To Helmet or not to Helmet

Leave a reply

A new report from the Ontario provincial coroner has been released. Among it’s many recommendations is included one to make wearing a helmet while riding a bike mandatory.

I wear a helmet when I ride and I ensure that my kids wear one as well. I am not sure, though, that I think it should be mandatory.   As this CBC.ca story points out, when this rule was put into place in Australia there was an initial decline in head injuries.  Unfortunately, the law accomplished this not by protecting cyclist better, but by reducing the use of bicycles!

The bike-sharing programs further complicate matters, as they don’t have helmets available for rent along with the bicycles.  Not that I would want to rent someones used helmet.  Meaning that a mandatory helmet law would likely kill these bike sharing schemes.

I recommend you wear a bike helmet, but I don’t think it should be a law.

First ride to work

2 Replies

Took my first ride into work today and I managed to survive the experience.  I may even do it again!

This was my morning ride and this was the ride home.

32:13 in the morning and 33:25 at night, pretty consistent times.  I wonder if I would have beat my morning time at night if I hadn’t had that derailment.

All in all, the ride was pretty uneventful.  I may try staying on Terry Fox instead of turning onto Richardson Side road next time.  Richardson Side and Huntmar have no bike lane and a soft shoulder.  Made for one or two rather close passes.

People are too polite

2 Replies

I was heading out for my first ‘big’ ride of the year.  I came to a four way stop intersection. I was behind a car turning left and there were two other cars that made it to the intersection.

The car in front of me proceeded and then the one across and the third should have then gone.  But no, they politely waived me through, even though it wasn’t my turn. Thanks, that was nice and polite and all, but I nearly fell off my bike trying to get out of my clips (remember, newbie) as I waved them through.

I was prepared to wait my turn and had timed my roll and balance accordingly.  When the car decided not to follow the rules of the road I stumbled.

Thanks, I appreciate you being polite and all, but I was ready to wait.  I’ll wait again next time.  I’d rather not get run over.

Truly a newbie

Leave a reply

The picture of the bike at the top of this blog is my bike.  There’s a problem with the bike. Take a look at the picture and see if you can find it, I’ll wait….

 

 

 

…. Find it?

Yes, it’s the saddle bags.  Their on the wrong side.  I had no idea they had a side, but they do.  What happens when you put them on the wrong side?  Well, when you are peddling you hit the bag.  Kind of annoying.

There is another dead give away that the saddle bags are on the wrong side.  The reflective strip is pointing forward instead of backwards.

Pizza run

Leave a reply

We’ve had beautiful weather all week here in Ottawa.  Have I been out for a rides?  No, just didn’t have any time between work and the kids.

That is until last night.  I ordered a pizza for pick-up and thought “hey, that place is so close it would be silly to take the car.”  But it’s also a 30 minute walk.  Bike to the rescue.

I grabbed a few bungee cords and headed off.  Between my saddle bags for the wings and pop, and the bungee cords to secure the pizza box to my rear mounted rack, I was off home.

Here is a link to the ride home:  http://soc.li/YivLvGi  It was short and sweet.

Hello n00 world!

2 Replies

Like most folks I have riden a bicycle around a lot when I was a kid and not so much as an adult.  It’s not that I haven’t wanted to, I just haven’t done it.  I have lots of excuses… none of which I will bore you with now.

So why the blog? Glad you asked!  My office is about to move, and to a location that makes it not so difficult to bike to.  According to google, it should be a 30 minute ride.

I chose the title of the blog ‘n00b biker’ (newb, or newbie, biker) and my user name n00biker (new biker) because I liked the interplay and the nerdiness of the words and of course because I am new at using my bike to commute to work.

I hope to share my experiences cycling to work on a daily basis throughout the spring, summer, and fall in the west end of Ottawa.  Wish my luck!