The Bike is the Accessory
The bicycle straddles the line between brute practicality and pure self-expression
Bikes are everywhere in Montreal. They’re all over the roads, sidewalks, fences, balconies, and parks. They’re getting ridden, getting stolen, getting found. Their preponderance causes them to blend into the urban landscape; the sight of someone else’s bicycle is ubiquitous. Bike traffic numbers agree: this past June, the bike counter outside Laurier metro recorded 95,017 counts1! Yet the relationship that one has with their own bicycle is deeply personal, and the bike often becomes a vehicle for self-expression in addition to being a literal vehicle.
I got my first Montreal bike in May 2020. It was a classic choice, shared by many in Montreal: A French-made Peugeot “Record Du Monde” UO-8 made in the early 70s2. For me, the central appeal of my bike (above) was 1. It was soooo gorgeous and 2. It empowered me. I could get anywhere, often faster than public transit could. I dipped and weaved in the bike lane, avoiding obstacles with grace while perched atop my wheels, hunched over my drop bars.
Because the bike is such an agent of agility and empowerment, it’s completely natural to develop pride in it. I love my bike, I want it to look cool, and I want to look cool while on it. This is well understood by local barb Olivia:
HONESTLY I SELECTED THIS BAd boy (below) bc he is sleek & sexy, neutral exactly to accentuate my fits even
Idk my ride's important to me it represents my freedom!!! & capabilities !!!!! i feel powerful and unstoppable with my wheels
Montreal provides plenty of opportunities to be perceived on your bike. Many of of the city’s bike lanes run along streets that bloom with terraces in the summer, like Rachel, St-Denis3, and Laurier. Our eyes are drawn to movement, so it’s very easy for someone sitting on the Datcha terrace to see and be instantly enamored by you and your bike, operating as one beautiful unit.
But a great bike does more than turn heads in the bike lane: it also perfectly suits you and your needs. Optimizing for personal practically allows you to express yourself in a manner not made for outside observation, unlike so much of modern self-expression. The bike is a vehicle, and so it is inherently practical. Similarly practical is the decision to add a crate, or a frame bag.
To learn more about the connection between bike practicality and personal expression, I reached out to local fixie aficionado Emmanuel, who offered the following gems:
You want your outfit to look sick, and you want your bike to look sick. You want it to match you and your energy. But I want it to have bags and shit: it's functional. You can also have beaters, like you can have your “Honda Civic” bike, and then you want to flex on weekends. Or you're a hot parent, get a cargo bike! Y’know, whip the kids around.
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My interest in biking is very track oriented, like my fixie (below) is a track bike for velodrome racing. In Japan this is called Keirin racing, and they bet on it.
Em and I also talked about the aspirational nature of bikes, and how they can become amazing projects where you lust after components that you slowly accumulate. You can need those hot new wheels the same way you need a linen button-down to complete your summer wardrobe. There’s always a new addition or aspect that you’re so excited to finally have, and always a next thing to look forward to.
Luckily, bike manufacturers and shops are completely on board with this idea and want to make hot bikes that are perfectly custom-built to their riders. C&L Cycle here in Montreal will start with a frame, and build out a bike to be perfect for a specific client. The result is a one-of-one perfectly custom ride: it’s bicycle couture!
Recently, I myself made an investment in bike practicality: I sold the Peugeot and bought an Exit hybrid in a subtle burgundy. The new bike suits me better: the rise handle bars are so much more comfortable, and the wider wheels absorb all the myriad road defects and detritus without threatening to knock me off as they did on the Peugeot.
I get a rush of excitement whenever I pick out my bike from among the others on the rack, pole, or wherever else I’ve parked it. It’s mine, it’s me. As I zip down the bike lane going wherever I want to, I think about all the other cyclists in the city, on their bikes going wherever they want to go. If our two-wheeled worlds intersect, it will likely be at most for a few seconds. Then they will pedal onwards, continuing to optimize their bikes and express themselves for their own pleasure and utility. The bicyle sits at a unique intersection of being common yet eye-catching. Thus, it is a pure frontier for personal style. In that, the bike is not just a vehicle but an accessory as well.
Here’s where I got that link: http://spacing.ca/montreal/2013/03/10/new-bike-counter-on-laurier-avenue/. Further, I want to note that this count includes repetitions, skateboards, and anything else that trips the sensor in the bike lane. But even if you want to discount half of that figure and round down, 47,500 bikes is nothing to sneeze at.
So many people in this city are riding around on 40-year-old bikes and it’s a miracle that it goes as well as it does.
I actually adore the St-Denis bike lane so much. I cannot comprehend the squares that were distraught over losing some street parking.