If there's a silver lining to confinement, it's that it's forced us to step outside more often for fresh air and fresh air. For some, the pandemic has been a powerful motivator to get out and about... and socialize. Let's hope that the good habits of playing outside and getting around on foot or by bike will continue as we emerge from this crisis.
I've always envied the inhabitants of Scandinavian countries, who live in symbiosis with their climate. Even if winter sometimes seems endless, I wouldn't swap my place for living year-round under the sun. I love the change of seasons, I love the snow, I love skiing and biking. Cross-country skiing is predicted to be very popular this winter, and that's great news. I'm also predicting that winter biking will no longer be seen as the preserve of the oddball, but a fast-growing sport that's here to stay. Of course, there will be storms and bitter cold, requiring more motivation to get on a bike or give it up. But who says cycling between December and March has to be an everyday activity? The choice is yours! The choice to ride when the road is clear of snow, the choice to ride when the temperature is right for you, the choice to take a route that allows you to ride safely. By dressing appropriately, especially your head, hands and feet, you can choose from a wide range of combinations to enjoy winter cycling. Like me, you'll find that winter cycling is less chaotic than cross-country skiing or skating, which are more susceptible to the vagaries of weather and thawing temperatures.
Back in the 80s, when I was a student at UQAM, there were 3 or 4 of us who rode in winter... with no snow-cleared bike lanes. Then, for several years, I stopped riding once the snow came, stretching my cycling season as far back as December and resuming it in March. Today, the big advance in winter cycling is accessibility. These include the REV on Saint-Denis, Bellechasse, Rachel, Berri and De Maisonneuve streets, as well as the new Samuel-de-Champlain and Jacques-Cartier bridges, a first for winter 2021. These developments now offer Montreal cyclists an increasingly attractive network for their utilitarian journeys, and are sure to convince many to give cycling a try this winter.
If 80 % of Copenhagen's cyclists continue to cycle in winter, it's because their network is jealously cleared of snow, and before 7 a.m. on the main roads. It's true that the Danish winter isn't as harsh as Quebec's, but there is such a thing as a winter with snow, cold and snow. sloche. When we say «build facilities and cyclists will come», it's also true for maintenance: «clear the snow, maintain the pavement and cyclists will ride». Let's bet that winter trail maintenance - a standard that's increasingly on the municipal agenda - coupled with the current pandemic context could cause a surprise in the number of winter biking enthusiasts, and who knows, become a new national «sport».
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager