Beyond bicycle basics

GREG ROBINSON

So, summer is here and you're thinking about getting out on a bicycle again. Maybe you still have that bike in the garage, but it now has a quarter inch of rust and the wheels barely turn. Your reasons for giving cycling another try may be related to the state of the planet, the cost of gas or maybe you are in need of the exercise. Those are all great reasons but, for me, cycling is about having fun every day.

There is a bit of a misconception that a bike is a bike is a bike – racers may require fancy carbon fibre rides, but the rest of us should be able to manage with that thing in the garage. I ride to work almost every day and, if I had to make my way from my West End home to the heights of 41st Street on one of those beaters, I wouldn't bother. Nope, if I'm going to cycle, it's going to be on a bike that gets me there in a modicum of comfort and takes the edge off the pain of climbing. Yes, even though I'm a tireless advocate for human-powered transportation, it's useless denying the fact that cycling up hills is hard. Of course, hill-climbing also makes us strong and fit and permits us to blissfully glide downhill, so there are benefits. Whatever the nature of your trip, whether it's long, short, hilly or flat, you will be more motivated to do it by bicycle if your bike's comfortable, fun to ride and doesn't break down often.

When mountain bikes hit the marketplace in the 1980s, it seemed everyone just had to have one. They were seen as being more user-friendly and sexier than the spindly 10-speeds that had dominated the 1970s. For certain things, like say, mountain biking, this is true; for simply getting from A to B, mountain bikes are quite inefficient. With their smaller diameter wheels, softer tires and energy-sapping suspension, they are sluggish compared to road bikes. The other extreme – the road racing bike – is also not very well-suited to everyday use, as it is prone to delivering harsh jolts to one's derriere going over bumps, is difficult to steer and the riding posture isn't comfortable. The ideal bike for commuting is a "hybrid" – half mountain, half road. It has a mountain bike's beefier components, larger cogs for easier climbing and a relaxed frame geometry that offers a cushier ride than its pure-bred road cousins, but it also has a road bike's bigger, faster wheels and leaner build.

Your bike's frame is the most important thing about it. No matter how many bells and whistles it has, if the frame is made of cheesy metal, it will drain your energy at every pedal stroke. Imagine you are holding such a bike frame and, by bracing it against a wall, you try to see how far you can bend it. With a fair bit of effort, you can flex it a few inches. Well, that's potentially the amount of effort you are wasting when you ride it, as much of your energy is going into flexing the frame, instead of being transmitted to the road. A frame made of good-quality metal is going to be stiffer and far more efficient, but it doesn't have to be a harsh, uncomfortable ride, as designers have figured out ways of using the frame's geometry to provide shock absorption where it's required, with lateral stiffness where it is needed.

You also can reduce vibration and bumps by choosing slightly bigger tires, anatomical saddles, cushy handlebar grips and by learning a good riding technique. For example, when you see a bump coming, rise off your saddle an inch or two and your knees and elbows will soak it up instead of your back and butt. The more you cycle, the more you will figure these things out for yourself through trial and error, but if you'd like to save yourself the trouble, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition offers an excellent one-day commuter cycling skills course for only $35. Go to their website to learn more about it at www.vacc.bc.ca/bikeskills. This course will teach you tons of valuable stuff about traffic rules and how to ride safely and confidently on roads. Which brings us to the other major misconception – cycling is dangerous.

In fact, riding a bike, even on the streets of Vancouver, is not dangerous if you have some idea what you're doing. Those who observe the law, make an effort to be visible and ride in a predictable manner are quite safe. The cyclists who weave erratically, wear dark clothes and have no helmet or lights – well, they're not very safe. My own research into this area has shown that the vast majority of accidents involving cyclists are attributable to the cyclist being on the wrong side of the law and/or common sense. Car drivers, despite the hue and cry raised by certain militants within the cycling community, are actually a pretty well-behaved lot. Give them a reason to harass you and some will, but show respect for your fellow road-users and you will receive it in kind.

So go ahead and spend some real dough on a bike, lock, helmet, lights, carrier, cargo bags, rain gear and ... don't forget the bell. On this rain-soaked coast, you might as well go for the whole shmear if you want to be serious about it. I'm going to recommend that if you are starting from scratch, you'll want to lay out anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. If this estimate has you sputtering in disbelief, try this: take a spin on that wreck in your garage (assuming the tires and chain are salvageable), then visit a bike shop and test-ride something in the $2,000 range. The difference is quite profound, and you'll begin to understand why some of us are willing to spend the same on a new pair of pedals as many would pay for an entire bicycle.

Hearty cyclists with hearty appetites can join me on the Tour de Blintz this Sunday, June 15. The tour will touch down at seven excellent Jewish eateries and cover 75 kilometres. For more information, go to www.jewishmuseum.ca/info/current_events/tour-de-blintz.

Greg Robinson is a Vancouver freelance writer and the education coordinator at the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia.

^TOP