Last year, I heard about something called Tour de Dufflet where you cycle to the various Dufflet locations and enjoy tasty treats along the way. Seeing that this is an annual event that combines two of my favourite things – cycling and dessert, how could I say no?
Tour de Dufflet runs every year during June (for bike month). You sign up and pay a registration fee of $5 at one of the Dufflet locations (the registration fee gets donated to Cycle Toronto). You are then given a passport that you stamp at each location and hand in at the end to be entered for prizes. You even get a $5 gift certificate upon completing the tour that can be used towards a large cake at Dufflet.
The three stops that were part of the tour this year were Dufflet downtown (787 Queen Street West), Balzac’s Powerhouse and Dufflet uptown (2638 Yonge Street). The Dufflet treats I got to choose from that day were any of the squares (brownies, date squares, blondies, S’mores bars) or mini tarts (butter tarts, key lime, chocolate mousse, sour cherry and almond). You also got your choice of coffee, tea or water.
I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a sunny afternoon than to be on a bike and stop for treats along the way (something that I do on most of my bike rides) however, I decided to add a bit of a twist. To do the Tour de Dufflet using Bikeshare.
I’ve noticed that there are a lot more Bikeshare stations this year compared to previous years. I see stations along the Danforth, Harbourfront as far as Etobicoke and as north as Yonge and Eglinton which wasn’t the case when I first joined several years ago. Seeing how extensive the network is, I decided to see how easy (or difficult) it would be to do Tour de Dufflet using Bikeshare.
It was amazing! Not only did we get to explore different parts of the city that we had never been to before, but we didn’t have to worry about locking up our bikes at each location and keeping an eye on them. It also made me realize how much I can get around and explore the city using Bikeshare.
If you plan it right, you can do the Tour de Dufflet using mostly bike lanes that will take you to each location and there are plenty of Bikeshare stations along the route so you can keep your rides within the 30 minute time limit. The Bikeshare bikes are pretty heavy so expect the tour to be at a leisurely pace and to take a good part of the day.
My advice for anyone who is interested in doing the Tour de Dufflet using Bikeshare – take the TTC and start the tour at Dufflet Uptown. That way, the ride is mostly downhill. You’ll end at Dufflet Downtown and can explore Queen Street West, do some window shopping, relax at Trinity Bellwoods Park or grab a bite at one of the various cafes and restaurants in the area.