BICYCLES
There is an incredible amount of bullshit associated with bicycles. In fact there is so much of it I doubt the novice has any way of approaching the subject with a view to even understanding the issues. This is exactly the type of topic this website loves to take on.
What is a bicycle?
Lets start with a definition and a bit of history. If you have the time and it will be well invested check out the wikipedia article on bicycles. The main points are that there are over one billion of these extremely efficient machines in the world that they have two wheels one in front of the other and a chain mechanism with gears and a pedal to transfer nearly all the energy from the driver to the wheels which are pneumatic. In some areas the bicycle is the main form of transportation and in others is used for recreation and sport. There are several types of bicycles but the major design ideas are very similar. 60% of the worlds bicycles are now made in China due to their low labor costs.
Where are they used?
Bicycles are generally used on the roads and often on sidewalks and trails. And this is where the bullshit starts. Roads are paid for by vehicle owners who pay a hefty premium in taxes for fuel and vehicle licenses to use the roads and to park their vehicles. They also must supply insurance so that damages caused by accidents are covered. Bicycles are used during the spring, summer and fall months when there is no snow on the ground and usually when no rain is falling as there is no protection for the driver. Bicycles usually do not require licensing or insurance and can usually park for free. They are usually used for short hauls of less than two or three miles although some will travel longer distances. There have been several cases of people making very long journeys including round the world trips on bikes. In society there is a general understanding that we all pay our own way unless we have some sort of disability or suffer from extreme poverty in which case the taxpayer will assist with partially funding. Bicycle owners have been breaking this model by using the resources paid for by drivers and not obtaining insurance or even paying for parking their bikes. They have been taking a free ride so to speak - but its not really free- the vehicle owner has been paying the bills. This is bullshit.
What are the Advantages of Bicycles?
There are several advantages including:
1. low cost per mile for transportation
2. zero pollution, no petroleum fuels needed
3. Less parking spaces required
4. Good exercise for the riders
5. Off road capability with mountain bike designs
6. There are millions of bicycles in Canada estimates suggest 9 million with regular weekly use of 2 million
What are the disadvantages of Bicycles?
1.limited payload capacity
2. no passenger space
3. safety issues operating on highways no protection in a crash
4. theft - the recent recover of over 2000 stolen bikes in Toronto shows the problem is out of control and nearly every owner will have a bike stolen from them at some point. Police have not been taking the problem seriously and owners have neglected to register serial numbers or make much of an attempt to recover their bikes. Insurance deductions often are higher than the bikes values. Those actually caught stealing bikes are almost never charged or punished so the expectation has become that stealing them is perfectly OK and in the case of some people that it is their right to steal them.
5. weather protection
6. lack of knowledge from many sellers to match best bike to riders needs
7. risk of injury
Even the President of the United States had a bike accident. And he is one hell of a good and fit bike rider!
8. northern climates not suitable for winter use
9. several bikes required as child grows to adult size
10. bike maintenance often not done resulting in early deterioration of bike and bikes in poor roadworthy condition
11. unreasonable expectations from riders that access roads and pathways for bikes remains free. Some bike rides are very aggressive towards car drivers and openly despise them which sometimes leads to violence.
12 bicycles are one of the least regulated and controlled areas in Canadian transportation resulting in several safety and liability issues. For example the CSA the Canadian Standards Association is withdrawing its only standard on bike (D-113.1, 1980) and has no plans to replace it. Bikes are entering the Canadian market with low quality fasteners and parts and in many cases are poorly assembled especially the low cost bikes of $300 and under typically sold at department stores
13 Although in Canada a bicycle is considered to be a vehicle for the purposes of the Highway Safety Act in each province the laws are seldom enforced.
14. Weather protection -often bikes are left out in the weather thus reducing their useful lives and increasing the chances of theft.
15. No standards have been set or maintained for a rider to ride a bike on a public roadway.
don't go biking in Mexico!
Bicycle Statistics
I will urge your to read over this website which lists basically tons of stats which amongst other things underlines the absolute necessity of wearing a helmet. The high points include 85 million bike riders in the USA with about 800 deaths a year over 90% of which are caused by collisions with cars or trucks and most would be alive if they had worn a helmet. Over half a million bikers go to emergency rooms every year. When considering Canadian stats a ball park figure can be arrived at by simply taking 10% of the American values as the USA has approximately 10 times the population.
Who is managing this mess? In Canada nobody is really taking responsibility for managing bicycle use. Two groups are at fault - the public which really couldn't care less and the various levels of government who apparently feel they have better things to do.
What could be done to improve the existing situation and reduce the bullshit?
1. License and Insure all bikes and bike riders. Ensure that all bike riders understand bike safety, adjustments, and risks.
2. Identify all bikes with a machine readable code for identification purposes
3. Annual or bi annual safety inspections for bikes
4. Mandatory helmets for all
5. Stiff penalties for bike theft
6. Penalties for misuse of bikes and not following traffic rules
7. Separate bike paths not connected to existing roadway systems
8. Restricted use of bikes on roads that also have cars and trucks on them.
9. Adequate bike parking possibly paid for by the users
10 Mandatory quality and safety standards for bikes sold in Canada with heavy fines for those bringing in or selling substandard bikes. Condemn and destroy bikes which cannot meet these standards.
Who is the enemy of bikes?
Car manufacturers hate bicycles. For every bike rider of adult age they see a lost sale and a hungry car salesman. Government workers hate them because bikes don't produce any tax revenue and there are no established rules, policies and procedures and legislation to manage them. Drivers hate bike riders because they hog the road and are in the way and go too slow. Banks hate them because no loans are normally required to purchase them. Insurance companies hate them because the bikes are not insured and represent liabilities to vehicle drivers.
Will anything actually be done to improve the situation?
I very much doubt that Canadians will do anything to improve the bike situation as it now exists. As a nation we tend to be adapters rather than problem solvers and at least 25% of us are just plain stupid. Most Canadians will say that government is involved in enough things and that bikes just aren't important enough to make any effort to improve things. Those that ride bikes and make use of their freeloader status for access to public roadways will resist any attempt to make them pay their fair share. There will be pockets of success where bike paths will be established. Kate Pace Way in North Bay is an excellent example. Police will be loathe to become involved in bike crime as they consider it to be minor in nature.
Conclusions:
Bikes are not well managed in Canada so YOU need to be careful. You would be too stupid to pound sand down a rat hole if you didn't purchase an inexpensive helmet and wear it when riding. Avoid major roads and high traffic areas. Maintain your bike. Talk to a bike shop person to find out what size and type of bike you should buy. You can get a tremendous amount of fun and use out of a bike and you can also kill or injure your silly self so ride responsibly. A bicycle is one of the most efficient machines ever made and yes it can provide you with good basic very economical transportation if you treat them with respect. I love my bike. Bought it from Zellers for just over $100 and its a SPORTECK 18 gear Mountain Bike made in Canada from parts made in China. I have had one slow speed fall on concrete in two years of driving. No damage except to my ego. Hope this has helped your understanding of bicycles!
September 1/2009 Added an Schwinn Ebike to the fleet. Have had it for a couple of months and it has an electric motor! Works great and you can peddle it too. The operating costs are very low but I still think competing with cars on the highway is a bad idea. In North Bay we have the Kate Pace way bike paths and sidewalks. Much safer!
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