Winter cycling: a practice that is growing in popularity

The Winter Cycling Forum is on Saturday at the Cœur des Sciences at UQAM; Organizers want to convince cyclists to practice this sport for 12 months a year.

The demand was already there, but a certain enthusiasm encouraged the city of Montreal to make BIXIs available in winter for the first time.

This means 190,000 Montrealers cycle at least once between the months of December and March.

These figures should also continue to grow, because in fact, the network that offers winter cycling is better cleared in Montreal, as well as in Gatineau and Longueuil, for example.

“It's crazy now to see lines at red lights on cycle paths,” says Chloe Baril, co-organiser of the Winter Cycling Forum.

“What I really like is that at the beginning of a new practice, we know that it's usually young people who adopt it, then suddenly, if the infrastructure is good, if the activity becomes popular, we see women doing it more. , then families; But there, we are already seeing baby seats, children, families,” she explains again.

According to data obtained by TVA Nouvelles, which dates back to 2020-2021, about 13% of people decided to continue cycling in winter; According to several members of the Winter Cycling Forum, the numbers have probably already increased significantly.