Wheeling through Toronto: A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders

“I thought I knew everything I needed to know about cycling in Toronto, but Albert Koehl’s book takes things into a whole new gear. Wheeling through Toronto is a fascinating, fun, and thorough history of more than 100 years of biking in Toronto, revealing that a lot of the political battles around bike infrastructure we’re navigating today aren’t new at all. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand what it means to get around Toronto on two wheels.” Matt Elliott, city columnist, Toronto Star

“Riding a bike is one of the most freeing experiences you can have in a city, yet for the better part of a century it has also been a dangerous adventure on Toronto’s streets. Albert Koehl does a tremendous job of documenting the historical challenges and politics of the bicycle and its impact on the city’s transportation planning. Koehl’s extensive research in Wheeling through Toronto reminds us that sustainable transportation options continue to face numerous systemic barriers despite the obvious and pressing need to address the current climate crisis.” Matthew Blackett, publisher and creative director of Spacing

“From the creation of the most ‘benevolent machines,’ through the dark days of urban design that put motorized vehicles ahead of humans, to the present when the city has a mayor who loves – and rides – her bicycle, Wheeling through Toronto spins through 130 years of cycling history. Next time you’re riding near a bookstore, zip in and pick up a copy.” Laura Robinson, journalist, and author of Cyclist BikeList: The Book for Every Rider

“Koehl’s Wheeling through Toronto presents a lively account of the rise, fall, and rebirth of cycling in Toronto between 1896 and the present. People moving from home to work and, outside working hours, to play created a tense contest among automobile owners, transit users, and cyclists – which motorists appeared to be winning. But the recent rediscovery of cycling in the face of a growing environmental catastrophe opens a new chapter in Toronto’s transportation history.” Glen Norcliffe, Professor Emeritus of Geography and Senior Scholar, York University

“In Wheeling through Toronto, Albert Koehl shows us three things. First, the bicycle has long been an important part of the city’s transportation and social history. Second, bicycles are a big part of the present day largely because of decades’ worth of cycling advocacy and activism. Third, bicycles must and will be a critical part of Toronto’s sustainable, efficient, and fun mobile future.” Shawn Micallef, author of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto and co-founder of Spacing

“Albert Koehl’s book is an important synthesis of Toronto’s cycling history. It allows riders like me to understand fully the riding landscape that I travel through every day. Frustratingly, some of the same old anti-cycling practices and rhetoric keep returning to public discourse. But ultimately, Koehl’s work shows how the bike and the city are continuing to grow together.” Matthew Pioro, editor, Canadian Cycling Magazine