Gabe Levesque, our new team member at Le Vélo

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A BLOGGER AT LE VÉLO?

Cycling in Victoria is such a magical experience, whether it's on a high-end Cervelo road bike racing along Dallas road, or pedaling quiet side streets with kids. I love biking through neighbourhoods, admiring houses, gardens, and finding little lanes that are exclusive to pedestrians and cyclists (case in point: the toilet bowl flower pots in Oak Bay, off of Mountjoy Ave.) Every time I go out and ride, there's something new to see, or as is the case with my children, they point out something new as well.

Blogging is a great way to share my cycling experiences. Having cycled in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Amsterdam, and the UK, I always come home and appreciate the amazing city that we have here. From going on a bike date with my wife, to reading the latest Bike Snob book, to leafing through Momentum magazine, I am always keen to have a bike ride in my daily life.

Gabe tells us that when the Momentum magazine arrives, he and his wife fight to read it first. We can relate, it's much like that in our house too. 

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

This year, I am fortunate to be on a parental leave looking after my son Felix, who is 21 months old. After dropping off my daughter at Elementary School, he and I attend playgroups in Fairfield and James Bay. By September 2014, I will be back to my fulll-time teaching position at Central Middle School where I have been a French immersion teacher for the past 12 years.

I bet there's a great story behind the recycled toilet bowl flower pots.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE BIKE AND WHY?

Hands down, my Dutch cargo bike (bakfiets) is my favourite. It is such a versatile bike that both my wife and I can ride. After trying one out at a Seattle Bike show, we were convinced that it was the ultimate way to carry kids and all their gear. Having my kids in front of me means we can carry out conversations, I can lean down and adjust a helmet, open a granola bar, or whatever they need. I never drive to the grocery store anymore either, as the bike can carry 4 bags of groceries with the kids. I've carried everything from a high chair, to a Christmas tree, to a Dairy Queen ice cream cake, to 4 kids in the bike. It's essentially like a minivan, you simply toss everything in. It's also a great conversation starter. Anywhere I go in Victoria, people ask me whether I made it, how many gears it has, etc. Even stopped at a red light, people will roll down their window and ask me questions. I recently bought a fantastic rain cover from Blaq designs in Portland, so all winter when it was windy or rainy, my little man was kept cozy warm and dry when we pedaled to and from playgroups.

Bakfiets

WHAT GOT YOU INTO CYCLING?

I grew up in Kamloops, BC when the golden rule was to be home by dinner, and my brother and I would simply bike the neighbourhood to visit friends, or go to the corner store for hockey cards. Our bikes represented freedom, and we didn't hesitate to use them everyday.

I got into mountain biking in university, but as I completed my degrees, I moved on to a road bike. Living in James Bay for 8 years did wonders to access the bike route along the water. In an hour, I could pedal all the way to the Uplands and back without having to stop, as there are no stoplights along Dallas Road and Beach Drive.

We are happy to have you on our team, Gabe! You can look forward to Gabe's first post very soon!