What's the Rush?

I’m cycling down a busy city street; the light ahead has turned yellow; I see an opportunity to make the light if I quickly go to the left of the car ahead of me, which is waiting to turn right; and no sooner has this thought entered my head then I dart past the car and through the intersection. I have a lot of experience biking in the city, and this manoeuvre is safe. Usually safe, anyway…

What can make it unsafe is if I do it so suddenly that I haven’t had time to adequately assess the situation around me. I’m living very dangerously by cycling so unpredictably and impulsively. Drivers should not be surprised by what I do. This is not fair to anyone on the road.

Remember, it is always difficult to predict what drivers will do. A driver may have a similar mindset as me and may also suddenly move in an effort to get across that intersection as the lights are changing from yellow to red. Two vehicle operators, of car and bike, making the same sudden decision to cross an intersection at the last moment (must … make … light!) might well collide. And we know what the likely result of any car-bike collision is.

I often have to remind myself to not make these sudden moves. Just because I think it will be safe doesn’t mean it will be. I have to resist the urge to treat cars as obstacles to be avoided as though I were playing a video game. The weird thing is that I am often tempted to bike impulsively even when I am not in a rush. It seems to be my default mode. I need to change my setting.

I’m reminded of the joke in the Seinfeld episode where Jerry talks of riding in a cab whose driver is driving like a maniac. But Jerry doesn’t feel as though he is in danger. He has the irrational belief that riding in a cab is safe no matter what the driver is doing. As a cyclist, I often have a similar irrational belief in my own safety, and I have to constantly remind myself that cycling around cars is a dangerous endeavour.

Take the Safer Route

Should cyclists bike wherever they like? Surely not on highways in and around the city. I think we all can agree on that. Well, maybe not all … I was amazed to see someone biking on the Don Valley Parkway the other day. Clearly not a bright idea. But beyond making the obvious decision to not bike on the DVP, where else shouldn’t we bike?

I regularly ride along Danforth Avenue (a busy road in Toronto) to get downtown. Some may balk at taking this route, but although there are no bike lanes, and the road is usually busy, I don’t feel particularly unsafe on this street. It is reasonably wide, and there is usually adequate room for bikes. For the most part, I can keep far enough from parked cars to avoid the perils of the opening door. Cyclists regularly use this road, and there are usually at least a few others on it, even in winter. So, provided you ride defensively and sanely, a busy road like the Danforth is usually a safe bet.

The danger to cyclists increases when they get on stretches of road where bikes are a rare sight. For example, I sometimes take O’Connor Drive when I am making my way to the DVP in my car (going west from Woodbine Avenue to Don Mills Road), and cyclists are almost never on this section of road. Because drivers aren’t used to seeing cyclists there, they likely won’t be watching for them. I actually think cyclists are risking their lives biking there. Also, the lanes on O’Connor are narrower than those on the Danforth, which also increases the chances of a cyclist being hit. Plains Road, a side street, parallels O’Connor just to the south, and I can’t imagine why any cyclist would favour O’Connor over it.

Another issue to consider is the time of day and the resultant likely mindset of drivers. The stretch of O’Connor I mentioned is heavily used by drivers who are on their way to and from work. So, in the mornings and late afternoons, it is packed with cranky, sleepy drivers battling heavy traffic. They may be impatient with cyclists and less inclined to share the road with them. Especially, by the way, with yahoo cyclists who flout the rules of the road and cycle dangerously.

Just because cyclists are legally allowed to be on a given road doesn’t mean they are wise to be there.

Read or Ride?

I often face a dilemma. And it is a pleasant dilemma to face. Should I ride my bike or take the subway to where I am going?

I actually don’t mind using the subway. I’ve lived all my life in Toronto and am well used to being in crowds. So a crowded subway doesn’t bother me. Ironically, riding the subway is actually a good way for me to get some alone time.  And what I most enjoy doing with this time is reading. Reading on the subway is something I really look forward to. If I forget my book on a subway trip (a very rare occurrence) I am very annoyed.

However, the downside to taking the subway is that there isn’t very much exercise involved; aside from walking to and from the subway, I’m just standing or sitting. So I often have quite a debate in my head before going to a location that I could as easily ride my bike to. I ask myself which I want to do more: read or exercise. Usually the bike riding wins out because I often think that I am not getting enough exercise. Also, I save the cost of two fares—$5.20 in Toronto nowadays. 

What does happen each trip is that is that if I’m riding, I wish I was on the subway reading, and if I’m on the subway, I wish I was riding my bike...

Duct Tape Saddle Repair

My bike’s saddle looks as though I found it in a junk heap somewhere. This is because it is almost entirely covered in duct tape.

The saddle originally came with a soft, porous fabric covering. I don’t recommend saddles with this kind of covering for two reasons: Reason one is the fabric quickly wears through. I remember one time leaning my bike up outside a store and having the store owner laugh at my saddle because a big wad of stuffing was sticking out through a hole. And my saddle wasn’t all that old when this happened. Reason two is seats with soft fabric coverings are great at soaking up rain. Leave your bike outside and return to it after a rain, and you’ll have a wet seat when you ride off. (Of course you can cover your saddle with a plastic bag if you think it might rain, but you might not always remember to do this.) So I think that a hard plastic cover is definitely the way to go.

Rather than replace my seat once the stuffing was coming out, I decided to use the time-honoured technique of using duct tape for repair. After my initial application of duct tape, I got in the habit of occasionally checking my saddle to see if any other places were wearing through. As this has often been the case, my seat is now almost entirely covered in duct tape.

I guess this doesn’t help my bike in the looks department, but I don’t care. Using duct tape saved me the money a new saddle would have cost, and my duct tape–covered seat will make my bike seem less desirable to any bicycle thieves who might be considering taking it.

In fact, I think the worse your bike looks, the better off you are. I like having a lousy-looking bike that rides well and is in good repair.

Post-and-Rings in Toronto

Cyclists in Toronto are well provided with post-and-rings for locking up their bicycles. The city began putting them in place in 1984, and there are now over 6,800 of them.

These post-and-rings are well distributed. I often park my bike outside the Toronto Reference Library, near Yonge and Bloor. Especially in the warmer months, there is a large demand around the library for places to lock bikes. The city has obliged by installing many post-and-rings at this location. While it is common to have to share a post-and-ring with another cyclist, I don’t think I have ever found all the spaces near the library taken.

In areas with fewer cyclists needing to lock their bikes, I also find there are usually enough post-and-rings about. The city doesn’t ignore areas that have smaller demand. For example, I often park my bike on Queen Street East at Lee Avenue, in the Beaches. I always seem to find a free post-and-ring there. Just from memory, I would say there are perhaps nine post-and-rings at that intersection. One was recently removed – not sure why – but the intersection is still adequately supplied.

For the most part people seem to use post-and-rings properly, but occasionally I find a dog leashed to one. I am leery of locking my bike to a post-and-ring with a dog attached. Most dogs are friendly, but you never know…  And I don’t want to possibly alarm a dog by locking my bike right in its face. I usually give post-and-rings with dogs a pass.

Another example of misuse is when someone locks up a bike, often for long stretches, with a for sale sign hung over it. I guess this person has the same right to use a post-and-ring as anyone else, but I think this is clearly going against the spirit of how they are supposed to be used. I am a bit annoyed when I see bikes taking up a spot in this way.

As for places on private property to lock up bikes, it can be a crapshoot. And usually the cyclist comes out on the losing end… At my local Loblaws, at Victoria Park and Gerrard, the bike racks are barely an afterthought. Perhaps Loblaws isn’t concerned with providing decent racks because they think that people mostly come with cars to do a large shopping. One can’t very well carry home a week’s worth of groceries on a bike, after all. But I think Loblaws might be being short sighted. I often find myself going there to get things that can easily fit into my panniers.

I do occasionally see other bikes locked up outside this Loblaws. But when I do see them, they are locked to signposts in front of the store and not at the dedicated racks that Loblaws provides. Why? Because the racks are around to the side of the supermarket; people would rather leave their bikes locked in areas with lots of people around. The racks at the side seem isolated--a good location for bike thievery.

Continuing with the bikes racks at Loblaws; they are of the low-to-the-ground type. You know. The ones that you can only slide your front tire into. This is the worst type of bike rack. It is useless with U-locks because only the easily removed front tire can be locked. And when I use my cable lock, I have to extend it to its maximum reach to get both tires and the frame locked. This is almost impossible in winter, when the cold causes the cable to become less flexible. As well, the bike can easily tip over, which can potentially bend a tire rim.

Businesses that don’t provide proper bike racks seem to be in the majority in Toronto, but I have found exceptions.  The Manulife Centre has a large number of good-quality, waist-high racks outside it, as does, unsurprisingly, Mountain Equipment Co-op. It is important that a bike rack be waist high because a bike can be properly locked to it by using a U-lock to secure the rear tire and frame. (I also run a cable through my front tire and frame – a wise precaution.)

Overall, I give the city a good grade for its post-and-ring program. City businesses, though? Not enough of them take bike parking seriously. As the number of cyclists grows in Toronto, businesses with subpar bike racks risk losing some of their patrons to places with proper racks.  

Confidence While Riding

Many cyclists are reluctant to ride in the city because they are intimidated by the heavy traffic. And who can blame them? It is a logical fear. I remember that when I resumed riding, several years ago, I felt decidedly unsafe when I first ventured on to the busy streets. Over time I lost most of that fear, but it would be unwise for me to ever lose it altogether. I have been doored twice now and I am well aware that the possibility of accident and injury is always present. The fact is, riding in the narrow curb lanes while cars go by only an arm's length away is a distictly unsafe activity. I am putting my life in the hands of the drivers around me. And as much as I think that cyclists have the right to share the roads with cars, I sometimes feel like a foreign element out there, engaged in foolishly risky behaviour.

Despite my initial unease, I eventually became quite confident cycling in the city. It is important for cyclists to feel confident. Confidence will help make your actions predictable to drivers. (Signalling your intentions is, of course, another way of being predictable to drivers.) A lack of confidence can cause you to hesitate dangerously before making, say, a turn, and this hesitation will cause drivers to be uncertain of your intentions; they may think you are not proceeding with your turn and may then drive into your path.

Too much confidence, however, can cause you to make questionable decisions. The overconfident cyclist will often dart about, making sudden, risky moves. It is important to act in an expected fashion. Don't attempt, for example, to pass in a risky fashion or to quickly squeeze through tight spaces. I find that some cyclists are reluctant to let seemingly anything impede their progress, and because of this, they will jump queue in traffic and make erractic moves. Overconfidence can breed contempt for situations that are actually quite dangerous and can create danger where none existed.

An example of a situation that requires a lot of confidence is when you are making a left turn from the protected turn lane at a busy intersection. It took me some time to work up the courage to try this; I've noticed that many cyclists who want to make left turns will often just bike to the far side of the cross street and then wait at the corner for the lights to change, thus temporarily acting like a pedestrian. Cyclists are allowed to use the left-hand turn lanes, and it is not as dangerous as it looks. The most important warning I can give is that I would not try one of these at night unless your bike is equipped with very bright lights, front and rear, and you are wearing many effective reflective strips. But even in the day, it can feel lonely waiting in the middle of an intersection with all those cars and trucks driving past on both sides. But I don't think that it is particularly dangerous. I have been making lefts like this for years and have yet to have any problems. When you think about it, the only driver that you are really worried about is the one who is right behind you, and it is very unlikely that that driver will miss seeing you. I suggest that you stand tall and stick your left arm straight out (confidently!) to signal; commence signalling as soon as you get in the left-hand turn lane, so that the driver behind you has time to take in the fact that you are intending to turn; and, as when driving, don't forget about the pedestrians. It is all too easy to concentrate only on the oncoming cars while you wait for a break in traffic.

Protected Bike Lanes

I recently drove to Hudson, Quebec, a town in which cycling is very popular. Every time I go there, which is a few times a year, I note the many cyclists riding expensive-looking bikes along the roads of their affluent town. Because most of the roads in and around Hudson are narrow, drivers must be careful when passing these cyclists, especially when cars are approaching in oncoming lanes. Unfortunately, some drivers can be impatient when manoeuvring past cyclists; rather than wait for a clear chance to pass with room to spare, these drivers will sometimes pass in dangerous ways, narrowly missing the cyclists.

One way to protect cyclists from cars is to create bike lanes that are separated from car lanes with posts or fences. Protected bike lanes have been much proposed, lately, but not much built; it is in Hudson that I saw my first example of such a lane. (The roads in Hudson have only two undivided lanes, and most lack space for protected bike lanes. So even though cyclists in large numbers use these roads, I have only ever seen this one protected lane, which has been in place for a few years.)

I have never had the opportunity to cycle on a physically protected bike lane before, but I imagine I would greatly value the protection afforded by one. Cars are a constant threat to cyclists, and the protected lane in Hudson, with steel posts set about every ten metres, would greatly reduce the danger to cyclists from cars.

While protected bike lanes are undoubtedly a positive development, I do have some concerns with them. I can report that driving on this road in Hudson makes for a rather tense experience. The car portion of the road has been made so narrow with the addition of the bike lane that driving it is surely less safe now than it was before the bike lane was created. Being on it reminded me of driving in the narrow, temporary lanes, set off by pylons, that skirt construction zones on highways. But here, rather than having to avoid soft rubber or plastic pylons, drivers are forced to drive close to steel posts set into the road. And this bike lane goes on for a few kilometres. That is quite a distance to be driving in such a narrow lane. A casual survey of the posts showed that many cars had collided with them; most of the posts, perhaps four fifths, are bent significantly backward.

A driver would likely be injured from a collision with one of these posts. But even more dangerous is the increased likelihood of a head-on collision occuring with another car because someone was driving too close to the oncoming lane in an effort to keep clear of the posts. It is mentally tiring to keep a car within the bounds of such a narrow lane, and the chance of driver error is, therefore, increased.

Any time a protected bike lane is created, planners should make sure that the road isn't made more dangerous for drivers when the posts are put in place.

Another concern with posts being added to roads comes up in places that have snow in the winter. As I have written in another blog, the number of cyclists on Toronto roads starts to rapidly drop in November, and by winter, very few are still cycling. Having permanent bike lanes will seem pointless come winter if no one is using them. I wonder of bike-lane posts could be made temporary. I am sure a civil engineer could devise a method to have these posts come out of the road in the winter and go back in in the spring. If pemanent posts are used, I can imagine that many protected bike lanes will effectively become protected snow piles in the winter.