Cycling, a real social club
Posted on July 3, 2021
Bicycle use has been on the rise in Quebec since the 1990s.PHOTO : Getty Images / carterdayne
“A lot of people are new to cycling right now, or they got back to it after many, many years,” says journalist and columnist David Desjardins, a cycling fanatic who made it a real social club.
The numbers prove him right, as bicycle sales have increased due to the pandemic. According to Vélo Québec, in 2020, 1.5 million Montrealers cycled, 1 million Quebecers rode mountain bikers, and 1 million cycled more than 40 km from their home, by going there on two wheels or otherwise. Last year, nearly 950,000 bicycles were sold, twice as many as in previous years, and Quebeckers spent $ 565 million on bicycles.
“My friends are almost all cyclists,” says David Desjardins. During the pandemic and when health regulations were stricter, he could still practice his favorite activity. “The bike is really like a tavern,” because secrets are exchanged between cyclists on the road, he explains. “It’s allowed me a lot to track the mental health and well-being of my friends over this year and a half. ”
