City cycling made simple

North America’s cities have long been the domain of the car, but thanks to the undeniable benefits of active transport, bicycles have an increasing presence in the urban landscape. Yet our cities weren’t designed for bicycles, making for intimidating, and sometimes dangerous, environments for cyclists.

The Urban Cycling Survival Guide is an accessible, straight-forward pocket guide that helps cyclists new to the urban environment negotiate all the challenges, obstacles, and rules — spoken and unspoken — that come with sharing the roads. From picking the bike that’s right for you to smart riding strategies, tips for drivers, and bike maintenance, Cycle Toronto founding executive director Yvonne Bambrick is your trusted guide.

With illustrations to help clarify even the trickiest bike situation, The Urban Cycling Survival Guide is an indispensible, attractive set of training wheels that can make anyone a confident, joyful city rider.

Yvonne Bambrick's profile page

• Winner, IPPY

Yvonne Bambrick was the founding executive director of the Toronto Cyclists Union (now Cycle Toronto) and is currently working as an independent urban cycling consultant, event photographer, and coordinator of the Forest Hill Village Business Improvement Area.
Marc Ngui is a Toronto based professional creator. He studied architecture at the University of Waterloo and has pursued his passion for drawing and visualization across a wide variety of activities including illustration, comics, storyboards, animation, production design, scenic painting, videography and contemporary art exhibitions. He is one half of the eutopian art duo HappySleepy with partner Magda Wojtyra.

“This excellent guide provides real, practical cycling advice that is clear, easy to follow, and obviously based on experience.” — Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists

"Yvonne Bambrick’s highly readable and informative compact survival guide skillfully illustrated by Marc Ngui speaks effectively to the challenges for cyclists (and drivers and pedestrians) as we get used to sharing the right-of-way." — Ken Greenberg, urban designer and author of Walking Home

"The Urban Cycling Survival Guide is a comprehensive, yet easy to read book that will enlighten you about all things urban cycling. Yvonne Bambrick is the perfect guide for any beginner cyclist, and by the end of the book you will surely be ready and excited to jump into a life changing adventure of riding a bicycle through your city." — Mia Kohout, CEO & editor-in-chief of Momentum Mag

"The Urban Cycling Survival Guide is packed with useful tips and tricks, particularly for those new to urban cycling." — Mia Birk, author of Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet

"Yvonne Bambrick has written the definitive book for the urban cyclist. Whether you're in Austin, Texas, or Calgary, Alberta, she’s managed to cover the essentials for transportation cycling for the beginner as well as the veteran. Easy to read, well organized — it’s my new favorite book on cycling." — Robin Stallings, executive director of Bike Texas