When was the last time you went on an adventure in your own city?
If your answer is “too long” and you have a bike with fairly wide tires, then two cousins have something to add to your summer bucket list: the Scarborough South Loop.
Jimmy Juji and Gurinder Sandhu spent years putting together the 27.3km route, which is almost 90 percent off-road and takes you through 11 different parks, including the southern part of the Rouge National Urban Park. Accessible by public transport or car, it’s a gem in a city that can be a hostile place for cycling.
And here’s what they want you to know: It’s not for cyclists. It’s for everyone.
“We live in such a diverse city and we want people to feel like they have a place — a place in the world of cycling, a place in outdoor adventure,” Giudgi told CBC Toronto.
The Scarborough South Loop takes riders along the top of the bluffs and later down to the beach. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
This story could be about road safety, it could be about protecting the environment in a growing city, or it could be about the niche but growing culture of gravel biking. But for Juji and Sandhu, it always comes back to inclusion and their mission to get more people riding bikes.
Juji grew up without much money in Scarborough, assembling bicycles from parts, others discarded as scrap. These are the bikes he wants to see on the tour. That dusty Supercycle would be just fine, adds Sandhu, and there’s no need for a set of Lycra.
WATCH: Jimmy and Dwight drive the eastern leg of the tour – and yes, we brought the drone:
Grab a bike and embark on an adventure along the Scarborough South Loop
DriveSide’s Jimmy Giudgi, who mapped out the mostly off-road tour with his cousin, takes CBC Toronto’s Dwight Drummond for a summer spin and explains how he hopes the route will get more people from all backgrounds exploring on two wheels.
Cousins also wants to see more people of color — who may not feel welcome when it comes to biking or other outdoor activities — on two wheels.
“We believe bikes are for everyone and bike adventures are for everyone,” said Giugi.
Sandhu points to the success that other local groups, notably the Mandem Cycling Club, have had in increasing diversity in Toronto’s cycling community in recent years by organizing large, joyous group rides. “They have the biggest smiles,” he said. There are similar initiatives for everything from hiking to bird watching, and Sandhu says visibility really matters.
“It’s contagious. It really is.”
“I think adventure cycling provides such an escape for people. To have fun. To exercise mental health. Just to take a little break sometimes. We especially like to show people the magic of Scarborough,” Juji told CBC Toronto during a drive last week. (John Rietti/CBC)
Riding the eastern leg of the tour on a beautiful summer day, Jimmy was also all smiles as he took this reporter and CBC’s Dwight Drummond around part of the route. He is one of those people who is pure encouragement. DriveSide, the website the duo launched as a pandemic project, is an extension of that.
The instructions on the site exist to help you; Here’s the route you can download to your phone, here’s a simple first aid kit, oh and if you want, here’s a guide to making coffee while you’re out and about.
The personal touch is there from the start.
Scarborough cyclists may know parts of the route – particularly the Pan Am Path and Waterfront Trail sections – but DriveSide’s circuit connects small stretches of dirt (scrambling across a grassy field past a city depot at one point, zipping under massive overpasses a bit later). to tame yourself in nature. The cousins got lost so many times figuring it out.
The view of East Point Park, which is also a bird sanctuary, will make you wonder: Am I really in Toronto right now? (John Rietti/CBC)
You’ll ride past bird sanctuaries, maybe spot a monarch butterfly or two and wonder, “Am I really in Toronto right now?” If you’re kind, maybe you’ll pick up some trash and take it to the next dumpster.
Many Scarborough residents will be familiar with these parks as well. They are peaceful places for some, a place for countless family parties for others. In this way, the journey is like spinning through a thousand lush courtyards.
“We especially love showing people the magic of Scarborough,” Giudgi said.
“You find that people are in such a positive space when they’re in the parks.”
Three years in the making, the Scarborough South Loop “gives you all the variety” when it comes to scenery, Giudgi said. (John Rietti/CBC)
The willows alone are worth the trip. There’s a river to follow, bridges to cross, views of Lake Ontario that are perfect for daydreaming (or, you know, Instagramming), and some secluded beaches to cool off on.
This is a description of less than half the route.
A group of cyclists ride through Morningside Park, an easily accessible starting point for the Scarborough South Loop if arriving by car. (John Rietti/CBC)
The real joy of this ride is what it doesn’t have: mainly high stress moments when you have to ride close to traffic. Yes, there are hills, including some that Sandu admits can look like “intimidating monsters” to inexperienced riders, but the founders have a solution for that, too: They recognize that there’s no shame in a little bike riding.
Drive the route in one direction or the other. Move at a “party pace” and have a good time. Don’t worry about the risk of a flat tire because you are never far from maintenance. There are no wrong answers.
“It’s all about overcoming that moment of hesitation,” Sandhu said.
Once those barriers are removed, the couple says it’s as simple as their motto: “Be good, cycle, repeat.”
There are some larger gravel sections on the route, meaning most riders will want tires wider than 32mm, says Giugi. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with a little cycling. (John Rietti/CBC)
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