If you used to take public transit before the COVID-19 pandemic, and for any reason are not now, I’m wondering if you will ever trust the close quarters of public transit with your health again? I’ve had people ask me for recommendations on bikes lately becasue they say they will never use public transit again. I can’t blame them, although some have said that over time, they might change their mind.
However, I realized some people are asking for recommendations for an impulse purchase. One person I was speaking to was really excited about getting a bike now and was talking to me about the health benefits from it, and how eventually the upfront cost of a bike will save them money from the cost of all the future payments for bus and Skytrain monthly passes. Fair enough.This was all great and I love to advocate for cycling, but things fell apart when I started asking questions.
Does this person’s work have somewhere safe for them to lock their bike? No, it would be outside, out of view and would hopefully be there when they finished work. Ok, well, I’m sure they have a safe place to store their bike at their home? No, their small apartment doesn’t have room for it and actually the bike racks at their building have had bikes stolen so many times it’s really not used anymore by the residents. We dug a little deeper. Their ride would be about four kilometres and would include some roads that don’t have a dedicated bike lane. Were they comfortable riding on a road that has no physical separation from vehicles averaging 60kmh? And, what about in the warm months, did they have a place to shower at work and change their clothes if they were to sweat? No and no.
Now, this was just one person. Other people have different scenarios and places to ride to, and they fit the bike profile perfectly. But, was it an impulse buy? Would they keep it up? So I suggested they go and try out the U-Bicycles located all over Richmond. I told them to try riding their route in Richmond and see how they liked it. Are there good bike lanes to where the need to go? Is it something they could really see themselves doing every day?
So if you’re thinking about buying a bike to replace public transit, just think about those few simple things. And, regardless of if you want to buy a bike now or not, do try the U-Bicycles located around Richmond. It’s a cheap, easy way to enjoy yourself out in the sunshine as the weather gets warmer - and they provide helmets. But, I would be remiss to mention this. Someone I talked to said they would not use a public bike becasue of the threat of germs on the bike, and they would only do so if they could wipe the bike and hemet down first. So, keep that in mind these days. Personally, I find it’s much easier to social distance riding in the bike lanes, rather than walking or riding using the multi-use paths. Stay safe everyone.
Geordie is an avid cyclist who writes his column on cycling in Richmond. His Saddle Up column focuses on different aspects of cycling from a beginner’s guide to cycling safety in Richmond.
