Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen bicycling at Queens Park in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
After starring in The Notebook in 2004, Rachel McAdams launched herself onto Hollywood’s A-list. It would hardly be surprising if Rachel had soaked up the Hollywood lifestyle by buying a large mansion with 6 cars in the driveway and a full-time driver carting her around the city in an obnoxiously oversized SUV with tinted windows.
But Rachel McAdams is not your typical Hollywood star. Rachel lives in a modest “lemon” fixer-upper house in Toronto with her younger brother, and she gets around the city by bicycle.
From an interview with scotsman.com:
The ever reluctant movie star, McAdams continues to live in Toronto, not far from her folks but far away from the celebrity circus in LA. It’s a testament to her strong self belief. “I like living where we have socialised health care. I don’t have to own a car. I can ride my bike around the city and I can potter about in my garden. The longer I’m there, the fewer reasons I have to leave,” she shrugs.
While walking our dogs last weekend, we crossed paths with Rachel as she was enjoying a beautiful day walking outside with her younger brother. As someone who stays as far away from Hollywood gossip as possible, I hadn’t realized that Rachel lived in my city, much less share the same bike lanes as myself.
We at The Urban Country absolutely love when famous people ride bicycles for transportation. Unlike the pompous Torontonians who drive around in luxury automobiles, Rachel has nothing to prove to anyone. She rides her bicycle because it is the most sensible, fast and fun way to get around this fair city.
Thank you for being yourself Rachel and for not caving to the pressures of Hollywood.
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill
James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.
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I agree, James. We need more celebrities to fly the bike flag. In Australia, the wannabe PM, Tony Abbott is always seen on a bike but ultra light and lycra. Though he could get mileage with the issue, he’s never suggested bikes could be transport
That’s a step up from Canada’s PM, who often takes his SUV motorcade less then a block.
You have to agree that there’s a bit of a difference between a wannabe PM and an actual PM with regards to safety concerns. That being said, I don’t think we’ll ever see Mr. Harper on a bicycle.
Someone should tell Rachel it’s dangerous to bike with headphones on
I ride with ear buds in my ears all the time… “Dangerous” is a relative term. It’s dangerous to drive on the highway in a car. It’s “dangerous” to eat McDonalds…
It may not be dangerous but if we as cyclists expect cars to be aware then we should also be focused with all senses on what we’re doing if we expect cars to share and we take our piece of road. Taking away the sense of hearing is dumb at best and makes us a hazard at worst. As a cyclist, it’s frustrating – sharing the road includes cyclists being responsible and aware of our surroundings which are often filled with drivers like me who is committed to both sides. I’m a cyclist but have low tolerance for cyclists if I have to weave around the ones with ear buds doing their own thing. makes us all look bad.
When I wear my ear buds I can hear everything around me just fine. In fact, even with my ear buds in I can still hear things on the street much better than someone inside a car with their windows closed. Just because someone is wearing ear buds, it doesn’t mean they are listening to loud music. In fact, I never listen to music while bicycling in the city, but I do often have my ear buds in. I don’t understand the logic here, that we shouldn’t expect drivers to share the road if cyclists are wearing ear buds. Does that mean that cyclists shouldn’t share the roads with drivers who are listening to music in their car? We are all in this together – I’m a driver and a bicyclist. Why the double standard?
If you want to “hear the traffic”, does it mean that all road users must be noisy ?
If you rely on your ears to check that there’s no one on your way, that exactly means you’ll miss most of us riding on silent vehicles.
So, use your eyes better, and leave our ear buds alone.
It’s not dangerous but it makes us a hazard? What does that even mean? You have a ‘low tolerance’ for cyclists and are ‘weaving around’ them? Sounds to me like you are the hazard.
I hear this warning from time to time… I remember that I once was riding my earbuds on and I heard my keys fall out of my pocket and land on the pavement. So I am convinced that I can hear traffic noises OK with buds on… more so than a driver with his windows rolled up and stereo on so loud you can hear his bass from several yards away.
Besides, the guv’mint doesn’t seem to be bothered by deaf people driving or cycling, so it would seem to be a non-issue.
Stop making cycling out to be this incredibly dangerous activity. I don’t normally ride with ear buds in but I can’t think of a single instance where my sense of hearing got me out of a dangerous situation. Is it also dangerous to ride with ear warmers on in the winter? Is it dangerous to ride quickly and have the wind whistling in you ears?
I’m deaf and I don’t have a problem biking around town. As long as you are careful and observe.
I didn’t realize she lived in Toronto but it’s funny seeing the pics because had I seen her on the street I wouldn’t have even realized who she was. Cool to see a marquee name choosing to commute by bike.
awesome but where is the helmet Rachel?
We are pro-helmet-choice here on The Urban Country 🙂 https://www.theurbancountry.com/2010/09/bike-helmets-not-warranted.html
uggs + peacoat? ward robe fail
How many bikes does she have?
Also, what kind are they? I am on the market for one and am new to bike culture and I feel the green (or is it blue) one she is riding with curvy handles might work for me
The green one looks like a Pashley Princess to me: http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/princess-classic.html
You can never have too many bikes. At least that’s my motto.
I remember reading a few years ago she gave up riding in Toronto because of all the near misses with buses. Although from what I understand now she’s back on ‘full force’.
As for ear buds…Not much different from car radio, many of which are on too loud to hear anything.
I don’t wear ear buds when I ride my bike on busy city streets because they are too distracting for me when I need to be totally focused. I also turn the radio off in the car when I need to concentrate on directions when I am driving. That’s just me though. Other people seem to manage just fine. I tend to listen to people talking on NPR rather than listening to music which requires more concentration from me than probably listening to music would.
something icky about this article and photos.. like stalking and sycophancy
I thought the same thing, but about the photos: all taken by the same person, all on obviously different days and even months.
I’m happy that people help the carbon foot print by riding their bikes, but take it easy on the “pompous” people who drive cars. Not everyone has to do what you want them to do, or what you believe to be the right thing. What they spend their money on doesn’t make them “pompous”.