Carless in Vancouver

GREEN PARTY CONVENTION MAJOR SUCCESS

2007-10-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending my seventh Green Party of BC convention. This time around Royal Roads University played host my political party of choice. The event was attended by about 150 delegates from all over BC, California and Ontario.

Recharging ones own political batteries is the name of the game at this event and mine were in serious need of a boost. Given that I live in prime NDP territory, Green support in East Van is minimal between elections. Add to the fact I get in trouble at work for telling people they should recycle more, turn off lights and double side their printing and you can see why I run out of steam. [I work at SFU].

I had the pleasure of staying over at the Sterk residence for the weekend and was treated to a great dinner on arriving Friday night by the Sterk's. It turned out my bike trek from Swartz Bay to their house in Esquimalt took twice as long as I originally expected. A 32km trip for some reason took over three hours, which is slow even for me. I took the Lochside Trail south from the ferry terminal; I got lost twice and there was far more dirt and mud on the trail than I expected. Once I got in to the Greater Victoria area the trail was paved and I got up to more speed and the near flatness of the route was a breeze. In summer this would be a great trail to completion all the way out to Sooke.

The convention itself was well done, apart from the usual organisational glitches. Jim Harris [former federal leader] did his great rousing speech routine, which always inspires no matter how many times I hear variations on it. Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed spoke on the the challenges of being Green and being the Mayor of an Olympic host venue. Originally Ken stood against the Olympics in 2010, so it was interesting to hear how he came to terms with it. His hope is to make the Whistler portion of the 2010 Olympics as green as possible and from what he said he seemed to be happy enough with the results so far. Yet he did acknowledge the limited scope of his own powers in respect to the IOC in particular.

The highlight of the weekend was the election of my good friend and colleague Dr Jane Sterk as leader of the party. Since this was the first leadership race since 2000, at which Adriane Carr took over from Stuart Parker; this leadership was contested between five worthy candidates ALL capable of accepting defeat graciously. It was literally a heart thumper to hear interim leader Chris Bennett announce Jane as the new leader. I know she will be the best leader to take us in to the 2009 BC election. She also has a great partner in Walter Mayer Zu Erpen as party chair, Walter also lives in the capital region and together they will forge a Green team unlike any before it; force to be reckoned with in 2009.

If the media attention given so far is any indication both the Liberals and NDP are in for a rough ride in 2009.

Can We Buy Our Way Out of Global Climate Change ?

2007-06-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

IAN GREGSON

Vancouver seems to be playing a central role in the movement towards developing consumer-driven solutions to avoid global climate change.

Two recent events of note were the EPIC (Ethical, Progressive, Intelligent, Consumer) show at Canada Place and the publication of a new magazine "Granville" from the publishers of BC Business magazine. Both these not so distantly related events promoted spending our way out of the global climate crisis - a solution that is doomed to fail.

The principle of spending your way out of a recession is all too familiar: a government pours millions, often billions, of taxpayer's money into projects that provide employment and thus stimulate the economy - a sort of jump start for a run down economic battery. This principle has been used by many levels of government in the last century, from the work projects of the 1930's to the hosting of the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

This same principle is being applied to the environmental crisis that faces our planet. Some would have us believe that we can spend our way out of global climate change. We see strong messages from the private sector that claim to address the problem. The messages range from "ethically produced coffee" to "environmentally sound homes" to "cars that run on virtually no gas". All marketed at the consumer that has some level of global conscience and the deep pockets to make an investment. Sometimes the marketing is just plain ludicrous.

At the EPIC event we saw the Porsche SUV, one of the most environmentally unfriendly vehicles on the road today, being touted as a solution. A leasing company was offering as an incentive the planting of trees in Mission to offset the carbon emissions of the vehicle! Yet the marketing did not address the manufacturing process of the vehicle, the thousands of kilograms of metal, plastic and unrecyclable material in the vehicle. And while this was an extreme example, there were many similar "guilt reduction" strategies being employed at the event.

Similarly the new magazine "Granville", published by Peter Legge* (see footnote), is attempting to profit by marketing solutions to the upcoming environmental catastrophe. The magazine's mission is to inform and entertain, while providing a medium for their advertisers to flog "green choices" to readers. The message is that your lifestyle doesn't have to change a bit, just keep on spending! Ads for Toyota and other large manufacturers abound in the magazine. Even the most carbon reducing car is still a car, its manufacturing process still requires vast amounts of raw material -an issue most people neglect to consider in an environmental footprint.

Taking environmental issues at face value is not going to stop the impending climate change. People have to start taking into consideration all the factors that bring products and services into our lives. How far did that tomato travel to get to your kitchen counter ? What manufacturing processes did that knife go through in order to be in your kitchen ? How far did your kitchen counter travel to be in your kitchen ? Until we start looking at every single item we consume in a more responsible way, we will continue to rape the planet of its resources and in time we all will have to pay the price.

While at first glance the task of tracking all our consumables seems onerous, if it is made part of a more transparent manufacturing process via the manufacturer's web site then the onus rests with manufacturer not wholly on the consumer. However, it will be the consumer who ultimately decides on how transparent the process is and who will use his or her buying power to decide which products meet the mark.

We cannot allow ourselves to remain passive consumers any longer. We all need to take some responsibility for the products we consume; starting with their use of raw material, manufacturing, employment standards, transportation, packaging and ultimate disposal after use. What we will find is that all of a sudden we do not need as many products as we once thought, and we will consume less.

Footnote:
For more than 40 years, Peter Legge has embodied the gutsy spirit of the entrepreneur. A savvy businessman with an uncanny ability to identify opportunities, Peter successfully developed what began as a small-circulation television listings magazine called TV Week into the foundation of a top Canadian enterprise. As President and CEO of Canada Wide Magazines and Communications Ltd., Peter leads the largest independently owned publishing company in Western Canada, producing more than 30 titles, with annual revenues in excess of $25 million. (from http://www.peterlegge.com)

The Road to San Francisco [and back] Part 1

2007-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back my family and I took a five day trip down to San Francisco. Being the enviro types, we decided on the Amtrak train as our main method of transportation - turns out it was a pretty good trip all around.

Due to various economic and geographical factors getting around by train in North America has long been a challenge in comparison to air travel. However, in talking to several people it sounded like the train was an option in this case. The price was $89 one way for adults, this did not include the sleeper car, which is at least double the price. Having grown up in the UK and travelled the length of the island by train I was looking forward to the 24 hour plus train trek.

Starting in Vancouver in the early Monday AM [5.30] we took the bus to Seattle in order to catch the 9.45am Amtrak Coast Starlite Express from King Street station. The Seattle station is in the process of renovation, its roof needs help. Soon enough we were on our way south out of Seattle. Once out of the downtown area the train sped up. The various stops throughout Washington and Oregon saw the train eventually fill up to near capacity.

The train itself had comfortable seats in the E Z Boy style; you are free to walk up and down, take in the views in the viewing car. My only quibble with the train itself was the physical reality on being on the top deck of a double deck - the constant to and fro was disconcerting for several hours. The problem was far less noticeable on the lower deck, which can also be booked.

As the scenery flew by one could spy wildlife along the south end of Puget sound, however once the line turns inland the land stays flat, sheep cows and horses abound. It was not until climbing the 8000 feet in to the Cascades did the scenery become truly breathtaking.

Sadly it became dark just about the same time we entered the higher regions of the Cascades, however on the return trip we caught much of what was missed. By about 11pm most of the coach was sleeping, some loudly. I found one was able to catch enough sleep to still be functional the next day.

By sunrise at 6am we were already just outside Sacramento. Getting off the train in Sacramento was a needed break. Checking out their new transit extension was cool. Turns out they have only just linked the seven blocks from the last tram station to the Amtrak station, nineteen years overdue.

The trek from Sacramento in Emeryville saw an increase of industrialisation particularly around Martinez. My camera caught a familiar sight to Eagle Ridge Bluffs protestors at the south end of the Benicia-Martinez bridge. However, that was contrasted with the stop we had just south of Fairfield and north of 680 where this photo was taken, in the far distance is a large windfarm.

Our arrival in to Emeryville and subsequent bus ride in to San Francisco got us to the Opal hotel at Van Ness and Geary at around 11am on Tuesday morning.

The Stealing of a Flag....

2007-03-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Stealing of a Flag....

Whilst not a major crime on the usual scale of things, depending on the flag, its location and the symbolism of such a gesture.

Last week the media, practically fell over itself with a focused attention on the corner of Cambie and 12th; for once not exactly at city hall over a faux pas, but at the theft of the Olympic flag.

Later in the week a group of native youths declared they had stolen the flag in the name of Harriet Nahanee. The media attention was not as hot to that story, as it was so for Harriet's death a few weeks back.

The audacity and bare faced cheek of stealing such a prominent symbol of the Olympic flag captured the attention. No Quake 3 puns intended, but capturing the flag could be a new olympic sport.

Now there will be more security - on the same day the Globe and Mail announced the 2010 Olympics will be the largest "security sic military" operation in Canadian history. Not since the NDP debacle at Gustafsen Lake will we have tanks, anti aircraft guns, even more helecopters [why does a helecopter fly over my house every night between 11 and 11.30pm anyway], military personnel, foreign advisors, FBI, CIA, MI5. Don't these people know we are home to some of the most savage and aggressive great grannies in the world ? The heightened security at Betty's sentencing on 5th was a shape of things to come.

So what to do with a stolen Olympic flag ? I suggest cutting it up in to 5000 pieces and sell each one for a dollar and send the money to Betty K in Alloutte Pen. If some kid can make a million selling pixels on his web site, surely this can work. Betty K needs your money, $2 for a simple phone call.

Although it is a rather tactless image, I see us standing on the edge of a toilet bowl looking in, down there at the bottom is the 2010 Olympics, beyond it is an endless vacuum of nothingness. It's not the vision I expected for my children, nor is it you expected for yours. Nonetheless, its all about I can see at the moment.

People tell us the Olympics are coming regardless. Whilst this is certainly true, it does not give the Liberals or their cronies free reign to exploit the people and land within the boundaries of this province. It does not give them the right to throw people in jail for protesting whilst ignoring the environmental consequences of their own actions. It does not give them the right to spend billions of dollars in our name when the vast majority of people fail to benefit directly from this "project".

We need to remember all of this on May 19th, 2009. The downfall of a government started with the theft of a flag....

Remembering Harriet and Pierre

2007-02-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

Last week the BC environmental movement lost two of its foot soldiers in the shape of Harriet Nahanee and Pierre Rovtar.

Harriet was instrumental in the Eagle Ridge bluffs protest and at 71 had been sent to prison for 14 days for simply not apologising to the construction company at Eagle Ridge Bluffs. Along with fellow protestor Betty Krawzyk, Harriet took a stand on the bluffs overlooking West Vancouver, like Betty she was arrested for breaking the will of a judge who simply issued a piece of paper.

It is a statement of our times to see pictures of Harriet on the blockade holding in one hand a piece of paper originally written 200 years ago; the other hand in hand with a West Van RCMP officer. Our court system refuses to acknowledge such an old document, even if it was written in the King's hand. Today a court order can overrule the word of a long dead king with a simple signature.

Betty and Harriet as great grandmothers have memory of the days when Madam Justice Brown never had the opportunity to sit in her current position. Justice Brown is in her position today because women of the past suffered, got arrested and sometimes died to fight for the right for her right to be recognised. Today a construction company has more right to make a buck than people have the right to protest said companies immoral activities.

Make no mistake, Harriet Nahanee died in her attempt to save Eagle Ridge Bluffs, she maybe the first casualty of a new war in the woods.

I knew Pierre Rovtar from his time running for the Green Party in the BC election of 2005. Unlike many GP candidates Pierre did not dissapear from the radar after the election. In fact Pierre raised his profile significantly by raising a Surrey based fight to stop the BC Liberals Gateway Plan; ironically set in motion by Kevin Falcon, who Pierre ran against in 2005.

Pierre's stand against the Gateway Plan would certainly not have been an easy one. The vast majority of residents south of the Port Mann were originally in favour of the plan. However, thanks to Pierre [and others] hard work and dedication to the realities of increased traffic, Surrey, Langley, Cloverdale residents and their local media are now questioning the logic of the Gateway Plan; particularly in light of the Liberals green speech of several weeks back.

As far as I know Pierre Rovtar and Harriet Nahanee never met, yet their commonality is obvious. From each end of the freeway expansion these two warriors fought the fight of so-called "progress". We shall remember them both as such.

Surrey fashions are different from those in East Van

2007-02-10T10:41:00.001-08:00

Surrey fashions are different from those in East Van

In the BC election of 2005 you would be hard pressed to find a would be MLA south of the Port Mann speaking against the Gateway Plan and the subsequent twinning of the bridge. On the televised leaders debate all but one leader spoke in favour of the Gateway Plan.

However, times change and now there seems to far more opposition to the Gateway Plan in Victoria than ever before - or is there ?

As a candidate in the 2005 election I often found myself the single opponent of the freeway expansion, particularly in several televised debates on Ch 10. [NOW TV] with Doug Kooy. [May 17th, 2005] In that debate candidate Bruce Ralston of the NDP voiced his support of the Gateway Plan. Jagrup Brar was quoted in the Surrey Now in support of the plan and even leader Carole James voiced her support for the plan both in the Surrey Now and on the leaders tv debate.

However, that was way back in 2005 and political winds doth change. At the 2005 NDP convention Vancouver Kensington put forward a motion [I have a copy if you want it]

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP oppose unilateral plans for the expansion of Highway 1 & the twinning of the Port Mann bridge in favor of assessing the most effective means for lasting solutions to traffic congestion that are consistent with adopted local and regional policy including but not limited to:

introducing improved transit options
increasing use of HOV lanes and introducing HPV lanes
introducing new rail options
implement congestion pricing and ramp signals
implement transportation demand management
[R2005-02 Lower Mainland Transportation]

The NDP in Abbotsford Clayburn put forward a motion:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BC NDP press the provincial government to implement a comprehensive public transit strategy for the Fraser Valley which gives serious consideration to the utilization of existing rail facilities in the Fraser Valley on the south side of the Fraser River.[ R2005-04 Public Transportation in the Fraser Valley]

The reality of politics is that had the NDP had this policy in place prior to the 2005 election it may not have elected as many new MLA's. Policy changes tend to be a reflection of the current fashion of a political party - they can remain in the closet but never get worn out in public.

So it is with great interest we now observe a step up in the political rhetoric around the Gateway Plan. One begs to ask the question, how many Surrey NDP MLA's will be wearing their transportation policy out in public, particularly south of the Port Mann bridge ? What transportation policy fashion will the NDP leader be wearing in 2009 ?

As a resident of East Van who lives a mere 50 meters from Hwy 1, I am well aware of the NDP opposition to Gateway; but then just about every politician of every stripe is against the Gateway Plan in East Van, [as they should be]. However, it is those politicians over in Surrey, where support for Gateway is fashionable, that I am most concerned about. We never hear from Messrs Brar and Ralston on the issue; we never see them out in public wearing their NDP transportation policy suits and ties.

The logical question arising from this ambiguity [flip flopping] is: Should we trust the NDP to hold the course and wear their policy in public, leading up to the 2009 election ? History tells us political parties will do just about anything to get elected, including pushing their fashionable attire back in to the closet to gather dust, only to brought out when politically expedient.

Many of us have worked hard and long on opposing the Gateway Plan. To put our eggs in one political basket, namely the NDP, is risky. They have a long history of turning their backs on the people who supported them in the past. Maybe it is time for the NDP to wear unfashionable clothing at election time and damn the consequences, you never know people just might follow suit.

2007-02-08T12:22:00.001-08:00

The Rights and Wrongs of being Betty

Today environmental elder Betty Krawczyk returned to court to face a yet another jail sentence. Without knowing the predictable outcome, Betty has garnered more and more support for causes, specifically the need to amend the law so that protestors can be charged under the criminal code.

As it stands environmental protest fall between the cracks in the justice system. If, like Betty and the 20 or more protestors of Eagle Ridge Bluffs, you are charged with "contempt of court" then your legal rights are severely diminished compared to a straight criminal court case.

The intention of which is to completely dissuade protestors for becoming inspired in the first place. Imagine if you knew you would have a fair trial for your protesting activities, wouldn't that inspire you to go live outside for 30 days in a tent beside a busy freeway ? Of course not !

It is interesting to look at the perception of public protest in BC over the last twenty years. Under the BC NDP government, environmentalists were labelled as the "enemies of progress" by the premier of the day [Glen Clark]. Under the Liberals, protests have become more common place, yet more marginalised. The Liberals have not taken on the protestors in the media but in the court rooms. Yet, in East Vancouver particularly, the notion of protest has never been so prevalent has never been so strong, yet how far are protestors willing to go for their cause ?

Are we willing to go to jail to stop the freeway expansion ? Are we willing to risk a strip search in order to protest against the 2010 Olympics ? Are we willing to risk rough treatment from the VPD in order to stop the gentrification on yet another DTES hotel ?

Everyone has their limit - Betty K's limit involves going to jail in order to protect our future. However, not everyone is a Betty K in the making. Betty's age and demeanour is directly related to how successful she has been in bringing attention to her causes. Would a twenty year old have the same success ? Would a twenty year old get the same treatment by police ?

We should not let an unfair justice system stop us from acting, in fact we should seek inspiration from such a system to act even more; like Betty we must risk our personal freedoms in order to save what we value most.

MORE WINTER RIDING IN VANCOUVER

2007-01-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Composite photo inspired by the 2010 Olympics

These past few weeks have seen an incredible variety of weather in the Lower Mainland. We have ran the gammut from 10-12 C "pineapple winds" to -15C windchills. We have had snow on the ground for over a week, which is almost unheard of and cycling is proving to be tricky.

Not only is there lots of snow, but students and staff at SFU were stranded on the Burnaby Mtn campus for several hours on Weds Jan 10th due to a freak snow storm, not that there was no warning....

The local velo related lists are abundant with tips on how to ride through the crappy weather. Anything from lowering tire pressure to driving screws through tires seems to add a bit of stability in ones two wheeled ventures. Me, I'm far more stable on two wheels than I am on one good and one prosthetic leg, so even if I don't actually ride far, I try and take the bike to work still.

So far I've only had one wipe out, lots of odd looks from drivers and pedestrians though. I can see them saying "why" ? Of course you probably know why. Riding in treacherous conditions is fun, it makes for a bit of a chemical rush at the end of an other wise blah work day.

The end of this month see's the Velo Fusion folks hosting my good friend Betty Krawzwyk for a fundraising event on January 26th at the ANZA. This event is made even more special because my band "Mr M and The All Nighters" are playing at the event. Betty keeps on fighting and with inspiration like hers Mr M keeps on playing.

Rumours are flying of a soon to be federal election, yet again. The provincial NDP are positioning themselves as the environmental do-gooders once again. It's so predictable they start hosting events that make me cringe. Good lord I bet Shane Simpson [NDP enviro critic] has never ridden a bike since, well my guess is never. How can you preach it if you don't live it ?

There is also some jockeying around Vancouver municipal politics. Former coucillor and Green Party guy Fred Bass looks to be positioning himself as a mayoralty candidate. According to Tim Louis COPE have put some distance themselves and the provincial NDP, leaving VISION Vancouver to be the NDP farm team. Aligning themselves with the Vancouver Green Party give COPE far more street cred than with the NDP. Now only if they can rid themselves of their gun toting school board trustees :-)

The next twelve months looks like a meteorologically inspired political topography map inspired by the farmers almanac.

Photo by Ray Henderson

Doing the Circle Route - Sunshine Coast/Vancouver Island

2006-10-01T22:22:00.004-07:00

On September 26th, 2006 I took a solo bike tour on the "Circle Route" from Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and back to Vancouver. The route consisted of numerous ferry rides, encounters with several cops on bikes, the worst breakfast in the world and a large late model Oldsmobile. Here is my account of the excursion.....

DAY 1

I left home withe a wave from Heather at 7.20am. I arrived downtown to catch the 257 Express bus to Horseshoe Bay at around 8am. Getting to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal is a challenge even without traffic, in order to bypass it, one has to take the Horseshoe Bay Express bus from downtown Vancouver to the terminal. I arrived at 8.50, well in time for the 9.20am ferry to Langdale.

After I got my ticket, I sat patiently at the loading area, fully expecting to be the only bike on the ferry. However, within a few minutes about 20 cyclists turned up on the "Cops Against Cancer" tour; turns out they were heading up to Powell River just like me; albeit at a much faster pace and more direct route. After chatting with a few of them on the 50 minute ferry ride it was time to off load and head on in to Gibsons for my first rendezvous with Green Party leader Adriane Carr and husband Paul George.

Rather than taking the highway out of the ferry, I took an immediate left and took the less challenging road in to Gibsons [approx 4km] Arriving at the GPBC office at around 11am I found Adriane and Paul hard at work stuffing envelopes, aaah the Green Party. I doubt Gordon Campbell stuffs his own ! Adriane was busy fielding phone calls, as she had just announced her retirement as leader effective as of the November AGM. Lots of people had said great things to say about her, except for one CBC radio panel, but that had Moe Sihota and he casts a long shadow over any party.

I then headed out of Gibsons along scenic Gower Point Rd and then right on Pratt Rd that took me back to the highway. After a short stint on the highway, I went left at Lower Road/cemetery and took the long hill down into Roberts Creek. On such long hills, one hopes the hill back is far less, in this case it was true, but it would not always be so. I dined at the highly recommended Gumboot Cafe. Roberts Creek is true Green Party country and just about everyone looked like the perfect Green Party voter. I even received suggestions on how to take the less hilly route back to the highway from the owner of the local Backpackers hostel. From the Gumboot I headed towards the water and along Beach Rd and then right on to Marlene and back up to the highway.

From then on it was an easy ride in to Sechelt, except for one hilly spot just before the town at Selma Park Rd, the hill was short, steep and had no shoulder at all. For this trip it would constantly amaze me were the shoulder existed and were it did not; suprisingly more so in the built up areas and this was my first hill on the highway in these conditions.

Sechelt is a small town, with one of the largest gravel pits in the universe as its main industry. I popped in at a local bike store on Cowrie Street, mainly to ask for perceptions of the hill on my way out of town. The local techies looked a little uncomfortable and said they never rode out that way much at least on the highway. After picking up some sunscreen and a bite to eat from my pack, I headed down the water front for a photo op at a local park and then back on to the highway.

It was gentle climb out of Sechelt, the kind of climb that lulls you in to a fall sense of security, so when I did arrive at the bottom of the Redroofs Rd hill I wasn't prepared for the full shock of it. This was my first test; it was at this point I would either conquer the hill or turn back and head back to the ferry. I was hot and sweaty at this point, I decided that no mere hill would stop me. Now most touring cyclists would not really consider this hill significantly challenging. However, as I was laden with 20kgs of gear, first time on tour and missing a leg, I hard my work cut out for me on this hill. It was about halfway up this hill that I realised I really missed my granny gear from my previous bike, it would have been very handy. With self pity in full gear and cuss words spewing forth, I climbed the hill in 3 [meaning 3 stops]. The climb was more than physical and for the first time on the trip a feeling of accomplishment swept me down the leeward side of the hill and northwards.

The road then consisted of numerous ups and downs but nothing challenging. The traffic had died off after Sechelt as expected and I began to get off on being the only human in sight; just me, the bike and the road, this is what bike touring is all about. I also started getting in to the "zone", the "zone" is a small place, you cannot be too tired and the traffic cannot be too heavy for you to be in it. My zone was filled with the Northern Soul songs I had been practising prior to leaving, it was all I could hear for most of the trip to Powell River, not a bad accompaniment in the wilds of the BC's Sunshine Coast.

I stopped to take a photo of the "Entering Pender Harbour" sign. Little did I know how far it actually was to my destination of the Pender Harbour Hotel. I was getting tired and sore at this point. It seemed to take forever and in frustration stopped at the local lumber yard to ask how far. "About 5 minutes" translates in to half an hour to this overly grumpy 44 year old with a point to prove. The Pender Harbour Hotel turned out to be on top of a point, which took every last gram of effort and will power out of me. I could not even make it up the steep driveway of the hotel, I could barely walk in to the lobby, let alone lift my bike up the steps in from the front door, but I did.

The Pender Harbour Hotel had been recently rebuilt, turns out it's prior decor was not exactly the greatest. But the new ownership had put some money in to the place. I lugged bike and paniers up the stair to my 2nd floor room and it was worth the climb for a stunning view overlooking the bay. However, before I could appreciate it I had to strip naked and run a hot bath; this would turn out to be my daily ritual. Spending long periods on a bike may sound healthy, but there are certain unhealthy aspects of it that need mention. For me it was wrists and butt, both sore and painful and after the first 75kms in need of a good nights rest.

My dinner at the Grasshopper Pub was pasta, accompanied by a few lagers. The bar was decent with a decent sized stage and PA and I decided it would be a good spot for my new band to play once it was ready to emerge. The bar manager Carl was most interested in the band and we decided keep in contact as to when the band would be ready to play.

One would think falling to sleep would be easy after a hard day on the road. But it is as if your muscles are still out on the there pedalling away, even with a great view of the night sky, it was hard to get to sleep.

DAY 2

I awoke around 7.30am and packed up ready to leave. Turns out no breakfast was available so I headed out the door by about 8.15am. After asking around the only solution was to head back down the last hill I climbed the night before and down the road in to Madeira Park village. It is both frustrating and psychologically challenging for a cyclist to go "back" on a route only to have to ride back on it less than an hour later. But I had no choice as breakfast sounded like it was 5 minutes one way and 30 minutes the other; I should have waited the 30 minutes.

The first place I spotted looked new and located across from the IGA parking lot. "Urban Ecelectics" looked ok, the coffee was decent, a paper cup but ok. I sat outside only to have my peace spoiled by a backhoe working the lot next door. As if the noise was not bad enough, every time it turned around I got a cloud full of carbon monoxide, PCB's and general stink from its exhaust. I'm not sure if this contributed to my deteriorating perception, it was certainly not enhanced by the arrival of my breakfast on a paper plate with plastic knives and forks. This had to be the worst breakfast I ever had, any where. The meat was unidentifiable and over cooked, the food tasted like seconds from MacDonalds. In the time I was there I saw two people arrive and leave, none with food. After my Gumboot experience in Roberts Creek this was a big let down, obviously not everyone on the Sunshine Coast puts care and attention in to their food prep. The morning was barely saved by crossing the street and heading in to the IGA for some bottled water, banana's and a variety of organic Quinoa Bar's. Yesterday I had run out of gas, I was going to make sure I would not make the same mistake twice.

Heading back up the hill out of Madeira Park at 9.20am was easier than I thought and certainly easier than the previous night. I rounded the corner at the Pender Harour Hotel, which still showed no signs of activity apart from the roofer that had sent me down the hill in the first place; so I was off again towards the Earl's Cove ferry.

The 25km to the ferry was undulating and quiet beyond compare and probably one of my favourite stretches of road. About 5km from the ferry I passed the "Cops against Cancer" heading back south toward Pender Harbour for a noon gathering at the local school. There is a significant down hill heading in to Earls Cove, the tour was resting at the bottom prior to the climb, as I passed them doing about 40k. I gave them a wave and they called my name and returned the gesture, I must have left an impression on them. I arrived in Earl's Cove at about 11.40am, the next ferry was at 12.20pm.

The ferry trip is about 90 minutes to Saltery Bay. Jervis Inlet is a huge stretch of fjord that reaches well in to the Coast Mountains. From the ferry you can see great swathes of forest clear cut, these clear cuts are an absolute eyesore and an embarrassment to all British Columbian's. If Wigan can turn the Wigan Alps [mountains of coal slag] in to something practical, surely British Columbian's can do something about these clear cuts. Looking in the opposite direction towards Saltery Bay from the ferry you can see a cut in the mountain side, that is where the road and power cables run. It looked so high from sea level, surely no way was that the road I was about to ride on. I arrived at Saltery Bay and let the ferry traffic make its way ahead of me. I phoned and left a message with Heather to let her know I was ok. I was ok at that point, but I was soon to be faced with another hill challenge.

With the provincial campground on your left, the hill about 2km outside Saltery Bay is significant. However, because of the break on the ferry, one's legs are well rested. This was another 3 stop hill for me and once again the view from the top of it was magnificent as was the ride down the other side; turns out it was the hill I could see from the ferry after all.

The ride in to Powell River becomes less and less undulating the closer one gets to the town. The 38km from the ferry is pleasant with a medium amount of traffic, increasing as you get closer to the town. A great rest stop is the Nimh Organic Farmers Market, about halfway between the town and ferry terminal. The owners recently arrived from Ontario having had their son run the place for the previous two years. Sadly, they had just lost their sheep to a cougar the day before, their Llama had been injured also. The event had made the local paper, so had Adriane Carr's announcement; we had a great chat about the Green Party, turns out they had voted Green in the Ontario elections for years. A few km down the road I stopped off at Sunshine Bikes, they had a good deal on helmets, so I scrapped my ageing lid and replaced it with a brand new Trek Vapor 3, bright yellow in colour. After checking out the Town Centre Hotel, which was full and overly expensive, I dropped in to the harbour area of Powell River and booked in to the Marine Inn.

The Marine is a fine old hotel, with a 50's style diner, although the false roof kind of spoiled the decor. No elevator, so once again I lugged my bike upstairs, taking the paniers off first helped. The room was decent, the view was looking toward the pulp mill and up the coast toward Lund. Turns out the road below my room was the road off the ferry, but it didn't seem to bother me. I ate my pasta dinner at Westview Pizza on Marine Ave. The food was fine as was the view, as the name suggests.

Powell River is an industrial town, it is home to one of the largest pulp mills in the world. It was traditionally working class and not a Green Party town as much as others along the Sunshine Coast. The name of Gordon Wilson still holds sway; in my conversations his name came up several times. However, even as the dependence on pulp decreases, the population of PR is on the rise resulting in the doubling and tripling of house prices. It looks like people are moving to the area in droves, with lots of Americans moving north. The town is a mixture of working class and new agers, so there is hope for the Green Party still.

DAY 3

Since the first Comox ferry was at noon I had a few hours to check out Powell River's Marine Avenue. Breakfast at the Marine was decent, however I seem to have lost the taste for [since the day before] a "cooked" breakfast, especially when it comes to cooking bacon to a crisp as is the great Canadian tradition. I took a stroll down Marine Ave., once again and checked out the local music store. One can tell the cultural health of a community by the existence or size of its music store. In Powell River's case, having a larger population than Nelson but a having a smaller music store speaks to some degree about the town's cultural diversity. A town the size of Powell River should be able to support at least two stores of this size, although according to the store's owner things were on the up. Powell River hosts numerous festivals some of which foster local talent, but they still have a way to go to catch up to a town like Nelson.

The noon ferry was only partially filled, it was a quiet 90 minute trip over to Vancouver Island, I took the opportunity to catch some zzz's only to wake up as we were about dock and then having to rush down to the car deck to be the first off the ferry with a handful of pedestrians.

The trek in to the Comox and Courtenay area was a bit of a culture shock after the relative peace of the Sunshine Coast. The traffic started to build after the turn on to Ryan Road and down the long hill past the Stuperstore. For some unknown reason I found myself in between two rows of solid traffic, I don't know if I was more pissed off with the traffic or my own lack of commuter ridership skills. Highway 19A as it now known was terribly busy even for a Thursday afternoon, the presence of a large box store such as Stuperstore cannot help but make traffic worse. I wasted no time in getting on to the Island highway and out of Courtenay, a town that has certainly changed for the worse in the last few years since I had been there.

Within about a half hour I was back on to some quiet stretches of the Island Highway, although this stretch would remain fairly constant in its traffic flow all the way to Parksville. Passing through the village of Royston I pulled over for a lemonade and organic date bar at a roadside eats. From then on the road runs along side the beach and is flat. I made good speed for the 35km trek south to the Qualicum area. I had originally planned to stay in Union Bay. However, I found myself passing through Union Bay too early and leaving me with too much distance to travel for Day 4 and the ferry terminal in Naniamo.

However, flat road does not translate in to an easy road. I found myself speeding along between 25 and 35 kmph and then finding myself pooped and having to rest backing off to 20k or less on the same flat stretches. However, as 4.30 - 5pm came around I found myself in the village of Qualicum Bay some 18km north of Qualicum Beach. With some direction from a young gas station attendant I went in search of the Lighthouse Motel which turned out to the my most pleasant rest on the whole trip. The motel is located right on the beach at Qualicum Bay right across from the Lighthouse vet building. I guess they must have had a lighthouse at some point, gone now. The Lighthouse motel is small with only four suites with kitchen and living room. I had number four located at the end of the row and nothing between me and the water except for the rocks.

I headed for my bath and rest before heading over to the recently renovated "Health by Nature" restaurant. Apparently the owners Detlef and Petra had run a 50's style diner, but had recently seen the light and turned it in to a fully organic place, complete with reiki, yoga and revitalisation sessions of this, that and the other. They even have a log cabin or two out back that you can surrender yourself to the universe in. It was the best food I had had on the whole trip, topped off by the best tasting Green tea ever, made locally to boot. Turns out Detlef is a trumpet player of long standing and played pro in Germany before moving to Canada. We shared woes of the North American music scene, but he seemed a little resistant to having a soul band play in his new age place for some reason.

It was so dark by the time [8.30pm] I left the restaurant, I had to go back to my room and find my 10watt BLT headlight to use the public phone across the street. After my call to Heather to let her know I had not been flattened by a semi trailer, I went back across the street and simply stood outside and marvelled at the universe. The stars were thick like custard and I could see the milky way, something I have not bothered to look up for far too long; something out on the water was making smacking sounds and nature did her thing all around me, I was at her pleasure. The chill of early fall air sent me inside, just in time for an episode of "Enterprinse" then off to bed at 10pm.

DAY 4

Knowing full well the bedroom window was in direct sight of a sunrise and with that same sunrise being at a reasonable hour [7.25am]. I left the curtains open in order to let the sun in as my alarm clock. Turns out the vibrancy of light from the pre-sunrise show was enough to wake me. A thick layer of cloud give me a mere 3 minutes of sunrise before dissapearing for another 20 minutes. I popped off a few shots on my camera and got ready to hit the road early for a change.

The air was cool enough for a long sleeve shirt and as a precaution I turned on my rear LED for 18kms I headed down the Island Hwy before breakfast. Having the ability to say "I did 18k before breakfast" has a certain ring to it, even if it is only to oneself !

QB has the reputation of being BC's retirement capital and in no way was the reputation tarnished by my breakfast at the Old Dutch Inn. To say the place had the demeanor of a retirement home was an understatement. The place was filled with old ladies laughing and telling tales of their younger relatives. It was a short breakfast and back on the road once again for the final stretch in to Naniamo.

As one cycles south, the villages become larger and the traffic gets less courteous as evident by an encounter with a late model Oldsmobile in Parksville. You can tell there is a lack courtesy in a driver as you swing your left hand and punch his [usually] passenger side windows and give the ubiquitous single finger salute with the same left hand. To embellish the gesture with a profanity or two is a mere courtesy on the part of the cyclist. It's a skill I've learned from decades of commuter cycling and it applies equally in semi-rural Parksville as it does in East Vancouver. Some drivers stop as if to find out where the loud noise originates, most carry on blissfully ignorant of their ability to make my children fatherless.

Just outside Parksville I met up with amputee cyclist Steve Middleton and his wife Anne for an escort in to Naniamo. Steve is organising a similar route bike tour next year to raise awareness for GF Strong Rehab Centre in Vancouver Out of A Limb Website. In fact Steve inspired me somewhat to do this tour of my own making after he contacted me several weeks back. Steve and Anne had just come back from touring in Italy and it was a great boost to me to have them take on the back roads to the ferry terminal. South of Parksville is where the 19A and 19 rejoin in to one horrendously unfriendly to cyclists mass of semi trailers, logging trucks and inexperienced camper drivers. The detour prior to Nanoose Bay was most welcome, however it is at Nanoose Bay where the only road is the highway for several kms and it was here were the most unpleasant and thankfully short part of the trip occurred. Thanks to Steve it was back off the highway, turning left on to Lantzville Road for an up and down route south. I have come to the conclusion it is better to do hills on quiet roads than it is to do flat stretches on busy highways.

Once through Lantzville and up one final hill it was on to the Naniamo bike path that runs parallel to the E and N railway and the 19A all the way down to the left turn down to the Departure Bay ferry terminal. Turns out I was just in time for the 12.30pm ferry back to Horseshoe Bay and although I would loved to have stayed and chatted with Steve about his future plans; an appointment with Billy Bragg at the Commodore required my presence. I bid farewell to Steve, Anne and Vancouver Island and rode the bike down to the ferry loading area one last time.

Once on board, it was yet another culture shock, as it seemed every kid from Vancouver Island was heading to Horseshoe Bay. It was odd to be around so many people after being out on the road alone for the last four days, upsetting even. All of a sudden there were too many cars and too many people. I had a nap on the ferry, when I awoke the feeling had gone and I had changed gear once again in preparation for the return to East Vancouver.

I caught the downtown Express bus from the terminal, I was home by 3.40pm. With 268.51km travelled and 15.37 hours of riding for an average of 17km per hour and an average of 3.8 hours ridden per day. This trip was certainly more than just statistics as it gave me the opportunity to test myself and push my own limits. I know I am capable of more if I ever chose to do so.

Celebrating 1 Year without a car

2006-07-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

I don't really have anything to add except I cannot let the one year anniversary of being autofree pass by unannounced.

This has been a truly exceptional year in many, many ways. Meeting the love of my life Heather and with her encouragement and support staying car free and becoming more like the "green" person I've wanted to be for some time.

I will mention my horrendous experience with yet another irate bus driver. As I look over my blog for the last 12 months I see, irate bus drivers are a common theme. Last week whilst getting to the bus stop a 135 arrived, as I generally ride over to the zone 2 boundary, the only exception being when a bus arrives at the zone 1 stop at the same time I do, as it did this day.

After a brief heated discussion, the driver told me he would not charge me the extra dollar if I rode over to the first stop across the boundary in zone 2. I agreed and rode over there, even leaving my panier on the bus. however, as I got to the stop at the same time, the driver simply ignored me and drove away, with my panier still onboard. Incensed, I rode wrecklessly up Hastings, finally catching up to the bus at Hastings and Willingdon, the driver seemed suprised to see me. Had I not been able to catch the bus at that point I would have reported my belongings stolen by the driver; had I been injured chasing the bus....

In my complaint to Translink I later found out the driver knew full well he had driven away with my belongings, even though he apologised pretending to not know they were there. I even got a call from Translink asking my side of the story, seems the driver had already field a report as preemptive strike ! In later discussions with other SFU bus patrons so many said they no longer take the bus and have returned to their cars simply due to unprofessional operators; this outcome is simply unacceptable.

June update

2006-06-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

The purchase of my Rocky Mountain RC-50 was well worth the $1100 I paid. I have never been on a bike the flies so fast, runs so smooth and is simply a pleasure to ride. My initial concerns were so alleviated, the gear ratios, whilst challenging at first seem to have brought out the best in me. The hills I often climb are still climbable and at a speed that is comparable to using my old bike with the granny gear. On the opposite end I fly down hills pedalling all the way, where I could not pedal before. The narrower tires, lighter frame, different gear ratio and more road bike angles all add up to a very fast bike. The RC-50 is a performance hybrid bike, is has some features of the traditional hybrid [I added the adjustable headstock at the time of purchase] otherwise the handlebars are more hybrid, the frame is road bike, the 24 speed transmission and disk brakes could be either or.

I've been using the Vancouver Auto Co-Op more and more to the detriment of my bike riding. For the last eleven months I've been taking cabs to my band practise. Now I use the Toyota Prius from SFU, picking it up on my way home from work and returning is before work the next day. I hate driving - simple as that. After riding for so long I feel very claustrophobic trapped in a metal box with four wheels no matter how good the vehicle is for the environment. The automobile is too much of a disconnect for the very environment I am trying to protect and save, that is its inherent attribute and that is why so many of us show so much anti-social behaviour whilst driving - total disconnect. I never realised in my 22 years of driving until spending a year without. The automobile has to be one of, if not the most anti-social device ever invented.

That being said KHL and I have driven to, around and back from Nelson in the last few weeks. I did not feel as claustrophobic out on the freeways of BC; having the open highway oneself may have something to do with that. This weekend we head off to Hornby Island for a family event. We initially thought of riding bikes out there, as BC Ferries just jacked up their prices yet again, but with my daughter and two large dogs in tow it makes the car rental the only real choice. However, in order to compensate we are taking in the Critical Mass event this Friday; they are expecting lots of riders and the city streets of Vancouver will once again echo with the mantra "we don't block traffic, we are traffic".

Vancouver has played host to the World Peace Forum and the World Urban Forum this week. Over 170 urban planners signed a petition suggesting the Gateway Plan not go ahead. Citizens are fighting to stop this lunatic called Kevin Falcon who see's himself as the next Phil Gaglardi [who built many roads in the 60's]. The day of the automobile maybe approaching dusk, but Falcon proceeds as if the afternoon is bright and sunny. Adding more roads is simply not the answer to alleviating the problems Vancouver is facing.

Time for a new helmet.

May update

2006-05-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

It is now the middle of May and it is the hottest day of the year so far.

Last week I realised my back wheel was in crisis, I discovered that I three broken spokes and a wrath of lose spokes. How could such rampant destruction go unnoticed by a bike techie a few days earlier ? After some haggling I replaced the wheel with a new one, no less than 24 hours later the left pedal is making a loud noise.

With the continuous mechanical difficulties in mind, I have made the decision to go for a new bike. There are so many variations on the hybrid theme these days; one simply cannot go to the store and expect to find the bike of one's desires with all the right bits in all the right places. So I am looking to spend $800-$1000 on this new bike, have all new racks/paniers and assorted goodies installed. I should be making my purchase this week. [I purchased a new Rocky Mountain RC-50 over the weekend, a new class of performance hybrid bike].

Yesterday, I joined Vancouver Auto Co-Op. For a refundable $500 membership fee I get to drive cool cars at a fraction of the rental cost. The vehicle I look forward to driving the most is the Toyata Prius located here at SFU. I'll probably be booking my first vehicle sometime this week.

I'm riding more and more as the weather improves other than to and from work. I often ride downtown and back, sometimes more than once an the weekend. A few weeks back KHL and I took part in the April Critical Mass rally which occurs on the last Friday of the month. In Vancouver it starts at the Art Gallery and winds itself around downtown, its a real novelty to take over the road with 500 plus cyclists and you move from once place to the next with great speed. KHL hope to be on the next event on May 26th.

April showers

2006-04-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

April has arrived with warm weather [18C] today and good riding conditions.

March was fairly uneventful, we had a last gasp of snow here at the 250m elevation with a dabble in the city, however the university did well to clear the whole mess by home time. The one day the university closed I guesstimated it would so by 3pm and I left early that day.

I'm now commuting to my band practice with the guitar on my back and amp bungie'd to the bike rack. It looks kinda funky and it feels like a few extra kg going up the hills to Commercial Drive and back but overall it is a good way to get around.

KHL and I have decided to join up with spud.ca and start ordering our food from them. So far so good, we have had good reliable service and the food has been high quality. It is good to know where the food came from and how many kms it travelled to be at our doorstep; spud.ca gives a small discount for locally grown or manufactured products.

Hydration is not an issue yet, but if it gets much warmer it soon will be.

I continue to lose weight, I have lost approx 10kg since July 2005 and I expect that to continue.

I feel I am in the home stretch for my goal of riding 12 months without the aid of an automobile.

2006-02-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

There must be more to bike riding blogs than a discussion of the weather !

The weather has been exceptionally good this week, cloudless skies, cooler temperatures, perfect bike riding weather.

Since the last blog the BC government has announced the Gateway Plan, a $3 billion scheme to expand the transportation routes of the lower mainland. Included in this plan is $50 million to expand/upgrade cycling routes. This comes as a hard sell from the Liberals, cyclists want better routes to ride on but at the same time don't want more cars on the road to compete with.

The route I take to work is shared with cars, very few intersections direct traffic away from the bike route, in fact there is very little "encouragement" for cars NOT to use the bike route. More traffic calming, more legislation [by-laws] in regard to who has the right of way on the bike routes, more signage "local traffic only". Lower mainland drivers are simply not aware of cyclists as much as they could be, an education program to this end would help save lives and broken bones.

As the transportation issues heat up cyclists need to make their stand, we need to encourage the general population to get on their bikes and leave their unsustainable modes of transport behind, if only temporarily.

29 days rain with no end in sight....

2006-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

29 days straight rain, with no inclination to stop, at least until Sunday.

I still have not missed a day bike commuting due to the weather, sometimes I am not sure if it is my own tenacity or stupidity that makes me do this.

Last Thursday seemed to get the better of me; I really wanted to be in a car. KHL and I now do yoga over at Britannia, this means getting out of wet gear and getting back in to it, doing yoga then getting in to again and coming home. Having a car would have so much easier [and expensive]. Last night it was raining even harder than the previous Thursday, having some decent gear makes all the difference.

I bought a new pair of gloves and some booties both Activa brand. These booties are a great idea, especially wearing new runners. There is no way these shoes would five minutes without these booties, there is so much crap on the road.

Who would have thought my first winter riding without a car would turn out to be one of the wettest on record ? It is also very warm, with the temp rarely going below 8 degrees C, this makes the transition from speeding down the hill at 60kmh to pedalling up hills the rest of the way, more difficult. I can either freeze coming down the hill or roast the rest of the way home.

I am rapidly coming to the conclusion one of the reasons why people are so out of touch with the outdoors, particularly in winter, is due to all the time they spend in their cars. Why do you care if it is raining, if you jump out of your front door and in to your car ?

Environmental issues have not been up front in this election at all. We should not let the major political parties dictate their own agendas, the people of Canada need to wake up the quality of air and water - get outside more, especially in the bad weather.

addendum: http://www.cbc.ca/bc/story/bc_rain20060131.html

Last commute of the year

2005-12-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today was the last time doing the daily commute until the new year.

If there was any doubt about mother nature letting me off lightly on the last commute of the year forget it, the rain came heavy and hard in the way the west coast can deliver it.

I'll still be riding, have a dentists appointment in the morning, with a good ride up the hill from Boundary Rd up to Gilmour. This hill is much easier with the granny gear on my bike, I don't know how I ever managed without this ingenious device. This hill used to take me three installments, now I can do it without stopping at all.

I hope you like the picture, taken just as I was getting in tonight. Scary lookin' dude huh ?

December update

2005-12-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

I seemed to have survived the worst of the weather, now it just seems overtly cold with out much precip and that ain't too bad.

I have received some positive news from the city of Vancouver regarding the install of speed devices at Rupert and Adanac, apparently they are sending someone out to take readings and see how bad things really are there. I saw the stats from the intersection and there seems to be a plethora of accidents there, however mostly on Tuesdays, very odd.

On a sad note, the new Mayor has dissolved ALL public committees including the cycling committee and disability committee and has yet to reconstitute them. These committees acts as vehicles between the city and the people who live here, I would hope at some point these committees are put back together, however my guess they may stay dormant for some time to come.

I have also decided to not run for Burnaby Douglas in the Jan 23rd federal election. In a recent meeting Ray Power identified himself as a candidate, Ray recently ran for mayor of Vancouver and has run as a PC in Burnaby Douglas in the past. It will be interesting to see how the other candidates react to a right leaning Green that has a bit of a name in the area. In an interesting side note I had a chat to a NDP supporter at one of their tables earlier this week, He commented that "I guess the Greens don't like Ian Gregson anymore". He didn't know who I was, I only smiled as I walked away.

I have been thinking about the political implications of being a bike rider. Do people think I am crazy ? Or do they admire someone who lives what they beleive in ? And would that transfer in to a vote anyway ?

Survived November

2005-11-30T09:37:00.000-08:00

17 days of straight rain and now snow on the ground.

The first half of November was extremely wet, however I did not miss a day of my cycling commute [apart from holidays]. The combination of wet weather and darker nights has made things interesting on the ride home. One night specifically I was wiped out three times by inattentive or plain aggressive drivers.

Equipment wise I am going through brake pads like crazy, I was told to clean the rims every night and that seems to improve things a little. According to the bike tech here on campus bike couriers go through brake pads weekly !!! I invested in a new battery for my 10w BLT headlamp, this really works. I even had cars pull over well ahead of me to let me through, of course the inattentive nuts are still out there.

In an interesting sideline my neighbour Kate relayed her sad story of how she was hit by a car at the local intersection at Rupert and Adanac. This is a particularly dangerous spot for cyclists as the stop signs on Rupert are at the bottom of a creek bed, as a result there is a steep hill for cyclists in both east and west directions. Kate was hit here in 2002 and still has not returned to cycling. I am lobbying city hall to install a set of flat speed bumps at the stop signs at this intersection. The flat speed bumps recently installed at Adanac Park seem to be working well and allowing buses to move over them.

This week the Prime Minister announced the date of next federal election. The big news here is that I will be running as Green Party candidate in Burnaby Douglas. My election web site is http://voteforian.com I intend to run this election campaign using bike power and public transportation only.

Surviving the Fall so far....

2005-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

It is now almost November and I am surviving the Vancouver fall weather reasonably well.

I have invested in a Sugoi riding jacket for $150, a new 3 led front light, very bright. I have also upgraded my tyres to set of Armadillo's and replaced all my brakes with Shimanos and replaced the rear cassette and a new chain. Altogether I have spent approx $300 on the bike.

I survived several heavy rainstorms, whilst not exactly pleasurable at 60 kmph, I remained warm and was able to warm up again once I started riding on the flat. [My first 1.8km is all downhill]. The Sugoi jacket held up very well.

The big problem I have had so far is seat alignment and height. I had some significant knee problems that have thankfully been alleviated by simply raising the seat about 3-4cm. I also had the handlebars raised to lessen my reach and reduce pressure in the groin area. Apparently the seat I have is designed for downhill mountain biking, not for longer sustained riding. Luckily my new doctor is an avid bike rider and suggested getting the local bikestore to check my height etc.. We now have a bikestore on the SFU campus and they are perfectly located for any servicing that needs doing whilst I am at work.

Kutenai Hippy Lady is back riding after a prolonged absence of almost 2 months; ICBC gave her a few bucks for her troubles. KHL is truly a Vancouver city cyclist, she even stops at red lights.

Overall, the bike riding experience is good.

On the lack of automobile side, I have missed the car at several points, particularly when getting my daughter to school and to her Girl Guides. Pretty well the same week I returned the van, my x started making overtures to my responsibility as a parent. She now charges me $4 per day for taking her daughter to school when my daughter is staying with me.

I have borrowed my mums car for several trips to Bowen Island and that seems to have worked out well. And it is certainly good to have a few more $$$ in my pocket.

Overall, the lack of car has led to a slow down in the pace of life. No longer am I running about trying to do as many things as possible and sitting in traffice a lot of the time. I have to say I feel less stressed because of not having a vehicle to worry about and my pace of life has slowed to the point of me appreciating things much more.

CARLESS FOR ONE MONTH

2005-08-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

CARLESS FOR ONE MONTH

So the first month has passed.

The first three weeks passed without much exception. However, the last week has been, shall I say painful.

Last Friday my g/f "kutenai hippy lady" got hit by a car whilst riding her bike to work downtown. She suffered a separated shoulder and various bruises. Luckily she was helped by several bike messengers who don't take kindly to that kind of thing. KHL is doing ok, her arm will be in the sling for another few days yet.

On Tuesday this week it was my turn. I had just come out of the dangerous intersection of Adanac and Boundary Rd [heading east] going along minding my own biznus when a red Toyota nudged me with her passenger mirror. Luckily, it was more of prod than a push or shove and the Toyota was not travelling very fast. However, it sped off fast enough after my few choice cuss words came from me.

Last week on my way home travelling at 70kmph as you do down Burnaby Mtn, hearing nothing but wind, I had to make an emergency stop due to a fire truck. The resulting skid and corresponding flat spot on my tire cost me $70 for a pair of new Armadillo tires. These new tires are like rocks, but they also have a lot more traction than the previous, so it feels like I am working harder.

And it still has not rained....

Day 15

2005-08-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

It has now been just over two weeks since I returned my van to the dealer.

The repairs are complete, I just have to pay for them.

Last weekend I did a fair bit of riding, downtown and back Friday PM, out to Port Moody on Saturday and out to Cates Park in North Vancouver for Under the Volcano - my ass is killing me.

However, I have moved my bike seat ever so slightly to the left and raised it about 1cm and now the pain has subsided considerably.

Today is also the first day it looks like rain, the first in over a month; the temp has dropped about 10 degrees.

This weekend my parents are going out of town and leaving their Ford Escort in my capable hands for the week.

I am picking up small quantities of groceries as I need them on my way home from work, it seems to be working out fine. Not had need for a big shop yet.

Gas prices have reached $1.12 per litre !!!

Week One complete

2005-08-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Day 7

It has been a week since I returned my leased vehicle to the dealer.

Over the weekend I rode my bike to ALL the events I attended; one on Saturday night, the other all day Sunday. By the time Sunday PM came around my nether regions needed a rest. Normally I wear my regular workday shorts for my commute, however longer treks need more padding and protection.

Last night I took my tire pressure only to find both tires at 27 psi. No wonder I was slowing down - tire pressure will do that.

If I am to keep commuting over the winter I will need better gear. particularly the rain jacket. The only problem commuting from SFU is that there are no lights from the campus to the bottom of the hill. It is bad enough reach speeds of 70km/h in dry - daylight, but in complete darkness and rain it would be suicidal. I would have to pay the $2.25 and get off the bus at the bottom of the hill.

There is a movement afoot at SFU to get faculty and staff a transit pass similar to the students U-PASS. Apparently, SFU are talking to Translink about this. SFU just jacked up is ridiculously low car parking rates by 20%. Combine this with recent gas price increases and you have more people seriously considering leaving their vehicles at home, even with our less than adequate bus services.

I am picking up groceries from my local "Red Apple" market at I need them on the way home. I need to go there more often since I have limited space to carry them.

So far I have no reason to miss my vehicle - it has not rained in the last week.

Day 2

2005-07-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

On the ride home last night I felt different.

No longer am I responsible for a carbon based fuel hog that costs me thousands of dollars a year to run.

I looked at all the people lining up for 89.9 ¢ gas and thought "thanks but no thanks".

I looked at my two wheels and thought "this is good enough for me". Of course the weather has been perfect in Vancouver for the last few weeks, not had any flats or interactions with inattentive drivers.

With the savings from not having a gas guzzler to look after I can get myself some decent rain gear and get a new battery for my dusty helmet mounted 10w lighthouse, some people call a mere bike light.

I'm gung ho still.

The first bus experience

2005-07-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well not really my first bus experience, since I take the bus to work every day and ride my bike home from SFU.

However, it was somewhat ironic that after riding my bike up to Hastings from the car dealer on Boundary Rd, a mere 2 bus stops from the Zone 1/Zone 2 border the burly driver insisted I pay the extra $1 to catch the bus from Cassiar and Hastings to SFU.

I knew this driver would be a problem as he pulled up about 8 feet past where I was standing with my bike, forcing me to wheel the bike around the bus and on to the rack. After he challenged me over the extra $1 I simply got off the bus and unloaded my bike. Out of due courtesy I should have left the bike rack down; as it was I almost passed the same bus at Boundary and Hastings as I went in to Burnaby.

I also had to explain to the next driver that the ticket I was trying to use had not been replaced by the driver of the previous bus. Since tickets issued in Zone 1 cannot be used in Zone 2.

90% of the time when I take the bus in the morning the drivers do not care about using a 1 zone ticket, so close to the boundary of Zone 2. There are asshole bus drivers, who might want to challenge the sad bus user with out change who then has to tramp up to Boundary and Hastings. Charging $1 to go 2 stops is stupid.

I have nothing but empathy for bus drivers that have to put up with some of worst Vancouver has to offer in regard to workplace safety. There are a small number of drivers who must really hate their job and the people they are supposed to serve. Students in particular are a specific target when it comes to drivers who obviously have shortcomings elsewhere in life.

Bus drivers might want to rethink this rule enforcement when it comes time for public support when they start asking for more money when on the strike line. How about if passengers started enforcing the rules on driver conduct I'm sure we would be hearing about it real quick.

The first day

2005-07-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

Today I returned my 2002 Chevy Venture Van back to the dealer. The vehicle was leased from GMAC Canada from January 2002 to January 2006, Wolfe Chev were very nice and let me return the van six months prior to the end of the lease.

Since January 2002 I have paid $350 for the lease and approx $120 per month for insurance. The van has cost me about $60 per month in fuel and overall about $500 in maintenance etc.. Since my separation in December 2003 I have never needed the full capacity of the van. At the most I need 3 seats, maybe 4. However, I have decided to try life without a car until January 2006. If succesful I will continue to be without a car indefinitely; it has been done by others, it can be done by me.

In the 42 months I have leased the vehicle I have paid $14,700 in lease payments, $5040 for insurance, $2520 in fuel and approx $500 in maintenance. By returning the vehicle now I will save a total of $3180 over the next six months.

I will be carless for the first time since 1982.