BY ALLAN JAGGARD
Bicycling has been around since the 1800s, but there’s no comparison between the past and today’s bicycles. To quote Loretta Lynn’s song, “We’ve come a long way, Baby!” Light-weight materials, advanced suspension systems, multiple gear ratios accompanied by slick-working shift mechanisms plus varying wheel sizes can optimize your ride.
Road Riding, Mountain Biking, Urban Commuters, Dual Sport, and BMX have specifically designed models for each category. Ask any athlete, and you’ll undoubtedly find they use advanced designed road and mountain bikes in their extensive training regimes to get in shape.
Many leading bicycle manufacturers have made inroads into alternative sports with significant dollar support. MARIN BIKES CALIFORNIA is a substantial sponsor of Canada’s ROCKSTAR National Motocross Championships. In 2019, both the 450cc and 250cc champions, Colton Facciotti and Dylan Wright, trained on MARIN bikes.
Enter “the game-changing e-bike.” Allan Jaggard & Anne Coleman, owners of O2RIDE, a bicycle and e-bicycle distributor based in scenic Belfountain, Ontario, have educated many people about the countless advantages and benefits of riding an e-bike. Have fun, ride longer, and tackle any hill with ease, to name a few. You’re in charge of how much or how little pedal-assist you need.
Many people are now using cycling as a new form of social and physical activity, just like they would a friendly round of golf. On any given morning, it’s not unusual to see cyclists of all ages, sexes, and body shapes gathered at their local coffee shop, or trail head, all a-buzz in anticipation of an energizing bike ride.
2020 has been quite a year! COVID-19 has controlled where we go and what we do. Due to the pandemic, the cycling industry has shown an exponential, off-the-charts increase in sales with no signs of leveling off. This year, finding a bicycle seems to be as tricky as getting toilet paper during the early days of lockdown. If you’re lucky to score a bike or e-bike this season, you may have just won the lottery and a new lease on life. ■
