Even Montreal snow can't stop a determined e-bike rider

Adrian Niculcea was about eight years old when he first rode a bike, a red Pegas, borrowed from a friend.

“As soon as I got on, I had no trouble keeping my balance,” said Adrian, who grew up in Vatra Dornei, a small Romanian city surrounded by forested hills in the country's northeast. “It was my first time on two wheels, and I fell in love immediately. A deep, deep love. I was ready to do anything to have my own bike.”

Getting one was not so easy. Under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist rule, even a Romanian-made Pegas was out of reach for most people. Adrian had to wait for communism to fall and Western products to flood the market before he could own a bike, a grey racer.

The love affair with cycling has continued. Now, at 48, Adrian rides an iGo electric fat bike in the streets of Montreal, no matter the season. 

Riding through change

When he first arrived in Montreal in 2004, one of the first things Adrian did was buy a bike. His mountain bike served as basic transportation, but also as a way to explore and connect with his new home. 

He rode everywhere: to the grocery store, along the Lachine Canal, and through Montreal’s parks, like René-Lévesque on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River.

As his family grew, so did the number of bikes. He bought one for his wife, then two more for their children. Together, they rode through provincial parks like Oka, enjoying what Adrian calls “the great nature, no noise, and relaxing moments.”

But over time, things changed. 

“The kids grew up, and my wife only biked when the weather was good. So, I decided to get a bike that I could use all year round,” he says, standing outside a café in Montreal’s Ville de Mont-Royal neighborhood. Unable to find a safe place to lock his e-bike, he stays at the entrance to talk about his decision to switch to an electric bike two years ago.

At first, it was just about convenience, but soon, he discovered a world of benefits. 

“It’s good for the environment, it’s a great cardio workout, and it keeps you healthy,” he says. “Plus, you save money on gas, avoid rush hour, and unlike a regular bike, an e-bike gives you more freedom to move around the city.”

For Adrian, freedom is more than just commuting. As a photographer, he rides at any time of the day or night. “I stop wherever I want, pull out my camera, and take a photo,” he says. Many of the images and videos he shared on social media have gone viral, capturing Montreal’s beauty through his lens.

But cycling in Montreal is not always easy, especially in the winter. Heavy snowfall buries bike lanes, ice covers the paths, and temperatures drop below -20 C. 

To handle these conditions, Adrian chose an e-bike with fat tires for better grip on snow and ice. He also added a memory foam seat and extra suspension for comfort on long rides. Reflective tape on his helmet and bike ensures he is visible on dark winter nights.

Dressing for the cold is another challenge. “Until about -20 degrees Celsius, ski masks and windproof handlebar gloves keep you warm, but when it gets colder, you need rechargeable heated socks and gloves,” he explains. 

The one problem Adrian still struggles to solve is keeping his bike safe. This is his third e-bike, as the first two were stolen, despite being locked inside the secure parking lot of his apartment building.

"I learned that I must take care of it like a baby," he says, shrugging with a half-smile, as if to say, what else can I do? He now carries it up to his apartment — all 65 lbs of it — and keeps it inside.

For Adrian, riding his e-bike daily, in the summer heat and winter snow, is no longer just about pleasure; it is part of his lifestyle. He especially enjoys those moments on the bike path, when he effortlessly navigates through traffic, passing long lines of cars stuck at a standstill, knowing he does not have to stop and wait like the rest.