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This month, we reach out to those in the know to get their thoughts on the evolution of cycling

Noah ROSEN & Suzanne CARLSEN
VéloColour, Toronto

First off, tell us a little about yourself and VéloColour.
Noah: I started VéloColour in 2008 after spending two years learning to paint for a local frame builder here in Toronto. The owner had decided to retire, I had my own art practice on the side but needed work so it was either going back to working in restaurants or starting my own custom painting business. Suzanne (business and life partner) has been there from the start but came on as business partner in 2013. We both have degrees in fine art and design, myself in sculpture and ceramics and Suzanne in jewellery and textiles. We’ve been cyclists our entire lives and VéloColour is a great combination of all of our passions.

 What does cycling mean to you? How does it fit into the wider context of your day-to-day life?Suzanne: We ride bikes every day and are year-round bicycle commuters. The Toronto roads, like many cities roads, are over congested with traffic and it seems to be exacerbated more recently with the likes of Uber, Lyft and so on. We really believe that bikes are a faster, more convenient and more enjoyable way of getting around. I get a real sense of freedom and independence when I’m on my bicycle and nothing is more satisfying than picking up a load of groceries or grabbing our daily necessities by bike. Some of my friends think I’m crazy, especially for riding through the Toronto winters, but we’ve been living this way for so long we don’t even think about it anymore. 

What is your earliest cycling memory?
Noah: Probably riding to my friend’s house down the street. He was only twenty houses down but I wanted to ride my bike everywhere.
Suzanne: I got a white and pink BMX bike with hearts when I was about 5. It was the best thing ever. That summer, I spent pretty much every day riding up and down our street and would get so sad when I was called into the house when the sun was going down. 

Would you say that cycling has evolved at all over the years? Have people’s perceptions of the pastime changed?
Noah: It’s amazing how road cycling has really exploded everywhere. Everyday now you can pick from multiple morning group rides with varied speeds and distances. I’m sure coffee shops all over are seeing the difference with hoards of cyclists filling their spaces. I think, for many, we are still seen as an odd bunch of badly-styled, spandex wearers. While the sport has grown immensely, I haven’t seen the crossover to everyday riding. For me, that is still the missing key.

How well-represented is cycling in your city? What is the cycling community like there?
Suzanne: Cycling is definitely growing in Toronto in both the commuter side and road riding side. Unfortunately, a few years back we had a Mayor that started removing bike lanes, which is clearly regressive, but I’m hoping we’ve started to move past that. The city has a few really great community organizations, like Cycle TO, that are advocating hard and pushing for change. There are also a few socially-run enterprises that are encouraging and teaching kids from low-income neighbourhoods how to build, repair and ride bikes. We’d love to see the sport side become more diverse, especially since Toronto is one of, if not the most diverse city in North America, but it’s hard to know how to make this happen. There has been huge growth in women-lead group rides over the last few years so it is great to see more females on the road and kicking ass. 

Where are things going from here?
Noah: My vision is of a more sustainable future. The bike industry is putting out so much new product with new group sets coming out multiple times a season and more gadgets than any of us can keep up with. I’d like to see things simplified, but that goes against the goal of selling product. I see the newer generation of wheels being a progressive shift, perhaps it was only for ease of manufacturing, but plug-in end caps for wheels mean that one wheel can handle multiple drop-out or thru-axle possibilities. The lack of standardization in cycling has made things very difficult to deal with and creates a ton of waste with hard -to-replace parts but a simple solution like the end caps makes a huge difference. I’d like to see more smart design like this to keep parts in use longer and make them more universal.

Do you have any cycling-based achievements or milestones that you’re particularly proud of?Suzanne: Since we mainly cycle recreationally there aren’t any crazy achievements we’ve received. I started racing cyclocross with Noah a few years back which was really exciting and now I probably enjoy it more than Noah does.
Noah: Not really. I don’t have any major goals for my own cycling. I don’t ride with a computer so I can’t say how fast I ride or how many miles I log in a season. Racing cyclocross is super fun but I’ll never be the Provincial or National champion so I’m thinking about having good races. Perhaps what I am most focused on now is how many days a year I ride and how few are spent in a car. To date for 2019 I have been in a car six times but cyclocross season always means more car travel.   

What are you currently riding?
Suzanne: For my city bike I’m riding an old Raleigh set up single speed, you really don’t need gears in Toronto. And my road bike (which I switch over to a cross bike in September)  is a Grupetto/Marinoni.
Noah: My city bike is an old Miyata tourer with cantilever brakes. It’s set up single speed with full fenders and a stainless rear carrier for a pannier. I’ve got a very nice Titanium Seven Mudhoney for cross races and gravel rides, though it is great with road tires for fast rides as well. For a little over a decade I’ve been riding a mid-eighties steel Olmo set-up with fairly modern Campagnolo Record 10-speed components. I love how the bike handles but I’m not retrogrouch. 

And finally, do you have any advice for those looking to get into cycling more seriously? Any essential kit?
Noah: I’d say a good, medium priced bike is good enough for almost everybody. Cheap bikes and components will generally not ride or function as well but while the high-end market has exploded you’re
often paying more for style than speed. Ride your bike a lot or a little but as often as possible and get comfortable on the bike and how it handles. Sit at the back of local group rides and learn about ride etiquette. Fitness is not a replacement for smart cycling. The essential kit is obviously a well-designed VéloColour tool roll or saddle bag. Don’t carry all your spares in your pockets, save those for food or a vest.  

Danielle Shön
Shön studios, Toronto

First off, tell us a little about yourself and Schön Studio.
I’m a nationally certified welder and NDT engineer, and I founded Schön Studio about five years ago when I wanted to bring my love for art, cycling, and fabrication all into one.

What does cycling mean to you personally? How does it fit into the wider context of your day-to-day life?
Cycling for me is freedom in so many ways. I have been commuting by bike for most of my adult life – it’s so much better in a busy city to get where you want, on your own schedule, instead of having to wait around for a bus or sit in car traffic. It’s also been such an amazing tool for exploring new places. Touring a new country by bike has given me so many adventures and memories.

What is your earliest cycling memory?
Getting my training wheels off and learning how to ride without them – my Mom ran behind me holding onto the seat and then let go without me knowing. I rode for half a block before I realized she wasn’t holding me up anymore. Then I fell over!

Would you say that cycling has evolved at all over the years? Have people’s perceptions of it changed?
I think it’s becoming more pertinent as a regular way of life and not a fringe activity. So many people I know, across all ages and career types, ride to work and use a bike as a critical tool in their life. Whether it’s to commute, to get your groceries, or to go meet your friends on the weekend, people are realizing it’s the better way.

How well-represented is cycling in your city? What is the cycling community like?
It’s ok. There have been a lot of infrastructure upgrades in the past few years, but it’s still severely lacking. There’s still a big us-vs-them mentality when it comes to city planning and putting cars on priority over bikes. And then, of course, there’s the never ending battle against people who think it’s ok to park in bike lanes. The bike community itself is great – people are so passionate and will rally together to make positive change or the city.

Where do you see things going from here?
I hope that cycling infrastructure and advocacy continues to improve everywhere. I see a shift in thinking to being more self-sufficient, eco-friendly, and community-oriented, all fuelled by cycling.

Do you have any cycling-based achievements or milestones that you’re particularly proud  of?
My personal achievements have been in pushing myself beyond what I thought my athletic limits were. Competing in high-level races in the states, riding thousands of kilometers and meters of elevation in other countries.

What are you currently riding?
All my own builds – My Schön Road and Schön CX are my most frequently ridden.

Do you have any advice for those looking to get into cycling more seriously? Any essential kit?
Challenge yourself – you can do so much more than you think you’re capable of. In terms of essential kit, a good bike fit is everything. If you can go custom, that’s awesome, and I love getting people onto a bike that’s perfectly built for them. But if that’s not where you’re at yet – get fitted on your current bike. You’d be amazed at how much of a difference small adjustments can make to your comfort, and ultimately your performance.

Jess Morgan
@scoot__ | Rapha, London 

First off, tell us a little about yourself and your role at Rapha.
I’m Jess Morgan, I was born in Camden but spent my formative years in South Wales before being drawn back to the capital to spend six years in art school (Central Saint Martins followed by the Royal College of Art). After this, I accepted that it was probably time to get a real job and started organising UK events for Rapha, and over the past seven years have moved from events to marketing to press and now look after PR and communications in the UK for Rapha.

What does cycling mean to you personally? How does it fit into the wider context of your day-to-day life?
What began simply as a way to get from A to B has now taken over almost every part of my life. I started commuting by bike because I needed a cheap way to get around London, then I met some people in the fixed gear community and joined their social rides. Through that I got a job at Rapha, a cycling clothing brand, which helped me develop more of a passion for the sport and I began to dabble in road cycling and racing competitively. Now a typical weekend for me inevitably includes racing with my team the North London ThunderCats, going on a social 100km ride around Essex or watching pro cycling on TV. Some people think it’s total madness but I’m absolutely in love with it.

What is your earliest cycling memory?
Being taught how to ride a bike at Primrose Hill when I was little, riding off the safety of the path, rolling a LONG way down the hill then bawling my eyes out, naturally.

Would you say that cycling has evolved at all over the years? Have people’s perceptions of the pastime changed?
I think it’s perceived as less of a niche sport now. So much success in the Olympics and the Tour de France has helped to normalise cycling, the grassroots scene is thriving and welcoming new people into the sport all the time and more people are picking up a bike to commute and realising that it’s not as scary as it looks. 

How well-represented is cycling in your city? What is the cycling community like there?
London has a real variety of communities. I started off riding in the fixed gear community, which is how I met the friends I now race in a team with. Since then I’ve discovered the track community at Herne Hill Velodrome, roadies who get up at the crack of dawn for Regent’s Park laps every week, and a really friendly racing scene. There’s truly something for everyone in London, whatever floats your boat.

Where do you see things going from here?
There’s a lot more off-road riding happening now, with more people shunning roads for gravel and trails. Meanwhile the fixed gear racing scene is developing well, and I hope to win a race one day!

Do you have any cycling-based achievements or milestones that you’re particularly proud of?
I’m really proud of mixing it up in some fast and furious Red Hook Crits – fixed gear criterium races – and at the other end of the spectrum, riding 220 miles in one day on the Rapha Manchester to London challenge was an unforgettable day.

What are you currently riding?
I’ve got a carbon Ridley for road cycling, a custom-made Colossi team bike for racing and a steel Panasonic imported from Japan for riding around town and looking cool!

And finally, do you have any advice for those looking to get into cycling more seriously? Any essential kit?
The turning point for me was getting a bike computer (I have a Wahoo Bolt) and Strava to record my rides and upload them online. It’s so motivating to see how fast you are compared to your friends and other people on the same roads – it really unlocked my inner racer. Secondly, invest in some good quality kit like Rapha to keep you riding through all weather conditions. Cycling is a habit and the key to getting better is consistency, so if you’ve got the right layers to keep you comfortable, rain or shine, you’ll never have a reason not to get out and ride.