1. sports
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Cycle Therapy
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art by bike | citizen cycling culture | bike (music) touring | infrastructure and fashion |
bikemaps.org | car-free day | tour de lopez | ode to btww | e-bikes | and more...
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Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 1
Cycle Therapy President’s Message
Published by the
Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition
709 Yates St
PO Box 8586, Victoria Main Post Office
Victoria, BC, V8W 3S2
The GVCC’s purpose is to get more people
cycling more places more often in Greater
Victoria by:
• Improving cycling education and making
it universal for cyclists, motorists, and
others dealing with bicycling
• Facilitating communication between
cyclists, business, government, and other
community groups
• Improving facilities and infrastructure for
bicycle use
• Improving the legal climate for cyclists
• Encouraging more people to ride bicycles
more often
• Developing a cycling information base
To contribute to Cycle Therapy, please email:
[email protected]
Submissions are greatly encouraged. Still, we
reserve the right to edit copy in the interest
of clarity or where necessary. The views expressed in Cycle Therapy are not necessarily
those of the GVCC. All articles, photos and
graphics published in Cycle Therapy remain
the intellectual property of the authors and
artists.
2015 and Beyond
This past October, I was re-elected to
another term as President for the GVCC.
It has been a privilege and pleasure to
serve these past two years in that capacity,
and I greatly look forward to what the
next two will bring.
We’ve seen some remarkable advances in
those two years, including a major update
to Victoria’s Cycling Master Plan and an
Action Plan for the Shelbourne Valley
that calls for protected bike lanes for most
of Shelbourne Street.
The hard work of the directors, volunteers
and members of the GVCC played no
small part in these and other milestones
for cycling. But we still have a long way
to go, not just in our efforts to improve
cycling infrastructure around Greater
Victoria, but also how to grow the GVCC
and increase its capacity.
Like any volunteer-run organization, we
struggle with how to do more with the
Visit our website: gvcc.bc.ca
facebook.com/GVCCbc
twitter.com/gvcc
Editorial Collective: Kate Berniaz, Michael
Fisher, Celina O’Connor
Editor: Kate Berniaz
Design Collective: Celina O’Connor, Ryan
Mijker
Contributors: Michael Fisher, Ed Pullman,
Celina O’Conner, Lise Richard, Eunice Martel,
Kathleen Fraser, Susan Stokhof, Eden Oliver,
Kate Berniaz, Jonathan Dowdall, Marty Cole,
Karen Laberee, Jill Croft, Dean Rebneris
Distribution: Brenda Boyd
Bike Couriers: Janet Besler, Brenda Boyd,
Barry Edmonson, Forrest Nelson, John Perry, John Van Hoorn, Andy Robertson
GVCC Board of Directors
President: Edward Pullman
Vice-president: Bharat Chandramouli
Treasurer: Michael Fisher
Secretary: Brenda Boyd
Director: Kathleen Fraser
Director: Darren Marr
Director: Celina O’Connor
Director: Mandy Pearce
Director: Timothy Scolnick
Director: Seamus Wolfe
Printed by First Choice Books
& Victoria Bindery
The GVCC is a proud member of the
British Columbia Cycling Coalition.
On the Cover: Smoking Lily’s Trish Tacoma
prepares fat quarters of fabric for a bicycle
print quilt. Photo by Celina O’Connor
2 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
limited resources we have access to.
Without paid staff or substantial revenue sources outside of membership fees,
the work of the GVCC is done by those
who strongly believe in the cause of more
people cycling, more places, more often.
In the long run, however, this is not a
sustainable model. Burnout, turnover and
a loss of momentum are likely outcomes
unless more is done to grow our organi-
by Edward Pullman
zation and move to a model of volunteers
and paid staff/contractors to ensure all of
the organization’s needs and objectives are
being fulfilled.
For example, most of us have day jobs, so
meeting with city staff and politicians to
discuss needed changes to policy, funding
and infrastructure can be difficult. Grant
writing, volunteer training, membership
retention, website improvements, and soliciting for Cycle Therapy and more have
all been identified as priorities for the
GVCC. More must be done to grow our
volunteer capacity to take on these and
other needed initiatives. In the coming
months, we will be asking you, our members and the interested public, to assist
with this work.
What can you do for the GVCC and
what can the GVCC do for you? What
would you like to see the GVCC do more
of in the next year? More events like the
Transform speaker
series or cyclist lounges?
More active campaigns
to improve cycling
facilities and get more
people riding bikes?
More benefits for being
a member of the cycling
coalition? Let me know
at president@gvcc.
bc.ca, on our facebook
page (Greater Victoria
Cycling Coalition) or
Twitter (@gvcc).
Update: Last issue I was
boasting about my lack
of a driver’s license and
all the good it was doing
me and humanity. How times change. I
have a new job that requires a license and
access to a vehicle, so I bit the bullet, took
some driving lessons and finally got that
N. Now, off to find a car-share!
2nd Update: Turns out car-share co-ops
want members with full licences, no Ns
allowed! If you’ve got any ideas on how
I can make use of a car without actually
owning one, send them my way to [email protected].
Editor’s Message
by Kate Berniaz
The Arts and Cultures of Cycling
Welcome to the first Cycle Therapy of
2015.
Bikes can often be thought about technically, bike advocacy as a political activity
and cycling as a physical endeavour. For
this issue of Cycle Therapy, we focus on
how people use their bikes as art or are
inspired by bikes to create.
In this issue, we are introduced to PedalBox by Jonathan Dundall. I saw his
mirrored bike trailer at last year’s Esquimalt Bike Fest and was intrigued. We
have a follow-up article from Eden Oliver
who, with West My Friend, completed
a Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands tour by
bike last summer. Though they don’t have
any bike songs yet, I look forward to more
of their music. The folks at Bike to Work
Week got extra creative this time and have
brought you a poem.
There is also the culture of biking. Within
biking advocacy, there is often discussion
about how cycling is seen as a recreational activity in North America, whereas in
Europe, the main biking culture is more of
utilitarian cycling. Susan Stokhof shares
her observations about the relationship
between biking culture and infrastructure.
This issue also has a range of stories from
local tours, car-free days and e-bikes.
We have our regular submissions from
Michael Fisher with a book review and
profile of a local bike shop, this time the
Vancouver Island Bike Builder. We also
get an update on recent GVCC activities,
Top 5!
including the highly successful Transform
lecture series (three lectures since our
last issue, including the highly successful
talk with Charles Montgomery) and the
Christmas Lights ride (over 100 people
participated!).
Top (Alternative)
Bike Songs
There are always ways for you to get involved in Cycle Therapy. We welcome submission of stories, photos or graphics. We
are also currently looking for a volunteer to
help with advertising. We have some great
loyal advertisers, but we need help keeping
on top of them.
1. The Bicycle Song,
David Rovics
The days are finally getting longer and
with the next issue of Cycle Therapy, we
will be preparing for Bike to Work Week
and a glorious summer of riding!
2. Broken Bicycles,
Tom Waits
3. Apology Song, The
Decemberists
4. Cycling is Fun,
Shonen Knife
5. Tony’s Theme, The
Pixies
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by Eunice Martel
Photo: Ryan Mijker
You’re invited to join community
members as we plan Esquimalt’s second annual Bike Fest,
scheduled for Sunday, May 24,
2015. Last year, we kicked off
the fair-weather cycling season
with neighbourhood bike rides, a
kids’ obstacle course and several
exhibitor booths, ranging from
City of Victoria Youth Council
bike art to button making with the
Greater Victoria Library to Active
Transportation advocates to local
bike shops. We need volunteers
to help behind the scenes and on
the ground on the day of. Please
contact [email protected] for
additional information.
What’s New at the GVCC
Since our last Issue, the GVCC:
• Advocated for widening the Galloping Goose trail, including an interview with President Edward Pullman on CBC Radio
• Was the local host for the BC Cycling Coalition’s Annual “BC Bike”
conference and AGM in Victoria. Events included one-day session on
BikeSense publication, advocacy workshops and more.
• Held our Annual General Meeting at the James Bay New Horizons
Centre on October 29, with musical guests West My Friend. You can
download our Annual Report from gvcc.bc.ca.
• Co-hosted with the CRD, TransForm Talk #4 -Urban Cycling Made
Easy with Kimberlely Nelson, Bike Calgary and Mike Anderson, City of
Vancouver.
• Co-hosted with the CRD, TransForm Talk #5 - These Streets are Made
for Walking with Larry Frank, UBC, and Todd Litman, VictoriaTransport
Policy institute
• Met with Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps to discuss bike facilities and issues:
proposed cycle track on Pandora, the Cycling Master Plan Update,
setting targets for increased bike ridership, increasing staff capacity to
address cycling goals.
• Met with Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell to lobby for improvementsto
cycling in Saanich including ensuring the installation of protected
bike lanes on Shelbourne Street as called for by the Shelbourne Valley
Action Plan, and creating Saanich’s first Cycling Master Plan.
• Attended the Tourism Leader’s discussion on the economic impacts
of cycling in Greater Victoria. The December 11, 2015 event was hosted
by Urban Systems and the Capital Regional District.
• Met with City of Victoria Planning and Transportation staff for update
and input on city’s new Cycling Master Plan document – set for public
engagement and review spring 2015.
• Conducted a strategic planning session for GVCC Board of Directors.
• Hosted annual Christmas Lights Ride at Oaklands Community Centre,
on December 13th. Over 100 participants attended.
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• Hosted TransForm Talk #6 with Happy City author Charles Montgomery, at the Atrium building. Attended by over 250 people.
New Board Members
Mandy
Pearce
I aim to ride, walk,
bus, and car-share
my way to an
active, sustainable,
human-scale life,
and I love how
Victoria’s not-toobig-but-not-toosmall size makes
that possible. I
usually ride slowly,
carrying groceries,
and daydreaming
about how to
remold our transportation system -- and culture -- into one that supports more
than just motor vehicle travel. I decided to join the GVCC Board
to help Victoria become a place where cycling is “normal” and
citizens of all ages, abilities, genders and lifestyles can easily make
bicycles a part of their lives.
Seamus Wolfe
Until this August,
I managed the
Campus Bike Co-op
at the University
of Ottawa. When
I transferred to the
University of Victoria this September, I
was looking for ways
to get involved in
the cycling community and advocacy
in the city - and
becoming a board
member of the
GVCC seemed like a perfect fit. I am looking forward to increasing our role in putting pressure on city hall(s) as well as finding
ways to engage the membership. I am also really looking forward
to cycling year-round without having to put on my studded tires
for the first time!
Congratulations to the new GVCC Board Members
that joined at the October AGM. Let me introduce
you to Mandy, Tim and Seamus, who are all passionate about bikes.
Timothy
Scolnick
I ride my bike as
my primary form
of transport and
support increasing
cycling infrastructure around
Greater Victoria. I
love the outdoors
and am an avid cyclist who has been
looking to become
more active in the
community. I see
joining the GVCC
Board as an
excellent way to do this. I am most interested in riding because it
is good exercise, it is a flexible way to get around, and because it is
a low-carbon mode of transport. I am a Bike to Work Week/Day
captain at the BC Ministry of Health, and I am also the Ministry
of Health Green Team Lead.
Volunteers Needed!
Are you passionate about cycling? Would
you like to get involved in getting more people cycling, more places, more often in Greater Victoria? Do you have a special talent or
skill and some extra time to offer? If so, the
GVCC wants to hear from YOU!
As a volunteer-run organization, we always need help in a variety
of activities. Whether it be event tabling, graphic design, help
with advocacy and campaigns, themed rides - you name it, there
is never a shortage of work to be done!
Interested? Want to find out more? Drop us a line to find out
how you can get involved. Short and long term opportunities
available. We look forward to hearing from you!
Email: [email protected]
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Photos: Kathleen Fraser
Car-Free Day, German Style!
On a recent visit to Germany, my husband and I had an opportunity
to participate in Car-Free Day with our son, daughter-in-law and two
grandkids. Car-Free Day is a very popular event in Germany, jointly
organized by regional districts and local sponsors. Our event was held
in the region of Main-Kinzig-Kreis (MKK), a district which runs
along the Kinzig River valley and is in the province of Hesse. Home
to a number of small picturesque towns and villages, it has a population of about 400,000.
Folks of all ages and abilities participated in the event. Most cyclists
rode sturdy, comfortable bikes. We saw few racing bikes and no one
seemed to be in a hurry. Others travelled on rollerblades, scooters,
skateboards and wheelchairs. There were large groups, families, couples, singles all out to enjoy the day. Some people carried radios, others sang. Most talked.
We arrived at
the train to
a throng of
pleasure riders, ... It was
amazing how
many people
turned out for
the event.
To allow as much participation as possible, a special train, running regularly throughout the day,
was organized to carry bikes and riders along the
route. Since we were travelling with two small
children in a trailer, we decided to ride the train
25 km up the track then pedal back home. We
deliberately caught a later train (around 11 am)
in hopes that the more serious riders would have
left earlier for the furthest most regions of the
route and it would not be too busy. We were
wrong. We arrived at the train to a throng of
pleasure riders, some like us only going a few
stops and others planning to do longer routes.
It was amazing how many people turned out
for the event. The 70 km route used a two-lane
secondary highway that paralleled the Autobahn. No cars were allowed on this road between 7 am and 6 pm.
We needed the space too. At no time in our 25 km ride did we have
an open stretch of road to ourselves, and more often than not, there
was significant congestion. Along the way, each town or village had
organized rest and meal stops (read: beer and sausage carts), often including live bands and bouncy castles. In all, a very fun, festive route.
6 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
by Kathleen Fraser
In short, it was an excellent way to enjoy the day with family
and friends for not a lot of money and to get some exercise
at the same time. It was the slowest 25 km I’ve ever pedalled
– about 4 hours – but the event was one of the highlights of
our trip.
It would be wonderful to hold this type of event in the Greater Victoria Area. We don’t have to close a highway, we have
the Lochside and Galloping Goose trails to use as a route.
These trails have lots of businesses and access points along
their length to set up rest and food stops. However, what we
do not have is public multi-bike transport. Unlike Germany,
we have no developed rail system and our transit buses can
only carry two bikes at a time. Imagine a family of four or a
group of six friends cycling part of the route, then trying to
get home via public transportation. It is just not possible here
and the logistics of managing a one-way trip would certainly
deter many people from participating. Perhaps, it is time for
local businesses or transit to offer better bike transportation for the
region. In order to get more people cycling more places more often,
we need to make it easy for all ages and abilities to enjoy travelling
by bike. A Car-Free Day, German-style, could be a good way to
start.
Victoria Car-Free Day
by Kate Berniaz
10% OFF!
for GVCC members
Sales & Repairs
386-BIKE (2453)
1725 Quadra Street, Victoria BC V8W 2L7
www.northparkbikeshop.com
Cyclist
friendly!
GVCC
members
get 10% off
food
768 Yates S
Street, Victoria, BC
downstairs from Lyle’s Place.
Cenote Restaurant and Lounge
The Downtown Victoria Business Association recently
proposed a car-free day in Victoria on Sunday, June 21.
The event would see a section of Douglas Street closed
to vehicle traffic and open to people for the afternoon.
The plan was presented to Victoria City Council in
December and they supported it in principle. There
is still a number of organizational issues to work out,
including re-routing transit busses.
Similar events occur all over the world, including ciclovia (starting in Bogata, Colombia where many main
streets are exclusively for people on foot and bikes
every Sunday and holiday) and Car Free Day on Commercial Dr, Denman St and Main St in Vancouver.
Councillor Marianne Alto, who supports the proposal
said, “This is an opportunity to perhaps test some
ideas around making Douglas Street a bit more attractive and perhaps a bit more user-friendly in a way
which provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to come out to celebrate a whole bunch of different activities.”
Photo: Ryan Mijker
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 7
feel the need to wear all the safety gear. It
seems to be our unofficial cycling uniform
here in Victoria, but why? Is it because it
looks nice? Is it because it keeps me safer
than not wearing hi-vis? Or is it because
we have a poor cycling infrastructure and
we don’t even realize it? (BINGO!!).
If we take a step back for a moment and
think about who is being engaged in
conversations about improving YYJs
cycling infrastructure, you will soon learn
that it is a group that is satisfied with new
painted lines and “sharrows” on our streets,
But if you ask a citizen cyclist, they will
tell you that another painted line does not
keep anyone safe from traffic or encourage
more people to take up cycling. Would-be
riders will tell you that they don’t feel safe.
Everyday I see a woman who pushes her
bicycle over the bridge to Harbour Rd.
where she then continues her ride to work.
This tells me that our infrastructure needs
work if riders feel that they are not safe to
ride everywhere.
Citizen Cyclist
You may have heard that cycling is the
most efficient mode of transportation.
This gets me thinking about Bike to Work
Week (BTWW). 2014 results show 8,071
riders took to the streets and 1,222 were
new riders. The Greater Victoria Bike to
Work Society’s vision “aims to make cycling a mainstream commuting choice …”
but does this event help people become
daily riders?
Think about the last time you were in the
downtown core. How many cyclists did
you see over the weekend - three at most?
There is no support to continue riding at
any time other than to work and our current infrastructure doesn’t support it. This
tells me the messaging needs to be greater
than the BTWW campaign. I think the
Trans-form Speakers Series was attempting to do just this, broaden the message.
Do you feel safe cycling on our city
streets? If you answer yes, I’m going to
challenge that. Because if you feel safe
there isn’t a need to wear hi-vis safety
vests, extra lights on your helmets and
other safety features. It has been proven
that when cycling infrastructure is good
(separated bicycle lanes, advanced lights at
intersections and traffic-calming streets…)
8 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
by Susan Stokhof
citizen cyclists will ride and there isn’t a
need for added safety gear.
Citizen cyclists hop on their bikes dressed
for their destination, no spandex or hi-vis
gear. They travel short to medium distances of 3 to 15km on their daily journey,
which, generally includes going to work,
heading out for social activities and so
much more. For this group, cycling is a
form of transportation and a way to move
around the city. Their journey doesn’t finish
at the end of the workday.
Mikael Colville-Andersen from Copenhagenize describes, very well, what
happens when you design good cycling
infrastructure. From his TED talk: “A
well-designed cycling infrastructure will
seduce people to take on cycling. If we
make cycling the quickest way to move
around a city, citizen cyclists, no matter
the weather, will ride, seduced by the speed
in which they can travel from A to B,
seduced by good design, convenience and
safety.”
I think we need to look at our cycling
infrastructure more critically because it
needs help… and badly. I don’t think a lot
of thought goes into why so many riders
Looking at European cities, you learn that
it is the citizen cyclist that is the engaged
party helping to affect real infrastructure
changes, such as separated bicycle lanes,
advanced lights at specific traffic intersections and traffic-calming streets. Currently,
it is the few making decisions for the
many. This is where the disconnect is and
where we are going about this the wrong
way. As I finish up writing this article,
Lisa Helps has recently been elected as
Victoria’s new City Mayor. I personally
have high hopes for Lisa to help bring in a
“citizen cyclist” committee to fruition that
she mentions in her campaign. Lisa, if you
are reading this, I’m in!
Bike Stimulus
Photos: Ryan Mijker
by Ryan Mijker
Infrastructure, Fashion, Lots of People on Bikes
It was my first day in the Danish capital. The weather was miserable:
cloud, rain, winds, cold. I knew it was a sunny 12 degree celsius
back home in Victoria. As expected there are still people on bikes
everywhere. The rain and cold only slightly affecting bike numbers
in Copenhagen. Even on that miserable day all these Copenhageners
looked stunningly beautiful. No bright yellow jackets, no reflective
patches and no invasive flashing lights. I wanted to be part of this
sexy cycling crowed. I rushed to pick up my rental bike.
Following Copenhagen’s lead Barcelona, New York City and Paris, international fashion capitals, now showcase
exhibits of modern bike facilities. These
and other cities have invested in low
stress bike facilities allowing the bicycle
to become a more popular transportation choice for the design vogue.
Modern low stress bike facilities (eliminating or reducing the anxiety of riding
with motor vehicles) has changed what
people wear while bicycling. This also
encourages more people to put on their
biking shoes. It turns out that Stilettos
and leather Fluevogs are far more popular bike shoes than athletic shoes that
lock your foot into your pedal.
Not everyone wants to dress up like a pylon, but we still need clothing for an active lifestyle. The path for local designers has been paved.
Outlier, a clothing company from NYC, was born when two designers tried to develop a better pair of pants for their bike commutes.
Today Outlier has a full clothing line strong enough for a cyclists but
made for everyday living.
In Barcelona the fashion conscious bike riding Catalans have given
rise to Ramonas Barcelona. Combining design and urban cycling,
Ramonas Barcelona is a store and design company that mixes the
bike with urban living and modern design. Barcelona has one of the
world’s most successful bike share programs and a comfortable well
signed protected bike lane network.
What people who bike wear is a
good indicator of bike infrastructure. What people who bike wear
can also encourage or discourage
potential cyclists. Bikes are simple, biking is easy. This simplicity
and ease is part of highly desirable
lifestyle. But when we put on body
armour and cover ourselves in
flashing lights, a counter message
is given. Selling complexity and
agitation is more difficult.
Victoria municipalities have not
invested in bike share, good signage or protected bike lanes. When
you ride in the gutter you need to
dress for the occasion. When you
raise the bike up out of the gutter there is a transformation in how
bikes are seen (literally and figuratively). We have yet to see this transformation in Victoria.
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 9
Bikes, Barns, and
by Eden Oliver
Beers
The last time I wrote an article for Cycle Therapy, I was right
on the cusp of a Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands biking
music tour with my band West My Friend. Initially planned
and envisioned by our musical friend Brett Wildeman, the bike
tour was based around a concept that was not only interesting and cute, but also brilliant in ways that I wouldn’t have
thought of in advance. Dubbed the Bikes, Barns and Beers
tour, the tour had us biking mostly to play at small scale organic farms. This meant that on most days when we arrived at
our destination, hot and bike weary and generally out of it, we
were greeted with gifts such as beautiful landscapes, cucumber
ice water, fresh fruit, swimmable ponds and friendly faces. And
in the morning we were normally sent off with corn and kale
and fresh hard boiled eggs weighing down our panniers.
I like to think that things like biking, live music, and organic
farms bring out the best in people. The effort and intention
and love required of these endeavours are the ingredients for
some of the more beautiful things in life. Something about the
quality of the experience and the hard won enjoyment tends to
birth those “I love my life!” moments for me.
Our tour was chock-full of these moments. Biking down a
winding island road edged with arbutus trees. Asking an audience to stop paying attention to us, turn around, and marvel at
the sunset on the fields. Playing our instruments in a spacious
empty barn late in the evening and listening for the echoes.
10 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
Photos: West My Friend
Watching water shimmer in the slats of morning light coming
through the lattice of an outdoor shower.
Sure there were also those moments where I thought I would die
if I rounded the next bend and the hill (read: mountain) I was
hauling a trailer up was still ascending. But you can’t have the
good without the exhausting and painful!
West My Friend’s just finished our European CD Release Tour.
Needless to say, February in the UK was not an ideal time and
place for a bike tour, so we used alternate transportation. But I
think it’s fair to say that when it comes to biking music tours, I’m
hooked.
Co-founded in the spring of 2013 by former Minister of Casual
Living Jonathan Dowdall and Victoria Youth Council Coordinator Kluane Buser-Rivet, the PedalBox gallery is funded by the
CRD and is a branch of the Ministry of Casual Living artist-run
centre (www.ministryofcasualliving.ca). Acting as an exhibition space, practical tool, and random micro-parade initializer,
Pedalbox has shown the work of 15 young artists from around the
CRD over the past year and a half. The bike cart itself is designed
and built by legendary BikeDude Tony Hoar, and can handle up
to 250 pounds.
The PedalBox team is looking forward to the spring of 2015
when they’ll be participating in the Art Jammers youth drop-in
hosted at the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre by the Community
Arts Council of Victoria.
Thinking Inside The
(Art) Box
by Jonathan Dowdall
A rocket made of 150 spray paint cans blasts down the Galloping
Goose. Heads turn.
Photos: Jonathan Dowdall
Curiosity is rattled and swayed. A machine made out of bike parts
and wooden gears sits on a street corner while onlookers gaze
in astonishment. The gears are turned by a giddy five-year old
winding the makeshift crank. Two kids are in a moving cocoon
making streaks of odd coloured lights. Someone’s having a tea
party in the middle of Beacon Hill Park!? On the back of a bike
cart! Might as well have a cup of tea and chat. What are all those
kids painting in Fernwood square? It’s a giant canvas on a bike
cart! What is going on!?
Art doesn’t need walls. Art doesn’t have to stay still. The PedalBox
Mobile Gallery has and does neither: it slinks through the city
displaying art by young artists from around town. Whether it’s
a giant painting, installation, or performance, PedalBox caters to
a type of artist that feels the contemporary gallery environment
doesn’t quite fit what they want to accomplish with their practice.
Perhaps you’ve seen it cruising down Dallas Road at sunset, or
maybe you’ve biked by it on the Goose, perplexed by its originality. PedalBox brings art to the streets in a dynamic way. It instantaneously creates a strange community of artists and onlookers
wherever it goes.
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 11
Photo: electricbikeblog.net
The Joys of E-Biking: Part 1
by Marty Cole
What is an electric bicycle, anyway?
What is an electric bicycle, anyway?
When someone hears the terms “e-bike” or “electric bicycle,” the
first image that pops into their mind may be one of a basic
moped, motorcycle, or a scooter. In reality, a modern e-bike, with
pedal assist, is a simple, yet amazing vehicle to use.
Fundamentally, an e-bike is just a regular bicycle with a one-half
horsepower electric motor to give you a nice “push” as you pedal,
providing additional assistance to help you from getting tired
out, and many of them have gears like a regular bike.They use
rechargeable lithium batteries that allow them to reach speeds of
up to 32 kph and, depending on the battery, a single charge of a
few hours can usually power a bike up to 30 to 60 kilometers. You
can pedal normally and just use the motor to help out, or use the
motor all the time to make riding easier. The experience is entirely
different from riding a gas scooter or motorbike. Here, the electric
assistance is perfectly smooth and silent, and it complements
rather than supplants human power. You will arrive at your
destination much sooner, long trips become very manageable and
your endurance is greatly increased. An e-Bike will re-define your
biking experience!
It’s important to realize that an e-bike will pedal and handle just
like a regular bicycle and uses most of the same parts as a traditional bicycle.
Purpose built e-bikes vary in style and the price can range from
12 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
$1,200 to over $13,000 depending on the brand, frame, motor
size and type of battery. Independent and specialty companies
manufacture most of the e-bikes currently on the market, but
more established bike companies have started to churn out their
own models as well. Popular consumer and big box stores have
already begun selling e-bikes nationwide and online.
A more economical approach is to take a standard bicycle and
install an e-bike conversion kit. Conversion kits are available
locally or over the Internet and the price can range from $400
and up. If you don’t have the skills needed, many of the local bike
shops can help you out.
Last year, less than 200,000 e-bikes were sold in North America.
Although large, this number is dwarfed by the immense figures
overseas. In Europe, an estimated 1 million e-bikes were sold
in 2012 and growing at 25% per year. In China, among the 450
million bike riders, more than 100 million occupy the roads with
their electric bikes.
Are electric bikes legal?
Electric bikes are still a fairly new concept in Canada, so there is a
lot of confusion. The Motor Vehicle Act was recently modified
to include a class of Power Assisted Bicycles. In BC, the rules
state that with continuous motor power under 500 watts, and at
speeds less than 32 km/h - there is no need for either a license or
insurance to use an electric bike on public roads. All riders must
be over 16 years of age.
Photo: Terry Evans
BikeMaps.org
by Karen Laberee
Did you have a near miss during your cycling commute? Then map it on BikeMaps.org
and your incident will be part of a University of Victoria (UVic) project aimed at improving cycling safety. UVic geography professor Dr. Trisalyn Nelson and a team of researchers
in the UVic Geography SPAR Lab (spatial pattern and analysis research) have created a
web-map to find hot spots of safe and risky cycling. The website was launched in October
2014 and relies on anonymous citizen data. BikeMaps.org researchers are collecting data
to conduct geographical information system (GIS) and statistical analysis to find cycling
safety and risk hot spots. Cyclists can record bike crashes, near misses, hazards or thefts
in the region. You can also register to receive regular safety reports in your riding area by
email.
“With only 30 to 40 per cent of cycling crash data captured by traditional data sources,
BikeMaps.org represents an important effort to fill data and information gaps,” says Nelson. “I love cycling and I commute by bike daily. I usually feel very safe. But, especially as
a mom, I am always looking for ways our family can ride as safely as possible.”
As of late fall, BikeMaps.org had garnered interest from around the globe with mapping
occurring in 15 different countries. The Capital Regional District had the highest concentration of citizen mapping, likely owing to local promotion of the website. This has
enabled BikeMaps.org researchers to release preliminary maps of cycling hotspot risk for
Greater Victoria. As more cyclists share their experiences by mapping on BikeMaps.org,
the better the data becomes.
Watch for new maps that will highlight safe and risky areas at different times of the day
and week. Plans are in the works for a mobile app that will allow you to receive real-time
safety alerts and plan optimal routes that account for safety at the time you are travelling.
Funding for BikeMaps.org was through an NSERC Engage grant in partnership with the
CAA. Local promotional funding was provided by an Active Transportation Special Event
grant from the CRD.
Cyclists Have Rights.
Get Fair Results.
Max Durando, Injury Lawyer
Cyclist/Car Collisions
ICBC Injury Claims
Car Accident Injuries
Pedestrian/Car Collisions
Slip/Trip-and-Fall Injuries
Air/Bus/Rail/Marine Injuries
Free Initial Consultation.
Contingency Fees
based on results.
Located at Shoal Point in James Bay
Free Bike and Car Parking
[email protected]
250-388-4433
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 13
events taking place that evening.
The Lopez Island Historical
Society Museum was holding an
outdoor reception for its members - we became the first international members - and as a
result were able to participate in
the wine and cheese event. Then
on to Vita’s Cafe for an outdoor
musical wine and cheese gathering, held each Friday afternoon.
What fun! As dusk was upon us
we cycled ourselves into bed.
Tour de Lopez by Jill Croft
What is it? Lopez Island, supposedly the flattest of the San Juan
Islands – community ride – let’s go!
Bikes tethered to the car and we’re off. Friday morning driving
from Oak Bay to Sidney, finding overnight
car parking, bikes and panniers fully loaded,
through customs and on to the 12:05 p.m.
Anacortes ferry we pedal. Inexpensive – $14
per senior passenger plus bike. So far, simple.
Smooth sailing across Haro Strait in the final
week of April, to participate in the 11th
annual Tour de Lopez. Who knew? Not many
Canadian bikers on the ferry. Sail to San Juan
Island, disembark in Friday Harbour for a
quick cycle through the centre of town. Next,
embark the Washington State inter-island
ferry with stops at Orcas Island, Shaw Island
and our final destination of Lopez Island.
Waiting until the traffic passes, faced with the
usual steep entrance to the island, we carried
along on narrow, winding, undulating, rural
roads through Lopez Village and on to Lopez
Islander Bay Resort, where we stayed for two
nights.
Back into Lopez Village we registered for the Tour de Lopez,
(riders have a choice of 5, 12, 17 and 31-mile routes), and
received our identity bracelets and found a small merchant mall
with silent auction items. The entire Tour de Lopez is organized
with local community volunteers who take a great deal of ownership of this annual ride. The BITE of Lopez, held outside the
Lopez Centre for Community & the Arts, offered a delicious selection of chowder, wraps, tacos and fish cakes. Speaking to some
of the residents of the island, we were told of other interesting
14 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
Saturday morning, up to breakfast for bikers at the Resort.
Weather looked iffy out over the
spit, but our panniers held all
the layers of clothing we needed
just in case. And away we glide.
Weaving along the quiet roads,
along the shoreline past rows of
Photos: Jill Croft mail boxes, long driveways and
fields of sheep, cattle, horses and
llamas, extremely pastoral. We cruised up and down the very quiet moss-lined roads with cyclists ahead and behind us all along
the route. Lime green, red and blue used bikes marked the turns
leading to rest stops, which provided facilities for bikers with
snacks of juice/water/fruit and muffins.
Cyclists of all ages and ability (no spandex/lycra needed!) participate in the lively tour, many repeat year after
year. The ride has a selection of loop routes
depending on your stamina and choice.
Hills were far enough apart to give riders enough
time to energize for the next one. Lovely spring
weather and refreshing scenery the entire route.
We Canadians take for granted public beach
access to the historic high tide line, where in
America this isn’t the way it is: only posted public beach areas are accessible as all other waterfront is marked “no trespassing” or “private”.
Welcoming all riders was a delicious lunch,
included in the registration fee, again at the
Community Hall, served by keen volunteers was
served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Beer garden,
R&B band playing, sun out, all participants
relaxing after a fantastic time riding the Tour de
Lopez. Time spent exploring the shops of Lopez
Village, bakeries, coffee shops, organic grocery stores and galleries
before a seafood supper at The Galley restaurant and an early
night it was.
Up very early Sunday morning to check out and ride the six miles
to the 7:05 a.m. ferry to Friday Harbour, where we had time to
stop for breakfast before boarding the 10:00 a.m. ferry back to
Sidney.
What an exhilarating, energetic way to exercise and celebrate
spring.
Metro
Victoria
has 32
bike shops
A continuing series of articles on bicycle-based businesses in Greater Victoria
thats
4x the
national
average
per-capita
Rathwell is the first to acknowledge that you get what you pay for, so clearly a cheaper bike
is built with cheaper components that
will not work as well or last as long
as a well made bike purchased from
a local bike store. But, the quality of
assembly varies widely and Rathwell
was genuinely proud of the experience,
tools and pride he uses with each assembly. Any bike poorly assembled or
adjusted is dangerous and will lead to
an unhappy customer or cyclist. Rathwell cited examples of department
store bikes (which he claimed he had
not assembled) where the brakes were
misaligned or simply did not work, or
the derailleur was not set up properly
for all the gears.
Employing
200 people
Vancouver Island Bike
Builders - Marshal byRathwell
Michael Fisher
I met up recently with Marshal Rathwell – owner of Vancouver Island Bike Builders – to
learn and discuss how bikes are built in department store outlets. You know, the place
where bikes can start as low as $89.....
It came as a relief to learn that people like Rathwell have specialized in assembling bikes
for some major outlets, as compared to simply setting someone with less experience loose
with a tool set. Instead, Vancouver Island Bike Builders can safely assemble a mass market bike in about 15 minutes. Rathwell started the business after leaving the navy as an
engineer and taking the Canbike courses and seeing firsthand how many bikes were poorly
built and maintained. He can assemble bicycles on the company premises or take the bikes
elsewhere, although the profit margins are so tight that in most cases (as shown in the
photo), he uses the retailer’s shop area to assemble and test each bike so it can immediately
be placed on sale without transporting it back and forth.
So what is the difference between a
department store bike and a quality
Photos: Michael Fisher
one costing $700 or more? Quality is
a sliding scale as a cheap bike (set up
properly) may be quite serviceable for someone who rides a short distance once a year. On
the other hand, with a greater budget there will be fewer plastic components and better
quality metals will be lighter and stronger. Having the opportunity to test ride a proposed
bike purchase will also provide some idea of the comparison which will loosely be tied to
cost.
So the key message from a businessman such as Marshall Rathwell and Vancouver Island
Bike Builders is to check out any bike you are considering purchasing and make sure
that you understand how it is supposed to work and that it does what it promises. Ensure that the brakes work properly before riding it and immediately test the gearshift for
clean smooth changes. Inspect the quality of the frame for any obvious problems and that
the wheels are straight and can rotate easily. Generally, ensure that all nuts and bolts are
tight and nothing is loose or misaligned. After using it for a few days, tightness should be
checked and the chain oiled to ensure some longevity.
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 15
You don’t have to be new,
We celebrate the whole crew!
Fair-weather to full-fledger,
Bike to Work Week happens
no matter what the weather.
But when and but where the
crowds will all ask?
May 24 – 30th; watch for the
details if you are up to the task.
Challenge the masses to ditch
their steel stallion,
And get into the awesome two
wheeler action!
BTWW By Lise Richard
Photos: Lise Richard
With all the great sponsors and
community support,
This event is so fun, the week
seems too short.
A group of young kids, or so they were at the time,
Registration is free I am happy to say.
Sat together one day and started to rhyme,
Chat with your colleagues and sign up today!
off all the trouble and pains of commuter cycling,
they heard from colleagues; how their ears would just ring!
They said to each other – what to do, what to do?
“More people on bikes is what we need to pull through.
To clean up our air, land and sea.
To be healthy and happy – besides, bike parking is free!”
Let’s make it a blast, show them all the fun,
We’ll to do it together; a team united as one!
With music and prizes, a launch party and a race,
They’ll forget all the ‘cons’; we’ll put a smile on each face.
For more than 20 years this event has gone on,
11,000 new cyclists – a real phenomenon!
Wait! The culture is established annually they all know,
Bike to Work Week is back to inspire and grow
the number of people riding bikes for work or for play.
To celebrate those riding all year, or setting out on their first day!
So spread the good word, the joy and the cheer
Of commuter cycling to all your circles far and near.
Encourage the newbies – but don’t do it with force,
Remember anyone can take a Bike to Work skills course.
16 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
Top 5!
Bike-Inspired Art
Projects/Installations
Arbutus Cove
Guest House
The perfect overnight
bike getaway from Victoria
and surrounding communities.
1. People’s Bike Library of Portland/
Zoobomb Pyle - by
Brian Borrello and
Vanessa Renwick,
Portland, Oregon
Arbutus Cove is a beautiful waterfront boutique guest house located on the Galloping
Goose trail 37 kilometers from Victoria on
the Sooke Basin, a 3 hour ride. 3 private deluxe rooms, each with their own
entrances, queen beds and full bathrooms
share a huge waterfront deck with hot tub
await the cycling visitor.
2. Forever Bicycles - by
Ai WeiWei (China),
rotating/international
installation
A 15 minute walk takes you to the 17 Mile
Pub for supper and a breakfast is served
before your departure.
June 15 - Sept. 14 $150 ( for 2)
Sept. 15 - June 14 $125 (for 2)
3. Cyclisk – by Mark
Grieve and Ilana
Spector, Santa Rosa,
California
Reservations: arbutuscoveguesthouse.com
4. Young-Deok Seo’s
Bike Chain Sculptures, South Korea
5. 100 Copies, by Thomas Yang, Singapore
Photos: OCAC LIbrary
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 17
Book Review -
review by Michael Fisher
Life is a wheel
To me, every book has a personal story behind it. In this case, it
was as simple as my daughter wanting to go to the library, so
I knew I had 32.2 seconds to grab a book at the same time. I
quickly snatched Bruce Weber’s “Life is a Wheel” off the shelf,
thinking it was a philosophical, life-expanding text. I had no idea
at the time that it was also focused on cycling!
Life is a Wheel is about Bruce Weber’s second bike ride across
the United States – a distance of 4,122.2 miles. What is amazing
is not just that he did not suffer a single flat tire, but that he also
experienced a circle of life and a series of adventures encompassing life, marriage and death. As a seasoned cyclist, Weber’s
journey was about introspection as much as it was about cycling.
Being the same age myself, I found it a completely vicarious experience.
The journey snakes across the continent in the summer and fall of
2011, starting from a ritual tire dip in the water at Astoria,
Oregon to an arrival three months later in New York. Unlike his
journey in 1993, this time he carried GPS and blogging technology that meant he was never completely out of touch. This was a
double-edged sword as it meant that he received and was expected to respond to reader feedback, including from one slightly
deranged individual who saw a cross-country bike ride as the
pinnacle of pointless, self-centred pleasure. So?
What made this a particularly enjoyable story to me were the
philosophical insights that Weber gained along the way. Riding a
bike for three months seems to be an excellent time to reconsider
what is really important in life – particularly when you break your
own cathartic journey to attend the funeral of your best friend.
Such is the fleeting existence of life.
The good news about this book is that Weber makes some lifechanging decisions while riding and moves onto the next stage
of his life. With results like this, perhaps all indecisive people
should take a three-month bike ride. The Epilogue is a surprising
health scare that knocked him down and very nearly ended his
life – I suppose this is the reason the book took almost three years
to publish. A slight spoiler here: Weber survived and is grateful
that the health emergency happened in New York while close to a
hospital, instead of hours from help in the wilds of Montana.
In summary, this is an enjoyable story particularly relevant to an
older rider considering the meaning of life. That is not meant
to sound trite – it is about how one person overcame adversity,
persevered and ended up a better person.
The book is available from the public library or from bookstores
with a list price of CDN$29.99.
As a cycli
As
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aand
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vees me great
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Residents
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me
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assistance
assist
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ta e w
with
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the BC
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government
governm
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have
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250-479-4154
4154
154
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4 | la
lana.popham
lana.popham.mla.bc.ca
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| www.saanichsouth.ca
aan
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niichsouth.cca
18 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
Can Bike 2
Photos: Dean Rebneris
Dean Rebneris
Thanks to Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week Society Can Bike
2 was offered this winter in Victoria.
Can Bike 2 is an 18 cycle instruction course of the Cycling Canada Cyclisme with an intent to improve the skills of intermediate
cyclists. The class has a classroom component covering equipment, repairs, traffic dynamics, crash and collision avoidance, and
touring theory. The second component is practical and includes
handling skills, group riding and riding arterials.
The highly recommended class was taught by Comox Valley
instructor Ed Schum. Much of the focus and interest of students
was on learning how to ride safely and effectively in traffic; how
to position oneself in a lane, navigating challenging intersections, and communicating with drivers. Students increased their
competence and confidence and where reminded of the BASIC
APPROACH TO SAFETY: 1. See 2. Be Seen 3. Be Predictable.
More info about Can Bike 2: www.cyclingcanada.ca
NE W NA ME, SA ME LOC ATION .
1419 BROAD STREET, VICTORIA, BC
COME SEE WHAT WE'RE UP TO...
Cycle Therapy Spring 2015 19
Cycle Therapy is available in these locations
Munro’s Books - Government St; Bolen Books - Hillside; SubText - UVIC; Open Space - LoFo; James Bay Coffee & Books - 5 Corners in James
Bay; Solstice Cafe - Pandora; Bean Around The World - Fisgard; Cornerstone Cafe - Fernwood; Cafe Fantastico - Kings Rd; Fairfield Market - 5
Corners in Fairfield; McCrea’s Restaurant - Shelbourne; YM/YW - Downtown; Spiral Cafe - Vic West; Seed of Life - Government St; Habit Coffee + Culture - Pandora; Bicycleitis - Bay Street; Brentwood Cycle & Sports - Brentwood Bay; Capital City Cycles - Broad Street; Coastal Cycle
and Watersports - View Royal; Cycles West - Burnside near Tillicum; Fairfield Bicycle Shop - 5 Corners in Fairfield; Fort Street Cycle - near
Fort and Cook; Goldstream Ave Bicycles - Langford; Mac’s Cycle Centre - Shelbourne and Cedar Hill X; Marty’s Mountain Cycle - Esquimalt &
Admirals; Munro’s Books - Government St; Bolen Books - Hillside; SubText - UVIC; Open Space - LoFo; James Bay Coffee & Books - 5 Corners
in James Bay; Solstice Cafe - Pandora; Bean Around The World - Fisgard; Cornerstone Cafe - Fernwood; Cafe Fantastico - Kings Rd; Fairfield
Market - 5 Corners in Fairfield; McCrea’s Restaurant - Shelbourne; YM/YW - Downtown; Spiral Cafe - Vic West; Seed of Life - Government
St; Habit Coffee + Culture - Pandora; Bicycleitis - Bay Street; Brentwood Cycle & Sports - Brentwood Bay; Capital City Cycles - Broad Street;
Coastal Cycle and Watersports - View Royal; Cycles West - Burnside near Tillicum; Fairfield Bicycle Shop - 5 Corners in Fairfield; Fort Street
Cycle - near Fort and Cook; Goldstream Ave Bicycles - Langford; Mac’s Cycle Centre - Shelbourne and Cedar Hill X; Marty’s Mountain Cycle
- Esquimalt & Admirals; Mountain Equipment Co-op - Downtown; North Park Bicycle Shop - Quadra & North Park; Oak Bay Bicycles - Oak
Bay & Foul Bay - Kelly Road in Langford; Outpost Bikes - Sooke Rd @ Happy Valley Rd; Performance Bicycles - Quadra @ Reynolds; PM Bikes
- Goldstream & Peatt; Recyclistas - North end of Switch Bridge on The Goose; Russ Hay’s The Bicycle Shop - Douglas & Hillside; Russ Hay’s
The Bicycle Shop - Bevan & Second in Sidney; Selkirk Station Bicycle & Kayak - in the Railyards off the Goose; Sooke Cycle and Surf - Sooke
& Otter Pt; Sports Traders - Irontown; Straight Up Cycles - Quadra & Tolmie; Trek Bicycle Shop - near Spinnaker’s; GVPL - all branches; Sidney
Public Library; Bill Hartley Insurance - Douglas & Bay; Saanich Commonwealth Pool - Elk Lake Drive; Panorama Rec Centre - North Saanich
Help us advocate — Join the GVCC!
Want better bike lanes? Want our region to benefit
from cycle tourism? Want more sustainable transport?
Your membership directly supports GVCC advocacy
efforts for cycling in our community.
Become a member today at gvcc.bc.ca/membership
20$/yr adult; $10/yr student, senior, or low income
$35 household; corporate $80/yr; sponsor $100/yr;
lifetime $300
Follow the GVCC!
@GVCC
20 Cycle Therapy Spring 2015
facebook.com/
GVCCbc
gvcc.bc.ca