Words and Instagram photos by Tom Nesbitt, photo of Tom by Lindsey Harrison
This is the tenth installment in dandyhorse’s new dandyCommute series, which will continue with more stories and photos of your favourite utilitarian cycling routes through 2013. Send us your super commute story today and win bike swag.
dandyCommute #10: Lower Roncesvalles to Dupont and Landsdowne (approximately 6 kilometres, 10 – 15 minutes)
I live near the south end of Roncesvalles affectionately referred to by some as ‘LowRo’.
My place of work is north near Dupont and Lansdowne, a photo studio called Westside on Ward Street.
I have several possible routes I take, depending on where I take my morning coffee. If it’s at Cherry Bomb on Ronces (pictured above), I head straight north along Roncesvalles to Bloor, hang a right and head under the GO train bridge to Perth then east along Ward to our studio.
If I caffeinate at home — which is most often the case — I head north on Sorauren to Dundas where I have to navigate the worst portion of the journey, getting off the east bound bike lane on Dundas to meet up with the entrance to the West Rail Path off Sterling. The traffic there in the mornings is very busy and generally unruly.
Once on the Railpath heading north I am smiling again. This is my favorite segment of both the morning and evening commute.
I truly hope the City is able to continue to expand on this idea. It is just such a great addition to the City’s infrastructure of, sadly very limited pathways.
I would also like to see more lock ups – I think there just needs to be more and better-designed ones that allow for a greater number of bikes to be accommodated.
I have been on my bike almost all my life. I began to ride my bike to elementary school when I was in grade five (I’m from a small town in Ontario) and it continued to be my main mode of transport to work while I lived in London and since moving to Toronto in ’97 not much has changed other than a strengthening resolve to ride my bike every day that is possible. I am a club rider now with Morning Glory Cycling Club and what more can I say? I love to ride my bike.
Tom Nesbitt moved from London, Ontario to Toronto in ’97 to begin working in photography. He discovered the city by bicycle from the waterfront up through the trail system of the Don Valley to parts far and wide.
He is now a Senior Producer at Westside Studio where he has worked since 2001. He lives in Parkdale with his partner, filmmaker Chris Ross and their cat, Ms Neeks.
This story is part of a new series about commuting by bike to work.
Related on the dandyBLOG:
The last story from our dandyCommute series here
More stories from our dandyCommute series here
Send us your dandyCommute story here and get free reflective tape on your bike courtesy of 3M and Sweet Pete’s.