iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 09/10/2026

If you’d ever used a bike to commute in traffic, your opinion would be different.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 18/09/2026

Welcome to the late 20th century, Minnesota (Canada has had paid maternity leave since 1971)

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Reposted by Chris DeGroot

Alex @alexh666.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Cyclists sharing the road: holy shit holy shit please don’t kill me holy shit is it safe to go holy shit please don’t kill me im just trying to get home Drivers sharing the road: GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY RIGHT NOW I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU I WILL BREAK EVERY TRAFFIC SAFETY RULE TO SAVE 5 SECONDS

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 11/09/2026

Yeah I’m honestly surprised the lot went up for development. But you can’t beat the location for student housing, which is really lacking in the near-campus area.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 11/09/2026

Aww, NIMBYs didn’t get to NIMBY. For context, the proposed development is <1 km from Western University and is on a transit corridor that is already approved for such heights in the city’s official plan. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

Community pushback fails to halt Sarnia Road development at city committee | CBC News

Despite heavy pushback from neighbours, an eight-storey, 204-unit development on Sarnia Road has been approved by a City of London committee. It now heads to council for a final vote.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 09/09/2026

Pretty stupid. I started using headphones once “transparency mode” came out, so I can still perfectly hear traffic.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

I only buy pumps with both Presta and Schrader built in. Seems odd that a bike shop wouldn’t do the same.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

My go-to response when someone talks about the “dangers” of micro-mobility devices is “yes, but have you heard of ‘cars’?”

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

Yes! This is a major problem in the London area where there are many surrounding small towns which are poorly connected. In Québec I was easily able to duck out of a conference early in Sherbrooke and make it to Magog and back before nightfall (with a nice dinner in between).

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

Economies are nothing without workers. Workers deserve fair wages for their work. Unfortunately pay inequality is trending in the wrong direction.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

Awesome! Québec does an awesome job at this. A few years ago I did part of La Route Verte in the Eastern Townships. So much fun. Cycling seems much more engrained in the culture than in Ontario.

Panneau sur lequel on peut lire « auto + vélo = amis »

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 08/09/2026

Another reason to ride a bike?

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

I find it odd that many academics that study sustainability topics (a) drive gas vehicles as their main mode of transportation and (b) fly multiple times per year for conferences. Many do not seem to be actually “bought in” in their real lives.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

There needs to be a protected bike lane in front of every school. There is truly no traffic worse than school drop-off traffic.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

Doug Ford can’t stand that cycle lanes are working and more people are choosing to bike. He wants everyone in a car.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

A secondary point is that uninformed opinions are taken as equal with well-researched positions. This doesn’t explain low engagement but rather why the process is broken.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

Counter argument: not building a bike lane is bad because not everyone should be forced to use a car to get groceries.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 06/09/2026

My take: Civic engagement in this city is low because the city doesn’t genuinely care about the engagement process. It is a box-ticking exercise. People have better things to do than scream into an empty void.

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Reposted by Chris DeGroot

Wolf Hour @wolfhour.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

"No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level - I mean the wages of decent living." .. (Franklin. D. Roosevelt) ..(cartoon Nick Anderson)

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 05/09/2026

Je viens de rentrer de Québec après 10 jours de vacances. Maintenant, je vais devoir penser à parler anglais quand je serai dans un magasin !

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 04/09/2026

Increasingly I find many possessions to be a burden. You have to store them, maintain them, etc. Less is more. Bikes don’t count though.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 03/09/2026

Looking forward to my subsidy for taking my bike for the vast majority of my transport. Oh wait.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 03/09/2026

Unfortunately. It’s not like Ford has even done anything to counter Trump besides some signs and slogans.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 02/09/2026

While it is true that walking away from negotiations benefited Carney politically, it is not for the reasons the US assumes. Canadians are ready to fight Trump and we are prepared for some short-term pain in doing so. MAGA politicians do not understand how much we despise them.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 02/09/2026

I wonder if the author has ever heard of “cars” and “highways” which I would guess do indeed engineer physical activity out of daily life. Pedal-assist e-bikes are the exact opposite.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 02/09/2026

Ce serait une excellente opportunité pour les gens bilingues à London ON.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 26/08/2026

I’ve been doing bike rides with candidates for City Council recently. I must sincerely thank drivers for not disappointing me with their pathological behaviour. It really helps prove my point!

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 25/08/2026

Telling Canadians to “fall in line” will ensure that we will just dig in and fight harder. So, the exact opposite.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 23/08/2026

It was certainly interesting to note the last time I was in Florida that most of the peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes were Canadian. We get a lot of US produce here too, but most of us don’t buy it anymore.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 22/08/2026

Ostie de crisse de tabarnak de câlisse !

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 20/06/2026

Oh for sure. Good clarification. I think most Americans are still good friends to Canada.

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Reposted by Chris DeGroot

Alex @chamale.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

2020: Wow, it turns out that we can come together as a society and solve complex problems! 2021: Oh.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 01/06/2026

Indeed, an important consideration. Lock up at the café shown is only a couple hundred metres from the river, so it’s an easy walk with the canoe on wheels.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 31/05/2026

The hitch arm just connects to the front of the canoe and the wheels are separately connected to the canoe by straps. It’s really quite sturdy. Initially I was a bit nervous but it’s been really working great for my first couple outings with it.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 31/05/2026

Excellent question. Thanks to the recommendation of @bromptonymous.ca, I bought the Wike smart stick and trailer (wikeinc.com/en-ca/produc...). It’s pretty simple and could probably be made relatively easily, but was easier to just purchase it. Price was not too bad.

wikeinc.com

Wike Smart Stick - Ultra-light Boat Towing Assembly

The Wike Smart Stick, a lightweight bicycle transportation solution, offers an eco-friendly way to tow kayaks and canoes. It's designed for the eco-conscious outdoor enthusiast, prioritizing convenien...

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 31/05/2026

Agreed! I have actually bought 4 bikes there, lol! It’s a great service centre (especially for e-assist bikes which can be a bit tricker to find a good shop) and a great café (they make a great flat white and all of the food is great).

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 31/05/2026

Bicycles deliver the freedom to tow my canoe down to the river without having to worry about parking or having to carry the canoe to the boat launch. Plus, there’s a nice café right near the river.

A canoe being towed by an Urban Arrow cargo bike, parked outside of London Bicycle Café where a sign reads “Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise”.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 26/04/2026

Looks like the face of a man who knew that was coming.

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 24/04/2026

Compromise: keep Darkness Time but make the start time of everything one hour later.

media.tenor.com

Tkt Smart GIF

ALT: Tkt Smart GIF

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 24/04/2026

Who is Likely Spam and why do they keep calling me?

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 11/04/2026

Many business owners like to think that free parking is the most important thing. However, in my city, most of the best restaurants are downtown and have limited or no free parking 🤔

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Chris DeGroot @chrisdegroot.ca · 09/04/2026

Very cool to see this pop up on my feed the same day I crossed 7000 km on my Urban Arrow.

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