The wheels on the bike go round and round, round and round. There is something so joyful about watching a child ride their bike independently, such a sense of freedom and power.
On a recent trip to Toronto I was amazed at the increase in the number of cyclists from the year before. I was also surprised at the number of bikers not wearing helmets.
My brother Paul has never bothered to get a driver’s licence. He has always lived in cities and been a consumer of public transportation services. For the past three years he has taken up riding a bike and loves it. He rides part way to work and then locks it up and takes the train the rest of the way. On the weekends he rides all over the city, going to yard sales looking for books and albums for his collection. He has an illness that is in remission and at his last visit to his doctor was told, what ever you are doing, keep doing it because you are in the best health you have been in years. Paul attributes it to riding at least 10 km a day, wearing a helmet.
He has been hit a couple of times, his friend injured more so by a confused motorist driving on to a bike path. Some of his work mates have had broken wrists from bad tumbles, usually over car doors quickly opened without checking for a cyclist. We used to see this in Banff when I lived there more than 20 years ago. There were always lots of bikers on those roads, and tourists weren’t prepared to see somebody zooming up as they were opening their door. I suggested the Park put up a big sign at each of the roads into town saying this was a bike-friendly town, so please check your mirrors before opening doors or parking — perhaps we could do this.
Riding bikes in cities on busy roads requires cyclists and motorists to be alert to each other.
There have been many sad stories of head injuries from biking accidents, and helmets will protect and may prevent serous injuries. It is always surprising to see parents insisting their children wear a helmet and then they don’t. Surely they must feel their head is as valuable as their kids’.
Like the ski helmet solving the hat problem, the bike or skateboarding helmet is very important. Years ago when I went to buy the lads their first helmets for skiing I was quite surprised they were about $100 each. I balked and then this image came into my mind of being in a hospital room, holding the young one’s hand, his tiny head wrapped in bandages, tubes coming out of his body, tears rolling down my cheek thinking I should have bought the good helmet. I purchased it.
Kids will wear helmets when they are young, and some will stop as teens, as they seem “un-cool” and then start up again when their life experience shows them helmets are important and save heads. We don’t want it to take a friend being injured or worst, killed. Somehow we need to keep their cool heads protected.
I rent bikes on holidays and so love the opportunity this experience provides to get a good look at the community I am visiting. When in Toronto we went over to Toronto Island — I would highly recommend this — costs $7 for return ferry and is a wonderful island sanctuary of walkways, parks, beaches, quaint neighbourhoods and no cars. We rented bikes and for three hours cycled around enjoying the warm sunshine, getting some exercise and being able to see all the features of the island. We’ve done this in Panama, Cuba, Hawaii and Mexico.
A recent interview I heard with a “bike expert” said it isn’t about bikes and cars being at war in cities, we need both. Riding a bike one hour a day will provide transportation and health benefits and if you can make it work great. But we need our automobiles as well.
Like the old campaign logo, “share the road” and watch out for each other.
