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The City Project #2
That'll Never Work Here: Challenging the myths around biking in a winter city
FINALIST - Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, 2026
After 32 years of living in the sprawling winter city of Winnipeg and, like most Winnipeggers, relying on her personal vehicle to get around, Brazillian-Canadian Patty Wiens took a fateful bike ride one winter day. After that experience, Patty embraced cycling year-round, uncovering a wealth of unexpected benefits. Inspired by these experiences, she becomes a passionate advocate for safer streets and more transportation options for everyone. And before she knew it, she was named her city's first Bicycle Mayor.
Patty dreams of using active transportation as a tool to make Winnipeg a more equitable and safer city for all. With her global experience and open mind, she challenges the idea that what works elsewhere in the world could never work here. So jump on the bicyclewagon– she could use your help!
That'll Never Work Here is part of The City Project, a series edited by Emma and Michel Durand-Wood.
Patty Wiens brings her inspiring story to the page with as much life and zest as she does in person. It's impossible to read her improbable journey of finding her passion for cycling and her voice for change without getting drawn into her vortex of positive energy and hope. After reading this book you may wind up thinking, "Hey, maybe I can do this too." — Tom Babin, author of Frostbike and founder of the YouTube channel, Shifter
After 32 years of living in the sprawling winter city of Winnipeg and, like most Winnipeggers, relying on her personal vehicle to get around, Brazillian-Canadian Patty Wiens took a fateful bike ride one winter day. After that experience, Patty embraced cycling year-round, uncovering a wealth of unexpected benefits. Inspired by these experiences, she becomes a passionate advocate for safer streets and more transportation options for everyone. And before she knew it, she was named her city's first Bicycle Mayor.
Patty dreams of using active transportation as a tool to make Winnipeg a more equitable and safer city for all. With her global experience and open mind, she challenges the idea that what works elsewhere in the world could never work here. So jump on the bicyclewagon– she could use your help!
That'll Never Work Here is part of The City Project, a series edited by Emma and Michel Durand-Wood.
Patty Wiens brings her inspiring story to the page with as much life and zest as she does in person. It's impossible to read her improbable journey of finding her passion for cycling and her voice for change without getting drawn into her vortex of positive energy and hope. After reading this book you may wind up thinking, "Hey, maybe I can do this too." — Tom Babin, author of Frostbike and founder of the YouTube channel, Shifter
- GenresNonfiction
126 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 14, 2025
A good look at the bike activism happening in Winnipeg, as well as progressive strategies that have been implemented in various other places. The book is organized in a somewhat eclectic way between advice, anecdotes, and history. I would say it's more targeted toward people who already bike, or people who are curious about doing so. Some of the messages inside are aimed toward people skeptical/opposed to bike infrastructure, but I find it unlikely this book would reach them (or really speak to them if it did).
I consider myself more of a "casual" bike rider. I ride my bike for transportation because it's convenient and efficient. But I'm not really one to befriend other cyclists, or meet up with others to talk about bikes, etc. I think this book is aimed at people with more of an interest in that, and specifically around advocacy work. While it contains some good facts about the costs of bike infrastructure, how things have been implemented in other places, etc., I don't think it's aimed at the casual cyclist (despite being easy to read and digest).
I consider myself more of a "casual" bike rider. I ride my bike for transportation because it's convenient and efficient. But I'm not really one to befriend other cyclists, or meet up with others to talk about bikes, etc. I think this book is aimed at people with more of an interest in that, and specifically around advocacy work. While it contains some good facts about the costs of bike infrastructure, how things have been implemented in other places, etc., I don't think it's aimed at the casual cyclist (despite being easy to read and digest).
October 13, 2025
Weins takes you through her whirlwind journey from fair-weather cyclist to finding herself the face of a grassroots movement to demand safer streets and dares you to join her. She deconstructs many of the common oppositions to de-prioritizing cars with simple facts and brings the receipts of what’s been done, not just in Amsterdam, but places like Edmonton.
Why can’t we have nice things? Political will.
“A true leader listens to their constituents, especially the vulnerable ones. Ultimately, it is up to us to pay attention to what our leaders stand for. We hire them and we can fire them - if we organize.”
Why can’t we have nice things? Political will.
“A true leader listens to their constituents, especially the vulnerable ones. Ultimately, it is up to us to pay attention to what our leaders stand for. We hire them and we can fire them - if we organize.”
March 24, 2026
nice to have a read about cycling advocacy in the modern Canadian context.
so many of our cities are fighting bike infrastructure and bike safety. as a cycling advocate already, I read this to learn more about another city's perspectives. I kind of left it feeling like each of us in urban Canada are actually in the same struggle. for that reason, all the more important to share stories and successful tactics.
so many of our cities are fighting bike infrastructure and bike safety. as a cycling advocate already, I read this to learn more about another city's perspectives. I kind of left it feeling like each of us in urban Canada are actually in the same struggle. for that reason, all the more important to share stories and successful tactics.
November 16, 2025
I’m kinda biased. ;-) but I love this book at its author
A wonderful gift for the cyclist in your circle
A wonderful gift for the cyclist in your circle
Read
December 4, 2025My conversation with Wiens discussing the book here:
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
January 11, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This book covers a lot of ground in a fairly small number of pages.
To summarize:
1. If you don't ride a bike, you should start.
2. If you do ride a bike, you should ride it more.
3. Even if you're 100% committed to driving your (gas-powered) car, you will benefit from more people riding bikes more.
4. More people riding bikes more will improve the mental health and physical health of the entire community.
5. Everyone should be advocating for better - i.e., more and safer - infrastructure for cyclists.
The debate over the expansion and improvement of infrastructure for active (non-motorized) transportation has been excessively, incorrectly, and even maliciously polarized, often by people with insufficient knowledge and/or personal (financial) biases.
There is a preponderance of scientific evidence attesting to the individual and societal benefits of cycling.
There are countless examples of the feasibility - and financial sustainability - of active transportation in cities around the world with inclement if not extreme weather conditions.
This book touches on all of these points.
It relies heavily on the author's personal experiences spanning an impressively broad range of geographies, from Winnipeg (Canada) to Brazil to Europe.
One does wish the book had leaned more heavily into the data, though. While it may be the case that car junkies and other active transportation skeptics are unlikely to read this book to begin with, it could have afforded to be longer in order to hammer home the objective case for more and safer cycling infrastructure. If nothing else, its readers would thus feel armed to make the case more persuasively to their family, friends, social media circles, etc.
So, a good enough read and a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation, but it's difficult to shake the feeling that it could have been even more.
This book covers a lot of ground in a fairly small number of pages.
To summarize:
1. If you don't ride a bike, you should start.
2. If you do ride a bike, you should ride it more.
3. Even if you're 100% committed to driving your (gas-powered) car, you will benefit from more people riding bikes more.
4. More people riding bikes more will improve the mental health and physical health of the entire community.
5. Everyone should be advocating for better - i.e., more and safer - infrastructure for cyclists.
The debate over the expansion and improvement of infrastructure for active (non-motorized) transportation has been excessively, incorrectly, and even maliciously polarized, often by people with insufficient knowledge and/or personal (financial) biases.
There is a preponderance of scientific evidence attesting to the individual and societal benefits of cycling.
There are countless examples of the feasibility - and financial sustainability - of active transportation in cities around the world with inclement if not extreme weather conditions.
This book touches on all of these points.
It relies heavily on the author's personal experiences spanning an impressively broad range of geographies, from Winnipeg (Canada) to Brazil to Europe.
One does wish the book had leaned more heavily into the data, though. While it may be the case that car junkies and other active transportation skeptics are unlikely to read this book to begin with, it could have afforded to be longer in order to hammer home the objective case for more and safer cycling infrastructure. If nothing else, its readers would thus feel armed to make the case more persuasively to their family, friends, social media circles, etc.
So, a good enough read and a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation, but it's difficult to shake the feeling that it could have been even more.
November 5, 2026
Super short and concise book which makes it easy to read, but does not mean that it is not a fantastic book.
I love the way this is written. The tone is very Canadian. Reading this is extremely inspiring and as much as I thought going in that I already would already agree with many of the points made in this book. I still had my mind changed on some things. I suppose that's what reading and learning always does.
Tldr: Ride your bike! Get exercise, be a part of your community, make Friends, experience the world around you instead of sheltering yourself! Be happy! As well, e bikes are great!
I love the way this is written. The tone is very Canadian. Reading this is extremely inspiring and as much as I thought going in that I already would already agree with many of the points made in this book. I still had my mind changed on some things. I suppose that's what reading and learning always does.
Tldr: Ride your bike! Get exercise, be a part of your community, make Friends, experience the world around you instead of sheltering yourself! Be happy! As well, e bikes are great!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews