Ditching the 'motor', keeping the 'cycle'
As far back as I remember I've loved being on a bike. Growing up in a small town with a population of 8,000, everything I needed to do was within biking distance. Whether it was riding to school, a friend's house, a trip to the pool, a ride out to the lake, I never had to pedal for more than an hour to do anything I wanted. As a kid, bicycles were freedom and independence. When I moved to Toronto at age 18 I was quick to ditch my car. I wound up living close to a subway, and eventually I picked up a 21" steel-framed CCM hardtail I used purely for a fit way to get to work. I enjoyed my ride-commute along the Lakeshore multi-use trail, but by then cycling had lost it's luster to me. Transit was faster and much more convenient, and cycling, purely for the purposes of transport, was a grind. (Back then I had no appreciation for what a nicer bike with lighter components would have done for me). I can't even remember the fate of that bike -- it's possible I just lef