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The army of road warriors spawned by Lance Armstrong have obscured a more fundamental cycling shift: riding a bicycle is increasingly just another form of commuting in cities across North America. No lycra required. Toronto has been riding the wave. Although people have always cycled here, it’s no longer just a few zealots who do it all winter. And in the spring, as the weather warms up, the extent of the shift becomes clear.

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Jeff McCartney cycles around his work at Bay Street and Wellesley Street.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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“I just like to bike," he says. "I find it’s a really good way to unwind, especially after a stressful day at work and it’s good exercise and it’s just nice to get outside.”Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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"And I don’t like the subway. I mean, who does, really?"Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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Amy Lavender Harris cycles to work from her Junction home.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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“I choose to cycle in Toronto because it’s the most liberating activity I’ve ever done," she says.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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"You are not sitting in a long line of traffic, not constantly waiting for a bus, or hearing the intercom telling you the train is late. You are in complete control of your destiny.”Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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Jacob Leibovitch cycles to work near Church Street and Bloor Street.JENNIFER ROBERTS/The Globe and Mail

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Why ride? “For me it’s the history, and the sense of place," he says. ”Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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"I live towards the top of Garrison Creek, so I live on the creek and I follow the creek down to Davenport, and Davenport is an ancient First Nations travel route."Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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Sabrina Bowman rides her bike to her office at Spadina Avenue and Adelaide Street.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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The climate campaign coordinator for Environmental Defence says: “For one thing, especially commuting to work and back, it's actually faster than taking public transportation, especially during rush hour.”Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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"I find that cycling gives me a freedom and an energy I don't get any other way.”Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail

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