I have cycled in many areas of Canada and the USA, including Cape Cod, western Massachusetts, the California coast, the Kootenays, the Niagara Peninsula, Prince Edward County, the areas surrounding Kingston Ontario, the Eastern Townships, the Chaudière-Appalache region, and Charlevoix.

I have also cycled in Holland, Denmark, Frankfurt region, Bavaria, Alsace, Burgundy, central Switzerland, and northern Italy.

Although I have enjoyed fantastic tours in Canada and the USA, there is no comparison. Touring conditions in Europe are generally superior. My theory is that bicycling is more closely integrated into mainstream culture in Europe than in North American, and consequently, Europeans “get” it, including city planners, road engineers, politicians, motorists, pedestrians, restaurateurs, hoteliers, store owners, and ordinary people going about their daily business.

In many European countries, there are well-developed systems of bicycle routes that are almost unimaginable to travellers from North America. When I returned to Toronto after last summer’s European expedition, I was angry. How is it possible that a small country like Switzerland has made space for multiple and redundant bicycle routes, while the bicycling infrastructure in my huge yet sparsely populated country is pathetic. Also, why is it that I confidently share narrow roads with motorists in Europe, while at home, many motorists have no clue about how to share wide highways with cyclists?

Alan