Who We Are.

Bike Windsor Essex is a non-profit community cycling advocacy organization and resource centre dedicated to the promotion of cycling as an empowering, community-enriching, fun, environmentally sustainable, and active mode of transportation. 

You can help by joining and volunteering with us or by donating.

We host events and run programs to encourage and inspire people to cycle more for their own personal health, for more connected neighbourhoods, for thriving small businesses and for a cleaner environment.

We promote safe cycling through community presentations, lunch-and-learns, organized rides and through our Cycle Smart cycling classes for children, youth and adults run by our Can-Bike certified instructors. Our classes, bike safety programs and Children’s Bike Safety Rodeos are run across the City of Windsor and Essex County municipalities. 

Our not-for-profit Community Bike Shop (the Bike Kitchen) was created in 2016 and is run as a project of Bike Windsor Essex. Its mission is to provide an inclusive space where the community can learn how to maintain and fix bikes and where they can work on their own bicycles.

The Bike Kitchen is a welcoming and enabling workshop space where people of all backgrounds regardless of race, gender, religion, age, economic situation, etc., can access tools and support for independent bike repair, and new and refurbished bikes and parts. Bike Kitchen initiatives include our Earn-a-Bike program, group youth training, and women’s (WTF) and LGBTQ+ only classes.  

Our Team.

Bike Windsor Essex has no sustainable funding. We pay the bills through the support of our members, events, classes and the generosity of our sponsors and we are fuelled through our amazing volunteers – our board members and shop assistants.

Our Leadership Team :

Lori Newton – Executive Director

Rob Stearns – Lead Mechanic

Our Board of Directors :

Justin Lafontaine, Chair

Wayne Lessard, Vice-Chair

Philippa von Zeigenweidt, Treasurer

Darren Winger, Secretary, exofficio

Nicolas Lamoureux

Greg Williams

Diana Radulescu

Diana Furlong

Our Advocacy Work.

Our advocacy efforts are grounded in what we hear from our members and the broader community. We are knowledgeable about street safety best practices, we share our knowledge with stakeholders from across the region, and we make bike-friendly recommendations to government agencies and related organizations, including:

  • City of Windsor Council, Planning and Transportation Engineers
  • County of Essex Council and Transportation Engineer including engineers and planners for LaSalle, Tecumseh, Kingsville, Essex
  • County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS)
  • Share the Road Essex County
  • Share the Road Cycling Coalition (Ontario)
  • Ontario by Bike
  • Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority

We were established in 2011 as Bike Friendly Windsor and are a registered non-profit. We are a membership based organization representing all bike lovers across Essex County. We advocate for safer streets for all vulnerable road users, promote the legitimacy of cycling, and accessibility for all who choose to cycle.

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