#Spokes-person Profile- Adrienne Tollas

Why do you ride?

Bicycling is my all-in-one vehicle: I use my bike to get from A to B, to exercise, to help stabilize my mental health, and to boost my creativity. When I have the dreaded 'art block' I go for a bike ride and somehow ideas start flowing again. It's also a great way to positively connect with all of Calgary's ever-changing seasons.

What brought you into the biking community?

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very pro-bike family. My stepfather was a bike mechanic and owned a bike shop, he also encouraged me to use my bike for transportation as a teen, so it felt like second nature to continue the tradition as an adult. Once in Calgary I discovered the biking community through Cyclepalooza, a community-driven bike festival and online calendar where anyone can add their own bike event, or join someone else's. Although I was nervous around strangers, I rode my first Full Moon Ride in 2016 and through that and other rides I have connected with some of the kindest and most inclusive people I've ever met.

Who is a rider in your community who inspires you?

This is very cheesy, but a rider in my community that inspires me is my husband, Matthew. He bikes to work all throughout the city to various photography appointments on our cargo bike. He's also the one who taught me how to ride in winter, even though I thought he was insane (at the time).

What is your most memorable biking trip/story?

On a short, overnight bikepacking trip last summer my husband and I decided to bring our cat Bram on her first camping trip. She loved most of it, the prairie winds on her fur, and she even slept peacefully with us in our tent. At around 5am Bram discovered that she could worm herself through the small gap in the tent's zipper door and off she went! Luckily we were mostly awake and Matthew, mostly naked, shot out of the tent chasing after our cat. It was even more fortunate that no one else was around. (We did catch Bram, if you were wondering. And we now use small carabiners to 'lock' the tent doors.)