Interesting stats (and a lot shorter than the not just bikes deep dive on the subject.)
Paint isn't infrastructure. If we want to be serious about reducing congestion and pollution, we need real investment in alternative forms of transportation, and bike infrastructure is some of the best ROI of any type, with europe hitting 8 dollars saved for every 1 dollar spent.
I got this in around 2008~2011, can't recall exactly. I know it is a Giant, but wondering if anyone knows the model name? Unfortunately this is the best photo I have at the moment. The fenders/lights are obviously aftermarket, although I think everything else is stock. This was my first 'adult' bike and I'm looking to restore it properly after over a decade of storage. (I'm planning to take it to a shop, but I am also willing to learn some basic bike maintenance as well). It is nothing truly special in the bike world, I think it was around 500 CAD when I got it, I know it is aluminium, but to me it is special since it helped me dig myself out of a not so great time in my life, and I want to return the favour to it.
Any help would be appreciated!
Ok, so maybe this is something basic I should just know, but many years ago (2010) I went to a bike store rather than a Wal-Mart to get a bike as an adult. I wanted to bike to work, and the LBS helpfully said that what I was describing as my use case was a hybrid. I got it (a giant), had some different tires installed + fenders, and some pedals, and was on my way. I really enjoyed it, this was my first bike as an adult and it was aluminum so lighter than anything I had ever owned previously (Steel 1990s mountain bikes). I basically fell in love with the bike and biking again. Then life happened (yep) and I stopped biking for about a decade.
Flash forward to this year, and I decided to get back in the saddle. I'm being told that gravel bikes are the do anything bikes now, and I go look at one and the price is... yeah, up there. I go to the meagre hybrid section (now called city) and immediately find three nice bikes (in my eyes). I go online to do some research, and immediately see a bunch of 'why hybrids suck" posts. Everything from "they suck at everything" to "they're boring".
Maybe I am just basic, but the idea of a bike that can do most of everything is appealing to me. The relative simplicity of a basic bicycle I find appealing. And while the tires may not be the fastest, the durability on some city rubber (Schwalbe Big Ben for example) is extra appealing for someone who is unsure if they could perform a roadside repair. I also really like that most hybrids can in a pinch cut through a park/unpaved area with no real difficulty. Not to mention mounting points for practical things like racks abound on most city/hybrids I have seen. I dunno, maybe I am just weird and I find utilitarianism appealing.
But I think what I really do not understand is how these bikes are seen as boring? I think they look smart, and I kind of dig their utilitarian vibes. Yes flat bars aren't aero, but I find them easier to control (full disclosure I've never owned a drop bar bike). Edit: Oh and pedals, flat pedals are egalitarian, and in my mind, provide a peace of mind in emergencies that you can just put a foot on the ground.
Anyway, if anyone wants to explain the hate for hybrids, I would be interested to hear why they seem to get so much scorn?
Une des meilleures façons de dissuader le vol de vélo est de l'immatriculer et d'y apposer une autocollant inviolabe. Offerts gratuitement par le service de police de Gatineau, ces autocollants rendent votre vélo moins vulnérable au vol. Les voleurs savent en effet que revendre un vélo immatriculé est généralement plus compliqué qu'avantageux. De plus, ça facilite le travail de la police pour retrouver ton vélo.
Un peu de préparation maintenant pourrait vous éviter bien des soucis plus tard! Bon voyage!
Si vous êtes à Ottawa, ou si vous vous y rendez à vélo, la police locale offre le même programme : https://www.ottawapolice.ca/fr/community-safety-and-crime-prevention/bike-registration.aspx
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One of the best ways to deter bike theft is to register your bike and get a inviolable shield sticker for it. The shields are free from the Gatineau police, and they help make your bike less of a target for being stolen, thieves know reselling a registered bike is usually more trouble than it is worth. It also helps police recover your bike as well. A little prep work now could save you a lot of misery in the future! Happy trails!
(If you are in Ottawa, or bike to Ottawa, their police have the same program: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/community-safety-and-crime-prevention/bike-registration.aspx )
One of the best ways to deter bike theft is to register your bike and get a shield/code for it. The shields are free from the Ottawa police, and they help make your bike less of a target for being stolen, thieves know reselling a registered bike is usually more trouble than it is worth. It also helps police recover your bike as well.
If you are in Gatineau, the same program is available from the SPVG: https://www.gatineau.ca/portail/default.aspx?c=en-CA&p=police/prevention/programmes_prevention_communaute/garage_529
A little prep work now could save you a lot of misery in the future! Happy trails!
Thought this was pretty interesting from the meeting I attended. Unfortunately I think I was the only citizen there, however there was a bike advocacy group as well. I learned about all these programs to teach people skills for biking (including repair) that I didn't know existed, which was cool. Also saw what the city is doing this year to upgrade the bike network (not nearly enough in my opinion, but better than nothing.)
I biked Davidson east recently, and the multi-use path is in such a disgraceful shape it's honestly better to just ride on the road for a significant part of it. Easily one of the worst paths I've ridden on. They are planning to do repairs but not to that stretch, maybe I will take photos or a video the next time I am out riding.
Next meeting is on the 21st of May if anyone is interested.
Master plan is found here: https://www.gatineau.ca/portail/default.aspx?p=guichet_municipal/comites_commissions_tables_concertation_organismes_externes/commission_transports_deplacements_durables_securite
Direct link: https://docweb.gatineau.ca/Doc-Web/masson/documents/pdf/20260416_PDRC_Bilan2025_Planification2026VF.pdf
Edit: Corrected next meeting date
Why can't we have a Mayor like Calgary's? This was his response to the news that the AB govt was planning an anti-bikelane law similar to Ontario's. Link to his bluesky post so you can see him in cycling gear praising the cycleways in the city https://bsky.app/profile/jeromyyyc.bsky.social/post/3mldr7yqtp225 And here he is on a bus talking about how to promote better living in the city https://bsky.app/profile/jeromyyyc.bsky.social/post/3mldwiibm6q2x
Can anyone imagine or even picture Sutcliffe commuting on a bike? Or for that matter, standing on the curb waiting for an OC transpo bus that will never arrive?