Monday, December 22, 2008

skateboard cam for bike helmet mount


http://www.mopo.ca/2006/12/snowboard-freebord-skateboard-hands.html
The Action Sports Hands Free Camera.
This small, lightweight, shock-resistant and waterproof video camera can be clipped to a helmet, handlebar, ski pole, snorkel, or just about anywhere else, allowing you to capture hands-free video footage without distraction while snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, cycling, or snorkeling. The camera records at 15 or 30 frames-per-second and includes 32 MB of internal memory which can store up to 11 minutes of footage at 160 x 120 QQVGA or 640 x 480 VGA resolution, and it has an SD card expansion slot so you can add up to 2 GB of memory for 13 hours of additional video storage. The camera connects directly to a television for video playback, or footage can be downloaded to a computer via USB cable (requires Windows® XP/2000, 128 MB RA M, 800 MB free hard disk space). Camera mounts include a U-shaped clip and hook-and-loop fasteners to grip arms, legs, helmets, or bike frame tubes. Includes RCA and USB cables. Requires two AA batteries. Ages 8 and up. 4 1/2" L x 2" Diam. (5 oz.)

Duty Free to Canada- Click for details
Item 73304 ................... $129.95
SOLD OUT
Due to the popularity of this item, we are unexpectedly sold out.

D: this has a few uses.
1) a 20 minute version would cover to/from work on commute.
a) getting cut off for Hall of Shame
b) record traffic accidents
c) misc. unexpected uses.

This reminds me of a cyberpunk novel named "Snowcrash" by Gaimen.
Actually, since the corporate dystopian near future is simply accepted, I'd argue it is the first post-Cyberpunk novel. Anyway, I think in that book that grannies wear live web-broadcast cams in realtime. They form neighbourhood watch groups like good busybodies.

I think I'm the only guy that prefers old B&W CCDs for work like this.
Much better low-light sensitivity.
I converted my old webcam to see in the dark that way.
Combined with a hug or even handlebar display, you have 'stealth mode'.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/20/cerevellum-bike-rearview-monitor-might-be-a-little-overkill/

We've seen some bike-centric GPS devices and sound systems in the past, but we've never seen a device that actually encourages you to ride around while staring down at a screen -- which is probably the fatal flaw with the Cerevellum bicycle rearview monitor. The prototype unit shown here features a 3.5-inch screen and a 4-hour battery life, along with 32MB of storage for workout data and four USB ports for expansion modules. The Cerevellum is expected to cost some $200 when it goes into production, and the company says it's developing GPS and heart-rate monitor modules to ship soon after -- all far better uses of a handlebar mounted screen than a rearview camera that accomplishes nothing a quick look over the shoulder can't get you, we think.

D: use with infrared filter/ light source and head mount and you have 'night vision option'.

D: using it like the rear-view-mirror integrated bike helm might be interesting too.
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4855/

http://www.reevu.com/leisure_product.asp
D: not sure if this passed the local safety tests.
But since I'm more interested in avoiding v.s. enduring an accident, not so bad.

http://www.amazon.com/Cycleaware-Viewpoint-Eyewear-Mirror-Round/dp/B00012345A
D: finally, a wee mirror that attaches inside yer sunglasses.
One on each side and try to sneak up!






Thursday, December 18, 2008

nifty reflective nylon tape

http://gizmodo.com/5113146/retroreflective-bright-bike-looks-black-glows-white-in-headlights

D: my bike has bits of reflective tape on strategic locations.
Plus on my luggage rack I tacked on a coupla big-truck style reflectors.
Those strips of red and white.
In fact, my bike reflects from every angle.

Not that that helps much if somebody pulls a rolling stop/ no - look combo.
Which is pretty common.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

bike lanes commandeered by vehicles.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/new-york-suv-lane.php

D: the problem I have in town is how they pull out of normal traffic without checking for bikes. In a bike lane...
Many harsh words get uttered.

This is a good reason to NOT make bike lanes any wider than a yard.
Too easy to become another traffic/turn lane.

The other problem with bike lanes is when a traffic lane is an actual or de facto turn lane, the bike lane needs to continue over to the left on row of traffic.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

waterloo police for calling dead cyclist silly

http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/454337

The road was bare and dry at the time, said Sgt. Fred Gregory of the traffic branch, but it was dark.

Martin had a light and reflectors on his bike but was not wearing a helmet, Gregory said. Family say he also wore a reflective vest. He was riding on the roadway at the time.

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/2008/12/regional-police-service-apologizes-for-silly-remark.html

"Waterloo Regional Police Staff Sgt. Sue Kenny... saying "Riding a bike with weather conditions like this, it seems kind of silly.... It's common sense."

The apology:
"Our Service strongly supports the rights of cyclists to use our roadways safely, as a responsible and environmentally friendly method of transportation and recreation."

I talked with Insp. Beckett and believe the apology here is heartfelt. He noted that it is amazing how a single sentence can reverse a message, and the message from Waterloo Region Police, he says, should be that cyclists are a part of the transportation community.
-----------------------
D: incredible. Bikes continue to be view as toys, as always just an option compared to a car.
I just decided to winter cycle after all. The bus takes an HOUR each way. I can WALK that fast- and run in half the time. Or cycle in a quarter of the time.
I just lose too much time, trapped on a bus.
My last place didn't have parking. Having never owned a car, the insurance would kill me.
Plus I am not fond of the bus. Trapped with all those coughing sneezing sniffling sick people.
Watching the 'character' interact with folks that really don't want to.
Listening to teen girls say like every 2nd or 3rd word - it's not an interjection folks! Or shouldn't be. Yup, it's safe to say I show up to work an hour later with my blood pressure a mile high from stress.
I just bought Reelights, available from Waterloo Cycles on King Street. They look easy to install and very rugged. Batteries are spotty in cold weather.
I admit biking home tonight felt more like surfing. Once I get my 'sea legs', the training does wonders for off-roading on the Hydro Cut in mud.

waterloo police for calling dead cyclist silly

http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/454337

The road was bare and dry at the time, said Sgt. Fred Gregory of the traffic branch, but it was dark.

Martin had a light and reflectors on his bike but was not wearing a helmet, Gregory said. Family say he also wore a reflective vest. He was riding on the roadway at the time.

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/2008/12/regional-police-service-apologizes-for-silly-remark.html

"Waterloo Regional Police Staff Sgt. Sue Kenny... saying "Riding a bike with weather conditions like this, it seems kind of silly.... It's common sense."

"Our Service strongly supports the rights of cyclists to use our roadways safely, as a responsible and environmentally friendly method of transportation and recreation."

I talked with Insp. Beckett and believe the apology here is heartfelt. He noted that it is amazing how a single sentence can reverse a message, and the message from Waterloo Region Police, he says, should be that cyclists are a part of the transportation community.
-----------------------
D: incredible. Bikes continue to be view as toys, as always just an option compared to a car.
I just decided to winter cycle after all. The bus takes an HOUR each way. I can WALK that fast- and run in half the time. Or cycle in a quarter of the time.
I just lose too much time, trapped on a bus.
My last place didn't have parking. Having never owned a car, the insurance would kill me.
Plus I am not fond of the bus. Trapped with all those coughing sneezing sniffling sick people.
Watching the 'character' interact with folks that really don't want to.
Listening to teen girls say like every 2nd or 3rd word - it's not an interjection folks! Or shouldn't be. Yup, it's safe to say I show to work an hour later with my blood pressure a mile high from stress.
I just bought Reelights, available from Waterloo Cycles on King Street. They look easy to install and very rugged. Batteries are spotty in cold weather.
I admit biking home tonight felt more like surfing. Once I get my 'sea legs', the training does wonders for off-roading on the Hydro Cut in mud.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

puddle filled bike lane on FDB Drive






D: I had more pics, but the blog only allows 5.
You get the picture.
Father David Bauer Drive is half useless for cyclists.
My bud Ryan, who worked in paving, said the city failed to add a top coat.
He also said if it resulted in injuries the city could get its pants sued off!!!

Perhaps we should require the road designers to bicycle to work, hmm? [=

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

montreal gets bike rental program


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/09/22/bixi-bikes.html?ref=rss (pic)

"We sincerely believe that a lot of citizens who are not presently commuting with a bicycle will use the bicycles," he said.

The service will cost $28 a month, or $78 for seven months. Users can buy a day pass for $5
...

When it's fully in service there will be 300 BIXI stations around the city where the bicycles can be rented or returned.

The $15-million system is being paid for by Stationnement de Montreal, the company that manages the city's on-street parking.

It hopes to recoup its investment through the membership fees.

The bikes are designed entirely in Quebec, and are made of 100 per cent recyclable aluminum. The bike parking stations are powered by solar energy."

http://uk.franceguide.com/press/Velib-Paris-new-bike-transit-system.html?nodeID=422&EditoID=88863

D: based on Paris Velib program.

On July 15, 2007, the city of Paris will debut a new self-service "bicycle transit system" called Velib’. Parisians and visitors alike will be able to pick up and drop off bicycles throughout the city at 750 locations—offering a total of 10,648 bikes. By the end of the year, there will be a Velib’ station approximately every 900 feet for a total of 1,451 locations and 20,600 bikes.

D: Europe tried the honour system in the 60s. And shortly had no bikes left, LOL.

D: we could do this in K-W just fine.

It would go a long ways towards reaching 'mandatory cycling density' for safety in #s.

And those are some sweet city cruisers in the pic!

Integrated lights would make them useful at night too.

See the Citystorm by Giant.






Friday, September 19, 2008

car free day at university of waterloo


http://unorthodox-recumbent-bicycles.blogspot.com/

D: see for more pics.

Bikes provided by Bicycle Forest.

http://www.bikeforest.com/about.php

(That's where I rented that Rotator recumbent from last year.)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

turn lanes where they don't fit



D: pic 1 is Father David Bauer and Erb.
2 is Caroline and William.
3 is (Kitchener) Westmount and Glasgow.

In each case, extra-narrow lanes only hold a car. They are side-by -side with another narrow lane.
Any cyclist foolish enough not to jump onto the sidewalk will get MASHED.

Guess what? We have suggested lane widths for a REASON.

Stuffing a bike lane on the straight stretch but not extending it to the intersection is NOT a bike lane. It is a waste of time. I will redraw the map of city uptown bike lanes tomorrow to illustrate that most of the bike lanes are de facto NOT THERE.

Who is the engineer that designs this stuff?! I guarantee he doesn't use a bicycle...
GRR>.

If there isn't room for an extra lane then DON'T BUILD ONE!!!!!!
I cannot believe Glasgow gets that much traffic.
It is a suburb with a school, and presumably would not want much thru-traffic.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

show yer speed with this vest


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html (pic)

D: there is a good reason to do this. The human eye/brain combo cannot gauge relative speeds until very late, when the target suddenly seems to rapidly increase in size...

D: since I sustain 30kph for prolonged periods of time, this is kinda like boasting, LOL!

From my recumbent bike blog:

Most power assists seem to think I'm decrepit. They're substitutes, not 'assists'.
Guess what? On a half-dead steel frame mountain bike junker, for an HOUR, I can already sustain 32kph on pavement.
At first, I wondered what math was wrong.
I mean, I KNOW I am not generating anything near a full horsepower.
Yet the Revopower needs to, to go 30kph.
So what gives?
Heat loss inefficiencies.
A typical combustion motor only manages to deliver a few 10s of percents of initial power to the wheel.
Ergo, all is well in math-land.
I am just dang efficient that I might as well be a full horsepower.
Likely more like half a horse though. <:

http://unorthodox-recumbent-bicycles.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

problem with reflective/fluorescent bicycle gear


http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/safety-in-numbers-on-bikes.php

D: a bike safety campaign implies biking is unsafe.
MORE cyclists - a certain density - is the key to safety.
This deters that.

Nothing says "I am afraid of being struck" quite like a construction worker vest.

The Netherlands is not cyclist Valhalla cuz they all are bright, lighted and reflective.
It's CRITICAL MASS in the non-nutter group sense of the word.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

verdict in death of cyclist

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/

Died on a ride, #12, '08

"An article on the front page of The Record today sheds some light on the recent death of Paul Brenner on the Iron Horse Trail, a death I wrote about recently.

It appears that he was riding in the dark, without a helmet or possibly lights, when he hit a gate adjacent to a set of railroad tracks that cross the trail at at oblique angle outside Victoria Park. He appears to have gone down hard and died due to head injuries.

Would a helmet have saved him? The odds are good in this case. Lights would surely have helped illuminate the gates, which have reflective surfaces.

We can take basic, simple steps to make our cycling lives safer. No one should have to die to underline that point."

----

D: I was gonna build a 'ghost bike' for the guy (see earlier blog).

But no light, no helmet. If those barriers had reflective material on them, I'm afraid to say he all but ensured he'd be hurt or killed. And he was.

There is no law requiring adult cyclists to wear helmets.

I admit, sometimes if I'm already too hot or I want my hair to look nice, I don't.

I read that kids growing up with helmet laws are continuing to wear them as adults.

And is it just me, or is it kinda weird that the new University frosh students are still so young that they hafta wear helmets? A lot of them are 17. Nice that the schools offloaded a year of free public education onto private tuition which are not so subsidized these days...


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

cyclist dies on Iron Horse Trail

http://news.therecord.com/article/403784

The man was found near a metal gate on the trail.

D: not sure how yet. But it was by the rail track barrier.

A similar barrier to slow bikes in Toronto was causing many impact injuries.

http://www.thestar.com/article/484889
D: I guess the barriers are called bollards.

"

Metal poles on the Martin Goodman Trail near the Boulevard Club that are injuring cyclists may yet suffer a well-deserved death – before someone is killed by them.

We've previously written about the poles, also known as "bollards," installed to slow down cyclists crossing the laneway to the tennis club on Lake Shore Blvd. W. and keep them from being mowed down by entering or exiting vehicles.

There are two sets of staggered bollards on either side of the driveway, which require cyclists to slow and pass through them at an angle. But some cyclists end up snagging a bike pedal or limb on the poles and are sent crashing to the pavement.

For more than a year, we've been getting complaints from people who have encountered an injured cyclist, or have been hurt themselves.

John Treacy emailed last fall to say he broke a femur and his collarbone in a collision with the bollards, adding he was "knocked senseless" and was temporarily in a wheelchair afterward."

D: god forbid you ask cars to slow/stop instead.

Like I've said before, the car is king cuz we treat it like royalty.


Saturday, August 30, 2008

as**ole of the MONTH.

I was biking home from work.
It is Friday night.
I am in the bike lane on Westmount towards University.
We're at a stop light.
I have 2 lights both fore and aft. I have a half-square foot of reflectors. I have lights mounted on my helmet.
Yes I KNOW it is dorky .
I just didn't expect someone to point that out...
I certainly didn't expect him to refer to me as looking like a (swear) then (insult).
He asked if I thought my helmet made me tough.
He was in the car with five people when he said this.

I said it was not my helmet that made me tough, and we could talk about that more if he stepped out of his car.
No takers.
He blustered a bit, as cowards and bullies are prone to do.
Then took off when the light changed.

I got his car license.

BCYW 317. Grey Toyota (?Honda), a very small sedan, grey.

Congratulations, you snot-nosed arrogant undergrad punk.
You just made the bike blog AS**OLE of the month.

It is sad that taking measures to improve my safety cycling at night beyond the minimum the law requires provokes insults.

Friday, August 29, 2008

looking towards winter

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080829.wwinter29/BNStory/National/home

D: the verdict is still out on winter.
I attempted winter cycling last year. It failed for a number or reasons.
1) heavy snowfall
2) bike lanes are not cleared
3) sidewalk clearing by the city was voted down
4) sidewalk clearing by individuals has never been heavily enforced.
(The sole person is in an office. Any reason why traffic enforcement couldn't do this?!?)
5) I got hit by a vehicle. My bike was wrecked. (Rolling stop, no visual check at all.)

This doesn't just hurt cyclists. It hurts bus commuters.
We were standing on rounded slick piles of snow even uptown for days, wading through knee-high piles. The city doesn't clean snow from even the main bus route after heavy snowfall!
Plus once off the bus, folks then use sidewalks.
If sidewalks adjacent to main routes (even main routes - the liquor store and the 7-11 on King/ near Victoria even!) are not clean, then the bus/walk combo ceases to be viable.
When the dust settles, the methodical neglect of all other forms of transportation favours... the car. Surprise.

What do I recommend?
1) call in anyone after 24 hours after heavy snowfall that doesn't clean their sidewalk
2) push the city to clean sidewalks (it amounts to c. 1% more taxes)
3) I'll set up a Hall of Shame each week, for those who leave it that long.

Might I recommend the following bus/bike/sidewalk arrangement?
1) mandate one yard gap b/w road and sidewalk, for snow pileup
2) don't put bike lanes on bus routes if it can be helped
3) don't have on-road parking by bike lanes - that's a great way to get doored.
BTW, I react to on-road parking by occupying an entire lane. Safety.
Given recent court cases, it seems nobody will be charged with anything for dooring a cyclist to death.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/06/27/woman-charged-in-toronto-cyclist-s-death.aspx
D: I stand corrected. A traffic violation for negligence causing death. That's nice.

"Toronto police have charged the 43-year-old woman who opened the door of her car without looking and sent a cyclist tumbling to his death last month.

The charge, requested by cycling activists, is “Open Vehicle Door Improperly,” under the Highway Traffic Act.

The cyclist, 57, was travelling east on Eglinton Avenue West, just west of Avenue Road, when the door to a parked Volvo opened in front of him, Toronto police said. He lost his balance and fell into the path of a cube van."

-----------------------

Cruzbike update:

- the bike store had no idea what a quill to ahead adapter was.

I had to find an online pic and link for them.

- I was wrong about the different threading type being the issue.

- the bike rack/folding baskets are attached. the fat rack tubing didn't fit with the brackets provided

- putting the kit on a teen's 15"ish inch frame makes for a nimble bike, but one unstable at high speed

- the 24" tires also cap speed at 30kph before my pedal cadence 'spins out'.

I either need a SRAM dualdrive /8 cassette or a Schlumph Hyperdrive.

Since the SHD can be used in future projects, I may go with that.

The Cruzbike is providing indispensable experience in steering a (quasi) mid-steer though.

One last thing:

1) invest in all-new brake and gear cabling. The improv use of shorter lengths results in a spongy feel and some gear clatter.

-------------------

Trivial aside: cheap beater bikes (20-30 bux) can be had at locations:

1) Recycle Cycles, through the Work Centre

2) old Ed on William Street in Waterloo. Where Euclid meets. Looks for bike shed in the back, use side door.



Wednesday, August 27, 2008

my cruzbike is done. critical mass rally.



D: many thanks to my bud Mike for helping. OK, for building it with my help, LOL!

A few observations:
1) just buy a local chopper handlebar set. The shipping was 100 bux!!!
2) the instructions were not very detailed at all.
3) a videotape or DVD, or at least a dedicated conversion kit manual would have been welcome.
4) the components all seem good quality
5) you may very well need a different threat type lock in the steering tube.
6) they aren't kidding about alloy components for the front boom - it is massive.

How does it handle?
1) it is total weirdness having the steering tug with each pedal push
2) it is kinda half standard 'bent handling plus half mid-steer... which I've never done.
3) I am glad I used kid 24" tires not 26", for planting my feet on the ground.

But obviously it can handle well. See these Youtube vids:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=oumIzo9tGPs
D: this shows the tight turning radius possible.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOVIVIGBVA&feature=related
D: hands free- there is another of a guy starting from a dead stop hands free.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=P17maWic4tA

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kBYUAV9QEws
D: a typical first-time rider.

D: I am surprised by the lack of an under-seat-steering option.
After all, if it can be steered without hands, why not?

I am leery about going to the CRITICAL MASS rally.
I was thinking of it as a bike ride with fellow cyclists.
I took a peek at their Facebook group, and they all seem to have many *unrelated* ideological axes to grind.
"bringing attention to issues of facilities and safety, enjoying car-free social time on city streets, confronting police, motorists and other symbols of the status quo, and a variety of other purposes, many unstated."
D: WTF?
Other purposes? Confronting police? They actually said that?
OK I cannot go on it.
They're extremists.
"

A Forensic Analysis of September 11, 2001: Questioning the Official Story

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That Guy"


D: and bicycle laws and planning have WHAT to do with (insert any kneejerk leftwing reactionary stance here)???

*&(*(&*((*(_%^*&))(...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

under seat steering 'bent bike for kid safety

D: I was reading ScienceDaily and Eurekalert yesterday for bicycle articles.
This came up:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016131422.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/09/020913065232.htm
participants were riding at low speed when something occurred to make them lose control of their bicycle and fall. The front wheel rotated into a plane perpendicular to the child's body. The child landed on the end of the handlebar, resulting in serious abdominal or pelvic organ injuries. Common injuries in the Pediatrics study were splenic, kidney, liver and pancreatic lacerations and contusions.

D: So we have 2 types of injuries:
1) fall far enough to bash head
2) fall and impaled on handlebars.
You know, a recumbent bicycle with under-seat-steering addresses BOTH issues.

A normal cyclist on an upright hits their head at 15kph on the ground.
On a 'bent bike, yer head is moving slower.
Personally, I have some problems with over-seat-steering on a 'bent anyway.
I have problems with something blocking my line of site.
Plus tall cyclists tend to clip their knees.

Sadly, USS (under) steering was not an option on the Cruzbike I'm building.

Monday, August 18, 2008

bike security

http://gizmodo.com/5038103/older-asus-eee-pc-batteries-are-incompatible-with-900a

D: Funny quote!
"All bicycles weigh fifty pounds. A thirty-pound bicycle needs a twenty-pound lock. A forty-pound bicycle needs a ten-pound lock. A fifty-pound bicycle doesn't need a lock at all."

D: I hear in Holland, some internal steering locking mechanism is used.
Sure, you can steal the bike.
You just cannot TURN it.

I removed the quick-release from my cruddy old bike.
It makes it too easy to steal. Even a junky seat got stolen.

D: issue with my Zounds air horn... I think it requires a third obscure type of nozzle.
I cannot seem to use the local garage to refill the air.
Hmm.

Monday, August 11, 2008

honour the stop bike program


http://honorthestop.org/

D: interesting idea.
I am not planning to make it.
1) I can sit in a bike lane and some traffic lights will NEVER change.
2) when I am tooling around 11AM at 15kph, my seconds of reaction time is huge
3) I imagine every time I lock my bike to a non-bike-stand (cuz there aren't any/or they're full), I'm breaking SOME law.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

great reelight bike light has waterloo supplier!



D: I stopped in at Waterloo Cycles, uptown Waterloo.
I was looking for a non Y-frame mountain bike that might handle my Cruzbike recumbent kit.
I picked up a nifty broad spring-equipped 'granny seat' for my newer bike for 20 bux in the bargain bin.
Anyway, it turns out they have the terrific Reelight for c. $80.
Sadly, their website is but a thin veneer, or else my online research would have found that.
They REALLY need to get with the times.

Anyway, the Reelight bolts onto the tire's axle. Magnets are attached to spokes. It is like those lil' dynamo kits but without contact. That means no friction losses and no slipping in the rain!
If you have the cash, I'd highly recommend these.
If not, check out the freelight from UK instead.
http://www.freelights.co.uk/

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

critical mass cyclist knocked off bike

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080728.wcyclist0728/BNStory/Front/home

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/critical-mass-bicyclist-a_n_115390.html

D: I was considering attending the local one in September. Mostly to show off my then-new Cruzbike recumbent bicycle to the like-minded.

Local bylaw is an issue, though. It doesn't allow side-by-side bicycling.
I admit clogging 2 lanes of traffic one way is just obnoxious!

http://www.cordweekly.com/cordweekly/myweb.php?hls=10034&news_id=935

"Bikes took over local streets on Friday afternoon, making their way from Waterloo Park down to Kitchener’s Victoria Park.

Riders did not avoid the main streets as they made their way through the city, with some carrying signs that read, “We’re not blocking traffic, we are traffic.”
This ride was not the first of its kind, but with over 200 people participating, it had much higher attendance than previous rides that have occurred in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Critical mass rides have been held in many other cities around the world to mark "Car Free Days" since 1994. They typically occur on the last Friday of the month and have been taking place in Waterloo for the past five years."

D: OK I wanna see the new frosh undergrads on bikes too. <:
But September has the highest turnout.

There is one guy in town that has built a frame around his bicycle. The bars handle about a foot on each side. A car closer than that is a danger to the cyclist.

Another fellow has dozens of reflectors on the back of his bike.
I'm not sure why he doesn't have a rear light though...

Yet another has ties a pole to his bike frame which sticks out 1' forward.
I thought something metal on a spring might be nice for scratching paint.

Cruzbike update: only Canadian Tire has Y-frame bikes any more. I hope to find out with a replaceable suspension bushing, or else I am doomed to a POS paperweight in 1-2 years, when the warranty expires. I think certain new style frames may also be able to take a Cruzbike mod.
http://cruzbike.blogspot.com/ (pic)

Friday, July 25, 2008

5000 stolen bikes found in T-O. lock advice.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourbeststuff/2008/07/your_top_5_bicycle_theft_tips.html

D: you can weld on cast iron 3/4" T-joints onto a U-lock.
It makes the joints hard to get at.

D: I also have a 'screamer' cable lock.
Cables are easy to cut. BUT this one will at least make alotta noise.
I thought embedding the siren unit in a composite frame could work.

D: In the Toronto Star yesterday, one comment (paraphrased) was, "even if a bicycle costs
10,000 bux- more than many cars- police still treat it like a toy for recovery purposes."

http://unorthodox-recumbent-bicycles.blogspot.com/
D: I have some ideas for a partial top/bottom fairing on a 'bent bike.
If the seat bar and handlebars fold down, then one could use a pivot point and matching top/bottom shape to have a clamshell. Assuming the tire axles are covered, and only accessible from the inside, the result is an all-weather theft-deterring design.
Once again, bolting that scream box from the siren cable lock to yer bike frame makes discreet theft difficult.

Aside: I'm looking at ordering a Cruzbike. I'm looking for under-seating steering for it.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

tax break on bicycles

D: pic from Rebel Cycles/Kitchener. Jeff helpfully suggested I could retrofit a 26/20" wheeled bent with dual 26"s if only it takes a standard 1" fork at the front.

http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/notices/rst/61.html

"In the 2008 Ontario Budget, the government proposed to extend the point-of-sale exemption from RST for bicycles, as defined under the Highway Traffic Act, and related safety equipment. This measure was included in Bill 44, Budget Measures and Interim Appropriation Act 2008, and having received Royal Assent on May 14, 2008, is now law. As a result of this extension, the point-of-sale exemption from RST includes bicycles and related safety equipment purchased on or after December 1, 2007, and on or before December 31, 2010. The exemption is available on the purchase of new or used bicycles that have a purchase price of $1,000 or less."

D: his 'bents are ideal entry level SWB versions.
His pricing puts the price
1) above $1000
2) but includes a whole lot of accessories.
D: the problem is, this qualifies the 'basic' (not) bike for a PST tax.
For example, a 1100 all-inclusive bike would be hit by a ??? 77 dollar PST tax.
Also, the stuff that is tax-exempt includes safety equipment.
So including reflectors/horns/bells/a helmet/ and lights might be ideal.
Of course, this would leave such stuff as fenders and luggage rack as optional.
My point is that keeping the basic price below pays dividends.

The economies-of-scale are simply not there for recumbent bicycles.

Aside: my ideal touring bike is the Optima Orca.

Cheers.

Monday, July 21, 2008

how the nations stack up for bikes


http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/mayor-of-london-announces-summer-of-cycling.php


D: contrast that with the mocking the Dems received from 'Pubs about bicycles are part of a green transit strategy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program
D: Portland is considering a bike-rental program.
Some European cities already have it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14429468

D: I went to Michigan's Saint Joseph Venetian Festival this weekend.
I was a bit bewildered, since they kept the car show but stopped the lighted ship contest.
For a festival named after Venice... as in canals, boats.
Anyway, we saw some pedestrian overpasses over the bigger highways.
We also saw a few but very wide bike lanes.

Food for thought: imagine a car-shaped area. That is about 5x10' or 50 foot square.
In that space, we could fit 4-6 bikes. Or ?12 pedestrians.
For each car driver who is now walking (assuming a single-person commute to work), we have that much space freed up on the highway.
We do so by -yes- sacrificing some multi-lane lanes. Perhaps we even designate some streets as pedestrian-only areas.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ejbj73/Ottawa/photo#5199984722474975826
Well, at first drivers think bike/walk lanes/walks mean simply less road for them.
Not true. As other means of transit become easier, some fence-sitters switch away from driving.
The result is, counter-intuitively, the remaining drivers also benefit from less traffic congestion.
But this means building good walks/trails/bike lanes and maintaining them.
Enough to cross the entire city. I am not talking about on every street.
But I am talking in every neighbourhood.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

when is disobeying traffic signs OK?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/bikes-and-stop-signs-quote.php

Uptown Waterloo, there is a short street connecting King to Caroline by the mall.
Inexplicably, the parking lot does not have a stop sign. The street does.
There is very little traffic.
Maybe it is for pedestrians?
Actually, they have a crosswalk a mere 50 feet away by the mall.
Uptown just cruising, I move 10-20kph.
Visibility is terrific.
I think there is a bit of a hill there. Keep in mind I use muscle power.
So yup, I use a rolling stop through it.
It may be illegal, but it is not unsafe.

I volunteered for the Waterloo Jazz Festival. I met a young lady who had been struck on the Iron Horse Trail at Victoria. The traffic is killer, and often never lets up.
There is NO CROSSWALK of any sort.
Cars go first. Everybody else can wait.

Near my place, at Westmount and Westcourt Place, there is a traffic light.
The 5 lanes and bad visibility makes jaywalking a risky affair unless one runs.
The walk signal takes so long that I thought it was broken.
This is true of the University UW student one and the Northfield by work one too.

I just imagine the conversation of city planners.
"Well we cannot slow down traffic!"
WHY NOT?

There is a new ?cloverleaf? going in around Bridge Street.
It is already nearly impossible to cross on foot, and is the route to school for school-kids.
It will be worse after.

Themes?
1) too MANY crosswalk options
2) too FEW
3) too SLOW

Friday, July 4, 2008

transcanada highway is a death trap

D: a couple of cyclists were finally killed on the highway.
It was overdue, by the sound of things.

The advice given was that we need to pave the edge.
Well, yes and no.
The only bicycle to cross a country on is a narrow-tired racer.
However, they are unstable when on gravel.
Ergo, unless there is a paved edge, they are not practical.
Leaving no practical bicycle at all.
There is a problem with the proposal to pave the edge.

A very heavy truck, loaded with an uneven load, can have the trailer gyrate up to a couple feet on each side. Meaning it can clip a cyclist who is on the right hand side of the white line.

http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/Safety/NatBSMotorists.htm
D: this article touches on something. Bicycles are somehow seen as the illegitimate off-spring of a pedestrian and automobile, with no rights to either world.

http://www.cars-suck.org/littera-scripta/ntsb.html
D: bike lanes adjacent to road-side parking are death traps.
Unless the lane is a full metre wide, there is little chance to react and evade.
If there are 2 lanes on each side, I feel within my rights to ride in the CENTRE of the right-most lane. Hugging the side just makes for dooring, or worse, a sudden shift to the left to avoid a door.
Uptown Waterloo is a night-mare that way.
I choose the compromise of moving at pedestrian speed on the sidewalk.
I stay away from store doors. I am surprised by how many people don't look before stepping out of a store. I certainly don't approve of gunning it at high speeds on low-visibility sidewalks.

Highway riding reminds me of the need for rules about side guards on big trucks.
http://spacing.ca/wire/2007/10/31/a-day-for-remembering/
Our gov't was dismissive of it.
Some European nations mandate them, I think.
http://biketoronto.ca/topic/show/540.htm
!!! c. 1/3 of cyclist deaths are due to heavy trucks.

For long-distance hauls, trucks are 1/3 as energy efficient as trains.
A pollution and/or a carbon tax would render them cost ineffective in most situations.
I look forward to the day.
For that matter, cars don't like to share highways with them.
It reminds me of what Trudeau said about being a mouse beside an elephant.

D.

Friday, May 23, 2008

bike advocacy - and vigilantes



D: http://tango.gnn.tv/headlines/14571/Toronto_Bike_Activists_Going_Guerrilla
D: Toronto cyclist were so frustrated, they started painting their own bike lanes.
At the present rate, the city would need to take a CENTURY to meet their bike lane goals!

D: the 2 pics above are:
1) New York City stickers for jerks that park in bike lanes. I've seen a couple around here.
You can stop to pick up a passenger, taxi-style, in a bike lane.
You cannot stop the car and leave it.
If you do, you'll be showing up on my Hall of Shame.

2) the other pic is more somber.
http://ghostbike.org/visitor/maps
D: when a cyclist dies, a bike is painted white with flowers and is chained to the area.
This does not clarify who was at fault, however.
I'd like to colour-code an online map for 'near misses' too.
I.e. injuries that were simply luckily not casualties.
This in turn ignores 'near hits', where it is just a matter of time.
I am safety rep, certified, for the workers in my factory.
An accident is just a series of risky events that finally culminated in an injury.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

accidents - breakdown of traffic stats



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_safety
"Other significant collision types involve turning-motorists failing to yield to oncoming cyclists and so-called "hook" or "overtake and turn" type manoeuvres. Expert opinion has it that, having taken due account of the nature and speed of any following traffic, cyclists may best protect themselves from such collisions by adopting a prominent road position approaching junctions."

D: we are already pretty invisible out there. So occupying the whole lane, particularly if there are 2, seems like a good idea.
We all know my tendency to walk across at the pedestrian walk.
Well, there is this odd tendency for cars to assume the green/walk signs mean gun it and hope the walker doesn't step forward. I had an incident like that at Northfield/Parkside on the way to work on Kumpf last week. Some guy in a work truck was plainly aware I was there.
The light changes. I hold my bike out, to my right, in front of me and start walking. Of course, I was assuming -rightly- he was a moron. He starts rolling forward. My bike is in front of me enough that IT not ME is in his way. If worst comes to worst, looks like he'd owe me a new bike!
It is my way of asserting myself while stopping shy of being suicidal.
He keeps rolling forward, trying to get past me. Instead of stopping.
(Yeah I hit the walk button and everything. I'd been standing there for minutes.)
I keep walking. He ends up nearly in the oncoming traffic lane but manages to squeeze in front of me.
I also like to suddenly make like I didn't see the vehicle and lunge forward.
Why?

They need to be shaken out of their complacency. Their lazy driving habits have resulted from a lifetime of a cyclist only being there 1-5% of the time. They are gambling. With our bodies. They just cannot be bothered learning better, more safe driving habits. I scare them. I irritate them. I bother them, upset them. I need to. I intend to...

My new 115db Zound bike horn is also very helpful this way. If they are not looking where they ought to, I don't wait to see if they plan to. A bike bell is fine in good hearing conditions. Around the U, for example, students will walk around listening their I-pods. They won't hear, or don't recognize the faint sound. I guarantee folks pay attention when it sounds like a big truck with an air horn is heading towards them!

I refuse to apologize for asserting my right-of-way by the traffic laws of the province.

What we really need is critical mass.
http://www.critical-mass.info/

"The Story Behind the Name

The name "Critical Mass" is taken from Ted White's 1992 documentary film about bicycling, "Return of the Scorcher". In the film, George Bliss describes a typical scene in China, where cyclists often cannot cross intersections because there is automobile cross-traffic and no traffic lights. Slowly, more and more cyclists amass waiting to cross the road, and when there is a sufficient number of them -- a critical mass, as Bliss called it -- they are able to all move together with the force of their numbers to make cross traffic yield while they cross the road.

"When local police learn of your ride, they may insist that you get a permit, perhaps a parade permit. Don't do it. The point of Critical Mass is that biking is a right, not a privilege. Cars don't need permits to ride on the streets, and neither should cyclists. They may threaten to arrest you if you ride without a permit. At that point you'll need to consider whether you're willing to get arrested to make your point. If you're not, and you choose not to ride or choose to get the permit, then you've allowed them to put cyclists in their place."

D: getting a permit to ride a bicycle? Right...

D: I read a California study. Half of accidents were causes by the cyclist. They did such clever things are failure to stop and riding the wrong way v.s. traffic flow. Bad idea generally.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

a proposed uptown waterloo redesign




D: pic2 is my first proposal for a new uptown layout.

Ottawa is happy to cordon off entire streets against cars.
We seem to think cars hafta own the uptown.

D: the lanes are particularly narrow already.
Your first reaction may be that I removed a car lane.
I have 2 comments:
1) the diagonal-style parking portrayed doesn't result in many fewer parking spots
2) people unable to parallel park no longer hang out in the lane
3) driver side doors no longer represent a death trap for cyclist who, due to narrow lanes, already don't fit anyway and represent a traffic obstruction.
You might notice in my pretty picture that I included more bike racks.
We seem to have one on every alternating lamppost... why not every one???

http://news.therecord.com/article/297406
Business owners who hear about parking problems, I am sure, listen and say, "yeah it's a problem," instead of promoting the awful looking parking garage right behind the Royal Bank of Canada on Willis Way. I know -- I drive through the parking lots of uptown Waterloo and curse about the parking, then I remember the parking garage.

D: does anybody have a measuring tape? I'm sure those lanes are not full-width, once bad parking is considered.

www.region.waterloo.on.ca/.../0/1F5C2DEF9637004A8525707C0065B4C5
D: and you know what the feedback said?
1) 4 lanes makes traffic too fast
2) there is no green space due to space requirements of 4 lanes
3) widen the sidewalks.
D: I am personally mad about the new KPMG building cuz it blocks my sunset.
But just recessing it 10' from the street and adding tree-age would have made it much less antiseptic.
The benefits of trees for sound, light and general quality experience are huge.

So here is another proposal, based on public feedback: (see pic1)


physically separate bike lanes, gas tax idiocy


http://takethetooker.ca/?p=285

D: watch the video. Amazing.

In the meantime, my bike lanes are still mostly full of gravel.
Possibly glass too, but it's hard to see with all the gravel.

http://p.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/11_20-26/shared_lane_copenhagen.jpg
D: separate, but one can still eat passenger car door.

It would make uptown a little less of a death-trap, though.

Aside: yesterday's Caroline St. bike lane doesn't even extend that far.

D: being bike friendly pays economic dividends.
Portland is the most friendly USA city.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/15/portland_considered_most_bicycle_friendly_city
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004676.html
D: and Davis the best town.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen#Cycling
D; but Copenhagen in Europe takes the cake.
Cyclists have their own traffic lights.
Heck, we don't even have road sensors to detect them here, to change lights.
Meaning I can either wait an indefinite amount of time for a car, or run the red.

http://www.taxpayer.com/main/index.php
"HALIFAX / FREDERICTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today launched its 10th annual Gas Tax Honesty Campaign, marking Gas Tax Honesty Day. The yearly campaign kicks off the summer travel season for Canadian motorists. It is also the day of the year that taxpaying motorists are reminded of the high tax component hidden in the price of gasoline – a tax burden that will only increase if the federal government and provinces adopt a carbon tax on fossil fuels."

D: see my entry on my other blog on "Cars are not cost effective".
By all rights, the gas tax should be HIGHER to incorporate the cost of car accidents/pollution to society.
I said as much on the comment section of today's CBC article.
We all subsidize automobiles, and oddly suburban sprawl with necessitates automobiles.
It is a remarkably absurd scenario.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

bike parking strategies



http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/349415
D: 20 million uptown Waterloo for more parking.

http://www.naparstek.com/2005_11_01_archive.php
Pic from here.

D: strangely, even though we will spend tens of millions on public parking to subsidize private business ventures, which by all rights can build their own parking, we cannot afford bicycle parking.

I've already observed the sorry state of uptown Waterloo bike parking.
This area, BTW, is very bike unfriendly.
Essentially, we have an area where you can
1) drive and park a car
2) walk
3) but not drive and park a bike.
Has anybody else noticed how very narrow the lanes are?
I managed to clip the mirror on a van I was driving by riding the line on the lanes.
The parking is that bad.
With some regularity, I see folks that cannot park within a foot of the curb.
For a cyclist, it is worse.
In theory, by law, as a cyclist I am supposed to stay in the car lane.
I occupy a whole one.
Worse, if a car that is parked suddenly opens its door I have to
1) waste time looking behind me to see if swerving is an option
2) eat car door.
Naturally, cyclists choose instead to ride on the sidewalk.
I disapprove of bikers gunning it near store doors.
But conversely, I'm not walking my bike for multiple blocks either.

Go on Caroline or Regina, you say?
Caroline has bike lanes, and Regina wide streets.
Well, yes and no.
See the pic of Caroline Street.
Wow, that bike lane goes for almost, what, 2 whole blocks!
That is ALMOST useful.
Of course, it doesn't reach William Street, which is suddenly very tight indeed, since they stuffed in an extra lane that doesn't fit.

As for Regina, half of it wasn't street swept.
In fact, there is a whole block near University that is pretty much steady broken glass.
Meaning, if I am on a bike on Regina,
1) I am looking down instead of up
2) I am suddenly and without warning swerving into traffic to avoid a 20 buck tire change, if I am in a hurry.
I spent about 100 bux last year on flat tires.
I figured it out, and allowing for various expenses, I didn't in fact save money compared to buying a buy pass all summer.

With bike lanes, it is not enough to put in some 2' narrow sections, with other sections missing entirely, and many parts of town being totally inaccessible.
Build it WELL and MAINTAIN it, and then the cyclists will come.

So we have Caroline, King and Regina, side by side, none of which are very bike friendly.

The car is only king cuz we treat automobiles like royalty.

Cycling doesn't hafta suck, but presently for much of K-W it does.








Sunday, April 20, 2008

dirt cheap helmet mount system for lights






D: A year ago, I didn't want to shell out the 50 bux for a proper helmet light mount system. They are elaborate and not cheap. I ran a screw through the foam and, with some duct tape and crazy glue, jury rigged a mounting system. It was invasive and likely weakened the helmet. Also, that means some bits of metal could end up in my skull. All in all, not ideal.

D: recently, the button on the rear light failed. Rather than destructively jury-rigging a new light, I pondered whether there is a better way. After my cruddy Canadian Tire 15 buck headlight special by Raleigh failed (it doesn't have a true off button, forcing me to unscrew it to shut it off!), I had purchased one of those fancier 50 buck ones with a helmet mount. Neither me nor my handier friend Ryan could figure out precisely how the straps go. I guess I'll go back to the store and ask. I never figured out my cheap odometer either.
At any rate, I realized by simply rearranging standard helmet straps, they could be used to hook those cheap 15 buck 3-LEDs-across lights. You know,the kind that clips on a belt too. It succeeded admirably. With some foam and tape to build a horizontal hump, they should work fine. They are reasonably visible even flush with the helmet.

(OK this blog interface sucks. All the pics go to the top of the page. Grr. %^*(&%^%^)

I like lights on my helmet for a coupla reasons.
1) LEDs are highly directional. Vary the angle by even 15 degrees, and the brightness diminishes suddenly.
2) by looking at a car, I can point the front light at the driver, or keep the rear light in the eyes of a driver behind me.

This would be a good time for me to mention my latest fave light.
http://bikehugger.com/2007/10/reelight_review.htm

The 2 closest suppliers seem to be:
http://www.hiawathacyclery.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26
and http://www.cycleslambert.com/customers/en/.
D: these are no-contact dynamos. They clip magnets onto yer spokes and mount on yer tire axles. I plan to modify some no-capacitor 100 series lights with orange filter material and have them point sideways as running lights.
I'll show you that project when my buddy picks some up for me.
I'd like to see cycles coming out of stores with stuff like this pre-installed.

Cheers.

Monday, April 14, 2008

bike stands uptown waterloo


D: sorry about the formatting. I am still trying to figure out templates and such. Not happy!
Anyway, this is a pic from last fall. The bike stands uptown are often full. Bikes are then attached to other nearby objects like trees.


D: here is some damage this spring.

D: here is some more.

D: every second alternating lamp-post lacks a bicycle stand. So we have overcrowding, wear and tear and a relative absence of sufficient bike stands. This despite the ease of simply including a bike stand by every lamp!

I will look at a relative lack of bike stands, and review the types of bike stands, in tomorrow's entry.

D.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

bicycles and Ontario/ Waterloo law/bylaw

D: I looked up the various regulations, and was sometimes surprised by what I found.

http://www.safecycling.ca/programs/roadreport.html (neat idea but the links don't work)

Under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) of Ontario, the definition of a
vehicle includes a bicycle. A driver of a bicycle has the same rights
and responsibilities as a motorist. Like motorists, a cyclist must
follow the rules of the road as specified in the HTA.

Improper Lane Choice

Section 154 (1)(c) requires drivers to move in the direction designated
for the lane they are in. This includes cyclists. Despite this, it is
common at any multi-lane intersection to observe cyclists riding
straight through from the "right turn only" lane, usually from the right
hand side of the painted line separating the through and turn lane. A
cyclist who practices this typically does it out of fear of being hit
from behind by a motorized vehicle moving through the intersection. In
reality, there is more to fear from being in the "right turn only" lane.
The cyclist not only impedes right turning vehicles, but also risks
being struck by vehicles crossing his path because vehicle drivers will
assume that he is going to turn right from the turn lane. Should a
collision occur, it is likely that the cyclist will be held liable.

Riding in Crosswalks from Bike Paths

Section 144 (29) forbids riding in crosswalks. The law makes no
distinction between crosswalks at bike path/roadway intersections and
crosswalks at regular intersections. Therefore cyclists using bike paths
should be dismounting at intersections and walking their bicycles in the
crosswalk. Few do.

When a bike path intersects at the intersection of roadways (those on
Riverside Drive along the Rideau River are examples), navigation for
cyclists becomes more complex. Not only is there the normal traffic flow
on the road, but there is the two-way bike path traffic heading in any
one of three directions to contend with. Intersections are where the
largest number of car/bike collisions occur. The addition of a bike path
at an intersection explains why more car/bike collisions occur on bike
paths than on the adjacent roadways.

D: don't use the following generally- just follow the rules.
The second key point is that you will not receive demerit point on your
driver's license if you don't /volunteer/ it as identification to the
police. If you simply state your name and address when asked, that is
enough in Ontario, and in any jurisdictions where actual ID is required,
then show your student card, credit card, birth certificate, YMCA
membership card, or /anything/ but your driver's license (unless you
/specifically/ have to, which you don't in Canada). If you don't offer
the police your driver's license, you will not get demerit points.


* Bicycles are slow vehicles, and so must travel as far to the right
as practicable [HTA 147], except when turning or passing. You can
ride out from the curb as far as is needed to stay in a straight
line path, typically a metre or so, but you may occupy any part of
the lane if it is warranted by your safety.
D: even though you may need to occupy a line for safety, you still cannot ride two abreast. Tough luck- single file! Of course, with 2 lanes, this doesn't really block traffic. But without a good road edge or a bike lane, you risk hitting the curb if you try to hold too far right.
I occupy about a metre, allowing for my width plus buffers. Oddly, that is the size of a typical bike lane! There is a very good reason to not have bike lanes too wide- but wide enough.
Cars will turn or park in them. But at the same time, a typical recumbent trike needs a full metre - no less. Old folks on old-style trikes also need the extra width. This makes bike lanes inclusive for our aging population.

D: helmets, reflectors and lights are NOT optional.
If a police officer sees a minor without a helmet, or with their
helmet not done up, a warning is guaranteed, and the $75 fine is
not unlikely.

* If you ride between 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes before
sunrise, you need a white light (not just a reflector), and a red
rear reflector or red rear light [HTA 62]. Technically, a light
mounted on the body doesn't count. The fine is $35.

You need a bell or horn attached to the bike [HTA 75 (5)]. The
idea is to maintain courtesy, such as with pedestrians, and they
only cost a few bucks. The fine is $105.

* All bicycles must have brakes, at least on the rear wheel. The
fine is $105.

* You need reflective tape on stays and forks, white at the front,
red at the back [HTA 62 (17)]. The tape must be at least 2.5 cm
wide and 25 cm long...

D: tally up these fines. Riding a beater home at night could cost you c. $500.
It is silly for a cyclist to cheap out on this stuff. You are hurting nobody but yourself.
I am bewildered by cyclists riding at night, in dark clothing, on the edge of the road with no lights. My friends have very nearly accidentally hit such foolish persons, who were saved by a lucky flash off a pedal reflector- a tiny one square inch piece of material. It is your head and body - and your wallet. I will say no more.

D: local Waterloo bylaw are as follows.


1. DEFINITIONS:
For the purposes of this By-law, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Bicycle” shall mean and includes a tricycle and unicycle but does not include a motor
assisted bicycle.
2. BICYCLE includes a tricycle having a wheel or wheels of more than 50
centimetres in diameter.
D: Huh! In theory, a small-wheeled bicycle... isn't?!

BICYCLE LANE is a dedicated portion of the road for bicycle use, which is
designated by a lane marking separating the portion of road used by motor
vehicles from the portion of road used by bicycles.

Driving On Other Than A Roadway
No persons shall drive a motor vehicle, a motor assisted bicycle or a bicycle
along any sidewalk or boulevard except at a driveway.
D: note that a motor-assisted bicycle... isn't. It is akin to a moped or scooter.
I think it requires licensing and all that. Of course, if you can keep up to 50kph traffic, there is no need for special bicycle lanes. Travelling at 10-40kph just makes a bicycle a traffic hazard!
3. BICYCLES
(a) Operation of Bicycles
Every rider of a bicycle shall when riding such a vehicle on a roadway
drive with due care and attention giving regard to pedestrians and other
vehicles.
(b) Riding Abreast
No person shall ride a bicycle on any roadway abreast of another bicycle
except in the course of passing the other bicycle.
(c) Passengers
(i) No persons shall on a roadway, while riding a bicycle designed
to carry one persons only, carry another person on the bicycle unless
in a carrier specifically designed and attached thereto for that
purpose.
(ii) No person shall while riding a bicycle on a roadway carry any
goods thereon in such manner as to interfere with the rider having
full control of the bicycle.
(d) Parking
(i) No person shall park a bicycle on any roadway.
(ii) No person shall park a bicycle on any boulevard, sidewalk or
shoulder except in an upright position.

D: I ran into some obscure stuff about bicycle parking. I am not sure where they are legally allowed to park. Without sufficient bicycle stands, the point is moot anyway.

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/bicycle_advocacy/index.html
D: here is a terrific local bike blog through the Record.
It has a different emphasis than what my blog is aiming at.

D: after some thought, I have chosen as an adult to wear a helmet.
Here is an article on bike helmets from our very own UW prof:
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=184
"

Michalenko is appalled by the views of anyone advocating "wind-in- your-hair carefree cycling" in opposing bicycle helmet legislation. He and Cheryl Hendrickson, a staff member with Alternatives Journal in UW's Faculty of Environmental Studies, have sparred over conflicting views about enforcing lids on cyclists. She believes there's too much government "interference" into guarding personal safety or risk-taking.

"It's a totally insupportable viewpoint because if I wear this simple device, I could save my brain and I recognize that," she says. "When it came down that we were going to be legislated into wearing helmets, I got very angry. It's not so much that I think that I have the free right to smash my brains all over the pavement -- it comes from a feeling that society or the state is so safety conscious as to eliminate any sort of risk."

D: well, actually... there IS a position against this.


Last September a plucky psychologist at the University of Bath in
England announced the results of a study in which he played both
researcher and guinea pig. An avid cyclist, Ian Walker had heard several
complaints from fellow riders that wearing a helmet seemed to result in
bike riders receiving far less room to maneuver?effectively increasing
the chances of an accident. So, Walker attached ultrasonic sensors to
his bike and rode around Bath, allowing 2,300 vehicles to overtake him
while he was either helmeted or naked-headed. In the process, he was
actually contacted by a truck and a bus, both while helmeted?though,
miraculously, he did not fall off his bike either time.

His findings, published in the March 2007 issue of /Accident Analysis &
Prevention,/ state that when Walker wore a helmet drivers typically
drove an average of 3.35 inches closer to his bike than when his noggin
wasn't covered. But, if he wore a wig of long, brown locks?appearing to
be a woman from behind?he was granted 2.2 inches more room to ride.

http://readingt.readingcities.com/index.php/toronto/search/to_serve_and_protect_as_long_as_you_are_not_a_cyclist/
D: here is a very frustrated writer about the state of cycling in Toronto.
"What I'm talking about is how poorly cyclists are treated in this city. For anyone who has seen the cycling cultures of Europe - or even that perennial, so-called third-world city of Bogota, Colombia - the backwardness of this city is frustrating.

What is more frustrating is that cyclist put up with it. If ever there was a situation where the analogy of the frog in a pot of boiling water could be fairly used it is this one. You know, if a frog is put in a pot of room temperature water on a stove and the heat is gradually increased, the frog will not jump out until, well, it is too late.

Cyclists in this city are like that. In spite of the number of people who own bikes and would like to commute if they felt safe, city officials continue to dismiss us as just a bunch of disenfranchised bike couriers (no offense to bike couriers here who know exactly what I mean because they have to deal with city streets all day long). Yet we do nothing even with the potentially significant political force we represent.

In spite of the number of preventable injuries and deaths caused by policy decisions made by city hall, cyclists just sit back and take it. In spite of cyclists who get ticketed for riding the wrong way down streets they live on because traffic planners designed them for cars, not cyclists, they take it. Why? Because over time we have come to think that it can be no other way. Cars and their drivers are king or so we've come to accept."

D: Since I never smack my head except when being run over by vehicles, I am not terribly worried about that aspect - catching a 30-50kph vehicle in the head will be terminal anyway.
No, I use my helmet as a mounting system for lights. You see, my bike-mounted lights, frame or handlebars, don't point where I want to go, or at a driver I am concerned about. I jury-rigged a very cheap helmet fore/aft light system with a few dollars of hardware parts.
The helmet light is not to illuminate road features for me. I use it, flashing, strictly to be more visible to cars. The need to see glass and objects and roadkill on less illuminated stretches of bike lane is handled with a powerful new bike-mounted light on the handlebars. It needs to show obstacles on the road with enough seconds of warning that I can react to them.
I tried mounting a mirror, but they are flimsy, annoyingly in the way and cause eye strain. There is one helmet on the market with this nifty integrated mirror, but it did not pass safety standards.

Sure I look unbelievably dorky. But I think not getting run over is kinda cool.
I don't want to die young and leave a good looking corpse.
I want to die old, having lived a full life, and leave an ugly one.