Bob Silverman

<p>Few unknown figures have left such a lasting mark on the world as Robert Bicycle Bob Silverman<strong>.</strong></p><p></p><p>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 <em>vélorution</em> (a term he was the first to popularize in Canada) with authenticity ingenuity and boundless creativity.</p><p></p><p>With his small but dedicated group <em>Le Monde à Bicyclette (MàB)</em> 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 <em>cyclodramas</em> street theatre protests where members donned costumes to make their point.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>A larger-than-life figure Robert Silverman was as many describe him a prophet before his time. Discover how this real-life <em>Man of La Mancha</em> managed to reach a few unreachable stars...</p>