On Commercial Drive I recently came across this big gentle dog, waiting very patiently for its owner to finish refreshing him/herself in JJ Bean Coffee Shop.
Related: How to Carry your Dog Safely in a Pet Basket
This sight made me think about a conversation I had with my good friend, Lucy. Lucy told me:
“I’d really like to travel by bike, cos of course I know it’s better in every way – but it’s just not possible. I live in Burnaby, and I have to get the kids to school on the North Shore, and I’ve got school in Vancouver, and then of course my wife works in Richmond. I couldn’t imagine doing all that on a bike.”
I did not argue. After all, don’t I make the same justifications to myself?
“It’s impossible to shop for a family of six on a bike.”
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“It’s impossible to get to the ferry terminal by bike – not if you want to stay alive, anyway.”
“There’s no safe bike parking downtown/in the suburbs/anywhere on the planet.”
“It’s not safe to bike in sub-zero temperatures.”
… and so on and so on. And so I keep failing to achieve my ambition of becoming completely car-free. I thought about the intrepid owner of this dog. He/she could have said:
“I can’t ride a bike because my huge dog comes everywhere with me, and it’s impossible to put him on my cross bar!”
“It’s impossible to carry shopping and a huge dog on a bike!”
“There’s no safe bike parking on Commercial Drive.”
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He/she could have made any of those perfectly reasonable arguments, and gone out and bought a giant SUV to accommodate dog and groceries while he/she was in the coffee shop. Instead, this enterprising cyclist appears to have hand crafted an ingenious trailer that accommodates both shopping and dog. Plus, he/she has effectively solved the problem of safe bike parking, as I doubt anyone would want to mess with a dog that big! So now there he/she is, going shopping in winter (with the temperature around zero), dog in tow, stopping for a well-deserved coffee and snack … all on a bike!
I found this very inspiring. I know it’s a bit late for New Year’s resolutions, but what the heck. I came up with a new resolution: I am going to spend the year seeking out creative, enterprising ways to overcome the many obstacles that currently prevent me from becoming car-free. And I will brag about them right here, on my blog! In this way, I plan to make some serious progress this year towards my goal of becoming car-free.
Related: Becoming Car Free, One Step at a Time – Maggie’s Inspiring Journey
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Ryan says
Love the picture! I need a trailer like that for my dog :p
David Hembrow did a post recently on the excuses we use as to why we don’t cycle and why we believe we’re different from the Dutch.
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to shop for a family of six on a bike. Investing in a trailer makes sense, or if cargo bikes took off in Canada that would make it easier.
Sub-zero temperatures isn’t an issue. I’ll commute in -35C and only complain that my hands are cold. It does get tricky after a snowfall if the city doesn’t maintain bike lanes.
Parking shouldn’t be an issue either. I use a large chain lock everywhere I go, however I also carry a U-Lock so when I go to more “dodgy areas” I use both. Unless your bike is extremely expensive, thieves have little interest in trying to break two locks.
But yes cities need to provide safe & secure parking. If motorists can have it, why not cyclists?
I’ve seen some of the ferry terminals in BC on StreetView and they do look dangerous. Though if memory serves, I believe the Delta/Tsawwassen ferry has a bike lane on the way there.
I believe Nanaimo’s has a bike lane as well, however I believe the speed limit is around 90km/h or something close.
One thing to keep in mind when I give my opinion, I have never driven a car, owned a car or had a drivers license. So when I plan for things it’s easy to do so because a car is never an option.
For me there really aren’t any obstacles…Just annoyances.
Average Joe Cyclist says
Ryan, you’re a one-man inspiration! When you say a chain lock, do you mean one of those Krytonite cables, or do you mean one of those honking big actual chains? I usually use one Kryptonite U lock, possibly another U lock, plus 2 Kryptonite cables to lock up both wheels. Takes me about 10 minutes to lock up the bike, and it’s a pain in the butt … I also am very picky about where I park. And I usually use an old bike if I have to leave it for a length of time in a non-secure place. I am very fortunate in that I can park my bike indoors at work.
Ryan says
I suppose it would fall into the “honking chains”. It’s not as big as others, however considerably larger than a cable:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/ryanz4/lock.jpg
I keep putting off buying a new larger lock, however this has done a great job for the past 4 or 5 years.
U-Locks can be difficult to use with bike racks like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanz4/5454154776
Average Joe Cyclist says
Now that is a serious chain! I have to get myself one of those. It should be enough to put off most bike thieves.
Average Joe Cyclist says
Ryan, one question – in sub zero temperatures, aren’t you worried about slipping on ice? I know several people who gave up cycling in sub-zero temperatures after wiping out on black ice …
Natasha says
Perhaps those people rode mountain bikes, as I did my first two winters of riding? I wiped out all the time, almost fracturing my collarbone once. But several people suggested I try road bikes instead. I didn’t really understand why until I tried. Two years on a road bike now, in harsher conditions than I let myself ride in before, and I have never even come close to wiping out.
I think a common mistake people make when venturing out on icy roads is they think that your typical mountain bike with big knobby tires and wide set handlebars offers more stability than a road bike with its typically thinner tires and more narrowly set handlebars, when in fact, counter-intuitively, the road bike is the way to go. And it’s not because of the width of the tires as such, but because the steering mechanism (a narrower hand position; and fork angle, in play with steering angle and size of wheels, all affect what is called the “trail”). All these same parts on the mountain bike conspire to make it very responsive to relatively slight changes in steering, which are ideal on off-road conditions, but are deadly on icy roads. The road bike, however, is constructed to stay straighter over longer distances. Its steering mechanism was made to race in long, straight lines with few sharp turns, if at all. It is relatively more work to effectively turn a road bike’s wheel sharply to the left or right.
As you would expect, a touring bike has the longest trail (the least responsiveness) and a hybrid is a compromise between a road bike and a mountain bike, and even a touring bike, which makes it an ideal multi-purpose bike for anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to store 2 or more different types of bicycles. Each of these bikes have manufacturing standard set “trails” and it’s considered unsafe to randomly change your bike’s type of handlebars or fork without consulting a professional. What seems like a simple change of parts affects trail in ways you might not predict. It can be worth exploring this with a professional to maximize your own riding needs.
So, since a fast, sudden front wheel turn on ice is the primary and most sudden and dangerous cause of wipeouts, and the bane of the winter cyclist’s existence, experimenting with different trail values can improve greatly one’s enjoyment of winter cycling regardless of the general type of bicycle.
I know a guy at work who rides a mountain bike frame, set on 2 narrow 700c wheels, a different fork than the one it originally came with, with a short, flat handlebar, and disk brakes : a Frankenbike. But it works for him.
Average Joe Cyclist says
I had NO idea road bikes were more stable! Thanks for that input.
paddyanne says
The dog looks stoic! I love this picture – I hope the owner comes across it on your blog.
Ryan- the problem with riding to the ferry terminals is that there are 6 lanes of traffic on either side, fitting into a 3 lane tunnel near Steveston, which has NO wiggle room. Cars race down into and and out of it. There is a truck that will haul you and your bike thru it, but its not their all year . You can put your bike on a bus, but they only take 2 bikes at a time, so you may have to wait.
Average Joe Cyclist says
Hey Paddyanne … I am also hoping the owner comes across it – I would love to interview him/her. I would have looked for the owner at the time, but I was in a rush to fetch one of my kids, and by the time we walked back, the bike and dog were gone …
The 2 bikes per bus is a major problem. We have contemplated using the bus to get to the ferry, but then we are put off by the thought of possibly sitting at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere for a couple of hours waiting for a bus that has BOTH bike spots available (the busses only run every 30 minutes).
I did not know about the truck.
Alex P says
They’ve increased service on the tunnel truck so that it’s all year now, although with less frequent service in the colder months:
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/popular-topics/driver_info/route-info/massey/massey.htm
I’ve ridden to Horseshoe Bay by bike, but used the back roads rather than the Upper Levels Highway. Last time I went, leaving the UBC area around 8, I think I got there at 10. Marine Dr is narrow but I haven’t had any safety problems. There’s also a bike route I’ve used on the north side of the upper levels highway, but it has a really steep hill that I had to walk up.
Alex P says
Oh yeah and there’s a neat reward if you ride on the back roads north of the upper levels highway… You can get at the old 1956 original Trans Canada Highway bridge across Nelson Creek… it’s long been closed to cars and is hidden away in the bush, but you can still bike across it:
http://homepage.mac.com/precosky/bike/hsbay/files/page51-1007-full.html
http://homepage.mac.com/precosky/bike/hsbay/files/page51-1006-full.html
Average Joe Cyclist says
Alex, this looks really cool. Maybe sometime you could post more details about these alternate routes?
Ingrid says
a good place to start is your local bike shop. there you’ll meet ppoele interested in biking. if you’re lucky like i was the ppoele working there were racers and knew the local club and helped get me started. if not, search for a club in your area. clubs usually have club races, training rides and the like.i wasted a lot of money buying up the ladder. the problem with starting with a low line bike is that as you get serious, you need to get a better bike. that basicly wastes the first bike. in my opinion get the best bike you can afford starting off. you can save money by going aluminum frame. as for the components i would say with shimano anything 105 or above is great, with campy, anything they have is good. you should be able to find something very competitive.
Bill Barilko says
The only safe way to access BC Ferries @ either Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen is to put your bike on the bus-I’ve done it a number of times.
Not practical for a group though.