John and Marica

Kettle Valley Railway
1:54 Pm
Between Westbridge and Rhone
Canon PowerShot A460
1/500sec F16

These two Dutch cyclists have been on the road for two and a half weeks having started their bike trip in Calgary.  Their flight from Amsterdam landed at the C.I.A, (Calgary International Airport) and they unpacked their bikes, slung on the panniers and hit the road.

Their plan was to cycle to Vancouver and then fly back home.  Speaking of home - the first thing that John said was "Holland is very flat.  Canada has a lot of hills!"

Metro and Moses

11:52 Am
Winston Churchill Square
Canada Day
Nikon D3100
1/500 sec. F16

M and M (Metro and Moses) were hanging out behind the stage at W.C.S.  Musicians were busy hauling gear up and down the stairs behind the two of them for the gig which was to start at 12 noon.

Metro and Moses are frequently at the square whenever there is something special going on.  I have a picture of the two of them from 5 years ago during "A Taste of Edmonton".  I think Metro was wearing the same shirt.  Although I'm guessing he has washed it since then!

Tanya Littlchild

12:17 Pm
National Aboriginal Day
Jasper Avenue and 102 Street
Fujifilm X100
1/400 sec F16


It was the sound of drumbeats coming from the park where a year or so ago, the Occupy Wall Street protesters had set up camp, that piqued my interest.  A tall white Tee Pee sat on the corner near Jasper Avenue and people picnicked on the lush grass.

Tanya's outfit caught my attention and she proudly posed for me with her 1930's bike.

Robert

1:12 Pm
Winston Churchill Square
Bikeology Festival
Canon Point and shoot
1/500 F16

Robert needed some work done on his bike while enjoying the Bikeology Festival right downtown.  It was a hot day of full sun reflecting off the concrete surface of the square.  Even though the repair stand was under an umbrella, I still needed to roll up the legs of my bib overalls.

This cyclist was ever grateful that his bike could be worked on while he enjoyed the pedal-powered musical entertainment and ran around taking pictures with his own point and shoot camera.

  Like everyone else, Robert is proud of his bike and it has become an extension of his personality.

Don

10:23 Am
High Level Streetcar Tracks
Canon 7D
1/400 sec. F16


Don pulled off the bike path just south of the High Level Bridge and walked his bike to a wooden platform between the two streetcar tracks.  His mission was act as an arborist and trim the caragana growing profusely on either side of the tracks.  As a volunteer with the streetcar society, Don has been pruning the foliage for a number of years "Just about twenty or so years," he said.

Mike Hunchak

1:52 Pm
Tim Horton's on 112 Street
1/500 sec F16
Nikon D3100


"You have to get down to Whitemud Park to see all the chipmunks and squirrels!" Mike tells me just before he pedals away (to Whitemud?) on his black and tan HUFFY.

Robin

12:46
University of Alberta
1/500 sec. F16
FujiFilm X100


Robin zipped past me before I could stop him then and there although I ran and caught up to him as he was locking his bike up.  He too like Thomas the other day, was there to pick up his transcripts.

The weather has changed considerably since I took the photo and one centimeter of snow now blankets the city.

Rito

11:47
Student's Union Building
1/500 sec. F11
Nikon D3100

Rito looks pretty laid back on this warm spring day as he arrives at the Student's Union Building to meet with his supervisor to discuss his masters thesis.  Next to him is the large bicycle parking area - I hope he locks his bike up well since bike theft at the university is a big problem.

Magaly

11:48 Am
Student's Union Building
1/1000 sec.  F16
Nikon D3100

Magaly is off to work at Pita Express inside SUB (Student's Union Building).  On the left is her friend Rito who is here at the university campus to meet with his supervisor to talk about his Masters thesis.

Thomas

12:14 Pm
University Dentistry Building
1/500 sec  F16
Nikon D30

Spring has finally arrived and Thomas was out on his bike doing some errands during the sunny lunch hour. When I flagged him down, he thought I was going to give him shit for riding on the sidewalk.  Even after agreeing to have his picture taken, he was concerned that the photo would be absolute proof of his bi-law infraction.
Reassured that my intentions were honourable, Thomas rode off towards the Student Union Building to pick up a transcript of his marks and maybe get some sun on those powerful legs of his.

Henry and ?

11:18 am
Stony Plain Road and 149 Street
Canon Sure Shot
1/250 sec F11


It was while unloading equipment for a commercial shoot that I spied Henry underneath a billboard.  The second bike leaning against the brick wall suggested another person.
"We've just ridden 30 k. along the south river bank to the new bridge at Fort Edmonton" Henry tells me as his cycling partner emerges from a hair salon, putting a helmet atop her newly coiffed hair. "Now we ride home for breakfast!" he enthusiastically shouts as they ride off to the west.

Dave

11:12 am
Nose Creek Pathway, Calgary
1/400sec. F16
FujiFilm X100


With and hour to spend on my bike while my vehicle was being worked on, I decided to ride the bicycle pathway that parallels Deerfoot Trail in Calgary.  It was on my way back from the Bow River that I came across Dave out for a regular ride.  He frequently cycles from his home in Harvest Hills to the Peace Bridge near Prince's Island.
"It takes me about 45 minutes depending if there is a tail wind going down but longer if I have to ride into the wind on the way home!"  I knew what he meant - I made down to the Bow quite easily but had to slog my way back up to the car repair shop using only the three gears that my 20" Raleigh has to offer.

Sonia

8:04 Pm
Mountain Equipment Co-op
125/sec F8

"I don't own a car so I go everywhere all year long on a bike.  When people ask me what its like to ride right now, I don't know what to tell them since I ride every day and today is just another day."

I was compelled to introduce myself having seen Sonia cycling in different parts of the city at different times of the year.  In spite of needing a knee replacement for years, this stalwart cyclist just kept on pedaling.  She now has a new right hip and her recovery was quick.  As Sonia put it: "I am fit!"  I'll say.

Tai

12:11 Pm
Rossdale
1/500 F11


Tai tells me she's having a bad day when I spot her down on the river flats in the Rossdale area.  In the background are white crosses erected by First Nations people to mark the site of a traditional burial ground.

When I first saw Tai, she was talking on a cellphone and holding her rear tire in her left hand.  She looked stressed and I stopped to see if I could be of assistance.

Moments later, her friend showed up with a hand pump and fixed her tire.  That's why she's now smiling.  I think her day is getting better...

Kim

5:14 Pm
TRC
Shaw Conference Center
1/250 sec F11


Kim smiles for me as he poses with his winter bike out front of the Shaw Conference Center.  Earlier he wasn't all smiles as he absorbed the tragic stories being told at the final Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings being held here.

My friend Wendy, a Cree attending the hearings tells me that unlike the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa, the perpetrators are not present - just the victims.  She is not confident of any resolution to the crimes committed against First Nations people in this country.

Kim is at the hearings reporting for his student radio station and being a white kid from the suburbs, the stories from the hearings shock and disturb him.  As they do all of us.

Mike

11:59 Am
1/400 sec. F16
Canadian Tire, West end

"This is my "When my car is broken down bike!" Mike tells me after locking his bike to a parking sign.   This Canadian Tire doesn't have a bike rack anymore and after talking to the store manager, it doesn't look like they intend to ever replace it.

Mike says he comes from Salmon Arm and asks if I have ever heard of it?  I tell him that I was the guy who photographed Prime Mininster Trudeau giving the finger to some protesters there.  "I still have my sky blue tee shirt with the finger on the front!"  Mike excitedly answers.

Salmon Arm funded their arena with the proceeds from selling tee shirts and bumper stickers emblazoned with the"Fuddle Finger of Fate".

today

Kirk

12:24 Pm
Spring - like conditions
1/500sec. F11
SE corner Jasper Avenue and 103 Street

As Kirk pushes his bike closer to me, I can see that he has some cotton batten and surgical tape covering his left eye, behind his sunglasses.  His bike is splashed with dirt and his panniers look well used.  He looks like an experienced cyclist.

His big smile tells me that he enjoying having his picture taken this warm noonhour.  "I'm just coming back from an eye appointment and since I don't have any depth-of-view, I'm better off pushing my bike!"

When I tell him that I'm a mechanic at BikeWorks North, he assures me that we will meet again since he visits our north end bike shop often.  I look forward to the meeting.

Winn

5:26 Pm
8 degrees C
1/500 sec. F16


"I'm only riding on the sidewalk because the road is so wet!"  Winn tells me when we meet up on 95 Avenue and 152 Street.

I notice that even riding out of the traffic that his glasses are speckled with dirty water and his jacket also has been drenched with road splash.  This Canadian Tire special is his winter bike and although it felt like spring this afternoon, I suggested that it might be too soon to put away the winter bike.

I have no intention of putting mine away since we are bound to get more snow in the coming weeks and why ruin one of my better bikes with road debris when I can replace everything on my $30.00 bike and still be ahead of the game?

Brad

Whyte Avenue and 104 Street
3:03 Pm
Minus 18C
1/800 F10, ISO 400

Brad is easily distinguished by the trailer which he tows behind his bike. What he is towing is a battery that provides power assist and eases his pedaling.  With no reflection on Brad, I hope that when I'm in my nineties and cycling I'll be grateful for power assist.

I introduced myself by my formal name yet when we departed, he called me "Mike" which is a name that most people call me.  Had we met before?

Brian

5:15 Pm
Minus 13C
250/sec   F16

"I do this pretty much every day." Brian tells me when I catch up to him on 102 Avenue and 135 Street.  "Usually I take the river valley but decided with the warmer weather to take a different route".
The weather forecast for tonight is minus 28 (without the wind chill), so Brian might have a cooler ride to work tomorrow!

Rob

6:04 Pm
BikeWorks North
F4, 1/30sec

Rob and I have the exact same winter bike so when he popped into BikeWorks North to begin his shift as a mechanic, it was of interest to me to inspect his ride.

Coincidentally, we both have swapped out the index shifters and replaced them with simple-to-use-with-gloves friction shifters.  He even has the same headlight as me on his handlebars.

I learned a lot from Rob about winter cycling and perhaps this is just a case of me copying him.

Rob wants me to email him this picture so that he can send it to a friend in Iran who has a mobile shoe shining business and wants to know what winter is like in Canada.

Anonymous

5:03 Pm
10212 Jasper Avenue
Minus 27C
F8@250/sec

With the windchill making a coward out of me, I sat by one the display windows at my work and waited for this cyclist to pass by.   He had cycled past before and knowing that people are creatures of habit, I was sure I could photograph him while I basked in the warmth of my workplace.

In fact, Mr. Anonymous had already ridden past the window in the opposite direction but I missed my opportunity when a co-worker distracted me. I'm glad I still waited with my camera ready to go.

Randy

3:34 Pm
Old Strathcona Area

With a plaid scarf covering his face, I didn't recognize Randy as he rode his bike past the Starbucks where we were loading up on black plasma to ward off the cold.

Once I caught up with him and he had his helmet off, I recognized this winter cyclist from my time volunteering as a mechanic at the bike co-op.  I'm certain that I've worked on his bike and when he recognized me he exclaimed "You're that left-leaning cycling radical!"  (He must have been confusing me with another cyclist).

Jacqueline

7:01 Am
LRT Bikepath
Minus 20C

Looking bright and chipper, Jacqueline was spotted near the Save-On Foods at 111Avenue and 82 Street.  Using some logical deduction, I headed off this early morning commuter at the junction of the subway tracks and 95 Street.  When I apologized for holding her up, her response was to tell me that "I'm dressed warmly enough!" A few minutes later, I could see Jacqueline cycling near the Baccarat Casino and I marvelled at her speed and I wondered why an identification tag was hanging from her cycling jacket?

Bernard

11:23 Am
104 Street and Jasper Avenue


Bernard was snapped in front of Sobey's downtown on Jasper.  He had just put a few groceries into the milk crate on the back of his bike before he rode the few blocks home.  His bike did appear to have a do-it-yourself paint job which didn't quite cover up the original robin's egg blue colour.

Selfie

7:16 Am
Workplace bike storage

While not togged out in cycling clothes, he is holding a 1963 Triumph three speed, one of his favourite bikes.  The bike itself was given by a good friend with the understanding that the bike can never be sold or traded - it can only be given away.  His daughter has her eye on it but she'll have to wait a while yet before she can take posession of this great bike.

Karly C.

5:12 Pm
120 Street and 108 Avenue


On her way home from a board meeting, Karly doesn't have far to go before she's at home with her man and her cats.  The board meeting was with the organization that creates "Bikeology" - a velo love-in held during Bike Month every year here in our northern city.

Mel

10:10 Am
Super Fantastic Plastic Gas Station


Mel was just picking up a Danish at his local Petro Can when I bumped into him and his gold bike.  Years ago when this gas station was renovated, my children thought the structure resembled the one in their Playmobile set hence the goofy name.

Hiram W.

12:36 Pm
Railtown Bike Path

Wanting to enjoy the near zero temperature, Hiram is out for a warm weather ride.  "What a pleasure it is ride without any wind!" (a reference to the record - breaking high winds yesterday).

Chris

10:04 Am
Behind the old Molson Brewery

Looking nonplussed after giving a one hour winter biking demonstration, Chris is off to his regular shift at Mountain Equipment Co-op.  A year 'round bicycle commuter, Chris is also kept busy with his duties as Executive Director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society.

Jim

Tuesday, January 7, 2014
6:26 Am
Tweedsmuir Crescent

Wearing a bright orange reflective jacket, Jim stopped long enough for me to grab his picture.  I caught up with him in the tony Glenora neighbourhood, west of downtown.  When asked if he bicycle commuted everyday, Jim's reponse was humble.  "Every day that I can!"

Coreen

January 4, 2014
3:11 Pm
Windchill - 30C


A hardcore year-round cyclist, Coreen takes a breather from painting the new BikeWorks South to pose for me.

In the background is a Volkswagon Eurovan that belongs to Bruce, another painter.  Coincidentally, the Volkswagon is parked in front of the German Consulate.

Roy

January 1, 2014
10:24 Am
Calgary

With my cycling friend's new acquisition locked into a stationary bike stand, Roy proudly displays the road bike he is eager to ride once the snow has completely melted from the city's 750 kilometres of bike paths.

His daughter and her boyfriend recently completed a cycling trip from Paris to Switzerland and it sounded enticing.  I know that in a few minutes, Roy will be selling me on the idea of touring France on our bikes.  I'll have to get my self a touring bike.