The rides of spring
I’ve wandered with my cameras, on and off for several years, documenting the extraordinary array of cyclists who daily ride the streets and trails of Victoria.
As I examine the images, it strikes me that no other form of transportation can bestow upon its user the dignity that comes with the bicycle. Contrary to the idea (promulgated in a recent GM promotion campaign) that to ride a “push bike” is a  humiliation, my eyes tell me that to mount a bike is to attain a certain nobility.
No ride in a Cadillac can ever bring the rank that a ride on a bike does. A poor man on a ramshackle Raleigh attains grace, while a rich man in a Mercedes promenades his indolence. A woman with the wind in her hair and rosy cheeks exudes more beauty than a coiffed cougar in a Jaguar. Kids learn what it means to harness their own power and apply it to destiny.
I hope to make this  a periodic feature on VeloWebLog, under the tag “urban cyclists” (see below). Now I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
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As you can see, helmets are mandatory in Victoria. That’s why my grungy old lid was stolen off my bike last time I was there. Great city to ride. Great city.
Mandatory province-wide, in fact. However, not universally adopted, as a couple of riders in the album illustrate. They risk a maximum fine of $100.
Victoria cycling is indeed enjoyable–the Galloping goose/Lochside Trail system, for instance, is a gem–though overall cycling infrastructure can still stand improvement.
I love the energy the cyclists exude and their joie du vie no matter the weather!
Yes, Angela, that comes across in most pictures, doesn’t it? Amazing what a bike ride can do for one’s outlook, even in less than ideal weather.
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