Celebrating World Bicycle Day: Why We Ride

According to the United Nations, World Bicycle Day is all about “acknowledging the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle… And that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation.” Our reasons for cycling are as varied as the bikes we ride.

Julien // Hong Kong

What is your earliest memory of riding a bike?

It was when I said my first word. I was sitting on the child’s seat behind my mom in Montreal, and I said, “banane.” When I was older, my dad rigged a bike by taking the training wheels off and attaching a broomstick to the back so he and my mom could hold onto it. I must have been going fast because my mom let go of the stick. I remember pedaling while looking at my shadow. I think at first I freaked out and probably wobbled a bit, but then I was like, “I can do this. I’m free!”

What is it like to bike in your city?

Hong Kong is one of the least bikeable cities in the world. Drivers aren’t particularly crazy, but the streets are narrow, and there are no bike…