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Name \/ Occupation \/ Age<\/strong> What do you use your bike for?<\/strong> How often do you ride?<\/strong> How long have you been commuting by bicycle and what made you decide to start? What would you say to convince someone who is considering commuting by bicycle to go for it? When did you start commuting in winter and why?<\/strong> <\/p>\n I just kept riding after the snow fell and figured out it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was fun and I felt good about it.<\/p>\n What are the biggest challenges for winter bikers in Toronto?<\/strong> What reaction do you get from co-workers?<\/strong> What’s the best thing about commuting by bicycle in winter?<\/strong> Can you give a brief description of your route? <\/strong> Where are your favourite places or streets to bike in Toronto? Least? <\/strong> Most: Harbord is a great east\/west route: roomy, road condition is pretty good. I love biking on Palmerston at night, with the big round street lights lit up.<\/p>\n What do you like about biking in Toronto in winter?And dislike?<\/strong>
\nKeegan Barker \/ PhD Student \/ 31<\/p>\n
\nTransportation, fun, exercise, freedom.<\/p>\n
\nNow that I am working at home most days, a little less than every day, but I ride whenever I go out and about.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I started cycling around the city in summer of 2001. I’d just moved to Toronto the year before and my lovely roommate Kathy professed that riding her bike was the best way to get around the city. I was working downtown at the time, and construction was going on in front of the place where I worked. For a few weeks, they’d notified folks that all bikes needed to be removed from the bike posts. No one came to claim a little purple bike with stickers on it. My boss asked me if I’d have it, and with some fear I said yes. I wanted to get to know the city a little better. I started pedaling and a love affair began!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Freedom. No waiting around for late transit. Exhilaration. Feeling great about doing your part for the environment. It’s cheap. And of course, the feeling of the first warm day of spring on your bike is like no other — sunshine, soft air, birds singing…it reminds me of all that is good in the world.<\/p>\n
\nI started commuting in winter 2004. I was living at Dupont and Ossington and working at Bathurst and Dundas. The transit travel time took about 1 hour in the winter. Biking took 20 minutes. The bus was smelly, while the air was crisp. The bus was soggy, while (with the right gear) I was dry and warm.<\/p>\n
\nDecreased space on the roads due to snowbanks\/piles of snow from people’s homes on the streets.<\/p>\n
\nDisbelief.
\n“Wow, you’re hardcore.” (I’m so not!)
\nLaughter when my frozen eyelashes begin to melt and mascara runs down my face. Oblivious, I say with a goofy grin, “what?!”.
\nStrange looks when I come into the building with snow pants, huge-clomping-winter-boots, a parka, and just a little space for my eyes.<\/p>\n
\nThere are less people on the road jockeying for a little space. Early morning rides are amazing with either a complete and utter quiet due to the sound proofing of fresh snow, or crunchy squeaky tires on snow — a sounds that makes my teeth hurt.<\/p>\n
\nIt is about 3.5 km — west along Wellesley into UofT campus, north to Hoskin Ave, west to Devonshire Place, north to Bloor. Wellesley can be a little hairy, but once I get into the campus it’s like a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n
\nLeast: Bloor street between Avenue & Bathurst is a total drag: lots of door prize potential, and the cars seem really unaware of cyclists. The construction there right now means I avoid it completely. We need a bike lane here!<\/p>\n
\nI like that I continue to do what’s important to me, despite the challenging weather. That is; staying active and making environmentally conscious choices.<\/p>\n
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