Introducing Jordan

I’m Jordan! I don’t know what else to say other than I like bikes. I’’ve been biking since I was a kid but only got really into it when I lived in Berlin, it just became a huge part of my life.

What Does Cycling Mean To You?

Biking means a lot to me. It is a certain kind of freedom, it’s you’re on your bike, you’re moving, you’re observing, but you’re also vulnerable because every decision you make has an immediate impact. It’s like decisions and consequences. I think it’s nice to be present, at least for me when I’m riding. I think it’s a different mode of observation. It just means a ton of things, different things, to different people. Sustainable mobility, a platform for DIY and tinkering, but most of all it’s freedom.

How has your relationship to cycling evolved?

It used to be more of a practical thing, just getting from job to job here in Toronto, or in Melbourne when I lived in Australia. Then I moved to Berlin and I felt for the first few years there that I really struggled to find a community until I discovered Ruckenwind, which is a refugee focused bike co-op. They rebuild bikes for and with people with a refugee-background and other under-resourced folks as well, but it’s just a community. And that was, for me anyways, it was my love for bikes, the mission, the people, it all just came together and that was quite transformative for me.

What is Your Favourite Place To Ride?

In Toronto? I would definitely say Tommy Thompson (also known as Leslie Split). I go there to see the birds, go there to get out of the busyness of life. If the question was where is your favourite place to ride in general I would say the mountains for sure. I used to live in Germany so the Alps for sure. The French Alps, the Austrian Alps, Slovenian Dolomites in Italy. It’s amazing. When you’re in the mountains, just like existentially, spiritually, you just feel so small and insignificant, but at the same time so grounded and free.

Tell us about your bike!

I built up this wheel set and it’s a really fun build, it’s got like raw brass nipples and really cool hubs so I just love it.

It’s almost like an art object in it, just cause I don’t even like red has a bit of red on it. I don’t like red as a color, I never wear red and somehow when I bought the frame I had also found these red breaks and I’m like it’s gotta go in this direction.

Sometimes things just call to go in a certain direction and that’s where it went.

So if there were a zombie apocalypse or something I’m taking this bike for sure. It can go anywhere and I love it so much.

What has been your all time favourite cycling adventure?

This one trip we were on Kyushu, the southern island of Japan, and the plan was to do an 80 kilometre day and  that night we wanted to end up at an accommodation that was on the other side of Mount Aso.

We started wondering why it was getting so dark so fast and realized we had messed up and had another 40 kilometres to go instead of the 10 we had thought.

We were a bit stressed out and it was dark, you’re basically on top of this mountain/volcano and the only light there is is the light coming from the moon and stars. Then there’s like sulfur gas coming out from the caldera and we were so exhausted and delirious and I could have sworn I saw wild horses on the fields that were up there. 

I asked my partner about that, she didn’t see horses. I guarantee you we saw horses. So it’s just like this really dream-like situation I’ll never forget. 

What’ are your favourite details on your bike?

How do you make cycling spaces inclusive?

I think bike co-ops have to be super open spaces, safer spaces. 

That’s where people can feel comfortable to make mistakes and it’s the best place to learn bike mechanics to be honest. It’s because you just learn by doing. 

Bike co-ops are so important for cities and for allowing people accessibility to repair their bikes without paying an arm and a leg at a bike shop. Although bike shops are so important to the cycling world for sure, some people just don’t have the means to do that. That starts with people when they walk through the door, just be a kind person smile, say ‘hey what’s up how’s it going, how can we help you today’. You know bike shops and bike co-ps don’t have to be intimidating spaces, it just takes a bit of intentionality.

I mean my my first experience of a bike co-op was at  Reagan Bogan Fabric in in Berlin, an established bike shop, a bike co-op there bike kitchen and I wanted to fix a flat tire, I didn’t know how obviously, and a volunteer there a guy from Syria just took the time to show me how to do it, he was super patient and didn’t say much. I think there was a language barrier between us. It just took some patience, kindness, empathy and and got it done and I felt super happy and empowered after that and the rest is history. 

I started volunteering at a bike co-op myself and spent five years of my life very involved there. 

That used to be how it starts; a flat tire.

What is your cycling hot take?

Not only in Toronto but in general from what I’ve observed of bike shops and orgs and clubs I think the word community is the trendy word nowadays. Everyone has a community ride, everyone is using the word in the marketing and on social media. You know sometimes when you go, or maybe often, when you go to these community events or community rides it doesn’t really feel like community sometimes. 

You want to reach out to minorities, I think a lot of the cycling spaces are really just white dudes. I think people should just do a better job, or can do a better job, of making people feel included.