I took this photo of my beloved bike, Nora, while bike touring in rural Quebec.

She was later stolen and sold for crack. The next bike I owned was hit by a car. The crumpled fork made me go out and buy a metro pass.

But as spring weather rolls around, and all my friends are on their bikes, I’m realising how much I miss riding. There are so many reasons why riding bikes beats riding metros and buses.

Here are a few key arguements:

  • It’s faster. You don’t have to wait for the bike to start rolling. During non-peak hours, or on less frequented routes, getting around is just as easy. Similarily, it keeps rolling-you don’t have to get up, walk to the next bus/metro and wait all over again. On a busy day, you can weave in and out of traffic, and go faster than the cars.
  • It’s cheaper. How much did you spend on metro cards last year? 1 month (at the reduced rate) will get you a fixer-uper. 3 months worth (around $100) will get you a nice road bike if you shop around a little. Another month’ll get you something that rides like a dream. Oh, and you don’t need to spend $10 on getting a card to prove you’re a student. Hell, you don’t even have to be a student.
  • It keeps you in shape. Fuck spinning classes, kill hills! Plus, not only do you get legs of steel, but you feel saner due to fresh air and endorphins. Compared to some towns I’ve lived in, Montreal is relatively flat terrain.
  • It’s more ecologically sound. No nasty emmissions after the bike itself is put together (a process which consumes far les energy than building a bus/metro. And there are lots of organizations in this city that provide recycled bike parts.
  • It doesn’t close at night. While some people have their reservations at night, I have far less concerns about riding my bike home after the metro is closed than trying to navigate the night buses, which are affectionately nicknames the “vomit comets”.
  • You learn the city. Rather than being hurled at break-neck speeds through dark underground tunnels, you suddenly have to navigate your own way through the crazy maze of one-way streets that is Montreal. I started biking as soon as I arrived in town, and within a few months, I knew the city better than some of my friends who’d been here a few years.

There is something magical about two wheels, pedals and a chain. As soon as I get back to Montreal (I’m off to the west coast in 2 weeks), I’m getting myself a sweet sweet ride.