gather refreshment tickets
a commemorative Ice Cycle 2026 sticker
fun and fellowship

PLEASE NOTE: you are welcome to come and go anytime during the ICE CYCLE event to learn about winter cycling and try out a demo bike (while available), but you MUST register to be eligible for prize entries, refreshment tickets, sticker, or a demo bike for the slow roll.

Our thanks to the City of Saskatoon’s WintercityYXE Micro-Grant for making this event possible.

BYXE Weeks Coming In 2026!

We’re very excited to announce that we’ll be partnering again with the City of Saskatoon to deliver the BYXE Weeks in February and May of 2026!

You can look forward to more fun activities and challenges to augment your usual cycling habits, introduce you to new routes, potentially win great swag, and celebrate every aspect of getting around on two wheels, in both a winter and spring session.

Watch for more details in the new year, and make sure your bike is ready for adventure!

Center for Cycling Education

We officially introduced our collaboration with the Center for Cycling Education back in May, but we want to remind people of this affordable, easily accessible, and strategically beneficial “vehicular cycling” course that you can take at your own pace.

With our discount code, the cost of the course is only $25. No matter your experience on a bike, the material will have something for you, and if you don’t feel you’ve gained skills, there’s a 30 day money-back guarantee. There is zero risk to try out “Traffic Smarts for Cyclists”.

Our original pitch:

Whether you’re a rider with many years of experience, or someone planning to head out for the first time into traffic (or onto the Meewasin Trail), there is much to learn.

Topics include:

Choosing & configuring your equipment
An explanation of the laws (and your rights)
Choosing your place on the road
Proper approaches to intersections (and how to trigger a traffic light)
And so much more.

(Here are some testimonials.)

Sample frame from the CCE “Traffic Smarts for Cyclists”.

Saskatoon Cycles has partnered with The CCE and we’ve arranged for a $10 discount for you.

More details on the course can be found here: saskatooncycles.org/traffic-smarts-for-cyclists/

Working with cycling instructors in both Canada and the United States, The CCE creates programs that exceed nationally recognized standards.

Cycling Data Building

Every now and again, we like to remind local cyclists to connect with a couple of free apps that can help city planners and advocates get the robust data they need to inform their approach to better and safer cycling in Saskatoon.

Get Strava

Find out more about the Strava app at strava.com

Strava anonymizes the data from all users in an area and creates the Strava heatmap. Images from these heatmaps can be a powerful visual to show that there are cyclists and walkers using the streets all over Saskatoon (like this presentation on Circle Drive on Ave C). But we need as many cyclists as possible to be using this system!

2. Bookmark Bikemaps.org and report every time you have a cycling crash, a near-miss, see a cycling hazard, or have your bike stolen. (This is NOT meant to replace the calling of an ambulance or the police. Absolutely, do that first if it’s needed!!)

Bikemaps.org is a system that aims to catch as many as possible the almost 70% of all cycling incidents or near misses that don’t get reported officially.

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles December 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles November 2025 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:04:12 +0000

Giving Tuesday Is Coming and We Need Your Help

Next Tuesday, December 2, is Giving Tuesday, and Saskatoon Cycles is ready to make our biggest ask of the year.

Here’s why: Our new mayor and new city councillors are deliberating on the next two years of Saskatoon budget . We have an uphill climb to advocate for more SafeConnect connections. Continuous, protected bikeways and multi use paths connecting neighbourhoods throughout Saskatoon.

This year we had some successes:

3,100+ bikes parked at the Bike Valet
The Munroe Bikeway opened (we advocated for this!)
The CN Railway crossing finally closed a dangerous gap (and this!)
Our Ride for Your Life drew hundreds in memory of Natasha Fox

But advocacy alone isn’t enough. We’re also working to get more people ON bikes safely, especially those in equity deserving communities.

Through Keep Rolling, our learn to ride program, we’re teaching people how to cycle safely as well as providing them with helmets and locks. Our next important piece is to build a Bike Bank so we can give bikes to those who can’t afford them. Those bikes will come from Bridge City Bicycle Coop in a partnership that strengthens both organizations.

With your financial donations we will purchase bikes, locks and helmets and get as many folks rolling as possible!

Your gift on Giving Tuesday funds both: amplifying your voice at City Hall AND removing barriers to cycling for everyone in our community.

Mark your calendar for December 2. Every dollar counts.

Pedal forward with us.

You can donate here: saskatooncycles.org/giving-tuesday/

Active Transportation Plan Survey – Deadline Dec. 3

Important news!

Saskatoon’s “Active Transportation Plan” (ATP) was developed and approved in 2016 to “provide more choices for moving around Saskatoon by addressing our community and infrastructure needs for cycling, walking and other modes of active transportation.” Since then, it has provided the framework that has informed the city’s development of new routes, improved crossings, and increased “shelf-ready” plans for future expansion.

Progress hasn’t been fast, easy, or consistent, but the goals of the ATP have helped move the city forward. Now, it’s time to update The Plan, and the city wants to hear from all of you!

From the city’s ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE SURVEY:

This plan update will:

Build on what’s already working
Address emerging challenges and opportunities
Keep us moving toward the long-term vision established in 2016, a city where walking, cycling, and rolling are safe, convenient, and comfortable options for everyone.

Make your opinion count, and be a part of the city’s engagement work! The more people that voice their concerns and priorities, the more confidence administration and council will have to keep building better transportation infrastructure!

The Survey is open until December 3, 2025.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE SURVEY

Thank you for making yourself heard!

Connecting 19th St. East Improvements – Public Input

Speaking of getting engaged in transportation infrastructure, the City of Saskatoon is also looking for input on proposed changes to 19th Street East (from Avenue A South to 4th Avenue South). That’s correct: ANOTHER opportunity to tell the city what you think about cycling and pedestrian safety and more fully accessible streets!

For this public input invitation, you have two ways to get involved:

Community Information Session
Join us to learn more about the future of cycling facilities along 19th Street East. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback about the proposed design.
Date: Thursday, December 4th, 2025
Time: 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Place: Gather Local Market (414 Avenue B S, Saskatoon, SK)

Online Questionnaire
Click here to complete the online questionnaire for the Connecting 19th Street East: Cycling and Public Realm Improvements project.

The questionnaire will be open until December 18th, 2025

We think these proposals would offer a dramatic improvement to this often congested stretch of traffic, and would help safely connect people from the south-west block of the city to the downtown and Broadway districts. Let the city know what YOU think!

“Winter Riding” Slow Roll – November 29

We’ll be dusting off the winter bikes, testing out cooler weather layers, and bringing some human warmth to this latest casual, all-ages ride!

Gather Local Market is our new default rendezvous, so before and after the ride you’ll have access to washrooms, a wide variety of food and drinks, and a place to sit indoors if the mood strikes.

Join us!

Saturday, November 29, 2025

2:00PM departure time

Check out our Slow Roll Calendar to help you plan for future rides!

Save the Date! ICE CYCLE – January 24, 2026!

We are planning a BIG Ice Cycle event early next year!

Mark this date on your calendar right now: January 24th, 2026!

There will be treats. There will be a warm-up space. There will be prizes. There will be many more details to come. For now, just keep that afternoon available for some winter riding fun and STAY TUNED!

New T-shirts in the Shop!

Just in time for holiday gifts or end of season personal splurging, our new Saskatoon Cycles T-shirts are ready for purchase!

These Bella + Canvas 3001CVC shirts are a light, soft, comfortable blend of 52% cotton and 48% polyester so you can look and feel great while you’re showing off your support for Saskatoon Cycles. You can choose from either full-chest logo or over-heart logo options.

That’s not all. This new line of shirts is entirely sourced and screened by our friends at the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op through their T-shirt program, so every purchase helps support TWO community non-profit organizations at once!

Visit our online store for these and other Saskatoon Cycles branded wearable items!

ONLINE STORE LINK HERE

Pedal Express Challenge Update

It’s down to the final month. Two fierce competitors have pulled away from the pack. Who will show the most grit and determination in the last stretch??

The Pedal Express Challenge (for most packages delivered in 2025) looked for most of the year to be a foregone conclusion, with the juggernaut Tyler Rittinger building a formidable lead against last year’s title holder, Jason Hanson. But the weather has turned colder, Rittinger has been forced back to his full time job, and Hanson has clawed back to within reach of his younger, fitter, and more technically adept opponent.

The current standings:

Tyler – 21 deliveries
Jason – 16 deliveries
Dark Horse 1 – 7 deliveries
Dark Horse 2 – 6 deliveries

The final weeks of the year will likely see an increase in activity, with all eight participating Pedal Express store partners gearing up for a busy holiday season. Anything could still happen in this race. If you’ve got a favourite, be sure to send your warmest overt or subliminal best wishes this month!

The post Saskatoon Cycles November 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles October 2025 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:46:32 +0000

Annual General Meeting

Our Saskatoon Cycles Annual General Meeting is for all members and will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 7:00pm on Google Meet. This is a great opportunity to join us as we review the past year, and look ahead to the year to come.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE AGM

Items of business that take place at our AGM are:

Review and approval of the 2024/25 Financials
Review and acceptance of the 2024/25 Board Report
Election of the 2025/26 Board of Directors
An Opportunity to Ask Questions and Stay Informed

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE AGM

Munroe Avenue Bikeway – Survey

If you’ve used and appreciated the new 30km bikeway on Munroe Avenue, you won’t be alone. The city’s first “rapid deployment” project (using readily available and relatively inexpensive materials, such as signs, pavement markings, and temporary rubber curbs) links the U of S campus to the 14th Street bikeway and creates a more bike-friendly connection for this high traffic area.

The City of Saskatoon is seeking feedback on the new infrastructure, and you can voice your opinion until November 4! We encourage everyone to weigh in and let the city know that they’re on the right track toward creating a good baseline network of safer cycling infrastructure.

CLICK HERE TO DO THE MUNROE BIKEWAY SURVEY

Link Rapid Transit on 1st Avenue – Survey

A healthy and modern city’s transportation mix includes strong public transit. Saskatoon is in the process of transforming its system into the “Link” rapid transit, with big changes in the works.

We advocate primarily for better, safer cycling, but we’re also excited to see constructive changes that ensures more people have access to efficient transportation. If you haven’t heard about some of these developments, check out the designs for 1st Avenue North here.

The City of Saskatoon wants to hear from you on these plans, and you can let them know what you think until November 6.

CLICK HERE TO DO THE LINK – 1ST AVENUE SURVEY

Cumberland and 14th Street Video

In last month’s newsletter, we highlighted the intersection of Cumberland Avenue South and 14th Street East, where the City of Saskatoon had installed new infrastructure designed to facilitate the transition from cycling on-street to shared-use path (or the other way around).

We decided to shoot a little explainer video to help solicit feedback. Check it out and let us know what you think of the city’s design at hello@saskatooncycles.org.

Bike Valet 2025 – Final Numbers

The 2025 Bike Valet season wrapped up with the conclusion of the Ride for Refuge event on October 4, 2025.

This year was AMAZING: we parked over 3100 bikes at 17 different venues , using 547 volunteer hours. The scale of operations was unlike anything we’ve seen since long before the onset of Covid-19: more venues, more valets on the same day, more volunteers required, more staff required. While the total number of bikes parked was not a record, the scope of our presence made 2025 a year to remember.

We offer a huge round of applause and thanks to our coordinator Jory, and key contractors Darren and Arika for providing reliable oversight for all of the venues. The Bike Valet also wouldn’t exist without the over 80 individual volunteers who donated so much of their time this year; their ongoing generosity is heartwarming and humbling. We held a wrap-up party at Pokeys Pinball Cafe this year as a gesture of thanks, but it’s impossible to thank our volunteer team enough.

A final sincere acknowledgement goes out to the City of Saskatoon for their support through the annual Environmental Grant. The funding provided this year allowed us to expand our services and cushioned some unexpected expenses, allowing us to stay focused on the job. We are very thankful for the city’s assistance.

Keep Rolling 2025

Our cycling skills and safety program for (mostly) newcomers, Keep Rolling, had its most successful season in 2025, with over 175 participants! We collaborated with Global Gathering Place, the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association, and the Saskatoon Open Door Society again this year, and expanded the service to other community groups and individuals who were seeking cycling instruction.

As much as our capacity allowed, we also provided free bikes and equipment (locks, helmets, bells) to those for whom cost is a barrier, thanks in part to the generosity of people involved with the Bridge City Bicycle Cooperative.

The program this year was managed by our dynamo board member Jory and was funded in large part by a Sask Lotteries Community Grant. We send sincere thanks to Jory for another great job and are extremely grateful for Sask Lotteries for helping us bring this service to the community. It would not have anywhere near the impact without the support of this grant.

Pedal Express Challenge

The Pedal Express Challenge continues to roll on, but most observers have concluded that the race is all but over. Tyler “T-800” Rittinger, who launched to an early lead in the spring, has managed to maintain a healthy distance from his nearest rival, Jason “Grandpa” Hanson.

Still, over two months of deliveries are left in the year, and those analysts who have followed the race the closest insist there is still room for an upset. Some have pointed to a late surge by some “Dark Horse” couriers, and Hanson himself has vowed to keep going “until the clocks strikes midnight on December 31st”.

Here are the current standings. Who do you think will prevail?

Tyler – 20 deliveries
Jason – 12 deliveries
Dark Horse 1 – 7 deliveries
Dark Horse 2 – 6 deliveries

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles October 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Saskatoon Cycles September 2025 Newsletter

Saskatoon Cycles — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:05:13 +0000

Ride to Wanuskewin – Sept. 30

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. We’re going on a cycling adventure to take part in Wanuskewin Heritage Park’s day of events, including a bannock bake, hide making, story sharing, beading, music, and more. Join us for this important national statutory holiday !

The details:

ride leaves Gather Local Market at 8:30AM
distance is approx 17km, one way (34km round trip)
route will be exclusively on Meewasin/Trans Canada Trail mixed-use paths
events begin at Wanuskewin at 10AM
admission to the park is by donation
ride pace to be determined by group (no guarantee of arrival on time for opening remarks)
there is no fixed return group ride (you’re free to leave at your discretion)
bike rack space is limited on site; bring appropriate bike security gear (extended cable, etc.)
it’s a great day to wear an orange shirt if you have one!

We want this ride to be engaging and enjoyable for participants, but we also recognize the cultural and historical significance of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada and the emotional weight that it carries for many.

Whether you can join this ride, we encourage our membership to learn about Truth and Reconciliation and what it means to our country, the land, and its people.

Ride for Refuge 2025 – Oct. 4

The Ride for Refuge is a family-friendly fundraising ride/walk where people gather for local charities that support people who are seeking hope, safety, and freedom all across Canada.

At the time of writing, the local Saskatoon ride is at 92% of its fundraising goal for 2025, with proceeds going to Global Gathering Place. Saskatoon Cycles is once again part of the effort to meet and EXCEED that goal and we’d LOVE to have you get involved!

We’ve entered a team in the cycling event and you can join us for a 10k or 20k ride on October 4, AND/OR you can donate to the team and its riders. CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT OUR TEAM PAGE

The Ride for Refuge 2025 is also our last Bike Valet venue of the year, so we’re hoping to have an AMAZING turnout for the ride.

Bike Valet 2025 Update

The Bike Valet season is rapidly coming to a close. With only one venue left to service, we’re starting to look back with fondness at what we’ve accomplished, while also looking forward to a much deserved rest.

What a year it’s been! We opened a Bike Valet operation 38 times, using over 500 volunteer hours, and parking over 3000 bikes! For the first time in the Valet’s history, we had multiple days with two separate venues running at the same time. Truly, a feat of organizing and execution that we had not anticipated at the beginning of the year!

It cannot be stated enough times: our volunteers are the lifeblood of the Bike Valet, and we thank them to the ends of the earth. They give up their time, often on weekends and evenings, so that others can ride their bikes and enjoy the musical and artistic festivities that our city has to offer. (Our Bike Valet shifts are FUN, make no mistake, but it takes a special kind of person to regularly choose bike parking over big performances!)

So, thanks, volunteers!

Want to try out a shift before the 2025 valet season is officially over? Click the link below.

2025.10.04 :: Ride For Refuge

New Infrastructure Alert!

At the intersection of Cumberland Avenue South and 14th Street East, the City of Saskatoon has recently installed new infrastructure designed to facilitate the transition from cycling on-street to shared-use path, or vice versa.

The ramped curb extensions on 14th Street (eastbound direction seen inside the cones on the above photo) are intended to reduce traffic speed on turns, reduce the time it takes people to cross on foot, and provide a “refuge” space for cyclists who wish to make the deliberate change from roadway to pathway.

A cyclist heading east on the 14th Street Bikeway and wanting to move into the shared-use path beyond Cumberland *could* utilize the ramped curb extension and stop, wait for the light to change, and then walk their bike to the north side of the street. They would then do the same to cross Cumberland before entering the shared-use path and re-mounting their bike.

A cyclist heading west *could* walk across Cumberland in the crosswalk, mount their bicycle on the “refuge” ramped extension, and then merge onto road traffic into the 14th Street Bikeway when they feel safe to do so.

The option to remain on the roadway of 14th Street is also always a legal option for cyclists.

What do you think of this infrastructure design? Does it offer an additional sense of security in a busy intersection? Is it too confusing or cumbersome to be helpful? We’re interested in getting feedback from riders who frequent that area. Let us know at hello@saskatooncycles.org

Donate

Your donations give us the resources to press toward a Saskatoon where cycling is a viable, year-round mode of transportation that is safe, convenient, and comfortable for all ages.

Your donation helps us work on these three ‘pillars’ of cycling development for Saskatoon:

Infrastructure – A safe, convenient, comfortable, and well-maintained cycling network throughout the city that allows cyclists to go from every neighbourhood to key destinations.
Ridership – Educate, encourage, and promote cycling so more people choose bicycles as a convenient and safe transportation option year round.
Culture – Educate, encourage, and promote diversity in ridership with respectful inclusion of all modes of transportation.

Please Donate Today

The post Saskatoon Cycles September 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Saskatoon Cycles.

Nuit Blanche XYE Glow Roll 2025 – Sept. 20th

Saskatoon Cycles — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 02:59:14 +0000

If you’ve ever joined one of our slow rolls and thought “what if this was at night AND a tour to see amazing art”, the Nuit Blanche Glow Roll is for you!

Nuit Blanche is a free night-time contemporary arts festival featuring projections, sculptural installations, performance, music, theatre, and other contemporary art forms that wow festival-goers late into the evening. It’s celebrated in cities all over the world, and Saskatoon has participated since 2014.

For the past few years, Saskatoon Cycles has been invited to be “part of the art”: a moving festival of lights and human powered transportation. We get to tour the festival AND add to the fun!

The Glow Roll is a slow and easy ride through Nuit Blanche. Many of the streets and paths around the festival are opened up for exclusively for walking and/or cycling, so you get to focus on the art instead of worrying about traffic.

Details for Glow Roll 2025:

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: Ride starts at 7:15PM (early arrival is recommended)
Location: 5 Corners Intersection (Broadway Ave and 12th Street E)
Nuit Blanche and Saskatoon Cycles representatives will provide an event welcome and overview
Helmets are recommended, and we expect cyclists to be courteous and to yield to people walking through the festival
Some installations are indoors; PLEASE bring a lock to ensure your bicycle is secured if you are visiting indoor art, even if it is “just for a second”
You’re strongly encouraged to “light up your bike” in whatever festive way you can. Affordable fairy lights or other shiny bling can usually be found at big box stores, or you can bring your own bright inventions
The festival runs from 7PM – midnight; you’re welcome to leave or join the tour at any point

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience your city in a totally different light!

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