Info for Long-Distance Participants
We’re so excited to have you on this year’s Friends for Life Bike Rally! Travelling to Toronto, cycling to Montreal, and then heading back home afterwards has likely got you asking a lot of logistical questions, so we’ve created this post to help put you at ease and let you know – we got you!
The Friends for Life Bike Rally is in its 28th year and runs like a well-oiled machine. We have participants riding 6-days, 3-days, 1-day and they join us from all over, so we are used to unique travel itineraries. Below you will find details about arriving/departing, transporting your bike, accommodations, as well as other helpful info to answer your questions about the Bike Rally.
✈️ Transportation 🚆
Depending on where you’re coming from, we recommend the following transportation hubs:
Pearson Airport: Toronto’s largest international airport. To get downtown, take the UP Express train from Terminal 1 to Union Station for quick and convenient access for $12.35 CAD. Cab or Uber to downtown Toronto ranges from $45 – $60 CAD.
Billy Bishop Airport: Conveniently located downtown on Toronto Island and easy to get anywhere downtown. Flights serve many Canadian and US cities. Porter Airlines provides complimentary bus shuttle service from the Airport to Union Station.
Union Station: Toronto’s central train station. Catch the TTC subway at Union Station for $3.35 CAD. We recommend using tap/Apple Pay, though cash is still accepted on all TTC vehicles, or you can purchase a reloadable Presto Card at any subway station.
🚲 Bike Shipment & Servicing 🛠️
Travelling with your bike can be nerve wracking and you need to decide whether to ship your bike in advance or travel with it when you depart for Toronto. Bike shipment options and costs vary depending on where you are coming from and the mode of transportation you are using. We recommend you check with your carrier (airline, train) on transportation options and prices.
For example:
Air Canada charges $50 CAD +taxes
Porter Airlines charges $50 CAD +taxes
VIA Rail allows bikes on-board as checked baggage for a charge of $25 CAD +taxes
Bike Flights is an online tool that can be used to coordinate shipping if you choose to ship your bike separately. Visit their international shipping page for more information.
❗U.S. and Canadian Customs only permit sales, repairs and gifts to ship on Ground. You must select Int’l Economy or Int’l Priority to ship your bike as personal item when traveling.
TIP: Past participants have reported some carriers providing shipping discounts or waiving the fee altogether when you inform them of the reason for your travel/bike shipping. Contact your carrier and tell them you’re cycling 600 km and how much you have raised for charity!
Bike Shipping Location:
The Bike Rally has partnered with Cycle Solutions as the Official Bike Shipping Location for out-of-town participants. When coordinating the shipment of your bike prior to the Rally, designate the arrival location as:
Cycle Solutions
Attn: PWA’s Friends for Life Bike Rally
444 Parliament St.
Toronto, ON M5A 3A2
Canada
Contact: Scott Merritt, Sales Manager
(416) 972-6948
❗Email a copy of your shipping information to Scott at scott@cycle-solutions.com and cc bikerally@pwatoronto.org. If you will require assistance assembling your bike, or want to have your bike serviced, please contact Scott 3-4 weeks in advance to confirm a service appointment.
Bike Servicing:
If you'd like to have your bike serviced before the Rally, we recommend doing so with our Partners at Cycle Solutions . Be sure to book your appointment 3-4 weeks in advance of departure so that space will be available when your bike arrives. Mention you are a participant with PWA’s Friends for Life Bike Rally and receive a discount on servicing!
Bike Assembly in Toronto & Disassembly in Montreal:
Depending on when you arrive in Toronto, you may have a short window of time to get your bike assembled and take it for a test spin before departure. Here are a few scenarios of how you can coordinate your bike assembly:
If you're arriving to Toronto a few days before the Rally begins, travel with or ship your bike and book a time with Cycle Solutions to have them assemble it before the Bike Rally. You can then pick your bike up in advance and bring it with you to Departure morning (most riders do this).
Bike assembly costs $75 CAD, and disassembly costs $75 CAD. Cycle Solutions will store any Bike Boxes until after the event for those booking services.Arrive with disassembled bike and all your gear to our Packing Day, which is the day before Departure. We will have mechanics on-site to build your bike while you pack your belongings into your two Rubbermaid bins. You should then take your assembled bike away with you for the night. But if this is not permitted at your accommodation, we can transport your bike to Departure morning for you. Note: Unlike the AIDS Life Cycle, Packing Day is the day before departure.
If you will be travelling home from Montreal, your bike box will then travel with us on a truck for the duration of the Bike Rally. If you will be travelling home from Toronto, your bike box will remain in Toronto and be available during the designated bike pick up days (see below).
Once we’ve arrived in Montreal, and depending on how and where you'll be flying home from, you may want to immediately disassemble your bike and place it back in its travel container since many hotels do not allow for bikes inside the rooms. If you need help with disassembly, you must coordinate this before you arrive in Montreal with Bike Rally Staff Marie Marchand at mmarchand@pwatoronto.org. We need to ensure that we'll have enough mechanics on-hand to support the demand.
If you are travelling home from Montreal, you'll keep your bike with you after arrival and it becomes your responsibility (you will also have all your gear with you at this point).
If you are travelling home from Toronto, we will transport your bike (assembled or unassembled) back to Toronto at Monsignor Fraser College where it can be picked up the Monday or Tuesday after the Bike Rally is over. You bike cannot be picked up earlier than this and we cannot hold on to your bike for longer than this. If you cannot pick up your bike during this window, you must arrange for someone else to do so on your behalf. (More info is below on how you, yourself will be transported back to Toronto).
⛺ Camping Gear 🔦
Traveling with camping gear can be a pain. Although we do prefer you to supply your own equipment, we realize travelling with this can be difficult. Consider the following suggestions to help make your packing and travelling a little easier:
If you're travelling from out of town and can't bring your gear, you can borrow any equipment you need from us. To request camping equipment, use this link: Camping Gear Request Form
Post to the Bike Rally Facebook group asking if people have extra camping gear that they’re not using. There are many Bike Rally participants who are part of the Facebook group who may not be doing the ride this year.
If you are coming with another person, consider only packing one of the necessities (e.g. tent, air pump) and share your tent for the week.
🏨 Accommodations 🛏️
Staying in Toronto:
Summer time is tourist time and the city of Toronto, as Canada’s largest city, is a travel destination. Hotel accommodations can be pricy and depending on the number of nights you plan on staying in the city before and after the Bike Rally, the costs can add up!
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
The Bike Rally has confirmed low-cost university dorm accommodations at TMU that will be available by request. TMU is located downtown and minutes away from our packing day and departure day locations, making it a popular accommodation among out-of-town participants. The cost is $75 CAD/night, which you will be reimbursed for afterwards. You’ll be able to spend 2 nights max. under this preferred rate. To book a room at TMU, use this link: 2026 TMU Residence Deposit Form
If you would rather find alternative accommodations while in Toronto, we recommend the following:
Post your accommodation needs to the Bike Rally Facebook group page and ask if anyone has a spare room they could let you use while you’re in town.
Discuss your travel plans with the Bike Rally Ambassadors Robb Walker and Andrew Quinlan or your Team Leaders and ask for recommendations.
Toronto has many Air B&B rentals, however the weekend of the Bike Rally departure is typically The Toronto Carnival Festival as well, meaning that many Air B&B’s get reserved quickly. Be proactive and book early!
❗Participants travelling to Toronto departure are eligible to be reimbursed up to $100 for transportation. Please keep your receipt and submit it to mmarchand@pwatoronto.org. You can book your transportation any time but note that reimbursements will not happen until after April 1st 2026.
Staying in Montreal:
On the Friday evening of arrival in Montreal, all Riders have the option of staying at the accommodations provided by the Bike Rally at Grey Nuns Residence at Concordia University, or Residence Inn by Marriott (or making their own arrangements).
Grey Nuns Residence
Accommodation costs will be reimbursed for all Riders for the Friday night only. If you wish to stay additional nights, you will only be reimbursed for the first night. The Bike Rally rate is $75 CAD/night. To book, use this link: 2026 Concordia Deposit FormResidence Inn by Marriott
The Bike Rally has secured a rate of $299CAD +tax/night, to be used on the Friday and/or Saturday (extended stays will be subject to the full price. These costs will not be reimbursed. A link to book will be available in October, 2025.
Transportation to Montreal accommodations:
If you're staying at or near the Residence Inn by Marriott or Grey Nuns Residence, there will be shuttle buses from our arrival location stopping at these two accommodations. This is a free shuttle and no booking is required.
A note about accommodations on day 3 at Queens University Residence in Kingston:
Halfway through the Bike Rally on Day 3 we all stay at Queens University Residence. You do not need to book this accommodation yourself, it will be taken care of for you. However, if you wish to share a room with someone, you must both identify this request within your Rider profile page. Steps:
Visit Bikerally.org and login using the link at the top right
Navigate to the Participant Centre > Select Profile > Select Questions
Scroll down past the Strava integration instructions and you’ll find the responses to the questions you answered when you initially registered.
🚆 Return to Toronto 🚌
(if required)
We will be providing return transportation from the Grey Nuns Residence at Concordia University in Montreal, with stops in Kingston and Toronto. Departure options (times TBD):
Saturday, August 8th
Sunday, August 9th
Monday, August 10th
A $50 deposit is required to reserve your seat and will be reimbursed after the Rally to participants who use the service. To reserve a seat, use this link: 2026 Bike Rally Transportation Deposit Form
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Teams 🤝
Every Rider and Crew member will be assigned a team, with Team Leads being decided by Bike Rally Leadership. Leading up to the Rally, teams typically engage in social events to get to know one another and they act as a support for first year riders. Teams often camp together and sometimes ride together, but neither of these are mandatory rules to follow. Naturally, you may have relationships with other riders from your city and may prefer to keep your friends together on the same assigned team. This can 100% be accomplished, but please contact Marie Marchand at mmarchand@pwatoronto.org to coordinate this.
You will be assigned to a team and be introduced to your two Captains in December 2025.
🍺 Alcohol & Cannabis Use 🌿
We understand how challenging the evening events can be for someone who abstains from such substances, and the Bike Rally is committed to offering emotional support to participants throughout the week. Each evening at camp will have a casual and inclusive dry/sober space, open to all. Unlike the AIDS Life Cycle, The Friends for Life Bike Rally does permit alcohol and cannabis use in the evenings at camp once the cycling day is complete. However, we have a zero-tolerance policy for substance use while operating a bicycle or vehicle.
✔️ Miscellaneous 💡
On Packing Day (the day before departure) you will pack almost all of the items you will need for the week of the Bike Rally. Unlike local participants, you will likely have a few items such as toiletries, change of clothes, etc. that you will need for the night before departure and you may want to bring with you during the week. We recommend placing these items in a backpack and bringing it to departure the next morning. There, you will find the check-in table and be able to place a name label on your backpack. These bags will be transported to the campsite in Port Hope at the end of day 1 for pick-up.
Shower situation at Camp. With the exception of night one, all the campsites we stay at are official campgrounds and have paid shower facilities, as well as a beautiful clean lake for you to bathe in (use vegetable-based, biodegradable soap only). Night one takes place on the field of a public community centre and there are very limited on-site showers available. However, we will be transporting participants by bus to a nearby sports facility to shower (note: these are communal showers), and also to a nearby lake to bathe.
Do your research! Before you book your flight or train, find out what restrictions or rules there are for bike transportation. The same goes for accommodation. Make sure you ask where your bike can be stored while staying at a hotel or student residence.
We’re here to help! We want you to have an amazing Bike Rally experience. Utilize your Team Leaders, Bike Rally Ambassadors, Training & Support Co-leads, and Bike Rally staff. Reach out to us and ask any questions you have and we will do our best to get you the help you need.
🔗 Helpful Links to Review 🗎
📧 Contacts ☎️
Marie Marchand (she/her)
Development Officer, Donor Support
mmarchand@pwatoronto.org
Jamieson Edward (he/him)
Special Event Coordinator
jedward@pwatoronto.org
Peter Harte (he/him)
Marketing & Development Coordinator
pharte@pwatoronto.org
Michael Reid (he/him)
Associate Director, Special Events
mreid@pwatoronto.org