NAMES: Justine bell and Guillermo Trejo
OCCUPATION: Guillermo – artist/printmaker and educator. Justine – Lead development policy analyst on the civil society file at Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.
WHERE YOU HEADING: Guillermo – We are on our way home, just down the road, past the Chinatown Arch! Justine – I rollerskake, I ride my bike, don’t drive no car. Don’t go too fast, but I go pretty far. Some people say that I’ve been all around the world, I’ve done alright for a girl…
WHAT ARE YOU RIDING: Guillermo – I ride a yellow Bianchi from the 80s, I found this bike at a demolition or construction site, the handlebars where hanging out of the trash container, I ask the guy at the place if I can take the bike, the guy said to me take it is “garbage”! I been riding this bike for 3 years now. Justine rides an SUV (Marion silver beauty) with large metal saddle bags – somebody has to bring home the groceries!
WHY DO YOU RIDE: Guillermo – Because it is fun, it is fast, it is efficient and it is the best way to wake up before work and/or to relax.
Justine – I love to meditate on my bike. In this contemporary word where we are hyper connected, biking is one of the few times when you are not looking at a cellphone or a screen or listening music, all my senses are connected!
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT BIKING IN OTTAWA WHAT WOULD IT BE: Guillermo – I would add more bike lanes for sure! I would make spark street bike road! But also I think that with the boom of bikes in the city, we as bikers have to start having a better code of conduct. We love to see people out in their bikes, but we are also concerned that people are not using lights at night, using the headphones and not paying attention to the road.
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING:
Shirt: Osei Duro a cooperative brad designed and made in Ghana, the head designer is one of Justine’s best friends.
Jeans: Levi’s commuter a new line that is dedicated for biking.
Justine is wearing
Shirt: handmade from the coast of Guererro, a present given to her by one of Guillermo’s best artist friends.
Jacket: Leather jacket was bought on our honeymoon in Barcelona
FAVOURITE SPOTS TO BIKE: Guillermo – Laurier avenue bike path from Bronson to Ottawa U, it has this feeling that you are in city, but at the same time is safe. Justine’s favorite place is from our house on Cambridge steet, next to the Chinatown Arch, all the way down to the bottom of Bronson, down into the little park beside the little river and over the Portage bridge (to and from my work) We also were avid bikers in downtown Mexico City. Our favourite place was the long street Reforma that leads into the center of the city (the Zocalo). You pass skyscrapers, statues, purple jacaranda trees, musuems, parks, heritage buildings, loud raggaeton music, elderly people dancing…On Sundays before 1pm they close this street off to cars…best place to bike!
FAVOURITE PLACE TO STOP AFTER A RIDE:
A bar! Or somewhere we can sit outside, drink a coffee and read the newspaper.
