How often do you ride? Every day except when icy, or if I am deathly ill, or I have something very large to carry. In the past year (2003-4), I drove the car exactly twice, and took public transit 9 days (during January's snow dump). Twice a week I ride all the way to work and back.
Do you cheat? Yes. Lifting a 15kg bike up a 100-story building is a bit too much for 43 yr old knees to do 5 days a week). So three times a week, I ride only half way up the mountain then wait at a bus stop, and use the lovely bike racks which are affixed to every diesel-powered bus in Greater Vancouver. There is no extra charge for loading a bicycle. Thank you, Coast Mountain Bus Co., for making commuter cycling possible for me.
What bicycle do you use? The necessities of speed, efficiency, and load-carrying capacity in a hilly city imply using a hybrid with lots of gears, fenders, racks, road tires and an extra-strong rear rim. After years of old 10-speeds, I finally purchased my "dream bike", a Surly Cross-Check which was especially built for me by the legendary "Ed" at Mighty Riders. I love my Surly.
Which route do you take? I basically stick to roads. The following largish .gifs details my daily (25km return) trip. Here is a map of my most common routes, essencially right across North Burnaby, BC. and here are details of the 350 meter elevation change, the result of Gordon Shrum's 1963 recommendation to build Simon Fraser University atop Burnaby mountain.
What defines a "commuter cyclist"? For me, it is much more than "cycles to work". It is, in fact, an expression of some of the tenets that I hold to be fundamental to honest, healthy living. Here is the part of my list that applies.
There is a rarely-mentioned social aspect to cycling: the nod to the passing cyclist, the "hello" to the crossing pedestrian, the "thank you" to the bus driver that carried you up the hill. This dimention of life has been forgotten by many auto-commuting suburban dwellers. Everywere, people looking for a smile, a chat, a flirt, or just a reminder that there are humans among the hoards of bland shiny boxes on wheels which do nothing other than try to press in front of them. Riding in a metal box dissasociates one from the real world, and skews one's view of it. Riding in the fresh air reaffirms that I am part of the city. The sweet smell of blossoms as I pass a flower display is the gift of that the gardener's labours. If possible, I will repay the gardener with a statement of admiration, or a friendly "hello". The automobile thanks the gardener by leaving its noise, wind, soot and rubber particles. The driver does not notice the garden. The cyclist owns the city.
The last item on my list is perhaps the most defining. Responsibility to my family and friends means that they will not have to visit me in hospital, or wonder where the next cheque will come from. Commuter cyclists make safety their main concern. A cyclist is exactly as safe as he is knowlegable, prepared and careful.
