5th Annual Tour de Mississauga, 2012
Planning is underway for the 5th Annual Tour de Mississauga, 2012. It will concentrate on providing a top-notch cycling experience in Mississauga’s south-east quadrant.
SAVE THE DATE! SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012, with rides leaving MISSISSAUGA CELEBRATION SQUARE starting at 8:00 a.m.
The Tour De Mississauga attracts cyclists of all abilities from all around the region and is growing every year. Mississauga has an abundance of cycling trails and routes to discover. Cyclists of any age or ability, on any kind of bike (including electric assist), are welcome to participate in this non-competitive cycling tour which celebrates its 5th Anniversary in 2012. All routes leave from the Tour’s home venue, Mississauga Celebration Square, and this year we are exploring the SE quadrant of the City. Departures are staggered by route, starting at 8:00 a.m. rain or shine.
POSTCARD: ► Click image to view POSTCARD (2p PDF).
2012 ROUTES: All new! This year, the Tour de Mississauga routes will focus on the South-East quadrant of the City. This is the next quadrant in a four year cycle to explore the entire City by bike! The most popular course, the 60 km ‘Signature’ ride, features the best off-road trails and on-road cycling routes available throughout SE Mississauga. The shorter 30 km ‘Family’ route is growing rapidly in participation. And the 100 km road-only ‘Challenge’ ride is strongly supported by roadies and also has a brand new route which covers different parts of the City with a SE focus. All routes have “get-back quick” options which allow you to customize your route for 15, 20, 40 or 75 km distances as well. Maps and directions will be posted online prior to the event.
THIS IS NOT A RACE – THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION! Come out and see what you’ve been missing — learn a great route you can ride again and again and enjoy all of Mississauga’s hidden gems; plus – it’s a great way to meet other cyclists from all over the City and beyond! Bike clubs and corporate groups are welcome – compete online to get the most registered participants from your club or company! Mississauga IS Cycling!
SOUTHEAST ROUTES: Ride the City’s newest trails including freshly-completed sections of the Burnhamthorpe Trail at City Centre and the showcase Queensway Trail. Learn on-road bike routes and discover the all-important connections. See the latest changes in the City’s urban skyline including the newly opened 55-storey ‘Marilyn Monroe’ building. This year the Tour highlights the popular Cooksville Creek Trail, the Mississauga Valley Trail, the Applewood Trail, and the world-renowned Waterfront Trail which provides breathtaking vistas of Lake Ontario. We will ride along both the Etobicoke Creek and the Credit River. Heritage landmarks such as the Small Arms Building and the Adamson Estate in Lakeview are featured. The new ‘Familia’ 9-piece sculpture installation in Port Credit will be a memorable rest stop. See local community centres, public art and gardens and many distinctive neighbourhoods — get to know the City! Tunnels, bridges, natural areas and urban pavements: these routes have got it all for cyclists to explore!
REGISTRATION: Registration is FREE. Register online beginning in Spring 2012. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Tour T-shirts are also available for sale with registration. Special Tour cycling jerseys were a sell-out on the Tour date last year, and will be offered again this year, starting in advance of the event.
SPONSORS: Sponsors and exhibitors will provide SWAG, special offers and items for a Raffle Draw and other prizes. On-site bike mechanics from Mississauga’s top bike shops will assist riders at the Celebration Square venue and via mobile services en route. DEADLINE for sponsorship requests: May 1, 2012. ► Click to download the 2012 Sponsorship Agreement (3p PDF).
BBQ: A free BBQ will be held for all riders at the Tour’s end, compliments of the Region of Peel (a valued Tour Partner) as part of their promotion of active transportation and healthy lifestyle choices. Refreshment stands and rest stops along the way. Draws and presentations at 1:00 p.m. – all back at the exciting Mississauga Celebration Square.
The Tour de Mississauga is organized by the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC). For more information, please contact: contact@mississaugacycling.ca
For fast access from your mobile device, go to: www.bikem.ca/tour.
4th Annual Tour de Mississauga, 2011
A record number of riders took part — click for our feature article!
NOTE: The 5th annual Tour de Mississauga will take place on Sunday, September 16, 2012. See you then!
WHO WON THE FREE DRAWS at the BBQ? See the top of our Sponsors webpage for the names of the 14 winners and their prizes!
POST-TOUR BENEFITS: Please check out our Sponsors webpage to find out what additional benefits they are offering. Take your 2011 Tour de Mississauga bike plate into the sponsors’ locations to be entitled to the discounts/special offers they have indicated.
The Tour de Mississauga takes place annually on the third Sunday in September. THIS IS NOT A RACE – THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION! Cyclists of any age (recommended 10+) or ability, on any kind of bike (including electric assist), are welcome to participate in this non-competitive cycling tour. Discover Mississauga’s hidden gems that you can only see by bike! Click here (or image) for full-sized 2011 POSTER. Visit our Sponsors webpage to learn more about our generous sponsors, as listed on our poster!
Once again this year, Meadowvale Bicycle Service will be riding the Family route on their tandem bike to assist with minor bikes repairs along the way.
PENNY FARTHINGS: What were they thinking? This century-old bicycle design has not stood the test of time, but the local Wheelmen group will have at least one rider at the Tour to lead off. Want to see what’s entailed to ride such a contraption? YouTube provides plenty of videos, including: How to mount a penny farthing. No brakes, no gears. Lots of other (hilarious) videos to watch.
The 4th Annual Tour de Mississauga cycling adventure takes place:
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 2011.
TIMES: There will be staggered starts with each route leaving at a different time. 100km leaves at 8:00 a.m. 60km leaves at 8:30 a.m. 30km leaves at 9:30 a.m. PLEASE ARRIVE AN HOUR BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE TIME ON THE EVENT DAY. Arrive 1/2 hour before your departure time if you have picked up your Registration Package the day before (recommended).
PRE-PICKUP: You are strongly encouraged to pick up your Registration Package the day before the event i.e. on Saturday, September 17 @ 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Mississauga Celebration Square, at the Glass Pavilion, attached to the Central Library. You will receive your map, bike plate, etc. The brand-new Tour jerseys will be available for sale on the pick-up date, and on the day of the Tour. CASH ONLY PLEASE AND EXACT CHANGE IF POSSIBLE. Yes, someone can pick-up for you if they have your registration receipt.
COST: FREE! Note that this also applies to non-Mississauga residents, and the normal waiting period or surcharge for non-Mississauga residents does not apply to this City-sponsored event. Participation in the Tour, and BBQ lunch for all riders, are both included with the free registration.
MINIMUM AGE as of Tour day: 10 years (recommended). All minors 16 years and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All riders need to register separately.
WAIVER: All registrants must accept the City’s standard participation waiver which is viewable upon registration.
E-MAIL UPDATES: Registrant e-mails will be sent periodic updates about the Tour event and related cycling events sponsored by MCAC.
MEDIA COVERAGE:
► Mississauga News article (August 10, 2011): Get on your bike and ride.
► Mississauga Life article (September 2011): Tour de Mississauga. (2p; illustrated with 2010 Tour riders and scenes from the 2011 routes)
► Mississauga News opinion column (Sept. 6, 2011): Vote with your wheels.
STARTS and ENDS at: Mississauga Celebration Square, 300 City Centre Drive (click for map). The Tour is the last event of the Summer and the water feature will still be open – dip your feet in after your ride – but no bikes allowed in the fountain! We’re going to have picnic tables all over the place and special bike racks brought into the venue (courtesy of Tour for Kids) so lock ‘em up while you enjoy the post-Tour happenings. A nice mellow time for cyclists to hang out after the rides, eat BBQ (including gluten-free options), browse the exhibits, enjoy live rock ‘n’ roll music and the company of fellow cyclists. We’re planning an aerial photo of all the cyclists and bikes in the Square, so…. BE THERE! The City’s LIVE WEBCAM shows the water feature to the north and the “field” and stage to the south (wait for the image to change) – now picture it full of bikes!
PARKING: FREE underground parking under the Central Library.
ORGANIZED by: Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC).
CONTACT: contact@mississaugacycling.ca
VOTE WITH YOUR WHEELS: By participating in the Tour, participants can vote with their wheels for a bike-friendly City. As the Tour grows, so does biking visibility and the impetus for more road and trail improvements. Construction/upgrades are underway on key parts of the 2011 Tour routes even as you read this! So, come out, enjoy our City, meet others in a relaxed event and vote with your wheels for more cycling infrastructure. For example….
ROUTE PREVIEW: MCAC volunteers were out since late Winter, scouting routes for the 2011 Tour through the north-east quadrant and taking photos.
Click to view the PHOTO ALBUM: Etobicoke Creek Trail (66p PDF — may take a few seconds to download), which shows the adventure in store on the 30km and 60km routes, along with some MCAC comments.
Note the 50m ‘land portage’. Note also that the Edward Scarlett Park leg of the Trail was simply a meadow back in the Spring, and cyclists had to ride along a truck rut — trail construction has been proceeding all Summer, to prepare for the Tour riders! Apart from 2 inclines (walk your bike if you like) the route is fairly flat. HYBRID BIKES are fine to handle the trail.
The 100km route is on this trail for only 1km, and road bikes can handle that portion, as noted on the 100km map.
JERSEYS: ** NEW ** Tour cycling jersey (right) will be available in limited quantities, for sale on the registration pick-up date (Sat. Sept. 17 @ 10 am – 2 pm) at Mississauga Celebration Square, at the Glass Pavilion, attached to the Central Library, and on Tour Day at Celebration Square. CASH ONLY PLEASE AND EXACT CHANGE IF POSSIBLE. UPDATE, SEPT. 17 — SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES and almost sold out. WOW.
DONATE YOUR OLD BIKES: MCAC has connected with a philanthropic project to collect old bikes, train youth to repair them and then donate them around the globe to folks who need a bike to get to water, to work, to education and to health care. The bicycle is a powerful mode of transportation to individuals around the world. Your donated bicycle will be distributed to organizations where youth are gaining the skills and experience in repairing bicycles which will then be distributed to those in need. And meanwhile…. the old bikes are out of your garage! It’s a WIN WIN WIN situation! Please help us support this project. Ideally, plan to bring your old bikes to Celebration Square on Saturday, September 17 (registration package pick-up day @ 10am – 2pm at the Glass Pavilion) and put them in the U-Haul truck donated for the purpose. We’ll also have the truck there on Tour Day (Sun. Sept. 18) as well to collect your bike donations. LET’S FILL THE TRUCK WITH BIKES, and provide others in need with the joy and freedom of owning their own bike! Click for full MCAC article.
BBQ: A FREE BBQ will be held for all riders at Mississauga Celebration Square at the Tour’s end, compliments of the Region of Peel, which is promoting active transportation and lifestyle choices. Click for the Region of Peel’s Walk and Roll program. Refreshment stands will be provided along the way.
SWAG: Enjoy special offers and prizes from our sponsors and exhibitors. As well, on-site bike mechanics from Mississauga’s top bike shops will assist riders at the Celebration Square venue and via mobile services en route.
MARSHALS: We rely on volunteer Marshals to assist / direct riders at key points along the routes. High school students can earn credit for volunteer hours by assisting in this important way. In addition, Marshals will receive a FREE Tour volunteer T-shirt (in a different colour from the riders) and BBQ pass. MCAC members will orient the students and assist in their transportation to their posts along the routes. If you know interested students, or wish to be an adult volunteer, please e-mail: contact@mississaugacycling.ca. Click to view the Volunteer Tour Marshal webpage with more information including the application form and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
WEATHER: The Tour goes rain or shine. In the event of special weather concerns, confirmation that the ride is a ‘GO’ will appear on the Tour website (HERE) the night before the event – check out the “traffic light” at the top left which should be glowing green.
ROUTES for 2011: This year the Tour explores the north-east quadrant of the City. This is the next quadrant in a four-year cycle to experience every corner of the City by bike. Choose the Grant Thornton 30km Family Ride, the Media Resources 60km Signature Ride, or the Invesco 100km Road Ride Challenge (all shown at left). All routes have “get back quick” options, should you decide not to cover the entire distance. Click here (or images) for route information and full-sized MAPS.
Click to view the PHOTO ALBUM: Etobicoke Creek Trail (66p PDF — may take a few seconds to download), which shows the adventure in store, along with some MCAC comments.
► THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Click here for Sponsorship information.
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World Car Free Day
Every September 22 is World Car Free Day. MCAC is putting theory into practice and celebrating Car Free Day by creating and riding routes throughout the City that will help create permanent change in transportation planning and habits. The Tour de Mississauga takes place annually on the weekend before September 22 (on the third Sunday of the month). Get out and celebrate!
The 3rd Annual Tour de Mississauga cycling adventure takes place on:
DATE: MCAC thanks all who participated on Sunday, September 19, 2010.
FREE Registration @ 8:00am. (Waivers). Departure @ 9:30 a.m.
Click here for Poster.
ONLINE REGISTRATION: Recommended. Early-bird promotions for the first 100 online registrants. Register here.
STARTS and ENDS at: Streetsville Memorial Park (near Vic Johnston arena (click for map)
PARKING at: Streetsville GO Station - and ride your bike to Streetsville Memorial Park. If you can, ride your bike to Streetsville and bring a bike pack or day pack to carry your items with you.
ORGANIZED by: Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC)
CONTACT: contact@mississaugacycling.ca
BBQ: A FREE BBQ will be held for all riders at Streetsville Memorial Park at the Tour’s end, compliments of the Region of Peel, which is promoting active transportation and lifestyle choices. Click here for the Region of Peel’s Walk and Roll program.
2010 ROUTES:
This year, the Tour de Mississauga routes will focus on the Northwest quadrant of the City. The 60 km “Signature” course highlights the off-road trails and on-road cycling routes available throughout NW Mississauga, starting and ending in Streetsville. A shorter 25 km “Family” route is also available. New this year is a 100 km road-only “Challenge” route, based on the demand expressed during last year’s Tour. Maps and directions are available online as they progress in their development.
There are so many trails and routes to discover in Mississauga that the Cycling Committee has decided to break the City into four quadrants, and design a cycling route for each quadrant that highlights points of interest and special trails in that part of the City. All four routes will lead to City Centre at some point along the way, and the resultant map of all the routes will resemble a four-leaf clover emanating from the City Centre. After a four-year cycle, Tour participants will know the entire City well!
After this Tour, you’ll feel like you’ve seen the whole City, yet it is still only one quadrant! And most of the route is fairly flat: any reasonably in-shape adult will be able to complete the 60 km. The shorter 25 km route (ideal for families) is incorporated into the first leg of the 60 km Tour, which gives participants a chance to decide if they’d like to continue and do the whole ride, or quickly make it back to the starting point. There is also a get-off point further along.
THIS IS NOT A RACE – THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION! Some riders may complete the 60 km route in 2-3 hours; more leisurely riders may come in at around 4-5 hours. These times include washroom and refreshment breaks along the way. A photo contest has been proposed to document the route, which may add to some riders’ times! Come out on September 19th and see what you’ve been missing — learn a great route you can ride again and again, plus it’s a great way to meet other cyclists from all over the City.
The 2010 Tour includes an amazing array of experiences: Enjoy the quaint town of Streetsville and highlights of new trail work, learn routes with bike lanes and see public art, gardens and a fantastic view of the tall buildings in the urban core coming over the new Confederation Parkway Bridge. There will be a ride-by of City Hall (Civic Square is under extensive renovation this year) and the Central Library. Explore the natural areas along the Lisgar Brook, Milgrove, Lake Wabukayne and Lake Aquitaine trails. Discover Old Meadowvale Village, and tour new Meadowvale which celebrates its 40th Anniversary this year. Part of the route will be along the Culham Trail which takes riders up close to the Credit River. Tunnels, bridges, natural areas and urban pavements: this route has got it all.
Further details and this year’s routes are being finalized. Meanwhile, check out last year’s (2nd Annual) Tour on the MCAC website to read about the experience and view last year’s route maps and Tour instructions for the Southwest Quadrant.
NOTE: Every September 22 is World Car Free Day (click for website). MCAC is putting theory into practice and celebrating Car Free Day by creating and riding routes through the City that will help create permanent change in transportation planning and habits. The Tour de Mississauga takes place annually on the weekend before September 22. Get out and celebrate!
Information about the 2nd Annual Tour de Mississauga.
The 2nd Annual Tour de Mississauga cycling adventure:
DATE: MCAC thanks all who participated on Sunday, September 20, 2009
FREE Registration @ 9:00 a.m. Departure @ 9:30 a.m.
RAIN DATE: Sunday, September 27, 2009
(an online notice will appear the night before the scheduled Tour date if there is to be a rain cancellation)
STARTS and ENDS at: J.C. Saddington Park (click for map) in Port Credit
ORGANIZED by: Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC)
REGISTER HERE (Registration now closed for this event)
ROUTE:
In 2009, the Tour de Mississauga route will focus on the Southwest quadrant of the City. This 50 km course highlights the off-road trails and other cycling routes available throughout SW Mississauga, starting and ending in Port Credit, and featuring conversation and food at the Tour’s end. Map and directions are now available.
There are so many trails and routes to discover in Mississauga that the CyclingCommittee has decided to break the City into four quadrants, and design a cycling route for each that highlights points of interest and special trails in that part of the City. All four routes will lead to City Centre at some point along the way, and the resultant map of all the routes will resemble a four-leaf clover emanating from the City Centre. After a four-year cycle, Tour participants will know the entire City well!
The 1st Annual Tour de Mississauga was held in September, 2008.
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