Cycling is Easier with New Tires

When I bought the bike way back in my twenties I had delusions that I would be riding on trails, but I’m using it to get around downtown Vancouver. I traded in the knobby mountain biking tires for a slicker, more street-friendly tread. The change in the cycling experience was immediate, like I’d grown superpowers while the guys at the bike shop fit new rubber to my rims. It was so much easier to ride! If you’re finding cycling on the street a bit of a slog, I highly recommend taking a look at your tires and replacing them if you can.

A Lock, or Two

The truth is bicycles, and bicycle parts, are an easy target for thieves, and Vancouver has its share of people who take things that don’t belong to them. Whether you buy a U-lock or a cable lock depends on your bike and where you secure it. I have quick release wheels, so I use a cable lock long enough to include the bike’s frame, as well as both wheels. When I park with the trailer attached, I secure the trailer to the bike frame with a second cable lock.

Fenders

While a mucky wet stripe up your back may give you ultimate green street cred, it’s not going to do you any favours at a job interview. And please, learn from my casual disregard of the reality of wet weather cycling – there aren’t many things less pleasant than the taste of road grime as it flings itself off the back of your front wheel and directly into your mouth.

To avoid all this, get fenders. These run the gamut from fancy painted-to-match-your-snazzy-cruiser-bike to basic black plastic attached with zap straps (my choice), but they are one of the best values for money out there in terms of bicycle gear. Don’t believe me? Go out cycling on a rainy Vancouver day without them. Yuck.

Lights

As we head into the wet season in Vancouver, my cycling goals are (1) to get where I’m going, and (2) to be visible while I’m on my way. Living downtown I’m surrounded by ambient light so I don’t need a headlight to light my way – I need flashing, blinking, don’t hit me I’m right here! lights. Fortunately, LED lights are plentiful and inexpensive. I’ve seen them attached to helmets, seat posts, rear panniers, handlebars, and backpacks – not all at once, but I’m not saying it’s not a good idea. I have two lights, a white one that faces forward and a red one that faces backwards. This time of year, I turn them on whenever I’m riding. With wet windshields and reduced visibility surrounding me on downtown streets, I’ll do whatever it takes to be seen. Which leads to my next item.

Bright Clothing

I long ago got over being worried about looking silly in front of other people, hence my Hideous Jacket of High Visibility. It is obnoxiously, irrepressibly, and unapologetically neon green. Even the most distracted driver can’t help but see me coming, and that’s just the way I like it – especially when I’ve got my three year old son in tow behind me in the bike trailer.

Panniers

I rode all last year with a messenger bag to carry my necessities – adequate, but inconvenient when it swung around to the front of my body and got in my way. This summer I installed a pannier rack and bought a couple of saddlebags – best decision ever, right after fenders. Now I can cycle unencumbered and carry more stuff. They’re great for quick trips to the grocery store. Look for basic weatherproof bags – if I ever have to replace mine I’ll opt for ones with a shoulder strap, although that’s not essential.

Where to Get the Gear – Bike Shops Downtown

Denman Bike Shop | denmanbikeshop.com | 710 Denman Street

Simon’s Bike Shop | simonsbikeshop.com | 608 Robson Street

Bicycle Sports Pacific | bspbikes.com | 999 Pacific Street

Reckless | reckless.ca | 110 Davie Street

So what have I missed? Any gear you’d recommend for cycling the streets of downtown? Any bike shops I should be checking out?

There are many reasons cycling is touted as a good thing to do: it’s non-polluting, it eases traffic congestion, it’s something almost anyone can do. I’m not going to bore you with those, we all know them. I’m going to tell you, mom to mom, why cycling in Vancouver – and downtown, in particular – rocks.

Medusa Hair

My normal, everyday, bedhead medusa hair gets a pass when I’m carrying a bike helmet. “It’s cool,” the bike helmet says to anyone who notices. “I’ve just cycled here. I’ve been cycling. I didn’t drive. I got rained on. I was cycling.” On a good day, it says, “I am above such petty concerns.” Awesome, right? One less step to getting ready to leave the house in the morning means more sleep. That rocks.

Cold Hard Cash

Now that I never have to plug a parking meter – as anyone driving instead of cycling in Vancouver must – I’m never short of coins. Coins for laundry in my 1960s apartment building, coins for the child-pleasing kiddie ride at the grocery store. So many coins we actually toss them in fountains and make wishes! I ask you: what’s better than seeing a struggling musician smile when a three year old carefully places a couple of loonies in his guitar case? That rocks.

Also, our grocery budget’s gone down dramatically. Knowing I have to get everything home in a couple of panniers, I really only buy the things we need. No impulse purchases, no “maybe I’ll make that for dinner” and then the food rots in the fridge because I’ve forgotten about it. Our food’s fresher, we’re wasting less of it, and I’m buying more at neighbourhood shops instead of giant multinational food stores. Keeping money in the local economy? That rocks, too.

Resistance is Futile

I am not a go-to-the-gym kind of girl. I’m just not. If exercise isn’t worked into my day sneaky-like, it’s not going to happen. Having no car means cycling rain or shine, feel like it or not. Adding 25 pounds of trailer and 35 pounds of child is an instant boost to the resistance in my exercise regime. I’m stronger, I’m fitter, and I feel like I have sudden superpowers when I get on the bike without the trailer, the same way you almost hit yourself in the head the first time you bend your arm after a hard set of bicep curls. Except without the hitting yourself in the head part. And despite eating my own body weight in chocolate every day, I’ve lost three pounds. That really rocks.

Do you go cycling in Vancouver – or wherever you happen to live? What do you love about it?

Cooperative Auto Network

Vancouver’s co-operative car sharing organization is a socially- and environmentally-responsible choice and especially suits families who don’t need to use a car to commute to work. With the car co-op, you book a car for the days and times you need one, paying low hourly and per-kilometer rates. It’s the perfect way to use a car when you need to shop for lots of groceries or you want to borrow a van to bring the grandparents along with the family to visit the aquarium.

ZipCar

ZipCar is the commercial equivalent of the car co-op. Instead of buying a share in the co-op, you pay per use only. One perk of ZipCar is that your ZipCar registration allows you to use ZipCars all over North America, so it’s a great option for people who travel frequently and who would usually book a rental car at their destination. You pay as you go, and you don’t have to worry about paying for big-ticket car costs like maintenance, repairs and insurance. It’s all included in your hourly rate.

Translink

Taking kids on the bus is not only possible, it can be fun. Riding the bus, skytrain or seabus may sometimes seem like a hassle to adults, but kids love the sense of adventure. Taking transit is also a great way to avoid parking headaches, especially when going downtown or to Science World at TELUS World of Science. While some families do take transit exclusively, any trips you make by transit instead of by car help to reduce harmful emissions and support the development of more public transportation infrastructure.

Cycling

Vancouver is a great city for cycling, especially in the spring and summer. Whether you’re cycling to get from place to place or simply to get out and enjoy the scenery, Vancouver has a growing network of designated bike routes on side streets and separated bike lanes to make cycling safer for families. If you’re biking with kids and want to avoid steep hills, try searching for a route on UBC’s CycleVancouver website. You can select a route based on distance, elevation or amount of vegetation nearby!

If you want to go green but have a hard time giving up the convenience of hopping in your own car, start small. Choose a short, easy trip to take by bike or transit and work up from there. Most of the time, it’s not actually as difficult to take the bus or bike as you might think, and your body will thank you for the extra exercise.

Michelle Carchrae is a freelance writer and homeschooling mom to two girls. With a serious love for Vancouver and an equally serious need to get out of the house with two young kids, Michelle searches out the best kid and parent friendly places to go. Michelle also writes about parenting at her blog, The Parent Vortex.

As part of the Cyclebetes National Relay to raise funds and awareness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, there will be a Family Bike Fest in Vancouver on September 4th. There’s going to be a scavenger ride, obstacle course, bike skills tips, a family ride, food, entertainment and more. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, there is also the 150km Hope to North Vancouver bike ride or 50km Maple Ridge to North Vancouver.

Make sure you visit the Cyclebetes website and community rides section for details about the rides and how you can register.

What: Cyclebetes Family Bike Festival

When: September 4th, 2010

Where: Rice Lake Gates, Lillooet Rd

For information contact:
Cheryl Wilson-Stewart
Cyclebetes Community Awareness Co-ordinator
Email: Cheryl@cyclebetes.com
Tel: 604.538.7383
Cell: 604.833.3563

Once it’s plotted your route, you’ll find out your route length, estimated time, calories burned, elevation gain and how green your route is. You’ll also find out how much green house gas you’d prevent by cycling that path.

Totally cool!

Cycling Metro Vancouver - http://www.cyclevancouver.ubc.ca/