Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen and Councillor Victor Woodhouse commute on a "bike-built-for-two" supplied by Spoke O'Motion

The news today may be focused on the collapse of the global economy, but let's face facts: You and I cannot do much to change the state of global finance.

On the other hand, there are local issues that we have a direct influence on and, in the grander scheme of things, are of greater importance than a temporary economic slowdown.

This last Monday marked the third annual Bike to Work Day hosted by the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce and sponsored from day one by Spoke O'Motion, among others. This one day event, as part of the larger Smart Commute initiative encourages people to utilize the bike to travel to work, to school, or to run errands.

More than 150 students, community members, and local politicians joined us at the Chamber offices to celebrate the progress and opportunities that exist in making Newmarket a progressive and bike-firendly community.

The point is that you do not have to turn your life upside down to help save the planet from greenhouse gasses and Canadian society from the ills of obesity and heart disease. No one expects us all to turn into eco-zealots. However, consider the simplicity of commuting once per week by bicycle. This simple change - that many of us could realistically do - reduces your commuting carbon footprint by 20%. That singular change would easily allow us to surpass our Kyoto commitment. (Remember that? The international agreement we signed that successive goverments have completely ignored?)

How may parents drive their children a kilometer or two to school? When I was growing up, we'd actually get off our butts and walk that. Why not ride with your children to school. Teach them by example that exercise is fun and the we can actually survive without climbing into the car for every little voyage.

Think about it - your kids will grow up to thank you!

This Wednesday is shaping up to be an exciting one at Coulson Hill. Not only are we hosting one of the best weekly cross-country races in Ontario (as we do every Wednesday), but we are playing host to a special group of 71 riders from high schools across York Region.

Spoke O'Motion is proud to once again host the York Regional Athletic Association's high school mountain bike championship race at our well-established and challenging tract of Simcoe Regional Forest. This is first year that this high school series will have access to our new computerized time system that produces instant, accurate results that include: lap split times, average speeds, time differences from category leaders, and a unique "fast laps" sheet. This software is used by several National Cycling Associations for timing international-level events and is some of the most sophisticated software available. For examples of what it can produce, check out our Coulson Hill results page.

If you are participating in this event, please check our pre-registered starting roster here to ensure that your name and category information is correct. If there are any problems with the information, please let me know by email.

Spoke O'Motion is proud to serve our local cycling community in every way we can. If you would like help hosting a road or XC event like this or have another idea, please contact me.

Looking for some outdoor thrills this summer? Every Wednesday night from April 29th through September 9th, Spoke O'Motion - with factory support from Norco Performance Bikes - hosts a fantastic cross country race series for the whole family.

Race Results from the season opener now posted - click here!

We are now on FULL SUMMER HOURS!

Click here for details.

As part of our ongoing commitment to greening our business, we have replaced all of our overhead fluorescent lighting in the store with new ultra-efficient digital ballasts and high-efficiency 8mm bulbs. This $2000 upgrade will reduce our electricity usage by more than 10%.

In fall, we also replaced an aging rooftop heating & cooling unit with a much more efficient unit. This was a very costly upgrade, but will pay for itself in good karma.

Yup, 2009 is Roscoe's year. In a preview of '09 gear, Bike magazine named one and only one bike as the most anticipated new ride for 2009. Roscoe is it. According to Bike, "If you're looking for an all-around trail bike with a bomber chassis and a go-anywhere attitude, check out the Roscoe."

Check out the new Roscoe line-up on our All Mountain page. Read the Bike Magazine story here.

As most of you undoubtedly know, Spoke O'Motion hosts an amazing weekly race series at a local tract of Simcoe Regional Forest called Coulson Hill. As with any forest, the occasional rain and/or windstorm tears apart some trees and causes localized trail damage.

Merv and Rob hard at work

At our beloved Coulson Hill, a rain storm in late September washed away a few bridges. A crew of dedicated volunteers took time from their busy lives to get out there and make a difference to their local community. A big shout out goes to: David Boldt, Mike Drukarsh, and Rob Gentile. Without the efforts of committed volunteers like these guys, there would be no local trails at all! Here's a small photo gallery of the men at work. Thanks for your efforts!

Spoke O'Motion is proud to report that we are the newest Cannondale dealer in Canada. Cannondale is a top tier vendor of professional-level road, mountain, and cyclo-cross race bikes. For 2009, under new Canadian ownership, they also cater to a broader demographics than ever before with bikes starting at only $549.99.

Cutting-edge, American manufacturing combined with truly innovative engineering makes Cannondale one the most successful brands in the world whether it be at the Tour de France, UCI World Cup Mountain Bike Championships, or just cruising around the block with your children. The 2009 model line-up will be arriving as soon as it is available.

In an effort to entice Ontarians to get off their couches and get into a more active lifestyle, the provincial government recently announced a one-year suspension of the provincial sales tax on all bicycles less than $1000.

Safety equipment such as: Helmets, lights, mirrors, and reflectors are also covered in this new legislation. The complete government document can be see here.