Hi all,
We are getting together again for BIKE MINDS Ottawa.
On Wednesday September 23 at 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm), we will host storytellers who will share a positive, bike related experience. It may be the first bike ride with a child, a newly discovered bike route, building a bike from spare parts, getting on the bike again after an illness, a map they created, a long bike ride in another country, you name it.
This month’s storytellers
Each storyteller is allocated approximately 7 to 10 minutes; a question-and-answer session follows. We have a social break somewhere halfway. The speakers may not necessarily present in this order:
Iman Kashif
I started cycling in the Edmonton area, where I lived for 14 years of my life. I now mainly cycle in Ottawa, where I have lived for 8 years. My favourite track is the Greely loop (an 11.5 km connection of roads, residential streets, trails), which I actually got to explore because of HansontheBike’s blog instructions and Komoot map. Cycling for me is the most therapeutic form of exercise. I am able to put away my student life, familial obligations, and personal problems. These days, I put on an interesting podcast or a playlist of my favourite songs, connect my airpods, and ride away.
Iman’s primary occupation is being an MD/PhD student at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine. As both a medical and graduate student, she is passionate about advancing healthcare and clinical outcomes through her research which is contained at CHEO’s Research Institute. Outside of academic life, she enjoys cycling, hiking, crocheting, cooking, and is a massive animal lover with 2 pet tabby cats of her own. A fun fact about her is that she is fluent in a foreign language and has been actively involved in teaching it at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Benjamin Cool-Fergus
Benjamin is working on his story, so check back later
Kornel Mucsi
Today, raised cycle tracks and protected intersections are often included in street designs in some Canadian cities. Fifteen years ago, however, these design concepts did not exist in Canada. How did this shift happen? I will share a few stories about some of the initiatives I participated in to make this changes happen.
Kornel graduated with a BSC degree in transportation engineering at the Technical University of Novi Sad (former Yugoslavia) and later continued my studies in the UK and Canada. He worked at the Transportation Departments of the City of Ottawa and the Region of Waterloo, and at iTrans Consulting. Currently he is associated with Mobycon, a Netherlands based mobility consulting company.
Matt Pinder
I will share the story of raising a little one by bike, from the first ride on Dad’s bike to the moment of casting her off on a two-wheeled pedal bike. I’ll share memories, places we went, a little about the infrastructure that enabled it, and why it all matters to me.
Matt Pinder is an engineer who once dreamed of becoming a bicycle planner. After starting the blog Beyond the Automobile, taking a course in the Netherlands, and spending far too much time on Twitter, his dream eventually came true. Today he plans and designs places where car ownership is an option, not a requirement. Outside of work, he is the proud father of Alia Pinder, for whom he has nurtured a love of two wheels.
Note that doors open at 6:30 pm (!). The bar and food counter will be open and you will have some time to check out the many awesome restored bikes around you. We’ll start the stories at around 7:00 pm. Each story will be about 10 minutes. If you signed up but decide not to go, please be cool and let us know you cancel your attendance, so that we can invite people on the waiting list. The Ottawa Bike Cafe and its washrooms are fully accessible to all attendees.
Our Event Sponsors
The Ottawa Bike Café, surrounded by classic bikes from Retro-Rides, generously offers its space, labour and A/V equipment for free. Drop by for great sandwiches, coffee, beer and cool drinks.
‘The Bike Lawyer LLP‘ are specialists in cycling injury law. They have represented hundreds of injured cyclists in cities such as Toronto, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Kingston and many more. They ensure that you get the justice, support and compensation you deserve as a result of being in a bike accident & crash with a motor vehicle, road disrepair, construction, or other road violence.
Schedule of the evening
6:30 pm – doors open for our event at the Ottawa Bike Cafe, 79 Sparks St. This is the time to buy your food and drinks if desired
7:00 pm – stories start (with a 15-minute social break halfway)
8:00 pm – stories end/mingling time
8:15 pm – café doors close
Free Entrance
The event is held at the Ottawa Bike Cafe at 79 Sparks Street. Although entrance is free thanks to our sponsors, we would like to ask you to register, so we have a rough idea how many people are attending. We only ask for your email address so that we can let you know about last minute changes.
(If the button fails, than you can click here)
BIKE MINDS 