Circulations of a pedestrian cyclist – Nothing to fear but LOOKOUT! CAR DOOR!

This summer I have made an effort to cycle to work as much as possible, including purchasing a new bicycle. Even as the nature of my job has changed and continues to change, I still want to keep up the cycling and as a result, most days I find myself on my bike in rush hour. As I’ve commuted to and from work, I’ve been keeping a mental list of things that for lack of a better term, are fears that would serve to keep me from biking that I have to overcome on order to continue with my commitment to cycling to work. You may find some of these a bit silly, a couple of these sound, and even others to be shallow and not worth worrying about. However, I want to put them all down for the benefit of others who are considering cycling to work but haven’t yet due to some reason or another. If you are one of those individuals, perhaps you will find your particular barrier or barriers in my list.

Fear of holding up traffic

Christ, I hate doing this when I’m driving. Imagine how I feel somethings when I don’t have the protective covering of an automobile. I really do not like inconveniencing other people, and it took me quite a while to understand that until such time as a dedicated bike lane appears in my daily commute, I will not inconvenience myself by taking some goofy back road route when I have a direct road to downtown. I do what I can to stay as close to the curb so vehicles have an opportunity to go around me. If I’m going too slow for you, which is most likely the case, then pass me. Just be glad I’m not a tractor. Oh, and if you don’t think I belong on the road, take a look at City bylaws and let’s all try to get along.

Fear of being clipped/crushed by vehicles passing me

This is one that’s come close a couple of times. Along 97th Street between 118th Avenue and 112th Avenue there is a long line of parked cars that I have to pass by in the morning. This reduces the amount of room I have especially when both lanes of traffic are heavy with people going downtown. Every so often there will be a vehicle that is looking to go around me – which is cool, but doesn’t necessarily wait for the other lane to be open and so tries to squeeze by me while I’m trying not to pinball between the sides of the moving and parked vehicles – not cool.

Fear of looking like a dork

Does my outfit match my bike? Is my seat at the right angle? Is my helmet dated? These were some things I used to worry about, and still do to some extent (see Circulations of a pedestrian cyclist – Hipster jeans of invincibility). I know it seems shallow, but I used to get hung up on whether I looked like a proper cyclist. Then I started to realise that my fellow cyclist don’t all look the same. There are a myriad of bikes and bike riders out there. Everyone has their own style, their own customizations, their own look. I know I look like shite in Lycra, so I just dress for comfort and if that means I don’t look like a true cyclist, oh well. I’m riding the streets, not the runway.

Fear of taking forever to get where I’m going

It doesn’t seem to matter what the weather, I always seem to be riding into the wind on my way home. Some days are worse than others and I find myself thinking, “This is taking forever!” I try to push through the resistance, but all that happens is my legs burn and I get super frustrated. There’s nothing to do but swallow my pride and gear down and keep going, even though it feels as though I’m going nowhere. This one can be difficult for me as I often feel guilty about not being home on time, but the fact of the matter is I’m in the middle of it, and there’s nothing to be done about it. Just keep going forward, no matter how slow, and you will eventually get there.

Fear of running into an open car door

This is high on my list. As I already mentioned, I travel past a long line of parked vehicles along 97th Street in the morning. More than being side-swiped by a moving vehicle, I fear having a door suddenly open in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks. When I was young I ran into a parked car while riding my bike, so I guess that has something to do about it.

Fear of arriving to work a sweaty mess

So, this is not so much a fear as a fact. I often arrive to work as a sweaty mess. Fortunately, my workplace now has staff shower facilities, but for a while they were not available as they were being renovated (and now that they are I must say I am quite impressed). However, what if you don’t have access to a shower at your workplace? I suggest packing your work clothes with you. Allow yourself enough time so you can cool down before you change – you don’t want to get all dressed and then promptly drench yourself from the inside out. Pack deodorant with you so you can do a quick reapplication, depending on you assessment of your condition. Splash some water on your face to refresh yourself and you’re goodish to go.

Fear of not being able to keep up with the commitment

I didn’t start off this season with a clear idea in terms of how many times I would be riding to work, only that I wanted to do it as often as I could. That being said, there’s been times where, because of circumstances I’ve not been able to ride for a few days straight. It’s easy to get down on myself, or in your case, yourself; try not to. Assure yourself that you have an open invitation to cycle, no matter how many times you may need to turn it down. Your bike is very understanding and it is always ready when you are.

Even if you’re starting late in the season, go for it! Happy cycling!

Revolutions of a pedestrian cyclist: Commuting to confidence

I’m finally back on my bike again, and, less importantly, I’m finally blogging about being on my bike again. Last year, near the end of August, my bike chain snapped on me while I was about halfway home. For various reasons, though mostly apathy, I did not replace my chain and that was the end of cycling for the rest of the year. Jump ahead to the beginning of August this year, and I was back on my saddle and back on the streets.

Last season I had made the decision to stay off the sidewalks and side roads and go simply take the most direct route to work. Up to that point, I had travelling via the Etch-A-Sketch method (thanks to my wife for coming up with this term). Basically, I didn’t feel confident enough to take any major roads ad so I would zig-zag my way downtown by way of residential streets, back alleys, and sidewalks, though I did do my best to stay off the sidewalks as much as possible. In my mind, I had myself convinced that I didn’t have the right temperament (i.e. balls) to commute using major roadways in the city. I was amazed how quickly I became accustomed to riding on a major roadway, during rush hour, to and from work.

This year, after getting my act together and fixing my bike, I got back on the road to commuting. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my confidence had not left me and that, indeed, it had increased. With this in mind I offer my recommendation to try bicycle commuting as a way to increase your confidence, and here are some reasons why:

You have to get to where you’re going – When I’m not riding by bike to work, I’m taking the bus; and this is an important point. If I have decided to take my bike to work, I must be committed to following through. I can’t get going, reach the main road and then decide, “Ooo. Those cars look pretty nasty. I think I’ll head back and take the bus instead.” I don’t have time for that! I would have to double back, change out of my cycling gear (and yes, I need to change to cycle to work. I sweat; a lot), dig my work clothes out of my bag, get dressed, and then catch the… oh, yeah, my bus has long since passed and now I have to wait for the late bus. No. If I’m on my bike, that’s it; no turning back. I have to get where I’m going. I have to make the conscious decision to take on the task and not back down.

You have a share in the road – We’ve all heard the term, share the road, but as I cycle alongside the automobiles toward downtown I must constantly remind myself that I am not only sharing the road, but that I have a share in the road. It’s a subtle difference, but a crucial one. It’s the difference between being a passive cyclist, afraid of pissing off every motorist on the road, and being a fellow traveller who is confident that he is allowed to share the road; that he, too, has the right to use this street. Of course one can carry this too far, becoming cyclist who doesn’t respect motorist and bends the rules to his whim. That’s just being a dick; and you will piss off every motorist on the road.

You have to think on your feet, or saddle as it were – Welcome to Edmonton! We have two seasons, Winter and Construction. As it happens, 97th Street usually has some sort of construction on it, and if it doesn’t, then you have to dodge the obvious signs that construction will soon follow. Traffic, pylons, potholes, road crush temporarily filling in pot holes,  leftover sand from the winter and the giant ruts formed in the asphalt by busses and large trucks; all of these must be maneuvered in order to reach your destination. At some point you need to leave your inhibitions behind and become assertive in order to cycle through these hazards.

In order to become more confident, you have to put yourself out there in some way; exposure yourself; and there is nothing like riding a bicycle, plodding alongside hundreds of motor vehicles to make you feel exposed.