As the night got dark, dozens of cyclists gathered in Holmedale for the last “Glow Ride” of the season on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
Stan Gorecki, the owner of Heronhead Bikes, has been leading “slow rolls” and “glow rides” all summer. Each Saturday night (weather permitting), Gorecki has led the rides as a way for people to get out, explore Brantford, and make connections in the community.
If you’re a leisurely peddler, like to chat as you go, or bike to explore new areas, this is the group for you: their mascot is a sloth and they bike at the “speed of discovery.”
The last Saturday of each month is a glow ride. They meet just before dusk, wrap their bikes in lights and glow sticks, and go for a 45-60 minute ride.
Gorecki said he was inspired to start the slow rolls after hearing a Ted Talk by Jason Hall, who co-founded one of the largest weekly bike rides in the United States. It began with Hall and his friend, Mike, going for bike rides around Detroit to explore parts of the city they hadn’t been to before. They had a lot of fun and start inviting friends, and eventually the public, to join them. Thousands of people now participate in the weekly rides as part of Slow Roll Detroit.
“It just seemed to me like it was a great way to find out about the city,” Gorecki said. “I married into Brantford in ’88, and there are still parts of the city that I still don’t really know much about.”
“Cycling has been described as riding at the speed of discovery,” Gorecki said. “When you’re driving, you’re going so fast, it’s pretty rare that you really notice the small details of the neighbourhood. When you’re riding your bike, you can’t help but notice different things in neighbourhoods that make them unique, but also are just fun to see.”
Gorecki started leading slow rolls in Brantford two years ago, covering a different neighbourhood each time. He said the rides are great for both newcomers to the city, as well as those who have lived here for a while, to “introduce them to a small city, and hopefully the city that becomes their home.”
He’s found that while a handful of people come consistently every week, the majority of the group is new each time.
“What we get are people who go, ‘yeah, I wanted to come because I’ve never been to Eagle Place. I’ve never been to Mayfair.’ I thought that was awesome,” explained Gorecki.
Debbie Thornberry, a resident of Brantford, has been a consistent rider at the slow rolls this summer. Thornberry said she likes that the rides have people of all ages and that it’s very community oriented.
“It’s free, it’s Saturday night, and personally, for me, it’s something that I can feel safe stepping out on a Saturday night on my own to do and meet up with a fun group of people,” Thornberry said.
Thornberry has lived in Brantford since 1988, but going on the rides, she’s seen the city in a new way.
“I don’t normally see things at night, so it’s got a whole different sort of ambience with nighttime,” Thornberry said. “When I was growing up, we had to be in when the streetlights came on. So it feels a little rebellious…. you just see the different glow of things with the streetlights and the house lights, and it just paints a different picture.”
The rides have facilitated both connection and conversation between cyclists. Earlier in the year, they were riding around Echo Place when one member of the group, a long-time resident of Brantford, mentioned that the new homes they were looking at used to be farmer’s field.
“We ended up having a short discussion about urban sprawl and growth,” Gorecki said, noting that it’s “really good for any community to have those kind of conversations.”
It’s about connection, but it’s also about having fun. Whenever they see people, the group will ring their bells, sometimes drawing a crowd.
“We’re loud, we’re proud, we’re goofy,” Gorecki said. “We always get a good crowd for Holmedale. When we do Shellard Lane, that’s also a lot of fun. That’s a great neighbourhood to do.”
Mary Palka Real Estate sponsored the rides with glow sticks and lights, and Altitude Coffee Roasters donated hot chocolate for cyclists to enjoy after the ride on Saturday night.
He hopes that the rides encourage more people to get on their bikes, explore their community and enjoy the ride.
“Most people, you know, you’re 16, you get your driver’s license, and for the next five to 10 years, your bike is sitting the garage,” Gorecki said. “We’re just trying to get people back remembering how much fun it is to ride a bike, the adventures you can have.”
