The self-proclaimed “best place to shop for a bicycle” had some hits and misses at its 26th edition.

Shiny new bicycles and skilled riders doing backflips on wooden ramps were just some of the spectacles at the Toronto International Bicycle Show. Held at Exhibition Place this past weekend, it was attended by more than 25,000 people.

Nicholas Gallant, a passionate cyclist, handed over 13 dollars to get into the event, in the hopes of catching the performers and trying the latest equipment. “Some of the bikes were very high-end, but you could test them all out,” he said.

Some people looking to purchase a bicycle found that the show didn’t deliver the deals it promised, however.

Ahsin Ashraf left empty-handed. “I thought the bicycles were very expensive. I looked around quite a bit, and the cheapest one I found was 700 dollars,” he said.

With multiple vendors at the show from elite brands like Porsche, the price tags on many bicycles were hefty. Some models cost upward of 1,000 dollars.

When attendees did buy bikes, they tended to go for a particular kind. According to the show manager, Carl Bastedo, street bikes are the latest bestseller. “They’ve definitely replaced mountain bikes as the most in demand,” he said. “The most popular are the kind they use in the Tour de France. I think this is happening because of the fitness craze. More people are using bicycles for recreational purposes.”

Mike Davis, who worked the booth for Bike Depot and Broadway Cycle, said the shop sold nearly its entire supply of equipment. “More than half of the bikes we brought were sold,” he said. “We also had hybrids—which are a cross between mountain and road bikes—and mountain bikes. The cheapest bikes we had were around 300 dollars, but many were 700 to 750 dollars.”

For those who weren’t buying, the exhibitions were entertaining—particularly the Mountain Bike Dual Race and Stunt Competition. Also, for folks who just couldn’t afford the equipment this time, the bicycles will return to Toronto for the 13th annual blow-out sale this October.

The federal by-election for Toronto-Danforth is drawing closer, and NDP candidate Craig Scott is busily canvassing. He is hoping to follow in some famous footsteps.

Jack Layton won Toronto-Danforth with 60 per cent of the vote in the last federal election. “I hear a lot of stories from people about how they met Jack. It’s humbling to know someone had that much charisma,” Scott says.

Layton’s widow, Olivia Chow, and his son, Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina), have expressed their support for Scott. Expectations for him are high, and he leads in early polling.

Scott is a professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and a human rights activist. It was because of a sense of duty that he decided to seek the NDP nomination, which he won in January. “The country is going to have a hard time surviving the Conservatives,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be able to recognize ourselves if they win again. We need to produce an alternative in 2015 for Canadians.”

Scott has resided in Riverdale, a neighbourhood within Toronto-Danforth, for over 20 years. He insists he understands the riding’s major issues.

“The environment is taken very seriously here,” he said. “The MPP Peter Tabuns has a solid environmental background, and there are many local activists like Justin Duncan of Ecojustice. There are initiatives like The Ravina Project on Ravina Crescent. There needs to be a transition to a blue-green economy, and that means more blue-collar jobs. The Port Lands, for instance, how will they develop in a sustainable and also vibrant way?”

Aside from the environment, the growing youth population in Toronto-Danforth is a priority for Scott.

“More and more young families are moving in, and I want to engage them, make sure they see themselves as part of the future. Housing conditions in some areas need to be improved, and tenants’ rights need to be protected. This should be coordinated across all levels of government,” he said.

After he’s through worrying about his own election, Scott will turn his thoughts to the NDP leadership race. He’s still torn over which candidate to support.

“I haven’t decided who I want the next NDP leader to be,” he said. “There are a number of qualified people.”

Sports coverage tends to focus on major league teams, but every day in Toronto people make fun (and sometimes wacky) activities an important part of their lives. Sporting Goods looks at some of these.

Mark Sokolski tightens his grip on the handle as every anxious eye in the room settles on him. The puck starts to fly and with a sharp flick of his wrist, Sokolski forces the goalie to slide right and block it. He isn’t just playing hockey, he is controlling an entire team.

“Table hockey is like ice hockey, but you use tiny players set on a miniature rink to play the game. Opponents control the players with rods that connect to them from underneath the game’s surface,” explains Sokolski, the 2003 Toronto Classic Table Hockey champion.

The rules and positions are essentially the same: a goalie, centre, defensemen. No spinning is allowed. Even the structure of most table hockey tournaments is similar to the NHL Playoffs.

“Sixteen players become eight, then four, then two, and then we have the champion,” Sokolski says.

The Toronto Classic Table Hockey Championship, which Sokolski helped found at the University of Toronto in 1999, draws a long list of competitors each year.

“There are players as young as 11, and as old as 70. We do our best to draw and encourage newcomers. Before the tournament, the rules are explained and experienced players help them out. There is a game to see who the best newcomer is,” Sokolski tells Torontoist.

The championship, which is the largest in North America, recently formed a sponsorship agreement with the Toronto Marlies and a partnership with Big Brothers of Toronto. This year’s Toronto Classic will be held on April 7 at Ricoh Coliseum during a Marlies home game.

Andrew Ennals, who won the Toronto Classic in its first two years—and whom we met recently at “Table Hockey Night in Toronto,” a monthly event he hosts at the Monarch Tavern—claims one type tends to dominate the table hockey circuit.

“It’s the suburban male who loves the NHL. There are always some that show up wearing their hockey sweaters. I’m also from a small town,’’ Ennals says.

Like many adults who compete in tournaments, Ennals began playing table hockey as a child in friends’ homes.

“It’s a great game to play when you’re older because fitness isn’t a factor. You have a chance to win your Stanley Cup without having to skate,” he says.

Another table hockey competitor, Guy Mason, agrees with Ennals. Now in his mid-sixties, Mason plays the game frequently and has competed in many tournaments, including the Toronto Classic.

“It’s all about intelligence and a good memory. I’ve noticed that the best players have these traits,” he says.

According to Mason, the increasing number of attendees, some of them women, have made table hockey tournaments more intense.

“The competitive juices really get flowing. A few years ago, a shoving match broke out over a cheating accusation. I had to split up the two guys. Since then, changes have been made and situations like that don’t really occur,” he insists.

Rankings of players are available on the Ontario website, with both 16 and 60-year-olds among the elite.

However, Sokolski claims there is another reason why competition is fierce.

“Like the Stanley Cup, the Toronto Classic has a large trophy that will have the winner’s name engraved on it. There are also smaller prizes including cash, NHL memorabilia, and beer. A past winner received two cases of beer delivered to his house every month for a whole year. He almost cried.”

CORRECTION: January 25, 9:50 AM This article originally mistakenly said that we met Mark Sokolski “on a recent Wednesday.” In fact, Sokolski’s interview was conducted over the phone. This error was inserted in editing. Also, the article has been altered to credit Table Hockey Night in Toronto, whose details were originally omitted.

The evolution of Councillor Mike Layton's Movember 'stache, from November 1 to November 29.

“It’s straight across, and square at the sides. I call it the Classic Jack,” says Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) of his moustache.

The name is in reference to his father, late NDP leader Jack Layton, who made the style a trademark. Councillor Layton, who wore a goatee in high-school and then a soul patch, insists he had no trouble growing his bushy, brown Classic Jack. He even visited a barber to have his facial hair groomed into the right shape. The effort is for Movember, an ever-growing movement to raise funds and awareness of men’s health, particularly prostate cancer.

“My father was involved in Movember, and I’m happy to carry the torch. The event means that much more, but I’m also doing it for another reason. It’s important that people know about this. I don’t think a lot of guys realize this is preventable. If caught early, it doesn’t need to be fatal,” says Layton.

This year, for the first time, Layton registered for a Mo Bro page on the official Movember Canada website.

More than 244,000 people are on the site, which is one of the most popular fundraising tools and a branch of Movember Worldwide. On his page, Layton has posted photos of himself and has joined a team and networks to increase support.

Layton’s team is “Moliticians,” a group of 37 politically involved men and women.

Their most prominent network is “Movember for Jack,” which comprises 608 members, including public figures from across the political spectrum like Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, Conservative MP for London West Ed Holder, and NDP MP for Sudbury Glenn Thibeault, along with other men and women inspired by the late politician. The Moliticians are also listed in the “Mo Sistas Canada” network, which has 207 members and supports women in the movement.

Kyle Iannuzzi, who once worked with Jack Layton’s widow, Olivia Chow, is running the “Movember for Jack” network.

Like Layton, he has taken extra care of his moustache—but he isn’t growing a Classic Jack.

“I have an emerging handlebar but would love to be able to accomplish a moustache with a twist at the end. I just think it’s out there. I like to be out there. It has to be a conversation piece that helps raise awareness,” Iannuzzi says.

Along with the councillor’s page, Movember for Jack is spreading the word through a Twitter account, @Mo4Jack, a Facebook page, and events including concerts in Toronto. The efforts have placed the network at ninth in Canada, with over $138,000 collected, and helped the site reach a staggering total of more than $30 million in donations with a day to go.

There’s still time to donate! Head to Movember Canada and give to your team of choice or make a general donation today before all the ‘staches disappear.

[Disclosure: Andrew Louis has provided occasional website development services, as an independent contractor, to several city councillors, including Mike Layton. While he shot the images in this piece, he did not propose the story or participate in the initial concept development.]