October 20, 2025 - Join us to celebrate the launch of the books Bob Silverman: The Impossible Hero and Bob Silverman: vélorutionnaire, by John Symon and Stéphane Desjardins.
This event is part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the militant bicycling group le Monde à bicyclette (1975-2000) and is presented in collaboration with Vélo Québec and Cyclo Nord-Sud.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Maison des Cyclistes
Address: 1251, rue Rachel Est, Montréal (QC) H2J 2J9
RSVP: this event is free, but we recommend registering here.
About the Book
Explore the extraordinary life of Robert “Bicycle Bob” Silverman, a legend in the world of urban cycling, and a true non-conformist. Using sometimes unconventional methods, he accomplished the impossible.
Silverman’s larger-than-life story reads like a film script; in fact, Hollywood nearly made a movie of it. A poet and independent bookseller in the 1960s, he attracted a vibrant circle of artists, intellectuals, and musicians, including Leonard Cohen and Armand Vaillancourt. After his bookstore went out of business, Silverman moved to Fidel Castro’s Cuba and cut sugarcane with Ernesto “Che” Guevara. A couple years later he worked on an Israeli kibbutz, and was one of the few Jewish activists to shake hands with Yasser Arafat.
Silverman was a poet, restaurateur, gallery owner, and educator known for his authenticity, ingenuity, and boundless creativity. His most important contribution, however, was the vélorution. With his dedicated group, Le Monde à Bicyclette (MàB), and a few allies, Silverman developed colourful cyclodramas and street theatre protests to bring awareness and effect change.
Under Silverman’s leadership and tireless advocacy work, Montreal was transformed from one of the least bicycle-friendly North American cities into a world-class cycling capital.
About the Authors
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.
Journalist and author Stéphane Desjardins has managed several newspapers and newsrooms. He currently works as a personal finance and consumer affairs columnist for the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec.
