What a delightful ride in! I was at the back of a line of cars heading up 4th, and they were going so slowly, I pulled into the next lane and rode by them. I know, not very dramatic, but it was 6 cars, and they were doing about 30 km/h. I felt good doing it. :-)
Fingers crossed for no rain this week...
Great ride today
Submitted by kat on
It felt good to be back on the bike after a few days of driving due to a flat tire on my commuter. I got a couple of strange looks from other customers at Little Caesars when I stopped to pick up dinner on the way home.
Jealous
Submitted by pinkrobe on
The other patrons were just jealous of your ability to multi-task.
Traffic
Submitted by pinkrobe on
But it's the good kind! Arriving at the intersection of Prospect and 8 St., we got into a traffic jam. 3 guys on bikes ahead of a Porsche, then us. Two women joggers crossed up ahead, plus 3 other guys on bikes and a jogger going the other way, along with a couple of cars. Awesome!
This is my favourite time of year to ride in. Sunny, warm, reduced traffic volume and many like-minded users. Woot!
Nice to ride again.
Submitted by BCDon on
Got back from a week long business trip Friday evening. Got out for a short 45 Km ride on Sunday but had to ferry in computer and stuff to work yesterday so today was the first day back commuting. It was grand. A little cool on the arms when I left the house in the south at 6:30, took it a bit easier coming in as I haven't been doing any riding for some time. Warmed up pretty quick. Total ride in is just under 20Km from SW to University area. While I dread going up the hill by Foothills, it does only take 4.5 minutes athough I'm well into the Infra-Red zone by then, about 10 to 15 bpm past my 220-age theoretical max. Hope to start getting that down as I put in more Km.
Spun out
Submitted by pinkrobe on
Another great morning. It's my wife's birthday today [Happy Birthday Honey!] so I let her draft off me on the ride in. I'm such a great husband. :-)
One thing that I find on my recent rides is that I am reaching the limits of my current gearing. My bike has a 53x18 gear [~80"], and I find myself spinning out from time to time. It's usually not a problem, but on days like today I wish I had a bit more. I may have to break out the 17T for tomorrow's ride, and get up over that 80" mark...
complaining or boasting?
Submitted by ride on
Are you complaining or boasting about spinning out at 80 gear-inches?
What, doesn't everybody spin
Submitted by pinkrobe on
What, doesn't everybody spin 80"??? LOL - yeah, maybe a bit of bragging, but I top out around 120rpm, which is significantly slower than most people I ride with . I'm a bit of a gear masher. Amazingly, my wife is worse. The small ring on her road bike is mostly decorative.
great day!
Submitted by Julie Gregg on
So mad at me for over sleeping (too hot thru' the night) and having to "rush" to work, would have enjoyed taking it slow and taking in all the morning sights and sounds along the river, or for that matter, a better idea....just go right past downtown and keep on cycling! Forget about work!
running errands
Submitted by ride on
I had to run a cheque up to the industrial area by 40 Ave / Edmonton Trail NE this morning, and I nearly decided to drive my car as I was already late for work. Finally I came to my senses and decided to just ride up the Nose Creek pathway instead. Beautiful morning for a ride! The only issue was that the nice cooling breeze stopped the instant I stopped my bike. Driving would have saved a few minutes, but at the price of missing a pleasant ride: false economy!
nicely said
Submitted by Julie Gregg on
nicely said
I went out to the Airdrie
Submitted by scottmeyers on
I went out to the Airdrie Regional Air show last night... What a spectacular event... BUT... My brother and I decided to drive to Airdrie, park at my mom and dad's house, and ride out to the Airport. We did this in the interest of saving some time as we were pushing it close with a 6 oclock start time, when we both finished work at 4:30. Well we regret the decision. As we left my place in Coventry hills, a mere 27km to the Airdrie Airport we considered jumping on our bikes. I guess like they say it is better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done. We were stuck in traffic for a stunning 1.5 hours. By the time we got to My parents place we had missed the snow birds proper. We watched them from the cage but it really isn't the same. So needless to say we ditched the car, hopped on the bikes and it was a nice 10 minute Yankee Valley road bomb... The police directed all east bound (Airport bound) traffic to occupy both lanes and head east. We rode a skinny shoulder all the way out and we only got pinched once and it was by a truck towing a horse Trailer - he was pretty wide, although not an excuse to occupy what shoudler there wasn't. I estimate we passed 500 or more cars.
So lesson learned - If you are going to a grid lock inducing event and you have the legs in you ride your bike... It is probably going to be faster.
On another note. The Airshow was being touted as a green event. When we got to the Airport we asked where the bike racks were located. The staff admitted they had no idea, and all likeliehood they missed the boat on that one. Once on the grounds there were a surprising amount of bikes, but most were being ridden by young teens by my judgment.
As brutal as the need for fighter jets is... Man they are cool. The Canadian CF-18 put on probably a 20 minute show and it was pure awesome!!!
A lovely week all around
Submitted by Roger on
It's been a great week.
This morning (Thursday) passed a whole flock of police cars and a couple ambulances on the south side of the Bow River path right on the south end of that pedestrian bridge that runs to St. Patrick's Island. I imagine something bad happened over there.
Sluggish
Submitted by pinkrobe on
I didn't sleep well last night, and I was really feeling it this morning on the ride in. Still, riding to work in the summer KICKS ASS. Normally, it just kicks ass, but in the summer it deserves CpsLk recognition.
law-breaking motorists
Submitted by ride on
Often when people meet me off-street and learn I'm a cyclist, within moments they start ranting about law-breaking cyclists (as if I'm somehow responsible, or even care to listen). Rarely do they want to hear back from me that cyclists are just people, like motorists, and that law-breaking motorists far outnumber law-breaking cyclists. This week provides two examples.
Yesterday I was standing in front of my condo on a one-way street and a motorist drove the wrong way down this one-lane street. Since I often ride the correct way up that street, I'm not keen on having to face the possibility of a head-on. So I yelled at him, "Hey, wrong way!". He immediately yelled back "I don't f&^*ing care!" and drove into the garage in the building next to me. There's that sense of motorist entitlement some people talk about.
Then this morning I was riding along 8th Ave SW and came up to a 4-way stop at 10 St. After a car on my right pulled out, it was my turn to go, but a car approaching on my left didn't appear to be slowing down to stop. Sure enough, the driver just sailed through the intersection without stopping, or looking. I yelled "That's a stop sign!" but the driver appeared to ignore me or not notice.
When a cyclist rolls through a stop sign and treats it as a yield sign (which is allowed in nearby Idaho), she usually knows what she's doing. In fact, cyclists learn that all intersections are dangerous, whether we have the right of way or not, so we're always on our toes. But motorists, on the other hand, seem likelier to not notice stop signs at all, which of course can have serious consequences for cyclists.
Bigger Vehicle = Greater Responsibility
Submitted by bclark on
I was thinking along those lines yesterday and today. Traffic laws exist, in a large part, to protect the safety of vehicle operators and anyone in their proximity. Since we cyclists travel at slower speeds, are lighter and more immersed in our environment there is less chance of our actions severly impacting those around us. On the other hand the actions of someone driving a car can have huge impact on those around them and they really need to realize this when making judgements (i.e. driving the wrong-way on a one-way, blowing a stop sign, etc.). One could go even further and argue that anyone driving a large truck or bus should always err even more on the side of caution as they could really have an impact on people around them.
no consequences
Submitted by ride on
Adding to your comments, bclark, cyclists face serious personal consequences for failing to be alert, drive with caution, or striking something or somebody. On the other hand, motorists do not. Cars are built to provide survival for the occupants even in events like high-speed head-on collisions. That leads to a feeling of invincibility - motorists are not likely to be injured or killed through carelessness or even outright malice in dealing with pedestrians, cyclists, or even in many cases other motorists. Thus, a lack of attention - why else would some motorists talk on cellphones, send text messages, watch videos or TV, or do all of the things that distract them from job no. 1 - driving the damn car?
Maybe we need a new slogan "Cycling - for those who are able to be just a little more alert".
I agree totaly
Submitted by Spinner on
With this statement
One could go even further and argue that anyone driving a large truck or bus should always err even more on the side of caution as they could really have an impact on people around them.
I've been driving tractor trailer for over 20 yrs, and I always stress this fact with the younger drivers. Also for cyclists, be very careful passing a semi on the right, there are some large blind spots about 2-3 feet out from the passenger side starting about 3' in front of the cab to about 20' down the trailer. The convex mirror works well for cars in this area, but bikes are small enough they don't draw the eye unless your looking for them specifically.
...
Submitted by NW_Tri_and_Bike on
sir the safe operation of "your" vehicle is your responsibility...
so you're saying that if you
Submitted by ggdub on
so you're saying that if you ride up into a truck's blind spot than its the truck's fault?
Give me a break. Like you said, the safe operation "your" vehicle is your responsibility, and riding into a truck's blind spot, when passing them on the right is not safe operation.
To me its not
Submitted by Spinner on
a question of who is in the right or wrong. Its keeping yourself safe. I saw a drawing illustrating a trucks blind spots a while back. I'll see if I can find it online somewhere and post the link. It would explain blind spots much better than my post did.
no I meant...
Submitted by NW_Tri_and_Bike on
don't ride there... I sat back and watched a trucker drive over the side walk while making a right turn... its one of those things
truck blind spots
Submitted by ride on
Thanks for pointing that out, Spinner. There have been a number of cyclists killed in Toronto after pulling up beside a tractor trailer and then having the driver turn right, running over them with his rear wheels.
In Europe, there have been a number of laws passed to require all trucks to have cow-catcher fences along the sides so that cyclists or pedestrians can't be knocked under the rear wheels. Sadly, those laws have made much inroad in Canada yet. So the best we can do at the moment is warn cyclists.
Personally, I don't like to be beside any truck bigger than a van. Even buses are worth watching closely - the drivers can, and do, pull out at any time, even when you're already passing them.
Door me gently
Submitted by bike2workman on
While we are on the topic of failing to be alert...
I was doored coming home from work on Wednesday and I got off very lightly.
On 4 Ave NW just north of the Kensington Safeway I was traveling pretty slowly, maybe 10 - 15 km/h. A car door opened about 6 feet in front of me (also fairly slowly) and the whole incident almost seemed to take place in slow motion. I had enough time to lean my bike to get my upper body clear of the door and I think it was just my pedal that hit the door. My bike was knocked down and I spilled over the front onto the asphalt. I landed mostly on my hands - it wasn't a very hard landing which is fortunate since I broke my right wrist in June. I skinned one of my knuckles a little but otherwise my bike and I are both undamaged.
So as unlikely as this may sound I was gently doored.
I tend to think that I'm pretty aware of parked cars and that I keep my distance but obviously there's room for improvement.
Don
lucky break
Submitted by ride on
That was a lucky break, Don, glad to hear you're okay. Especially since dooring is one of the things that can be fatal. For the benefit of other readers, it's not the impact with the door that is so dangerous (though obviously it can cause some injury), but rather the subsequently loss of control and fall onto the adjacent lane of the road, where you're run over by the next car following along.
I actually consider this to be one of the more serious risks to me, as do you, it appears. It's one of the reasons I always ride with a rear-view mirror - I try to avoid riding any closer than 2m to parked cars. Since this means I'm riding out in the lane, I want to keep an eye on overtaking traffic to make sure it's giving me enough room. If not, well, I've got 2m of wiggle room.
Oh My Goodness
Submitted by Julie Gregg on
so glad you didn't reinjure your wrist. A couple years ago I did a major face plant, seems my cheekbone and front tooth took a lot of the impact but so must have my wrist as it did break. Once I got going again I really was fearful of any impact on it for quite a long time. You did good!!
Too damn early
Submitted by pinkrobe on
I had to be in before 7:30 so I could drop my clothes off at the cleaners. There were few people on the streets. I got stuck behind an Audi TT convertible coming out of Mt. Royal, dropped it going through Beltline and then it caught up to me on 4 St. I was going to draft off of it through downtown, but it didn't block the wind too well and I was tired... Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.
Too early, I start my ride
Submitted by fastlayne on
Too early, I start my ride at 5AM and am in the office @ 6. The streets are empty when I roll in.
The benefits of a helmet.
Submitted by Jaykay65 on
Yesterday, I had my first big wipeout since I was a kid, some 25+ years ago.
I caught a gravel patch at about 25+ KPH as I needed to brake. Everything went real slow and all I was thinking as I went over the bars was to get my hands out and to stop skidding before I hit the upcoming curb.
Left hand, left knee, left side of my brain bucket took severe impact off 14th Street NE at Country Hills Blvd. Thankfully, as usual I was wearing my helmet and there are a couple of pieces of the plastic covering left as evidence at the scene.
Scraped knee and the doc said no broken bones, probably a pulled shoulder muscle to explain my lack of range of motion of my left arm.
Thanks to the other cyclist and the lady SUV driver for stopping to offer assistance.
Today's ride was much slower, and non-eventful. Yes, I have another helmet.
Off for a week vacation. Whose gonna chop the wood with bum shoulder?
Yikes
Submitted by Julie Gregg on
another story of ground/cyclist impact from the same day! Enjoy your vacation (get somebody else to chop)
Contact your helmet manufacturer
Submitted by scottmeyers on
This came up the other day in my brothers office as there had been a rash of helmet meet street incidents in his office... Contact your manufacturer of your helmet as they will often give you some sort of credit or discount if you return the injured helmet. They study the broken helmets to further there knowledge and advance the technologies.
... 50 km on 1a / grand valley
Submitted by NW_Tri_and_Bike on
no too bad at all... ghost to the top on Grand Vally and back...