Salvador Esteves sees the bicycle as a source of personal happiness, an extension of his own body and also an instrument of social transformation. Owner of Salva Biclas, a workshop in Lisbon that rescues forgotten models and personalizes machines to suit whoever pedals, the former photographer draws a political diagnosis for the pedals: smooth mobility in Portugal depends less on technique and more on will. “Everything can be done if there is political will. As there is no political will, things don’t happen”resume.
Tale House
The conversation with journalist Luís Costa Branco, author of the Mobi Boom podcast, begins in childhood: “The bicycle was born with us, I always went to school by bicycle” and quickly progresses to the street, where Salvador Esteves feels that there is a lack of priority, continuity and safety. “There are some cycle paths made there and there, very well painted, but there are few of them, and they are not safe.”
The city does not become cycleable just with paint on the road, it needs a network, useful connections, maintenance and education. Without infrastructure designed to protect, the risk of cycling is great. “When I ride my bike on the road I feel like we are [os ciclistas] the element to be slaughtered”he states.
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Salvador believes that the obstacle is institutional: “Those who decide are the presidents of the Chamber and the Boards, but there is no sensitivity.”
On the Italian Heroicas, vintage tours that run through villages and secondary roads to the sound of jazz and the smell of wine, you can see what a strategy can do for the local economy: fine-tuned logistics, integrated offerings, industry and culture in tune. “This is wonderful and generates savings.”
Returning to Portugal always hurts. Criticism does not spare the historical prejudice that still contaminates our daily choices: “Portugal was a poor country, and those who rode bicycles were the poor. Today there is still prejudice.” And he adds: “New foreign people buy my bikes. And they’re not necessarily looking for an electric bike or a bike with lighter fibers, they’re really going to look for the vintage model.”
At the Salva Biclas workshop, the answer is, as the name suggests, practical: save, restore, personalize. But Salvador has no doubt that a single workshop does not change reality. Portugal needs scale, with regular events, purchases that focus on maintenance, training for technicians and road literacy campaigns.
The country has landscapes, villages and an increasing desire to cycle, but it lacks the political commitment that transforms trails into useful corridors. “Anything can be done if there is political will” is more than a phrase; it is a minimum program to connect neighborhoods to schools and services, ensure safety at intersections, measure results and adjust – as most developed countries do.
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The way we move defines how we live. Mobi Boom is a weekly podcast about mobility, innovation and quality of life in cities. From electric cars to smart neighborhoods, we explore the ideas, technologies and trends that are transforming the urban fabric and our quality of life. If you believe in greener, more humane and practical cities, this podcast is for you. New episode every Sunday.
Mobi Boom is an Expresso podcast, produced by Tale House, and the first season is supported by Kinto.