cycling community

Vancouver has a reputation as a bike-friendly city, but cycling culture itself has a long way to go before it becomes equally accessible to everyone.

That’s why Andrea Smith and Lucas Gallagher’s shop, Sidesaddle, is such a promising addition to the city. A “women-focused, everyone welcome” bike shop, Sidesaddle caters to one of the fastest growing sectors of the bike-riding market, while striving to make cycling more approachable for everyone. Spaces like these are the next step in expanding cycling culture.

Yesterday, I spoke to Andrea about the shop, its mission, what she loves about Grandview-Woodland, and Bike to Work week.

You can hear more from Andrea in her PechaKucha Vancouver presentation.

Or, stop in at the shop. Andrea’s pal Rudy might just be the city’s cutest greeter.

Bike to Work Week’s fall edition takes place from October 26th through November 1st this year. Sign up, log your kilometers, and visit celebration stations around the city. There are mounds of prizes and a number of intangible rewards, too.

You can find the rest of the interviews in this series here: G-W Portraits

I happened upon the Vancouver Wheelmen Vintage Bicycle Club’s Bike Swap as I was on my way to the library, several weeks ago. I’ve been meaning to post this ever since.

Cellphone cameras are ubiquitous now and often rightly criticized for removing us from our experiences, while sometimes encouraging our more self-involved impulses. But they can also offer us opportunities for experimenting with photography that might otherwise elude us.

I didn’t bother to carry my camera with me on that short trip to the library, but having my cellphone with me allowed me to have a little fun with photography, as I explored a community I hadn’t known existed.