As the Ontario Bike Summit 2025 draws closer, the pieces are coming together for the journey ahead. I’m packing today at London Bicycle Café HQ in the River District, surrounded by bikes, tools, and coffee, the perfect place to prepare for a week on the road in Ontario.
This isn’t just a trip, it’s a rolling statement. I’m heading to Windsor by bike, covering 450 km round trip, fully self-supported, and bringing everything I need to live, work, and present from the saddle!
Why the Tern HSD?
Normally, I’d take my Breezer Doppler Pro, a steel-framed, 650b touring bike with a 1×10 drivetrain, perfect for randonneuring and long-distance rides. But for this mission, I’m rolling with the Tern HSD, my daily driver.
Why? Because this ride isn’t just a ride. It’s part of our “Bikes for Business” program, and the HSD represents everything we stand for at London Bicycle Café, practical mobility, real-world utility, and joyful everyday riding.
The HSD is Mighty But Mini: small in footprint but big on capability. Shorter than a standard bike and easier to handle than a longtail, it still hauls like a champ. I’ve put 13,000 km on this bike already, what’s 450 more?
With a 180 kg capacity, the HSD is more than capable of this trip. It’s also a talking point: a mobile demo for how small businesses, municipalities, and organizations can get moving with bikes that work as hard as they do.
My Ride: Gear Breakdown
🧳 The Platform
- Bike: Tern HSD, well-loved with 13,000+ km
- Bags: A pair of Cargo 37 panniers (a little rough, still rolling)
- Power: Bosch charger + dual 400Wh battery setup
🔥 Camp Kitchen
- JetBoil stove
- Food:
- Instant ramen
- Oatmeal packets
- Uncle Ben’s Bistro Express!
- Granola bars
- Trail mix
- Instant Coffee (yeah, that’s right)
- 4 Water Bottles, 3 drinking, one cooking
⛺ Camping Setup
- Tent
- Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag
- Inflatable pillow
- Ground sheet
- Folding stool
- Small stake hammer
- Flashlight
- Knife
- Matches + lighter
- Paracord
🧼 Personal Essentials
- Micro towel
- Toiletries
- GameBoy (yes, really)
- Headphones
- Speaker
- A few changes of clothes
💼 Mobile Office
- Phone + laptop
- Power cells + chargers
- Tripod
- Microphones
- Notepad + pen
👔 Presentation Gear
- Business casual outfit (stored in a dry bag)
- A decent pair of shoes
Why Ride?
This trip is about more than getting to Windsor. It’s about showing what’s possible when we rethink how we move. The HSD isn’t just a commuter or cargo hauler, it’s a capable touring machine when called upon. If a small utility bike can take me, my camp, and my office across Southern Ontario, it can probably handle your commute or workday, too.
So, here we go, a week of seeing communities, making connections, and demonstrating what a better transportation future looks like. Follow along for updates from the trail, snapshots from the ride, and stories from the Ontario Bike Summit.
Let’s bridge communities and build connections, one ride at a time.
📅 Trip: May 26–30, 2025
🎤 Presentation: May 28 – 11am “Bikes for Business: The Future of Urban Mobility”
#RideToWindsor #OBS2025 #LondonBikeCafe #BikesForBusiness #BikeFriendlyBusiness