Video: Meet the masked man who cycles backwards through Toronto

 

VIDEO: After losing his laptop during a break-in, artist Leslie Stoley jumped on his handlebars and rode backwards out of frustration. Now, the unconventional style is the only way he rides. (Video by Chris So / The Toronto Star)

Liam Casey, Staff Reporter

Everything was backwards on the morning of Aug. 9, 2009. Leslie Slowley’s laptop had been stolen the night before — and much of the artist’s work was on it.

He thought a trip to the shop where he creates his art would cure the blues. But Slowley’s papier-mâché creations, from bowls to masks to unidentifiable pieces, didn’t help at first.

Slowley, now 40, needed supplies to keep going, which meant a trip to the local dollar store on his bicycle. So he hopped on his bike and sat on the handlebars facing backwards, like he used to do as a kid, when life was simpler and bike tricks were cool.

He found out they still were. He rode to the store facing the wrong way, with his head swiveling from side to side, straining his obliques to twist and peer ahead. Some bystanders smiled and others waved as he rolled by.

“I loved it. It helped me through a rough time,” Slowley said. “And I made a commitment to ride backwards from that day on.”

In the three years since, he has never cycled the proper way — which isn’t illegal, according to Toronto police Const. Hugh Smith, so long as Slowley’s not reckless.

Now, he is arguably the happiest person in Toronto. People burst into wide grins as he cycles past. Slowley says hi to them all.

He demonstrated his skill on the clogged streets near Dundas St. and University Ave. on Wednesday afternoon. He hopped on his blue mountain bike, fashioned with a decal that reads “backwards rider,” and sat on a seat he built onto his handlebars — facing backwards of course — and took off gracefully. He showed off by stretching his legs before he disappeared around the bend.

Slowley nearly bailed on McCaul St. Wednesday when he swerved to avoid a car pulling out from a parking spot and got caught in the streetcar tracks. But he recovered and gave the thumbs up. At one corner, Slowley blew past a surprised pedestrian, who shouted “You’re the f-----g best man, the best!”

Even crashing doesn’t faze the backwards rider.

“Then it feels great, like acupuncture,” he said.

He has also become a talking point for locals. “Have you seen the backwards rider?” they ask in downtown bars, coffee shops and online, where blurry pictures, reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster, surfaced on Twitter. He has become an urban myth. Most who hear the story are incredulous, except those who’ve seen him ride.

Slowley, a Jamaican Canadian, can be intimidating with his short dreadlocks, characteristic face paint and a paper mask that usually sits on the back of his head. He cut the mask’s mouth into a smile so as not to scare people as much. He says he doesn’t have any mental health issues.

“The mask was a bit creepy,” said Meghan Sbrocchi, 25, who was eating lunch at a Baldwin St. restaurant with a friend when Slowley rode by.

“But you intrigue me,” her friend Alex Trimble said to Slowley, who was quietly sitting nearby. “Your smile is great. You just can’t make masks happy.”

“OK,” Slowley said. “But I want to sell some.”

His backwards riding has evolved into roving performance art. He added the face paint last November, which gives him the look of a warrior from a lost era. He calls it a “friendly, eco warrior design” for the healthy environmental message that he’s now promoting.

And his backwards lifestyle isn’t limited to bicycles. When on a train or streetcar, he’ll face the back. His dream is to fly backwards.

“It gives you a different perspective,” Slowley said, “Both in reality and metaphorically.”

Comments

[Troy]

I've seen him ride by once so far, it grabs everyone's attention, and it quite the sight! :c)

[Mandy Bee]

I find it interesting that his "ethnicity" is included in this article. I thought we were all supposed to be Canadian. Is Mr. Slowley any more "intimidating" than the teens who sit on Queen St. with multiple piercings and tatoos and if so why?? Being in a city such as Toronto means you will see all sorts of diverse people and places. I find the use of the word "intimidating" by the Star's writer interesting.....or is it just feeding into stereotype..."short dreadlocks and Jamaican???" While his appearance is striking (I have seen him on Queen St.) intimidating...No.

[Andrew]

I've seen this guy. Couldn't belileve it. He rides as smoothly backwards as I ride forwards.

[Cbiker]

You're amazing! And I love your face paint. All the best on your art projects, and sorry to hear you lost so much in that break-in (but gained so much more). I guess you're twice as watchful as us front-facing cyclists, who take things for granted... and you have great reflexes too. But I can't help noticing you have no helmet on. and you ride without your hands on the breaks, so how do you stop fast? Um, and why do you tempt fate by texting on your bike?? That's kinda reckless... you could get a door prize in the 3 seconds it takes to glance at your phone (a backward flip may look cool to onlookers, but to you, it would be... 'acute puncture'), or a little kid could jump into your path chasing after a ball, or any number of other split-second events, some of which might land you a lawsuit. Why not install a 'front-view' mirror somewhere on the bike (like on the seat post), so you can at least see what's going on? All the best to you :)

[Mark]

Nifty to see;
but you have this guy who in quite honesty, is riding his bike through busy streets quite dangerously. Risking himself and possible others...

And yet Toronto bans Zanta.

[Mikel]

Cool dude!

[Ken Hedger]

Bicycle boobies are getting worse. This is even more worse than those idiots doing wheelies in traffic

[robert]

Interesting article...especially a day after a cyclist put a pedestrian in the hospital and was charged with careless driving!

[John]

I think if more people rode their bikes in this fashion the world would be a better place.

Maybe they should start teaching classes at George Brown for backwards bicycle training.

What a great remedy for stress!

[Andrew]

I suspect many of your readers will find this article in poor taste, given the potentially-tragic cycling accident yesterday. Not so much your fault as your editor, I suspect, but considering that a 56-year-old woman has a fractured skull from a man riding his bike without observing proper laws, perhaps this article could have been delayed by a month or so....

[Back To You]

On my first trip to northwest Jamaica back in '77, there were a couple of amusing Jamaican guys with dreadlocks who walked backwards everywhere and were always talking out loud to themselves or were chanting something none of us could understand. Kudos to this man's talent. Definitely not an easy feat. Riding a bicycle normally anywhere in Toronto traffic takes a lot of guts and dexterity.

[John P]

More evidence Toronto cyclists are morons - it is only a matter of time before he hits a pedestrian or causes an accident with a vehicle.

[Albin]

His name is Slowley!!! Riding backwards with that name gives new impetus to the old idea of being the very best we can very be!!! What can be more Slowley than backward??? I'm loving it, and that's the best of me!!!

[Paul]

He sounds like he's having fun, and bringing some joy to others, but I saw him almost cause an accident in Kensington Market a couple of weeks ago. This kind of stunt riding doesn't belong on city streets, IMHO.

[Allison]

WTF!! I just saw him going up Palmerston! I thought I was seeing things at first, until I read this!