How was your ride today? Week of March 8th, 2010

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Looks like the shine is starting to come off the spring thaw. Keep those wheels turning, tell us all about it...

Forums: 

Little slippy

Submitted by sherryrunswest on

Came barreling down Sovereign Cres as usual and kept my speed up to the pathway going down to the river. I was able to put the brakes on as I approached a fairly thick sheet of ice. I rolled ahead cautiously until I realized how much ice there was. I ended up touching my foot down for a second but lost my footing as I was wearing my neoprene booties, no grip. So I went down but not hard thankfully. Was able to slide over to the grassy section to the side and walk about 8 ft so I could hop back onto dry pavement and continue on my way. I wondered when the ice was going to start as the snow was still piled to the sides of the pathway end of last week. If/when it snows overnight tonight that could really be sketchy tomorrow morning.

Back on the horse

Submitted by umgray on

After a month at the olympics working (my desk job seems a lot better now) in all weather conditions I finally got back onto the bike to get back into the commuting routine. Great day to start, very little icy patches but they are all in the same spot as last spring so the mental map of the danger zones kicked in and enjoyed a nice ride in without a light. Still have the studs on and remember that we are only in march so winter still has a lot of work to finish. I know that the instant I take the studs off the snow will fly so I 'll keep them on.

Sandy Beach / Rockyview to Downtown

Submitted by crazycga on

My ride this morning was good except for a minor problem with a dog. The Sandy Beach hill has little ice on it now - there is a lane through which you can ride and stay on "concrete". There's still a lot of sand/gravel on the hill making it interesting. The nice thing is that the lake at the north end of park in Mission (? I think) is drained now. It was about a foot and a half deep, but must've cleared over the weekend. Hopefully that's going to be it for the horrendous conditions with ice.

Nasty Gravel

Submitted by dailybiker on

I must say that I hope it snows a lot tonight so that when the paths are cleared some/much of the nasty gravel will be removed from the path. The gravel is much more dangerous than ice, in that ice is temporary and only in predictable locations. Gravel is everywhere and is not temporary (does not melt). Gravel removed from the path also washes onto the path all summer. I am glad that I don't inline skate too much any more, since the gravel is a guarantee of body on the pavement.

Don't mind gravel.

Submitted by BCDon on

I find that over time I've gotten to the point where I don't mind gravel and certainly prefer it to ice. This started when I was riding motorcycles. When you know there will be gravel, you take the corners more carefully, pick appropriate lines, check your speed early, keep the bike more upright etc. When I rode my motorcyle in during the spring people would always ask me about how bad it was with the gravel - well, it wasn't bad at all, just a different surface with different traction co-efficient but still not a problem.

Now with a bicycle, I can feel gravel more but the bike moving a bit under me isn't an issue because I'm used to it. I know how to stop in gravel (takes longer) and I know how to corner although can't corner nearly as well as on good pavement. Anyway, it doesn't bother me other than it is a rough surface and keeps my speed down.

Roller Blades are a different story. I won't even bother attempting to go out until the roads / pathways are cleaned. You are just asking for a header when a pebble gets jammed between the frame and wheel and stops it. :(

Agreed

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Gravel just isn't that bad. Turning on gravel is always a little interesting, but it's just like turning on ice - easy does it. Riding out on the highway these past couple of weeks, there are patches of gravel at regular intervals. Occasionally, there are piles of it, along with chunks of truck tire, bungee cords and pieces of lumber. If I can deal with these at 30, 40 or 50 km/h on a road bike with no loss of control, then a bit of gravel on the path isn't going to faze me.
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

Much better now

Submitted by Dionysis on

I noticed the gates were still closed during the ride in on Monday morning (I still went around the gate) but they were opened when I went home last night. I guess it is "official" now. Some ice still covering part of the path but as long as you keep your eyes open, it is fine. If you are heading west, stay to the right side of the path.

Just saw in the weekend paper that they are building a war memorial right beside the old fire hall/outdoor rec centre at Memorial and 10th. I guess I won't complain about all the construction now ;-)

Was a Whirrrrrr

Submitted by Jaykay65 on

What a great ride!
After putting off cleaning my bike the past two weekends, I spent yesterday afternoon cleaning my bike thoroughly and making some adjustments. All those annoying clicks, rattles and buzzes are gone now.
This morning was very quiet with just the ZZZZZZ of the chain as I was coasting.
I love that sound!
Conditions are dry save for a couple of short icy approaches to bridge decks along Country Hills Blvd.

Nose Creek Pathway

Submitted by trickywoo on

The Nose Creek Pathway to the Zoo is in generally good condition. Watch for loose gravel (we all do) and some icy sections under the many underpasses north of 40th ave. Be aware that there is ice under 16th ave and 8th ave overpasses. From the zoo to Prince's Island Park bridge is also clear. All in all it was a good commute.

Unfortunately, the Nose Creek bike path west of Harvest Hill Blvd up the adjacent to the golf course is under construction until May 31. I live in Sandstone Valley so had to take an alternate route.

from Chestemere to Calgary on the path-

Submitted by 900 on

Today was the first time this year I was able to leave the studded bike behind and take a road bike to work!! ye-ha! There is still a little walking to be done out near the "tree farm" but compared to last week the amount of snow and ice that has dissappeared is amazing!! Now, if the city would just finish up the work that they are doing on the canal path north of Glenmore in town it would be real nice.
60 K per day seems sooo much more civilized when your not pushing those 10,000lbs of studded tires, not to mention the snow and ice. AND!!Last friday I noticed the first set of inline skate tracks thru the snow covered spots... spring in comming!!! Great ride today..

A skiff

Submitted by pinkrobe on

I was worried about what I was going to ride today, with dire predictions of a dump of snow. I converted my ice bike back into a dirt-handling offroad flier [LOL], and didn't feel like converting back last night. I figured that worst case, I could pull the wheels off of my wife's mtn bike and put them on mine. Rolling the dice worked out for me this time...
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

Lucky me I don't have any

Submitted by winterrider on

Lucky me I don't have any such dilemmas. I just ride my road bike with skinny tires year round. I've had a lot of fun this winter but I must say I was quite happy to see last nights snow was more for show than effect.

Typical March Madness

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

This morning felt like a piece of cake compared to that blast of icy cold wind yesterday on the homeward bound ride. Predictions of double digit temps again this week as we move toward the weekend! Plan is to keep all riding gear handy, be prepared is the girl guides' motto.

Commute home last night -- an adventure!

Submitted by trickywoo on

My coworker and I both got to the bike cage at 4:30 to discover he d a flat. Fixed the flat which caused us to leave at 5:10 pm.
Started riding home into an intense North wind as the temperature started dropping.
Just before we hit Nose Creek park we, with another commuter, helped douse a small fire light by 2 youths who fled just as my coworker rode up.
I then got a flat tire 2km later. We fixed that.
By now the temperature had dropped below zero, it was getting dark and starting to snow.
Had to take a detour over grass and parks because of construction on the regular route.
I rode home to Sandstone arriving at 7:00 pm, and my coworker continued on his way home via the backside of Nose Hill with freezing toes and a wet glove from putting out the fire with a construction cone that was dipped in Nose Creek. On the plus side h saw a herd of deer, 2 of which had racks, while riding along in the dark.
He arrived home at 7:30 on mostly white residential roads with the half the water in his water bottle frozen.
The fun of commuting!

That which

Submitted by BCDon on

That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger :). Sounds like you need to work on that tire changing speed. Fourty minutes seems a bit long for the first one seeing as it was indoors. The second one may have just had me calling my sag wagon to see if she'd come.

Good commuting tires?

Submitted by trickywoo on

Can anyone suggest a good, puncture resistant, low rolling resistance tire for a Tricross/commuter bike? I've put 5,000 km on in the past year and my current tires are done.

reflective sidewalls

Submitted by vonbergm on

The Marathon's reflective sidewalls are awesome for side visibility. A must for all of us that don't bother to put the reflectors into the spokes. The 348 is great for durability and puncture resistance, there are other choices if you want to trade some of that for lower weight or rolling resistance. I like the Supreme or the Racer better, but that's a matter of taste.

Marathon Plus

Submitted by Blu_Gtr on

Another vote for Schwalbe Marathon Plus. After MANY flats last summer that I couldn't attribute to any one thing, I finally said 'enough is enough'. Did some research and got the 700C Marathon Plus. Not one flat since then (about 1200km) and it actually softened my ride a bit without slowing me down much, if any. Caveat though, the profile is thick because of the protective rubber layer so Fenders become an issue as clearance is diminished significantly. I also hear that they are a bear to change, but haven't had to do that yet. And yes, I like the reflective sidewalls too.

5,000 but 6 flats between 3500 and 5000

Submitted by trickywoo on

Thanks for all the feedback on which tires to consider for my tricross/commuter. The OD say 4,921 km and all of that since April 1, 2009. I didn't ride Dec-Mar; commuted roughly 45km/day last year with a few 100km trips in there too. I had 4 legit flats in between 3,500 and 5,000 and two torn stems in there too. Anyways, I'll check into the schwalbes.

I ride a 2009 Specialized Tricross Sport Triple and love it! The LBS replaced the rear cassette with a 12-27 road one and added on a front brake cable support, both of which now come standard on the 2010 model. The front brake support has ELIMINATED all front brake shudder which the Tricross is known for.

Good day, sunshine

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Chilly, but so sunny! I was thinking that proper sunglasses might be in order, but I shouldn't need them until next week after the time change. Here's something I'm noticing about my ride in. I've had to wear more clothing the last few days. It's significantly less effort to ride the road bike in, and I'm just not working hard enough to keep myself warm. Small price to pay for dry roads...

___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

first collision

Submitted by spp_24 on

After commuting almost 3000 km in the last 10 month I had my first collision yesterday.

Speeding south on 5th street on the right past some slow moving cars and one turned right suddenly into a parking garage. So my left side glanced off his mirror/door/bumper.

No damage to bike, I might have a small bruise on my leg.....

The car signaled just as I

Submitted by spp_24 on

The car signaled just as I was even with its back bumper. I figured it was better to attempt to swerve/glance off versus hitting the brakes and slamming into the passenger door.

I kept going since I didn't think it was safe to stop in the 5th street/9th ave intersection. Plus I had no real damage or injuries

I would just point out, if

Submitted by Sloth on

I would just point out, if this accident caused any damage and/or injuries it would have been the cyclists fault and would have been liable for any damage. Passing slow moving vehicles on the right is asking for trouble.

strict liability

Submitted by vonbergm on

This is a classic example of two people breaking the law. The driver did not properly head-check before turning, and the cyclist was filtering up through slow-moving traffic. so who's at fault? people here tend to argue that in such a situation where cars and bikes break the law, the bike is at fault.

That's part of the problem with cycling on this side of the atlantic. on the other side the laws are made to protect the weak. this means that the driver is at fault unless he can prove the the only cyclist caused the accident. so in the scenario described, it is the driver's fault. unless the cyclist was weaving in and out of traffic in a manner that it was not possible to see the cyclist with the head-check. but it does not sound like this was the case.

No Legal Begal ... but agree. One for BikeCalgary to Resolve ???

Submitted by vince on

Page 76/77 of the Alberta's Basic Licence Drivers Handbook (which is a GUIDE .... nice cop out as we all use it to pass a drivers test) .... I read to mean IRRESPECTIVE of whether or not the BIKE rider was in the same lane or not (which is something that is NOT stated in the original blog entries) the CAR driver is at fault.

I'd suggest this is one issue I'd like BikeCalgary to address (as it's truly in their charter) ... and it would be good for the public to be made aware of the black and white rules pertaining to this. I'd also be happy to chip in to get a public resolution.

passing on the inside

Submitted by 2wheeler on

The police will issue a ticket based on who was breaking a law, an insurance company will decide who is "at Fault" . After a collision like this, do you really want to leave it in the hands of the driver's insurance company to decide fault? I don't believe it is "black and white". The driver signalled just as the cycle was passing on the inside. If there was damage to the vehicles who is going to pay for the repair?

As a cyclist, would your auto insurance cover any of the possible myriad expenses? If your personal insurance policy doesn't cover riding a bike then are you personally responsible? Could the other driver's insurance company sue you to recoup costs? Who is the court going to believe? Personally I think it was best left as it was.

And there-in lies the Problem.

Submitted by vince on

You've got your interpretation of the rules, I've got mine .... and so it goes.
I agree with you, it should not be up to private insurance companies (with their own agendas) to adjudicate whom is at fault.

A rule (which in this case boils down to the explicit wording "Sufficient time to provide reasonable warning") is open to interpretation. b.t.w. Sufficient time does not equal NO time warning. I hazard to guess this rule has not been significantly changed / updated / debated for better clarity in 50 years.

If the Province of Alberta can re-adjust/review legislation on oil royalties within a 2 year timeframe to reflect a now "apparent" reality surely the wording on something just as important (if not more so from a personal safety perspective) be updated to reflect reality AND indeed clarity for all those parties involved.

If you are riding on the

Submitted by Sloth on

If you are riding on the right between the curb and traffic and moving faster than traffic, there is very little a driver can do and very little room for error. Take the lane, and pass on the left. Anything else is foolhardy. Filtering is ok, but the cyclists at that point has to take responsibility for safety (filter when traffic is stopped, when traffic moves - more than likely slowly, take the lane). I don't believe that cyclists should have to follow all the rules of the road, but I do think some responsibility needs to be taken when not following the rules.

He can LOOK.

Submitted by BCDon on

Don't care when the driver decides to turn on his signal light, they need to LOOK before they turn. I had a similar incident last year although in this case there were 2 lanes (although 1 is narrow, the right hand turn one), the car was in the lane where everyone was turning left, no signal light on, as I rode by, with a plan to turn left from the 2nd lane, this car suddenly decided to turn right, turned on his signal light just before turning without looking at all, I immediately changed direction and wiped the side of his car clean with my pannier. After all was said and done I've noticed that my rear rack is a bit bent BUT no real damage to either party.

Again, if the gutless government would force people to retake their written and driving tests every 5 years we could educate people to LOOK before turning. But for some reason they won't do that even though they'd make money on courses etc.

In the meantime, it is fully up to each and every cyclist (as well as you in your car) to watch out for the other guy and make sure you have escape routes at all times. They WILL do stupid, dumb things.

Parking garage on 5th?

Submitted by Jaykay65 on

Is this the parking garage between 8th and 9th Aves across from the construction, where Cowboys used to be?
If it is not, ignore the rest of my post.

If it is, I have always thought, "what a brutal area to have to cycle through." 5th Street is four lanes with "fairly" wide curb lanes. Then past 7th it squeezes down to narrow curb lanes and those funky corners. With the construction and the heavy equipment that must be a "riot" to cycle through. Then to top it all off a cyclist gets to face the gauntlet that is the rail underpass.

I do not have to bike through there, but every second Saturday commitments have me driving through that stretch and I have always thought this is a perfect Hall of Shame area.

I hope you are alright and any damage to your bike and yourself is minimal.

3 years of that stretch

Submitted by pinkrobe on

I rode through there on a daily basis for 3 years. The best advice I can give is take the lane when you can, slow down when you get to the alley and parkade if you're filtering up the right, and consider filtering up the middle. After the snow was gone, I'd split the lane fairly often to ensure I made the lights on 10th/11th/12th/13th. The risk of having a car change lanes or open a door between 9th and 10th is low, but keep a hand on the brake just in case.
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

I want one

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Tucked in behind an Audi S5 today. It didn't smell, and it sounded really nice, like a big German kitty.

Expensive car lust aside, the ride in was fine. There is a tremendous amount of salt just lying in the roadways near my house, mostly on the hills. I guess the city took some preventative steps in advance of The Snow That Never Came earlier this week.
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

DLS

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

an early reminder that most of us will be riding in the dark next week, turn your clocks ahead one hour this weekend ( 2:00 am Sunday)

Refreshing!

Submitted by BowCycle on

Almost perfect commuting weather. Plus, as a car vs bike scenario, my wife (two days a week she works here) left just ahead of me and I arrived moments ahead of her. I stayed within the traffic laws (included Bowmont because there was a number of people walking their dogs off the leash) and still had a touch better time.

Bob G.

“Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There’s something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym.” – Bill Nye, the Science Guy

bikes@bowcycle.com
www.bowcycle.com

New route

Submitted by jpk on

Had to drop my truck off for new tires this morning, so got to try commuting from the NE (McKnight and 12th St)down to my office in Quarry Park. 12th was surprisingly quiet as I cut down to 32nd and then over to the bridge across Deerfoot. Course, it was 6:15. Hope it's still good at 5:30 when I go back...

The city cleared the gravel on the Millican Road hill, but only halfway up. Lots of fun spinning the tire from there.

So tired

Submitted by pinkrobe on

I had a hard ride on the trainer last night, and my wife headed out at 5:45 to the airport. I am not rockin' this morning. The ride in was fine and traffic was light. It should be a good ride home too. Legs are tired, I have a light headache and a case of the caffeine-deprivation sniffles. Time for some high-test...
___________________
Who causes accidents?
Fancy Pants

TIRED? Try this.

Submitted by BCDon on

I'm going in for a colonoscopy in an hour. That means I stopped eating after breakfast yesterday morning and starting taking laxitives last night and this morning. Can't even drink water now.

I'm sure if I attempted to ride (not that I can be really far from a washroom) I'd be really weak in short order with no energy.

I'm REALLY looking forward to this evening when I can EAT again.

I plan to be riding tomorrow or at the gym or both.

new bike for free!

Submitted by vonbergm on

Want to trade your old bike for a brand new one? Easy! Follow the "bike route" along Capitol Hill Cr and cross 24th Ave. Go during rush hour and get off your bike on the south side of the pedestrian light across 24th. When the light goes green, push your bike into the intersection. There are lots of volunteer drivers that would love to smash into it so that their insurance will pay for a new bike.

Heading south? No problem! Just walk your bike across the pedestrian crossing for the northbound turn lane from 24th onto Crowchild. Lots of volunteer drivers use this stretch to speed up to merge into Crowchild traffic. They demonstratively look left, scanning Crowchild traffic, so they won't even attempt to slow down -- all just to make sure your bike is totaled and you get your full value from the insurance company.

Safety advisory: Hold your bike by the saddle with a light grip when you walk your bike, and make sure to walk on the left side. As a courtesy to fellow cyclists and pedestrians please make sure that the area is clear of other people that are not protected by a metal cage. To facilitate the insurance claim, clean your bike the day before and have your camera ready.

This free trade-in service along Calgary's marked bike route is provided by the City of Calgary.

Other opportunities

Submitted by gyrospanner on

Hilarious perspective on a common problem! LOL! Like we all preach, "keep your wits about you when riding your bike!"

There are other good locations for this fabulous service in the crosswalks on 16th Ave in Montgomery. I personally almost got hit twice in the same crosswalk, that's right, TWICE! The one by the Esso.

1) On the first half of my crossing, a car opposite me turned left (he must have thought that I pushed the crosswalk button FOR HIM so he could get across the westbound traffic?).

2) I got halfway across and looked east and a semi went blasting through at about 60 or 70 kmhr. That would have been "The Mangulator!"

Cheers

Friday fantastic

Submitted by ride on

I had a medical app't down on Glenmore this morning, so I got in a nice 10km ride against rush-hour traffice down the 5th St SW bike route. Mind the ice seep on the Mission Road hill, BTW. Taking this hill and then 1 St allows you to avoid the big detour along the bikepath through Stanley Park and also the steep hill south of Gladstone Road.

Calgary - Sunnyside to Glenmore


Map your trip with EveryTrail By the time I was done my app't, the wind had picked up so it was a fast 10km blast down my Manchester Mainline route and through Ramsay and Inglewood into Bridgeland. I'm glad to see that the hole in the fence behind the Back Alley has re-appeared, facilitating access to the laneway that runs north from there. And, I have invented my own personal contra-flow lane on Burnside Rd.

Calgary - Glenmore to Bridgeland via Manchester Mainline


Map your trip with EveryTrail Riding into downtown around 13:00, the temperature was so nice I was very sorry not to have put on the short I had in my pack. ----- 'ride' at 'bikecalgary.org' Bicycles aren't obstructing traffic, they're part of traffic

Glenmore medical

Submitted by 2wheeler on

Thanks Ride

I have an appointment Monday morning in what could be the exact same building. I think I'll ride your route then, I wasn't too keen on Elbow drive.

Friday Night Lights

Submitted by gyrospanner on

This is a day late, but here it is. I am staying with a Host Family in Squamish as I am volunteering at the Paralympic alpine events at Whistler Creekside.

1) Brought my bike. plus

2) My host is a huge rider. plus

3) Results = he gets home from work at 5, I'm off the hill 'cuz it's opening ceremonies day. I was working on the computer all day & needed some fresh air.

4) We take a ride up to Alice Lake on a power line trail in about an inch of snow, the hardened-up, grippy kind. He hands me a head lamp & we drop in to the forest for about a 15 km ride in the dark. Nothing too difficult, but it was really fun. We went by a few lakes. Maybe 2 hours total. Lots of mud.

Wow! I gotta' do this in the day sometime. I think I should come back for a week, they have a huge trail sytem up here!

Dogs vs..........Me!

Submitted by bclark on

An interesting ride home on Friday put me two down on the dogs in (and near) the Varsity Green Space. A few weeks ago I was riding home and had one dog chase and distract me while a second dog ran in front of me and flipped me over the handlebars landing me hard on my hip. Both were off-leash on or near the pathway and obviously not under their owners control. Friday I was north of Crowchild Trail on the pathway up into Dalhousie approaching a woman, her daughter and their dog. This time the dog was on leash but was on my side of the pathway. While it was kind of a blind corner I had time to stop. Regardless the dog got startled, lunged at me and clamped down on my ankle leaving me a nice puncture wound. The woman was very surprised and felt very bad but was also willing to give her name and contact info. In both cases I was travelling at speeds that any sane cyclist would consider accomodating to other pathway users.

These incidents are on top of one about a year ago where another dog bit my ankle just on the south side of that same pedestrian bridge, though that time I came away with only a small scratch, and another incident where an off-leash dog, sans lights or reflective collar, ran accross my path in the dark and almost flipped me over my handlebars. Maybe dogs just don't like me!

Physio costs for the hip injury this year $340. Costs for the bite...well...none directly but the medical system (i.e. all of us taxpayers) had to cough up for a call to health link, a visit to a doctor and a tetanus booster.

I ain't even gonna get into the drivers we have to deal with! Still, I'd way rather travel by bike!

dogs

Submitted by 2wheeler on

It's not just you bc, the off leash dogs are a real danger. I had about 20 of them off leash in the Woodbine area on the MUP. The owners didn't even make any attempt to control their dogs. On the other side of the coin, I've found dog owners along the Nose Creek pathway to be very courteous, even if their dog is off leash they very often make a real attempt to control them. If you you're so inclined, please report this incidents to the city via 311.

Doggone it

Submitted by RichieRich on

Yes, BC, please report to 311 any incidents within "off leash" areas as the critters are still suppossed to be under the control of their owners. If this area has persistent and consistent dog incidents the city may consider rescinding the off-lease designation. That said, I frequent that same area and have noted lately the dramatic increase in dogs, walkers, and people wearing "anti-awareness devices" (ie MP3's). In general, however, they have all been quite polite and I make an effort to slow down considerably but I do ring my bell with at least 3-5x per dog-owner.

I'm a dog owner

Submitted by BCDon on

And I NEVER take my dogs into the off leash area. It just isn't safe for my dogs with all the people who have NO control over their dogs and don't care. When I walk the dogs on the sidewalk or pathway I make them heal VERY close when others are around. But then I take all my dogs to obedience classes as well.

I generally don't have problems when I'm riding.

I'm a dog owner too

Submitted by gyrospanner on

But my 12 year old lab still likes to go on the singletrack dirt trails (offleash areas) behind my bike, although her old hips prevent her from keeping up with me most of the time.

Most people who walk their dogs stick to the paved paths??? So, we rarely ever have problems with other dogs on those trails....

That works for me! And my dog!

They were honestly concerned...

Submitted by bclark on

I had a message from the owner this morning following-up. She was obviously honestly concerned. I just want to clarify that the most recent incident was outside of the off-leash area and the dog was on a leash, just on my side of the pathway and obviously in biting distance...even though I'd essentially stopped when I realized it wasn't moving.

As far as follow-up. I tried following-up on the one previous incident but I either miss-recorded or was given the wrong info by the one owner and the other owner just walked away after saying it was an off-leash area. Nice, your dog distracts me by giving chase and then I flip over another dog! That made me very angry but what was I supposed to do? Call the police and try and detain her until they got there? Bylaw said they were going to put up some clearer signs regarding the rules and I'll have to follow-up on that.

For the record, I don't believe for a second that all dog owners are out to get me and I have nothing against off-leash areas or dogs in general! The vast majority of dog owners I encounter are very courteous. The problem is when and owner either can't or doesn't control their dog and that covers everything from the dog biting to even just going up and sniffing or pawing people.

edumacation

Submitted by denimjeff on

i think a big part of the issue is education...most people don't know that if your dog is on a pathway it needs to be on a leash regardless of if the pathway is going through an off leash park or not. in my experiences it seems like a lot of people see the pathway (and its users) as interfering with the space they are using, much the same way that we see them interfering with our use of the pathway...

here's a link to the city's website regarding this:

http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Parks/Find+a+Park...

i'm assuming there are bylaws enforcing this rule. perhaps better, more clear signage and enforcement in these areas would help sort this out.

Good point

Submitted by Spinner on

About the path interfering in their area. When you think about it, it is interfering. Why do the paths have to run through the middle? Couldn't the path run along the outer edge with a fence between them? BTW I'm a cat person, so the only interest I have in this is cycling safely.

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