It seems that there have been technical difficulties with Monday’s foundational blue bike lane installation at the hazardous intersection of Strachan and Lakeshore. Reportedly, the blue areas are badly worn, after only a couple of days. According to Dan Egan, Toronto's Manager of Cycling and Pedestrian Infrastructure, the problems are with the bonding agent; the blue treatment will have to be removed immediately and the materials revisited.
It's starting to cool off now, and that means starting to think a little bit more about what to wear when riding the bike. Cycling in Toronto isn't an all year activity for everyone, but it's very easy to have your bike commuting include 8 or 9 months per year. The challenge in this weather is keeping warm at the beginning of the ride, but not getting too hot and sweaty later on.
As long as it's not raining, October weather can be very comfortable, even ideal. With the right layers of clothing, the cool air can pass through when moving, keeping you cool, while providing enough insulation at the start and while stopped.
Here's my outfit for a day like today:
- light pants
- normal sport socks
- cycling shoes
- wool t-shirt
- old wool sweater
- helmet
- gloves
Today, was the first day I wore gloves. Bare hands would have been bearable, but I like to err on the side of warmth.
The wool t-shirt is the only thing I wore that I would consider special clothing. I'm sure other undershirts would be fine today, but I find the layers of wool to work out very well in terms of air flow at the right times. You can sometimes find wool t-shirts on sale, or find something similar at army surplus stores.
If in doubt, wear an extra layer and remove it half way through. It's worth a little bit of effort so you can enjoy this fresh, cool air.
Thanks to Pörrö for the photo, taken in Finland.
darren : 17 years 6 months ago
November 4th will be the fourth bike swap put on by the Community Bicycle Network. The swap is a fundraiser for CBN bike recycling and education projects. This year CBN is fixing up a number of bikes for sale and so are the Bike Pirates. You can expect to find some nice, cheap bikes, plus people selling higher end bikes.
Attached is a poster for the event. Please help us out by printing it off and posting it in your local cafe, restaurant or bike shop. Please also send an email announcement to all your bike friends!
Arrive early to drop off your gear, consign it with CBN and they'll sell it for you. Sellers will need to come back by 3 p.m. to pick up their earnings and any unsold goods. Anything that isn't picked up without prior arrangement becomes the property of CBN - which isn't so bad because it will go to a good cause!
Schedule:
8-10am - Drop off bike gear for sale
10-2pm - Buy bike gear
2-3pm - Pick up proceeds and unsold gear
Where:
Mountain Equipment Co-op - on the west side of the building, next to Receiving, at 400 King Street West, Toronto.
CBN requires sellers to show identification and to sign a consignment form with 15% of all sales going to support the Community Bicycle Network's bike recycling and education programs.
Volunteers! CBN will need volunteers to help keep the space secure and to help buyers and sellers throughout the day. Please contact CBN if you are interested in filling in a time slot between 7am and 4pm - for an hour or even all day.
herb : 17 years 6 months ago
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