Where I ride with new friends

Have a seat and we'll get going
London, ON
May 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It's #BikeToWorkDay both here in London - where we have our own hashtag, #Bike2WorkLdnOnt - and in other cities across Canada. I'm already a bike commuter, so I don't need a special day, but it's heartening all the same to see one set aside to celebrate this transformative means of getting around. Especially cool: Seeing hundreds of other cyclists converge on the bike paths downtown for a critical mass ride that ended with a celebratory breakfast in Victoria Park. If I didn't feel alive before, I do now.

So what was different about today? Unlike most days, when I ride alone, today I was immersed among my own. When it's just you in the middle of endless car traffic, it's easy to feel isolated, exposed, in danger, because you're the one defiant soul who had the gall to add another 14 seconds to drivers' commutes as they turned into the @TimHortons drive-through for their first double-double coffee of the day.

But today, I was surrounded, protected by countless strangers with a common goal, vision, and culture. I normally hate crowds, but being among like-minded riders made it easy to strike up conversations with complete strangers - who a few minutes later would never be strangers again.

I met folks who volunteer to help others in the community repair their bikes - and learn the skills necessary to do so on their own. I met others who advocate for better cycling infrastructure, folks who consciously build community through cycling culture and action.

We need more days like this, where the goodness of neighbors dominates the day, where a collective sense of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world - results in tangible, positive change that anyone can be a part of with a simple decision: Today, I'll ride. Life well lived is all about making those critical decisions, and today I got to experience first-hand what that feels like.

Ride on, y'all. I'll wave when I see you out there.

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