Take the Pledge!

Just as we are wrapping up this year's Bike2Work Challenge, I came across a couple of interesting articles online that talk about safe and responsible cycling. The title of the first one sounded rather surprising, but makes a valuable point: As cyclist, we should always obey all traffic laws and not endanger ourselves or others by riding like a "scofflaw":

David Suzuki joins chorus of activists railing against scofflaw cyclists seen to be ruining it for everyone else

The article links to an "Urban Cyclist Etiquette Guide" for cyclist, pedestrians and motorists that makes not only the obvious recommendations, but also some you might not have thought about before.

Talking about safe cycling: the statistics about accidents involving cyclist in Waterloo Region are quite shocking, as this article in The Record and the numbers at the end show:

Cyclists at fault in majority of bike-vehicle collisions

The statistics are from 2010 and I'd be interested to see how they hopefully have improved since.

In any case, I encourage every cyclist to always ride responsibly and go by the rules. Only then can we expect to be respected by others on the road, namely motorists, which brings me to a really cool initiative by sharetheroad.ca: on their website people are encouraged to take a "Ride and Drive with Care" pledge. It asked everyone on the road - whether in a car or on a bike - to commit to safe traffic behavior:

Check it out and Take the Pledge yourself!

This, by the way, is an initiative in cooperation with CAA, which - in case you didn't know - offers road-side assistance to its members not only when they drive, but also when they cycle: see CAA Bike Assist

Now, to finish off, I'd like to share this little YouTube video, showing Bicycle Rush Hour in Utrecht (The Netherlands). It's certainly impressive and in many ways also a bit funny to watch how tons and tons of cyclist go by on their way to work and back. It made me wonder if this might be the future of cycling in Kitchener as well???

Happy and safe cycling, Chris

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Thanks for the Adventure!

My final day of week four was yesterday and the month certainly went by fast!  The rest of the summer and fall stretches ahead, with several months yet to ride to work. 

The hotter days of last week reminded me that sunscreen and sweat are a big part of commuting to work!  I really don’t like the greasiness of sunscreen- yuck!  Instead I practice sun safety by wearing loose cotton clothing that covers arms and legs, and get away with sunscreening my face and hands.  Since I don’t have access to a shower at work, I have had to make friends with sweat!  Having a change of clothes along helps… J

It was great to see you all at McCabe’s on Tuesday- the video taping of the ride together was a hoot!  Thanks, Josh and everyone at City of Kitchener, for organizing a great Challenge- and for giving me the opportunity to take part in it.  And thanks again to Ziggy’s for the terrific bike and gear… I’ll be enjoying them for a long time to come!

Safe biking, everyone!

Cheryl W.

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Not the end just yet...

My oh my have the last 4 weeks gone by quickly. I averaged 4 days a week on my bike and in total have biked over 200KM! Luckily I only work 2KM away :) but ever since this ride has started many changes in the aspects of my work and personal life! My confidence is higher, enjoy the scenic routes to work everyday, and even notice that in my summer football and ultimate frisbee rec leagues that I've been able to run faster/ longer, jump higher, and gain that extra edge on my opponents.

When I first started biking, I thought it was going to be a long month - what with all those cars along victoria riding so close, it was a bit intimidating. But after the first couple days, I was used to it and really started to enjoy my rides. I've also started riding around parks, and hope to start doing some post-work rec biking to explore more of Kitchener. I never knew there were so many places that I haven't seen before!

This challenge was all I expected and more. Thanks Ziggys and to the City of Kitchener for organizing such a great initiative to engage us all into more healthier and green lives! I will for sure continue biking daily after this challenge.

I hope to see more bikers out there in the future!

~Keep Biking

Cheers,
Andrew

Changing Routines ....

I used to bike a lot back home in Germany. And even when I moved to Waterloo in 2005 I started of with biking. Then came the car and I got lazy … well … not really, cause I do work out a fair bit. Through this Bike2Work Challenge, however, I realized that it was mostly my routines that kept me from cycling. A lot of what we do every day is based on routines; they are what makes us efficient. On the other hand, when we attempt things that we haven't done before or at least not in a while, they tend to take longer. And that's what got me!

I'm a morning person: I like to get up and get going. But often, if I woke up on a nice day and spontaneously decided to bike, just getting all my stuff ready and out of the house took me too long and got me all frustrated. I'd do it once or twice, then give up and go back to my old routines of driving instead. So if you are thinking about biking to work in the (hopefully near) future, here is my advise:

• Don't do it spontaneously! Plan and prepare for it instead:
• Get your bike tuned up by one of the local bike stores!
• Get all your biking accessories (lights, panniers, rain jacket, …) ready!
• Take what you need at work (toiletries, towel, …) ahead of time!
• Pack your lunch and clothes for the day the night before!
• Plan in some extra time in the morning!
• Do a dry run the day before you start:
• Prepare and collect everything you intend to take the next day!
• Pack your panniers: Play with different variations of what to store where and try to balance the weight!
• Hop on the bike and go around the block! Once back home, leave what you can on or near the bike; but put your lunch in the fridge :-)
• Now, the next morning, all you need to do is change into your cycling clothes, grab your lunch box, hop on your bike and off you go ….
• Don’t just do it once or twice! Commit to it! For at least a week or 2, better a month:
• The first couple of days, you will likely need some extra time to get ready in the morning and bike to work. Plan for that and don't get frustrated over it!
• Keep going and fine-tune your morning routine and commute (nicer/faster routes?)!
• As you go more regularly, you will notice how your new routine gets smoother and soon you'll find that it doesn't take much longer to bike to work at all. So keep it up!

This Challenge was exactly what I needed: A commitment to bike to work not just randomly, but consistently for a couple of weeks. Now that I've developed a slightly different morning routine, I find I'm just as quick biking as taking the car. And my 11km commute by bike is really just a few minutes longer. So when are you changing your routine?!?
 

Happy riding, Chris

 

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Final thoughts

The past four weeks have flown by!  However, in that short period of time cycling to work has become a part of my normal routine and something I honestly look forward to each day.  Sure, riding requires more physical effort and better time management, but it’s so worth it. Every time I cycle to work, I get the chance to spend more time outdoors, feel more energized, less stressed and make an eco-friendly decision I feel good about. Did I mention I also get to fly down a hill really fast on my ride into work? ( FUN!!!)

This challenge has definitely inspired me to keep cycling to work and I hope that the collective experiences of the Bike2Work gang inspire others to try cycling to work.  For anyone interested in trying it out, I strongly encourage you to give it go.  I recently learned that the median commuting distance to work is only 5.8 km in the Waterloo Region.  My trek is a little under this distance and doesn’t require that much extra time commitment.  By car my commute is about 8-10 minutes and by bike it’s almost always under twenty minutes.  If you’re like me maybe you have an extra ten minutes!  

   

Here’s a couple things I’ve learned and some of my favorite things about riding:

LESSONS - 

• Traffic : Truthfully, I haven’t had many issues with motorists over the last month.  However, I have noticed that I’m very cautious at two way-stop intersections.  That’s usually where I encounter the “rolling stopper”, the driver who doesn’t truly stop and instead rolls through the intersection.  Take caution when you encounter the rolling stopper!  

• Time management : Bad weather doesn’t make or break a ride for me, but bad timing certainly does.  My least favorite (and most stressful) rides are when I’m running late and counting the minutes.  When I give myself a nice chunk of time to get to work, my ride is much, much more enjoyable

• Don’t sweat the sweat : What I mean is don’t let a little sweat deter you from biking. Wear cool, light clothes on your ride, have a water bottle, and pack your work clothes and a Dopp kit so you can freshen up at work.  Also, consider getting to work a little early so you have time to cool down if it’s a really hot day.

FAVORITES: 

• It’s all about the small stuff : On one of my rides I encountered someone playing a trumpet in an empty parking lot.  On almost any given ride I see goofy dogs and cute kids. I now know which streets are home to really beautiful gardens or lined with sweet smelling trees.  Riding a bike brings you close to lots of small delights, so be sure to keep your eyes, ears, and nose open to all that goodness.  

Beautiful evening sky on my ride home

• All hail the panniers : Panniers are my new favorite best friend and are great for carrying all your extras and a bike lock.  I also know that they can be pricey, so if you’re crafty (or somehow who is!) be sure to Google “DIY panniers” for some ideas on how you can make your own.  

• Disconnect : On days when I work and then come home to an evening’s worth of schoolwork, I put in a lot of computer time. I know all the screen time isn’t healthy, so my rides on those kind of days are especially golden since they feel like my only chances to “disconnect”. 

I want to send a HUGE thank you to the City of Kitchener and Ziggy’s for putting on this challenge and for the amazing bike.  This has been such an incredible experience and everyone involved has so kind and helpful.  I am so grateful I was a part of this year's Bike2Work Challenge!

 

- Kristin J.  

Well looky there, my odometer is at 458 km and it's only the end of June!

If you’re reading this blog, you could win a free bike by completing the BikeKitchener cycling survey. Fill it out online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bikekitchener2013. #BikeKitchener

Well, what a day for the last day of the Challenge! I guess that's appropriate- we started in not-so-good weather so we might as well finish that way!
I can't believe it's over. The 4 weeks have just flown by.
Thanks to Ziggy's for the great bikes. The best part of the bike for me was the panniers. I can't believe how much easier and more pleasant they made the ride to work and home. My advice to anyone thinking about cycling to work is to get a rack for the back of your bike and panniers.
Thanks to the City and Josh, in particular, for giving me this opportunity and making it so easy! And setting the requirement that I cycle to work at least 3 times. I have good intentions but don't always follow through. But when the expectation is set, I'm good at doing what I'm supposed to.
So, now what? Will I keep this up? I would have to say that the chances are very good that I will. I say that because the biggest change for me has been in my attitude. In the past I would cycle to work when I thought of it and when it was convenient. And convenience is something that is a pretty adaptable concept- I can make anything as convenient or inconvenient as I want it to be. Now that I've been at it for a month, I've realized that it's pretty convenient to ride to work. I've learned that I don't need to worry about a bit of wet weather (ok- maybe the downpours are not ideal!) and what I need to have in the panniers to adapt to whatever may face me in the day. I've learned that I can leave a car at work so that if I need to get someplace during the day the car will be here- and I am pretty much forced to ride to work. And I now wake up with the expectation that I will be riding to work.
I hope to bump into my fellow participants in this year's Challenge from time to time. We'll recognize each other by the distinctive colours of the mens and women's bikes, the helmets or the panniers on the back of bikes.  If you see me out there cycling please stop me to say "hi" and I'll do the same.
Congratulations to all and Happy Canada Day! I think we're making our country a better place!

Warren G

Meet N Greet

What an amazing time that we had last night at the Meet N Greet! 

I would like to formally thank McCabes for putting up with us last night! 

I would like to formally apologize to the cars on Kings Street who got stuck behind 11 bikers doing a U Turn. THOSE ARE ILLEGAL and I am eternally guilty.

But WOW, what a feeling! Tomorrow is the last day, and I can say with a heavy heart that I am 100% glad to have participated in the contest. 

I think the one struggle that is going to happen with me is continuing. Although, I know how good it feels to bike, today when I woke up I was like, well I don't HAVE to bike, I could drive. But then, I decided against that. I do not want to let myself get back into my lazy ways! Biking is healthy and I am feeling great after this competition! I think it is important for people to realize their potential and ween themselves into a challenge like this. Even if your commute is 1 k, or 20 k, it will largely impact your mental and physical health! For the first time you do a long bike ride you think to yourself "I am never going to do this again" or "This is awful; why I am doing this", but once you get over the 2nd time hump and are able to feel good about yourself then you feel rewarded. 

The one suggestion that I would make to anyone trying to do the challenge, that find their commute exhausting is to get a GOOD Bike. Road bikes make all the difference when you are biking and it will change everything from the time it takes to your overall performance! 

The next suggestion I would make is get an odometer. I love being able to track my times, and distances, it makes me feel good about how I have been doing and I can figure out where I can improve. 

The next suggestion is keep a short journal about your progress - weight, sleeping patterns, habits (smoking, drinking) and your attitude, and you will find that this will change over about the course of a month. I found that with me, reading my blog, although I was excited in the beginning I was averaging 15 km, and now, when I biked to work, the slowest I went was 21 km. It is a great way to motivate yourself and to see your progress. If you don't track then you will never be able to compare. As for your weight, you may not gain any - but your body sure will change from the exercise that this poses. You will begin to feel better and slower look slimmer! (OR just wear black all the time).

The next suggestion that I would make is SUNSCREEN! I got so burnt from this challenge and it actually tired me out more. I found that during work when I got burnt from my morning ride, I was very tired and could not do much work. (Here's a fun little fact - when and if you are going to be in the sun, eat tomotoes! It helps a lot!)

The final suggestion is have fun and be safe! 

From everyone at the Bike 2 Work challenge, 

Thanks for reading!

STEPH MMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Black Forest Inn Breaks 500!!

I am 100% happy to be writing today! 

I am glad to announce to all my followers (if there are any) that I broke 500 km this week! Actually today!
I broke 500 and I am so freaking excited! I am really interested to know how many km the other bikers have completed because to put that into perspective: 

If all bikers have completed 500 km by the end of the challenge that means (and this is all estimates):

• 8, 000 km we have biked.

• That means we has unit have biked across the distance from Vancouver to St. Johns and then some. 
• $10, 000 were saved in gas
• We have saved (assuming each participant drives a 50 L tank and gets 10 km/l) = 500 km/tank
•  400 hours of biking.
• 20 km will take on average someone 1 hour to complete.
• We have biked 8, 000 km collectively
• 25 hours each!

When you put it into perspective it really does not seem a lot of time when you break it down! 

I want to say that I am so happy to have been chosen for this contest and to be able to share it with all these amazing bikers! 

I hope that everyone will be able to share this with us and keep biking and consider the impact that something as simple as biking/walking and not driving to work can have on the earth and your body! I have realized how much I have become dependent on my car...not just me; but my family - its amazing to take a step back and to see how easy it is to change an aspect like that in your life. Now, this is not to say I am going to stop driving, because there are going to be times that I need to drive, but something as small as bikig to the store to pick up eggs, makes a huge difference! 

I can say with 100% certainty that I am going to continue my Bike2Work jouney and bike to work everyday, as long as I do not have a wedding. This is more a safety precaution then anything. It is always great to think that people are responsible, but biking in the country at 2 a.m. is not something that I would be interested in due to all the dangers that you can think of! 

My next challenges: 

• Put a kick stand on the bike
• Put a seat cover on the bike
• Don't get distracted by the Odometer (there are cars on the road)
• Buy my partner a new bike to allow him to bike with me on days off or after work!

The one goal that I will have after this challenge is to NOT have the bike stolen!

I don't know what it is about me, but my bikes just GET stolen, I don't think I have owned a bike for longer than 6 months without it vanishing, therefore I have learned that there are wrong ways to lock your bike

The wrong way (my old bike and my dog)

The right way:

And the way I am going to be doing it from now on:

Thanks for reading and keep following my posts!..

STEPH MMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Trek Sightings in Kitchener

Trek Sightings in Kitchener!

Rochelle… I think we may have passed each other this morning along the Iron Horse Trail… too fast to be certain!  Looking back over my shoulder, the bike, helmet and saddle bags looked suspiciously like my own… if it was you- a belated hello! :)  I saw another Trek locked up at the KPL last Thursday- without its rider!  And that’s as close as I’ve gotten to seeing any of you enroute during the Challenge. 

Kathryn- Your commute has been an inspiration!  And the tips you learned during the Challenge certainly ring true- especially the one about the bugs- been there, done that!  A good reason NOT to breathe with my mouth open!

I’m looking very forward to meeting up with you all again and enjoying some social time together tomorrow at McCabe’s!  Do you think there’ll be enough room outside to lock up all our bikes?  We need an old style hitching post- like in the old Western movies- for all our ‘horses’! :)  See you there…

Cheryl W.

If you’re reading this blog, you could win a free bike by completing the BikeKitchener cycling survey. Fill it out online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bikekitchener2013  #BikeKitchener

 

Week 4 already !?!?

Wow! I can not believe we are in week 4 now!

Thinking back to the excitement of receiving such a nice bike at BikeFest in Kitchener and then the anticipation of beginning the bike2work challenge on June 3rd....

A challenge for me it certainly has been!! But well worth it physically, mentally and financially!! After getting over pneumonia in week 2, the challenge began to get easier and easier! I felt great! I have saved so much money on gas while biking a total of 432 km so far this month. The remaining 86.4 km seems like nothing to me now!

 

 

I have most definitely learned some new things during my challenge.....

 

1. Being prepared for the ride the night before is so much easier! Packing my bags with clothes and preparing my meals before I go to bed has saved me a lot of time. I don't know how I was doing it in the mornings at the beginning?


 

2. How important it is as a cyclist to keep your eyes everywhere especially when going through traffic lights and roundabouts!
 

3. How important it is as a driver to WATCH for cyclists that are sharing the road.
 

4. How good a shower feels after biking for an hour and 10 minutes!
 

5. How much my co-workers and family must appreciate the shower I have after me biking for an hour and 10 minutes!
 

6. If you are not careful.......you WILL swallow bugs.......ew!
 

7. What an impact a positive attitude has in the completion of this challenge!

 

I am so thankful for being chosen as one of the 2013 bike2work challenge participants. I am also so thankful to Ziggy's Cycle for the wonderful bikes they have given us!

I can not wait to continue cycling to work throughout the summer and fall!

This challenge has been very rewarding to me, my girls, my wallet and my car.

Thank you!!

Kathryn W

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Gear up with A\J: How to Commute by Bike

"Many studies have linked cycling to improved physical and mental health – it’s no wonder that cyclists are the happiest commuters. Biking to work can help minimize your carbon footprint, reduce stress, provide a form of low impact cardio and save you money. If you’ve thought about commuting by bike, Bike Month is a great opportunity to give it a try."

Read the full article online at: http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/community/blogs/aj-special-delivery/gear-aj-how-commute-bike 

Lessons learned at the end of week three

Image of intersection of Caroline and Erb from Google Maps

I started commuting by bike a month before the challenge officially started, actually right after applying for the challenge!  After four weeks of non-challenge and three weeks of official challenge, what have I learned?

• The right bike helps.  My first month commuting, I was riding my old 15-speed mountain bike.  The commuter bike that we got as part of the challenge is much more suitable (that is faster) for the roads and maintained paths of the city.  I have seen some people on racing bikes, but the traction must be terrible going through the sandy part of the Laurel trail in Waterloo Park.
• Bike seats are uncomfortable.  They just are.  You get used to it after about 3 weeks, but you do feel it again if you have been off for more than 2 days.  That being said, some are more uncomfortable than others, and I much prefer the new seat.
• Avoid biking on Victoria near the Tannery.  The traffic is heavy, and feels rushed.  No bike lanes (I love bike lanes) and narrow lanes.  I have finally found a route that gets me off Victoria entirely!  Sure I have to climb an additional hill and cut through some parking lots, but totally worth it!
• Each street has a different feel and it changes through the day.  I tried working "regular" hours (9-5:30) for a week instead of my early 7-3:30 and found the traffic much heavier both ways.  Not only that, but people are less courteous at rush hour.  The only nice thing, is there is also a lot more bike traffic and pedestrians.  This actually makes the left hand-turn at Caroline and Erb to the Laurel trail more manageable, though I never feel totally comfortable making this turn as there is always oncoming traffic turning right which you need to get past to get onto the path.
• Garbage trucks always head down Weber at the same time I do!  Weber is to be avoided if possible, at least from Victoria all the way up to Northfield... then it gets bike lanes for some reason.  It is bad enough when cars are passing at 50km/h with no bike lanes but 60km/h is too much.  Even flying downhill at over 30km/h on the bike you are still getting zipped by.  Unfortunately, I can't avoid it completely, but I won't plan on taking it for my whole commute again!  Once is enough! Okay, twice is enough!
• Wet shoes with socks are no fun.  When it pours you get soaked to the bone and your pedeling gets all squishy.  Yuck.
• It is about twice as fast to bike as to inline skate.  I did one trip to work by inline skates when I left my bike at the office overnight on a rainy afternoon.  52 minutes vs 28.
• Biking feels good.  It wakes you up in the morning, you get to see actual people outside (not just cars), and takes about the same amount of time as the bus - minus the worry about catching the bus on time!
• Graphs are fun and motivating.  I find that I try to beat records of the previous day.
  

  
  

It is more downhill on the way to work.  It feels really good to break 20km/h average.

It feels pretty bad when it takes over a half hour when you usually take no more than 28 minutes.

Keep on riding!
~ Rob H

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Got everybody biking!

I've got biking fever. Even dragged my dog along for a bike ride last week. My near-misses with cars have been increasing, but I find that paying attention and not being distracted with music keeps me fairly alert. A few of my co-workers have also started riding to work which is really exciting. So exciting that we are even planning a biking picnic lunch. Everyone is responsible for something different, and we all bike to a nice picnic location for a mini vacation in the middle of the day. Highly recommended! I'm looking forward to involving more people from the office and even possibly make it a weekly event.

If you’re reading this blog, you could win a free bike by completing the BikeKitchener cycling survey. Fill it out online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bikekitchener2013. #BikeKitchener

Rachelle  

Crazy Weather at the Black Forest Inn

Oh THE GLAMOUROUS life of biking!! 

The weather over the last few days has been very interesting and has not brought out the best in this competition! One of the challenges that I struggle with CONSTANTLY is thinking ahead about the weather!

I must say, I have gotten much better at coming into work about 30 mins (or 15 minutest) depending on how I am late I am running in the morning at be good and sweat free for meetings!! Today, I found that 30 minutes was not enough time because it was so hot, and I went into my meeting still red! It was very funny, someone actually thought that I was sunburnt  -  it was funny.

Then yesterday, the weather lied to me and on my way back from work it downpoured! That was NOT 30% chance of rain!

Mainly it is important for you to consider when you bike to work the time it take to de-sweat and/or dry off regardless of how good your sweat kit is (like mine)! Best of luck riding! 

I have been reflecting on my progress over the last few days: 

• I don't have to pay for gas and it only takes me 15 minutes longer to bike from Victoria and Westmount to Conestogo
• I learned that Westmount turns into Northfield
• Fenders don't protect you when its raining and still get your feet when you go through a puddle
• I am staying up much later and feel better about myself and my athleticness (not a real word but we'll let this one slide)
• It is easy to get your friends to come on a bike ride
• And finally I've learned that I LOVE THIS FREAKING BIKE  THANKS ZIGGGGYY

Steph M

If you’re reading this blog, you could win a free bike by completing the BikeKitchener cycling survey. Fill it out online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bikekitchener2013 #BikeKitchener