The Bike Cycle

by ALEX FORTUNA for Urbane Magazine
FROM VOL I: Issue 1, Spring 2010

We so often take public resources for granted that it can be difficult to recall times when they were not available to ease the passage of daily life. The modern morning commute, facilitated by Toronto’s infamously hazardous bike lanes and ubiquitous bike racks, is far cry from what cyclists of previous generations experienced. The privileges we are afforded did not exist some twenty years ago- the push towards a greener way of living has changed Toronto dramatically.

This boom in cycling infrastructure has been accompanied by a resurgence in the popularity of bicycling culture. To investigate how a change in cycling culture has affected bike sales in Toronto I sat down with shop managers from two different shops: Uncle Jacob, owner of the used-bike shop Uncle Jacobs Bikes, located near College and Spadina, and Dean Corrigan, manager of the family oriented Spokes and Sports on Avenue road.
Spokes and Sports opened its doors in 1984, and Dean Corrigan has basically managed the shop ever since.

“When the store first opened cyclists were very stereotyped,” he said, “the only people that road bikes were athletes, otherwise bikes were considered to be for kids, all that has changed now”.
At this time there was no bike week, let alone bike month, and Toronto had yet to put into practice a string of bike lanes across the city.

“There is still a stereotype that exists outside of the city, kids may be insulted for biking to school, instead of driving a car, but as this changes, so does the cycling culture.”

In recent years, bikes have also become more affordable and have used more sophisticated materials, aiding in the growth of cycling culture. New styles, designed specifically for different uses, have made riding more appealing to potential cyclists.  Twenty years ago a rider’s only affordable option was a steel frame bike, whose weight may have been a deal breaker to many. When aluminum began to be used by bike manufacturers it was more costly but considerably lighter than its steel predecessor.  Cheaper manufacturing (often overseas) has meant that aluminum bikes are substantially more affordable.

“A TTC metropass now sells for $121 a month, a sensible commuting bike can start at just $300 dollars, its seems like the most sensible thing to do, often times its much faster to bike than wait for the TTC,” says Corrigan.

“Parents and their children are all buying bikes, that’s become more common since we opened,” Corrigan says, “there are also so many more varieties of cyclists. We have athletes that come into the store all the time. But we also have people who commute to work or school, cycling is no longer a novelty and it has a better community feel”.

Uncle Jacob’s is a downtown retailer of a variety of used bikes. The shop is located on Spadina in the middle of Chinatown.  It is stuffed full of bikes of all kinds, and is often a start for many people looking for an inexpensive way of getting around.

“Bikes really haven’t changed very much to me, a bike is a bike, it gets you from A to B, I don’t care what they say on them”, says Jacob as he ushers me toward a bike at the back of the store, “this bike is 100 years old!” It is a cruising style bike with wooden wheels and a fixed gear crank-set.

“I would never sell this bike, but look at this” he says and points to a Schwinn, a modern day cruiser style bike, “it has the exact same geometry and everything”. He’s right; the latter is lighter and more affordable, but core characteristics remain the same.

“So what do you get out of selling bikes?” I ask just before I leave the shop. “A living” he replies to my surprise, “we just provide the bikes, people do with them what they will, it’s the people that set the prices, who are most a part of the culture”.

The business model for selling bikes has changed; with more affordable bikes oriented for different purposes, but what has really changed is the vibrant culture that surrounds it all. The success of Toronto’s Bike Week has seen it turned into a month-long commemoration with countless retail and repair stores.  Thousands of Torontonians now support this excellent mode of transportation.

Jacob was right; anyone can go out and buy a bike on a whim. However, cyclists need to incorporate cycling into their everyday life.  Growth of cycling culture helps bring the issue to the minds of civic planners and policy makers at City Hall, and thus helps promote green transportation.

Students have always been involved in cycling and bikes are particularly efficient for navigating around a city cheaply, quickly, and in an environmentally friendly way.  But what is important is that students keep the tradition and culture alive.  What may seem now to be a resurgent cultural fad is in fact a distinct and healthy lifestyle; one that has economical and physical benefits that you will reap for the rest of your life.