A group of nine cyclists gathered together for Queer Joy Rides’ first ever long-haul bike ride from Brantford to Port Dover on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Organizer Torin Ong said the Queer Joy Rides cycling group first began in August 2024, and has been pedaling ever since.
“We started at the end of the season two summers ago, just towards the end of August,” they said. “We got maybe six weeks in, and then we picked it back up last season. But this year, I’ve really been doing more social media and promoting the group more so it’s grown a lot, and we’re going to try and keep that energy into next season as well.”
Held in partnership with Heronhead Bikes, Ong said the group bike rides started after Stan Gorecki, owner of the local bike shop, encouraged them to start something new.
“I got into the cycling scene when I was going to school out in Hamilton, and then once I finished at McMaster, I ended up hearing about an opportunity to work part-time as a mechanic with Stan,” they said. “Once I got going with him here, he eventually came to me and said, ‘You know, I’d love to see you leading a queer bike ride.’ So, Stan was the inspiration behind it, but I just took it and ran with it, and it’s been amazing ever since.”
The group now meets at Heronhead every Tuesday at 6 p.m. for an evening ride along Brantford’s trails, welcoming riders of all identities and cycling abilities while fostering connections within the community and exploring the city.
“Most of the people that are meeting up for these rides are people who are a part of the queer scene in Brantford, but some of them are also involved in Stan’s other bike groups in general,” said Ong. “So, not only does Stan run the Queer Joy Rides that I do on Tuesday evenings, but he also has a women’s ride on Mondays and a men’s ride Wednesdays. We actually have someone from the women’s ride here with us today, but all these folks have been on the Queer Joy Rides and attended other queer events happening in the city.”
When asked what makes the group rides so enjoyable, Ong said it was the ability to offer barrier-free ways to just get outside and enjoy the experience with others.
“These weekly rides give people something to do where they can be active out in nature and connect with the community. The amazing thing about them is that they’re also entry-level,” they said. “We’re very much a party-pace group, so we ride at whatever pace the group can manage while chatting and just being social. We typically get an average of seven to ten people a week, which is nice because you can sort of rotate spots a bit and chat with different people along the way. The rides are also free and Stan lends out bikes for people who need them, so they’re accessible too.”
Noting that the Queer Joy Rides season officially ended last Tuesday, Saturday’s event offered one last hurrah for the year.
“This is our first ever long ride, so this is sort of like our season finale,” said Ong, with a chuckle. “Now, we might do something biweekly or once a month throughout the fall and winter on the weekends, but today we’re biking about 60 kilometres along the trails. We’re going to be leaving here from Heronheads and going all the way to Port Dover, stopping at cafés along the way in Scotland, Waterford and Simcoe.”
When asked how everyone was feeling, the group couldn’t help but smile, agreeing that while slightly nervous about the longer route, they were overall excited.
For those interested in getting involved with Queer Joy Rides, Ong said to feel free to reach out.
“You can find us at ‘Queer Joy Rides’ on both Instagram and Strava, but you can also reach out to Stan at Heronhead Bikes, and he can help make that happen as well,” they said.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
