Cyclists in Toronto can bring their bikes on the subway during off-peak hours. Trouble is, sometimes it's hard to tell what is "off-peak", as the rush seems to start around 3 p.m. and certainly lasts past 7:30 in the evening. It's best to check the TTC website to find out which stations have barrier-free access.

A good tour is to head for the Leslie Street Spit and Tommy Thompson Park via the Martin Goodman waterfront recreational trail. There are cycling routes to and down Cherry Street that connect to the Martin Goodman.

Along the way is the Distillery District, which has been restored in recent years as a tourist area. Spanning 13 acres, 40 buildings and ten streets, it's the largest collection of Victoria-era industrial architecture in North America, its brickwork a model of sober elegance. The district houses two theatres and is host to concerts, festivals and events throughout the summer. It's also the home of the Mill Street Brewery: good beer. All in all the area is a great addition to the city's attractions.

Further on, the landscape becomes less touristy for a short spell. The south side of Lakeshore Blvd. joins the Martin Goodman Trail for a few hundred meters before the latter veers off closer to Lake Ontario. There are silos, marinas and, on the north side, a cluster of huge satellite dishes. The trail goes past Cherry Beach, an oasis of sand in the midst of docks until the main Beaches area starts around Coxwell.

Tommy Thompson Park is the northern half of the Leslie Street Spit. Just up the road is Leslieville, a rapidly-growing neighbourhood just west of the trendy Beaches. The Leslie Street Spit was originally designed as an outer harbour, but became a convenient place to dump the endless supply of rubble and earth generated by all the building projects in the city. According to the City of Toronto website, it's a man-made peninsula that reaches out five kilometres into Lake Ontario. "One of the most significant features of the park is the colonization and succession of various plant communities. These wetlands, meadows and forests now support many threatened and unusual species." The website specificies that interpretive programs are available on weekends and holidays during the summer, with nature walks focusing on development history, ecology, bird life, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies, fish and botany.

The Martin Goodman Trail is a lot safer than the street – and much more scenic, lined with purple loosestrife sprinkled with smatterings of buttercups. This waterfront trail is one of Toronto's highest recreational achievements. It spans tens of kilometres both west and east. What stops both ends from connecting is the condo developments. The trail is well-maintained in summer and newly-paved. It's used by roller-bladers, pram-pushing parents, pedestrians and joggers.

Back toward the downtown is the Esplanade, a stretch of shop- and restaurant-lined street surrounding the St. Lawrence Market, with its many eateries and exotic meats such as ostrich and emu.

Just north of the Esplanade is another good Front Street restaurant, this one with a huge terrace and good menu, is the Hot House Café. It's very popular, has plenty of indoor seating as well and hosts Christmas and other corporate parties.

Distillery District, Leslie Street Spit and St-Lawrence Market