Few unknown figures have left such a lasting mark on the world as Robert "Bicycle Bob" Silverman.
A true nonconformist, this tireless advocate for urban cycling lived an extraordinary life. Poet, bookseller, restaurateur, traveler, educator, gallery owner-but above all, a passionate cycling activist-Bob led his vélorution (a term he was the first to popularize in Canada) with authenticity, ingenuity, and boundless creativity.
With his small but dedicated group, Le Monde à Bicyclette (MàB), and a handful of allies, Bob Silverman achieved the impossible. Over three decades, Montreal transformed from one of the least bike-friendly cities in North America into its cycling capital-thanks in part to MàB's colorful cyclodramas, street theatre protests where members donned costumes to make their point.
Silverman's story reads like a film script. A poet and independent bookseller in the 1960s, he drew in a vibrant circle of artists, intellectuals, and musicians, including Leonard Cohen and Armand Vaillancourt. In 1962, he traveled to Cuba to join Fidel Castro's revolution, meeting none other than Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Later, he worked on an Israeli kibbutz, becoming one of the rare Jewish activists to shake hands with Yasser Arafat. He studied in France and Spain, pioneered outdoor volleyball, and never shied away from challenging the status quo.
A larger-than-life figure, Robert Silverman was, as many describe him, "a prophet before his time." Discover how this real-life Man of La Mancha managed to reach a few unreachable stars…
They must have looked ridiculous, this ragtag band of Montreal cyclists with cardboard wings strapped to their backs, riding along in a small group in July 1980. They were protesting the lack of bicycle access around their city; their wings symbolizing how it was impossible for them to cross the river. The day was warm as they rode through bucolic parkland on Saint Helen's Island. Then, unexpectedly, Mayor Jean Drapeau drove by in the other direction. Drapeau had ruled autocratically over Canada's second-largest city for almost three decades with essentially no opposition. There was probably little that Drapeau was afraid of but the mayor must have just seen something that terrified him.
Suddenly, the cyclists were in hot pursuit of Drapeau, furiously flapping their wings as they pedalled hard to catch the fleeing mayor. And catch him they did when the mayor changed vehicles, at which point Drapeau was showered with pamphlets. A watching journalist found the scene hilarious, writing: "Cyclists wear the wings but the mayor takes flight."
Who were these cyclists and why were they so able to intimidate the longtime mayor of Montreal? This is the incredible story of "Bicycle Bob" Silverman and his merry band, le Monde à bicyclette (MàB). The MàB was the most militant bicycling group in Canada or perhaps anywhere. Lacking money, the group creatively employed guerrilla street theatre, irony, humour, and research. With these tactics, MàB invariably forced the most resolute adversaries to bend. For some two decades, that is exactly what MàB did, completely transforming Montreal in the process.
Journalist and author Stéphane Desjardins has managed several newspapers and newsrooms (Journal de l'assurance, Finance et Investissement, Québec Inc., Canal Argent/TVA Nouvelles, Coopoint, Géo Plein Air, Le Vélo Urbain, Journal AccèsLaurentides). In 2013, he founded the hyperlocal news network pamplemousse.ca, which he ran until 2018. He currently works as a personal finance and consumer affairs columnist for the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec.
John Symon is the author of several guidebooks covering Montreal and Ottawa. He was a long-time reporter for the Montreal Times, as well as Montreal correspondent for Pedal magazine for many years. An avid cyclist, John met Bicycle Bob Silverman through volleyball, which led to a 30-year friendship. A
