(Readers outside Toronto, please forgive the somewhat local post.)

A few interesting tidbits gleaned from this morning’s group commute and pancake breakfast, the official kick-off to Bike Week:

1. Cyclists across the country can help combat bike theft by registering their bikes in a national database. There is a cost of $10, but the term is 10 years, so it’s not so bad. When you register your beloved two-wheeler, police can search the database and return it to you if it gets stolen (in Toronto, let’s face it: when it gets stolen).
2. A group of cycling activists are spreading the word about City Council’s softening on the Toronto Bike Plan, a comprehensive effort to create a bike-friendly city which was passed in 2001. On May 19, council capitulated to auto interests by approving sub-standard bike lanes for a 1.6 km stretch of road in Etobicoke (1.2 m wide instead of the recommended 1.5–2 m width, and not clearly marked as a bike lane). Unfortunately, those in favour of these lanes included the chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee, Adam Giambrone, and others supposed friends of cyclists on council. A petition has been organized, so if you live in Toronto and you’re interested in cyclists’ rights, consider signing.
3. The world at 7 a.m. is a very different place. Weird, even.