Editorial Terry Lowe

Sometimes it's hard not to think of cars as the enemy. In the course of riding around town for about two hours on a recent afternoon, I counted eight drivers deliberately driving through red lights, often speeding up to do so when other lanes of traffic were either slowing or stopped. These were drivers who decided that stopping at a red light was just too inconvenient, so stomped on the gas and blasted on through. I was nearly run over by one, and this was observed by two members of the local police department sitting in their own car, who did nothing.
The problem is that for the last half-century road design has focused almost exclusively on optimizing the movement of cars while marginalizing all other road users. Small wonder some drivers feel they own the road: everything in their driving experience reinforces that notion. [more...]

I received an email from someone I used to work with, whom I last saw 15 years ago. He'd seen my name on the masthead and wanted to know if I was the same guy. Yes. He'd recently sold his car, relocated from the suburbs, and was looking for a bike to use around town. We'll probably see more of this, as the price of gas continues to rise, and operating cars grows more unfeasible. [more...]

And why not? You can buy a very good quality bike for less than the cost of one month of car use. You'll rediscover your city, recover the use of your legs, have a lot of fun, and save wads of cash. Paradoxically, your food bill may go up even as the extra pounds drop off. (Cyclists eat a lot, and then burn it all up with their after-dinner ride.) You'll never again pay for parking, and the rush-hour traffic reports on the radio will become a source of entertainment, since they will no longer apply to you. [more...]

Over time, you'll become "the expert," and people will begin contacting you for bike advice. And you'll probably meet a lot of interesting people. [more...]

When midday finally arrives, children at the elementary school devour their lunches, grab their coats, and race outside to play on the swings. They don't care if it's raining; they just want to get outside and hurtle through space in the open air for a while. [more...]

For us adults, riding a bike is one way to experience what those little children in the  schoolyard enjoy so effortlessly. We cyclists know this, and it's the reason we smile at one another when passing each other on the bike routes. [more...]

Riding is my passion, and a lot of the riding I do is done for fun. Yes, fun, and nothing but. My neighbours, I'm sure, think I'm crazy when they meet me in the lobby on a black and foul February evening, returning home from my "after dinner" ride, dripping wet and shivering, but with a grin on my face. "I do it because I like it," I tell them. "No, really." [more...]

At 1 am the city’s streets are blessedly silent, empty, and free of cars. Drifting breezes carry scents of the ocean, of flowers at rest, of lawn sprinklers quietly at work, and hints of tomorrow’s weather. The city lights tranquilly glow, reflected in your bicycle mirror in postcard-perfect panoramas. [more...]

What little traffic there is is visible from far away. Cats and near-sighted skunks wandering across the street are the main hazards; raccoons are out too. Gulls apparently never sleep; they’re still flying around and screaming at the moon at 2 am. [more...]

You can go wherever you please, as fast or as slow as you wish. Leave your heavy lock and pannier at home, and you’ll find that a naked bike is far more responsive. [more...]