Gas Prices Vs Bicycles

Funny how when gas prices go up bicycle sales go up sharply. More work for bicycle mechanics to build new bikes out of the box... and fixing old bikes that people bring in.

Quadra Island Bike Shop

CANADA - If you are visiting British Columbia and going cycling, there is no better place to go than Quadra Island.

And if you need bicycle repairs while on Quadra Island there is no better place to go than Smokey's Bike Shop.

Why?

Because Smokey Dymny (the guy who runs the shop on Quadra Island) isn't just a bicycle mechanic. He is a bicycle mechanic instructor, one of the best. He taught the BAM Program here in Toronto. So your repairs will be professionally done and you just might learn something too.

If you are looking to learn how to fix bicycles you can also contact Smokey and ask what it would cost to learn.

Smokey's Bicycle Shop
1024 Heriot Bay Road, the Animal Farm Trail
Quadra Island, British Columbia
CANADA

CONTACT
250 - 285 - 2447
smokeydymny{at}rogers.com

Is Georgetown the most Bicycle Friendly town in Ontario?

CANADA - Imagine going to a town via the GO Train... and arriving in a place which has 50 different bicycles routes listed on bikely.com? I am talking about the town of Georgetown Ontario in case you haven't guessed yet.

See http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/srchkey/georgetown/country/43/region/37 to see what I mean about all the bicycle routes.

Imagine also that you bang your wheel and need to replace it. Where can you find a bicycle mechanic in Georgetown?

Well, there is several locations:

Ollie's Cycle & Ski
30 Main Street South, Georgetown, ON L7G 3G4
(905) 873-2441 ‎

Up Your Bike
162 Guelph St, Georgetown, ON L7G4A6
(905) 702-8854 ‎

Sports Unlimited
170 Guelph Street, Georgetown, ON L7G 4A7
(905) 877-5546 ‎

M & M Pro Sport
10 Mountainview Road South, Georgetown, ON L7G 4J9
(905) 877-6686

After your bike is fixed, how about going for a ride? There is so many parks in Georgetown its a tad ridiculous. There is also rivers and lots of scenery. Its not just a great place to go for a bicycle ride, its a great place to do photography.

Or just plain move there. Georgetown has townhomes for sale there for $289,900 in the Weaver's Mill area, close to downtown Georgetown and walking distance to the GO Station.

If you look at a map of Georgetown you will see quite a few of the streets curve, which means the traffic will be moving slowly. Ideal for cyclists who like quiet streets.

There might be other towns which are more bicycle friendly than Georgetown, but feel free to email me or leave me a comment about which town you think is better.

Bixi reaches 750 members!

CANADA - Bixi has reached over 750 members. Once it reaches 1,000 Toronto's public bike-rental program will become a reality.

Check out toronto.bixi.com if you want to sign up.

The Bixi program will also allow shorter term rentals for people just visiting Toronto and will expand as the program grows, similar to Montreal's Bixi program.

Amusing Yellow Two Seater Bicycle

CANADA - I saw the yellow two-seater bicycle below at a bicycle shop in Chinatown, Toronto. I liked it and thought it was amusing so I took a photo.



The shop I saw it at was "Uncle Jacob" at approx. 355 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2G3, Canada‎. Phone: 416-340-2715‎.

Bicycle licenses in Toronto? Don't make me laugh

CANADA - In the current mayoral campaign the issue of whether Toronto should force cyclists to get licenses to ride their bicycles has come up in the local media. This isn't the first time the city has thought about licensing cyclists. They failed in their attempt last time and they will certainly fail again.

According to the city’s website there are three reasons why licensing would NEVER work:

#1. How do you license children?

#2. How do make sure the database is complete and accurate when bicycles are privately bought and sold on a constant basis?

#3. Licensing cyclists won't change their behaviour.

I have some more reasons the city hasn't thought of:

#4. What about tourists who like cycling downtown or on Centre Island? Bike rental places would be put out of business.

#5. Cyclists will NEVER agree to pay $200 for a cycling license.

There's approx. a million people in Toronto who own bicycles... at $200 each this is nothing more than a $200 million tax grab. Taxing cyclists is also completely unenforcable. The police don't even stop cyclists to see if they have a light or a rear reflector so they're certainly not going to worry if cyclists have a license.

What the city wants to do is create a "Department of Cycling". Cyclists would have to take a road test every 2 years. Bike shops, associations and bicycle mechanics would have be registered and pay fees to help pay for the system.

Cyclists would pay $200 every 2 years to have a license.

Businesses and associations would pay $500 every year to be registered.

The city would hire a team of people to administer the database and use some of the funding to help make future bike lanes.

Children under the age of 16 would be exempt from licensing.

Bike shops, associations, schools, after-school programs and summer camps would be asked to teach bike safety.

However this will do nothing to change the behaviour of cyclists. Licensing doesn't change the behaviour of motorists, so why would it change cyclists? Asking cyclists to pay $200 every 2 years is really just a PUNISHMNENT for being a cyclist and has nothing to do with road safety and everything to do with motorists-who-despise-cyclists and are jealous of the fact we cyclists don't have to pay anything.

His proposal also includes enforcing stiffer fines and penalties on reckless cyclists, introducing a points system and the ability to suspend licenses. A special police unit would be created just for catching cyclists.

This plan is being promoted by Robert Kirsic (who works for the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council in Toronto), who admits he prefers to drive a car, and apparently has it stuck in his head that police need to have a crackdown on cyclists and turn Toronto into a police state with respect to cyclists.

(Side Note: So why can't they create a special police unit just for catching people who smoke within 9 meters of public entrances? Oh wait, its because its a waste of time enforcing every little law.)

Robert Kirsic is apparently an idiot. He hasn't clued in that if other cities haven't been able to enforce bicycle licenses, then its obviously not going to work in Toronto where one out every five people owns a bicycle... in a city of 5 to 6 million. Bicycle licensing is a joke. It would be a waste of time and resources and will do NOTHING to create a safer environment. Its nothing more than a $200 million tax grab.

Want to make the roads safer? Start by adding bicycle lanes to all major roads. Educate drivers about the fact cyclists are here to stay and they have an equal right to use the road. (We've been here longer than drivers technically if you compare the years at which bicycles and cars were invented.)

And while you're at it pass a law requiring drivers to leave a 5' space between the car and curb at all times. Quite a few accidents happen when drivers box in cyclists by driving too close to the curb sometimes on purpose (some drivers are just dangerous pricks).

Parkour Cycling Videos

The following is a parkour-style cycling video, plus Danny MacAskill`s video at the bottom which I`ve posted twice before. (See Extreme Bicycle Stunts by Danny MacAskill and Danny MacAskill's video hits 17 million.)