In this series we stop people along the bike lanes in Vancouver and have chats with them about their thoughts on cycling, their bikes, and more. Have a look at the archive HERE.
Name?
Amy
Tell me about your bike?
My bike is a Steve Bauer Sirocco that I bought from the North Shore Sport Swap around 2006. My friend Jen had a Steve Bauer and when I saw it I fell in love, so when I saw mine and it fit I had to buy it.
Are you from Vancouver?
I'm an East Van girl. I grew up riding bikes with my Dad and Sister on Commissioner Street when it used to be open to the public. We would ride along the docks from New Brighton Park all the way to Stanley Park.
What do you do for work?
I make felt hats and accessories at Funk Shui Atelier on Granville Island and I do childcare for two little girls. I'm also working on an art project right now where I'm making a colouring book full of pictures of real people who ride bikes. It's called "Your Bicycle Coloring Book" and It's on Kickstarter if anyone wants to get their picture in the book.
How often do you ride your bike?
I ride almost every day. It's my main mode of transportation and has been since I was a teenager.
What does your commute look like?
It's so easy. I bike from Strathcona to the South False Creek Seawall, then I ride the seawall to Granville Island. It's idyllic. I feel pretty lucky.
What does it mean to you to be a cyclist?
When I was in high school I was planning to get my drivers license and save up to buy a car, but then my high school had an environmental conference and I learned that private automobiles were a big cause of carbon in the atmosphere and global warming so I decided to use a bike to get around. It seemed like a very straightforward and simple choice to make at the time, just as it does now. I get exercise, to see my city, get to places quickly and I don't have to sit in a car. Plus I am not spewing out toxic fumes wherever I go! I'm always surprised what a struggle it is to get popular support for transportation cycling. People just get so attached to their cars and it's hard for them to embrace change. I spent a chunk of my life publishing a magazine called Momentum and a book about cycling called On Bicycles, 50 Ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life because I believe in cycling as an wonderfully transformational, almost magical way to change our lives and our cities for the better.
What are you looking forward to most about the summer?
I'm looking forward to camping and sailing, to drawing 50 pictures of beautiful bike people for the colouring book, and to a bike ride I'm co-hosting for Velopalooza. It's called the DIY Sound Bike Ride and this is the 5th year we've hosted it. It's a show-and-tell ride and I love seeing what kinds of bike sound systems people have made. It's on Tuesday, June 21, meeting at 7:30 pm at the Science World Gazebo. We invite everyone to bring their homemade bike sound systems and partake in interactive freestyling hosted by Freestyle Focus Group (FFG). Hope to see you there!
Check out Amy's colouring book project here till June 15th to get your picture in the book, and support this local project!
To learn more about Velopalooza that is happening right check out the website here, and for Amy's specific ride here.
