• References
  

Natural Cycle’s website outlines its focus to promote cycling as a legitimate and celebrated form of transportation, as opposed to a mere recreational instrument. When cycling is mentioned in documents such as Plan Winnipeg 2020 Vision, it is most often used concurrently with words like “paths” and “recreation”, which undermines its actual utility and the potential it embodies to grow in popularity.

Reused and recycled

Members at Natural Cycle believe in the bicycle, and the lifestyle that often accompanies it. This includes the concept of recycling, resource conservation, and sustainability. The metal used in manufacturing bicycles is a natural resource that need not be thrown away. Therefore, when bicycles are dropped off at Natural Cycleworks, each component is sorted and assessed for reusability. If it can be used, it is cleaned and prepared for resale. If not, it is sorted by material and then recycled. Resource conservation is also a concern, reflected not only in the paper used by both Cycleworks and the courier company (which is 100% post consumer or tree free), but also by the modeling resource conservation through transportation choice.

Visble and possible

In his book Cities and Natural Processes, Hough (2004) mentions the notion of visibility. Although refers particularly to the importance of revealing and enriching natural processes, the same notion can be applied to sustainable transportation methods. It is important for both motorists and potential cyclists to see those who use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. This normalizes cycling practice, and will hopefully encourage others to adopt similar behaviour.