All seasons cycling

Rob Klein and Douglas Smith are winners of sustainability awards for their commitment to cycling. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Sunny summer days and leisurely bike rides might be but a distant memory as we sink further into the clutches of Old Man Winter. Along with purchasing a snow shovel and digging out your warmest sweater, part of your winter routine might include finding a place to store your bike for the winter.

That is, unless you are a truly dedicated cyclist like Rob Klein or Doug Smith. These guys are serious about their bikes. Rain, shine, sleet, hail—you name it—you’ll see them on two wheels on their way to and from campus.

Mr. Klein and Mr. Smith are Dalhousie students and recipients of Sustainability Awards from the Office of Sustainability for their commitment to cycling.

Fitness benefits

Mr. Klein, a Resource and Environmental Management graduate student, took the bus only twice last year, both times because there was just too much snow on the road. Mr. Klein enjoys his daily commute and plans to make it a part of his life for as long as he can.

“Cycling is pretty important to me. I always want to make sure that I can live in a place where it’s possible to commute by bike. I really couldn’t imagine having to sit in traffic every day,” says Mr. Klein.

For Mr. Smith, a third-year biology student, his rural upbringing in Mount Uniacke made cycling an essential form of transportation from an early age.

“I started biking when I was around 11 or 12 as a way to get to the store to buy candy. I got into mountain biking shortly after that,” says Mr. Smith.

Like Mr. Klein, Mr. Smith bikes every day and enjoys the environmental and fitness benefits of his daily commute. Until recently, Mr. Smith was biking more than 20 kilometres per day.

Living sustainably

“I just moved recently, so this year’s commute has been on wider and quieter streets,” says Mr. Smith. “It’s not quite the fight-for-your-life ride I was used to on busier streets like Bayers Road and Lacewood Drive. You have to be cautious of drivers anywhere in the city but you eventually get used to it.”

Mr. Smith also volunteers a few hours each week at the Campus Bike Centre, something he has done since the centre opened last fall.

Throughout the year, the Office of Sustainability awards students, staff and faculty members who have made a significant contribution or commitment to a more sustainable lifestyle. This time, the awards were focused on Dalhousie’s committed cyclists.

In addition to Mr. Smith and Mr. Klein, faculty members Eileen Denovan-Wright, professor in the Department of Pharmacology, and Kaarin Tae, professor in the Environmental Science Program, were also recipients of Sustainability Awards for their passionate commitment to cycling.