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Amanda Galbraith, a spokeswoman for Mr. Tory, said the candidate was busy Monday preparing for his major transit platform announcement at the Canadian Club on Tuesday. “To suggest he is anti-bike is ridiculous,” she said.

Ms. Fletcher, who slipped on the ice and fractured her pelvis in March, went first Monday to the physiotherapist to see if she was okay to ride in. The physio said yes, so Ms. Fletcher, astride her purple Miele mountain bike (its handlebars decorated with a purple lei from the Pride parade last year) rode down Gerrard to Queen Street, and then east on Queen.

“I am back in action,” says Ms. Fletcher. Construction on Queen posed a challenge to her ride. “All the ramps being cut up for the new streetcars are murder for cyclists.”

Ms. Davis last year bought a grey 24-speed Raleigh at Cyclepath, explaining, “my old bike died.” She dismissed Ms. Fletcher’s Miele as an “old lady’s bike.”

Ms. Davis rode east on Danforth/Bloor to get in to city hall. She favours a bike lane on the route.

“I was going so fast trying to avoid things that I missed Yonge,” she says. (The mass ride converged at Yonge and rode down to city hall). I came down Bay. My ride was great, the weather was fabulous, the potholes were treacherous.

“When it comes to the budget I am usually looking for investments in recreation and social services. But I am now a member of the Works committee. Riding a bike demonstrates concretely the need to improve the roads. When you are in a car, surrounded by steel, you feel the potholes, but on you are on a bike you are at risk.”