Welcome to Newmarket Cycles! My name is Sarah and I’m the Program Assistant and soon-to-be skilled Bike Mechanic for TCAT’s newest community bike hub!
Back in 2009, I moved to Newmarket at the age of 11. Ever since, I have used biking as one of my main forms of transportation and my preferred way of getting from point A to point B, despite living in such a car-dependent Town. Whether I was riding to and from school, my first part-time job, or the Newmarket Bus Terminal, I’ve always viewed cycling as the more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable option for commuting. Since I didn’t have a driver’s license at the time, biking was also the most reliable way for me to move when I wanted to.
Now close your eyes and imagine me at the age of 11 showing up to my friends’ doorsteps asking if they could come for a ride outside – that was always me. Together, we’d ride over to Woodland Hill Labyrinth Park or Environmental Park, and go straight into Newmarket’s hidden gem — Dave Kerwin Trail.
As I grew older, I stayed friends with my fellow cycling enthusiasts — we biked together throughout high school and even during the summer months of our university years, despite being scattered across the GTA. Biking has always bonded us together no matter how much time we needed to pedal up a hill on any given day. It’s an activity that has made us feel strong and connected over the course of many, many years.
While in university, I continued learning about active mobility, car culture and its discontents, which further solidified my passion for biking. In 2022, we are all well aware that such widespread car dependency has detrimental effects both locally and globally, including air pollution, fossil fuel dependence, neighbourhood disruption, mounting congestion, and the toll of parking lots. But cycling? For me, there are too many benefits to count: improved physical fitness and mental health, decreased air pollution, and increased fun.
I am so excited to bring all of this lived experience to Newmarket Cycles and work to further increase cycling culture and community throughout the Town. I hope that through the Newmarket Cycles community bike hub I can introduce and help transition car-users over to cycling, regardless of whether or not they own a bike today. I also hope to get more women, children, and seniors confidently riding their bikes!
Stay updated on all of Newmarket Cycles’s free events and programs by subscribing to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram (@newmarket.cycles), Twitter (@newmarketcycles), and Facebook (Newmarket Cycles) to find out what we’re doing, where it’s at, and when it’s happening. Finally, don’t forget to share with your friends and family because we’ll need your help to spread the word about our new hub, just minutes away from Riverwalk Commons! We’re located at NewMakeIt (621 Timothy Street) so come say hello! I can’t wait to see you there 😀