Well, today's been the kind of blustery, wet day that invites you to rethink the things you say on sunny ones. And I've been thinking a lot about bikes over the last few days while working on a story for the Dependent on the City of Vancouver's recent investment in its cycling infrastructure. I was over there on Tuesday afternoon, and I got a chance to ride a good many of the city's 415 kilometres of bike routes. The Gibsons booster in me hates to admit a thing like this, but cycling over there is a piece of cake compared to here. The bike lanes are abundant, wide, and well-planned. There's almost always a route that will take you to where you need to go. Even so, Vancouver is using this investment to encourage more people on to the bike routes, and they hope to do this by addressing the things that keep them in their cars right now - the perception of danger being a major one.
And I thought - what are the things that keep people away from riding their bikes as a means of transportation in Gibsons? So I thought back to all the conversations I've had with people here on the subject of bikes, and I came up with the three that I've heard mentioned most often. This time I won't pretend that they don't exist. But I don't think they're insurmountable, either.
#1: Hills.
There's basically no way that you can ride anywhere in Gibsons without encountering a hill of some size. Unless you're in ridiculously good shape, you'll breathe a bit harder than you usually do, you might break a sweat, and you're certain to think bitter thoughts about those smug Amsterdam cyclists who glide effortlessly to work beside canals. You will experience some discomfort.
Is there any consolation? Well, maybe not. There's really no way around them. But remember - there's no shame in crawling up a hill at a snail's pace. Challenge yourself to go as slowly as you possibly can. Remember - you'd be moving at the same speed if you were walking. Once you get to the top, you'll speed up. And you'll get faster over time.
Or you could get an electric bike. Dona, my stepmother-in-law, has one and really digs it.
#2: Rain.
Summer's fine for riding bikes. But what about those short November days where you get soaked to the skin before you reach the end of your street? Or those times when it looked fine before you left, but then poured when you were too far away from home to turn around? No fun. Way more people would ride bikes around here if it weren't for the rain. I'm sure of it (though they'd still have to confront reasons 1 and 3).
At least rain is an easier problem to solve. Here's the solution: invest in a rack and panniers. Get rain covers for the panniers. Then, before you leave, throw a clean, dry change of clothes in one of the panniers. Wear your least attractive but most waterproof clothing for the ride, and then, when you get to wherever it is you're going, change. Easy.
#3: Narrow shoulders.
This might be the most commonly-cited reason why people don't ride their bikes here. Not all, but a few Gibsons roads are built in a way that makes cycling awkward, and have enough traffic to make one uncomfortable while riding. Pratt might be the worst of these, with its narrow lanes and speeding cars (it's a fifty zone, motorists). The lower stretch of Gibsons Way, between North Road and the Five Corners, is also bad. You can see why from the picture above.
But is it so dangerous to ride a bike here? Sure, there aren't many roads wide enough to be designated as bike routes. But traffic is light on most of these roads, so, unless you're in one of the trouble spots like Pratt Rd. or Gibsons Way, you can take up your fair share of the lane without unnecessary fear. In general, I've found Sunshine Coast motorists to be very courteous to cyclists. Also, there are alternate routes to most places. You might not have to ride on Pratt - the Mahan Trail is right there, after all.
True, there have been bike accidents. But there have also been car accidents, pedestrian accidents, boating accidents, sports accidents, and earthquakes.
What are your thoughts about riding in Gibsons? Or about riding in general? Leave a comment!
What I've found, Matt, is that people respect cyclists. If you ride in the middle of the road you won't be hit. In fact, traffic will slow down behind you. Riding on the side of the road is dangerous and encourages people to pass you at speed. Be confident on your bicycle and people will respect your space.
ReplyDeletePS: I ride through the core of downtown Vancouver every day, multiple times day. The only time I've been hit is by an opening door on Robson street.
Be safe!
Thanks for the thoughts, Anonymous! I agree that motorists are, for the most part, aware and respectful of cyclists, both on the Coast and in town. You're absolutely right about being confident on your bicycle. You could also say, be predictable on your bicycle and people will respect your space. Take up your space in the lane and don't waver (unless there's a good reason to, like the line of three semis I was in danger of holding up on the Gibsons Way grunt the other day).
ReplyDeleteI agree that bike lanes aren't always necessary. As long as there's a solid bike (or pedestrian) presence and they're respected. Dutch woonerfs are an example of this.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I think they're necessary in places like Vancouver, and especially in Richmond, where motoring is the dominant form of transportation.
One more thought. I'm wondering how spread out destinations are in Gibsons because I think that having to make multiple, long trips factors into peoples' willingness to cycle.
I guess it depends on the car traffic volume on the street. Vancouver's neighbourhood bikeways, and Gibsons' side streets, are quiet enough that a painted lane would be unnecessary. But they're definitely needed on the busy streets. No question about that.
ReplyDeleteYes, things are a bit spread out here. Not so much in terms of area, but in the vertical divide between Upper and Lower Gibsons. It's not uncommon that errands require you to go to both - and then you have to deal with the hills. And some folks live a considerable bike ride away from the grocery store. If you were coming from Langdale, say - a neighbouring suburb - it would take you a bit more than twenty minutes to get to Super-Valu. For most of the Gibsons population, though, it's about a ten-minute ride.
Funny, just this morning on my bike commute to work I was was rehearsing in my head what my input would be to a City of Nanaimo initiative to improve the streets for cyclists (no plans for such an initiative as far as I know, just my dream world). Input number 1 would be: deal with the lights that only change when a car drives up to the red light. This KILLS me! And I have one on my route to work, which I cycle up to at about 7am so the traffic is very light in my direction (but not quite so light in the other direction because it's the old highway). Sometimes I run the red light if there's noone coming. Otherwise I have to hobble over to the sidewalk and press the walk button. Vancouver has done such a great job of dealing with this on the side streets that cross Broadway. Buttons at bike level right against the curb. Just for cyclists! I absolutely love riding around those bike lanes in Vancouver...
ReplyDeleteI'm also a huge fan of the curbside buttons. They seem like such a small thing (that said, I'm sure they cost a lot of money), but they improve the cycling experience enormously. Being able to ride through an intersection without dismounting makes a big difference. As for the lights in Nanaimo, have you tried riding your bike over the traffic sensors in the middle of the lane? I've always been able to trigger them with my bike. Then again, maybe that's because it has a steel frame - anyone know if aluminum will trigger those magnetic sensors?
ReplyDeleteI've never rode on the Sunshine coast but I did ride a lot when I was in Victoria, which like Vancouver has a great bike path/bike line system and I always felt safe on the roads. And it's not that I didn't know that I could get hurt (I'd heard lots of stories of people getting doored)and in some ways I was kind of worried about it as I probably wore enough bike lights and reflective things to blind anyone behind me, but I think I felt safe because there were so many cyclist on the roads that I felt like the drivers had become much more bike conscious. Now I am getting more into riding in Kingston and I feel terrified. Not only are the streets riddled with potholes and eroded pavement which lends itself to more erratic pedaling but I get the sense that the drives have no clue how to drive around me. I'm hoping that the more I bike the more confident I'll get here but I do often find myself wishing for more bike lanes.
ReplyDeletePhew - sounds like a tricky place to ride. Does Kingston have any designated bike routes at all? Even ones without painted lanes? At the very least the grid system allows you to take parallel routes and thereby avoid some of the worst traffic. But you're right that it doesn't come anywhere close to Victoria for safety and ease of cycling. Oh, sweet Victoria.
ReplyDelete