Hi, my name is Ryan. I am a professional forester and I’ve been riding for the past 12 to 15 years.

What Does Biking Mean To You?

I think it’s a really good way to express myself because in my work I have to drive a work vehicle so that really limits the way I can do things. Also, being in a city we’re sort of restricted to public transport and other modes of transportation so to me this is a way that I can express my own gratitude towards the city that we live in and also at the same time it’s a great form exercise. It gets you from point A to B and you can cut through traffic so you’ll always be on time. So yeah there’s a huge level of convenience in cycling for me as well.

What is Your Favourite Place To Ride?

Around the city, my favorite place would be the RC Harris water treatment plant on Green Street. It’s a really chill stroll over there down by the water it’s a nice place to chill at the end and you know then pavement all the way there is semi-decent for Toronto which makes it accessible for people without huge tires or suspension.

Tell us about your bike!

This bike is a Marioni Fangle. I think it’s like one of their side cross bikes that they make in Montreal. I got the frame from a shop where it had been on display for years, so I cut a deal for $50. I got the frame without a fork, if you look at the fork it doesn’t match. I got it from a bike co-op in town. It was damaged on the steer tube so I did like a bit of welding and it’s been a pretty trusty ride for the past five years now.

What has been your all time favourite cycling adventure?

That’s a great question. So for the past two years, I’ve been living in this tiny little town up in northern BC called Smithers. I lived just outside of that town on a two-lane county road called the Talco High Road. My house to my mailbox is about a 6 km gravel road bike ride and on the Talco High Road there’s a gang of about 7 or 8 dogs. Dodging them has always been an adventure. So yeah I guess my favorite bike adventure will be from my place to my mailbox.

How do you think bikes and biking adventures can be more accessible for everyone?

I think it’s a pretty complicated question, I don’t think we can answer that with just a few sentences, but I think a good starting point would be to remove the barrier of entry to cycling and start making this thing a very novice sport. Because it really is just a two-wheeled machine that is powered by a chain. There are people who bike without even having brakes. So the sport itself is a very fundamental way of exercising and I think we need to stop piling up the barrier to entry to the sport. We don’t need dedicated stuff. Just put on whatever that you’ve got to wear going out to get groceries, hop on a bicycle that you feel comfortable hopping on, and you’re off. If the journey itself is adventurous to you I think that’s really what it matters. Everyone has their own pace of progressing in terms of what they perceive as adventurous – for some people it might be a three day bikepacking trip in the middle of nowhere but for me it’s just getting my mail a on a two lane country road.

What’s your favourite detail on your bike?

I’ll say the fork because as I was saying in that earlier question the fork was rescued from a co-op. The steer tube is obnoxiously long, I have a really sketchy back and I have to have a super high stack. On that fork the steer tube itself was broken so I it was my first welding project and my only welding project fingers crossed. This thing hasn’t snapped in all these years but you know… I do think it looks kind of nice on my frame though.