Santa's Elf's Christmas Trike Sleigh Part 2

Santa's Elf's Christmas Trike Sleigh

On Dec 6./08 I will enter my trike in the Peterborough Santa Claus Parade. This year the theme is Christmas sleighs so I've decided to turn my trike into a trike sleigh for the event, and I shall dress as one of Santa's elfs.
For the project I am using coroplast I have laying around including political signs. My environmental friends might cringe when they hear the word coroplast as it seems to have a bad name amongst greenies, as it is not always recyclable ( tho' the company begs to differ).
But it is reusable and it's light weight, durability and waterproofness makes it ideal for bike projects. It's also easy to cut and can be fastened using plastic cable ties. Holes can be punched with an awl.

Electric assist trike

This is a 2003 Lightfoot Cycles Courier, my personal transportation. This fall I installed a Heinzman Electric hub motor kit. It's a Mountain drive 500W motor w/36v NiCad battery pak.
The beauty of the NiCad battery pak is it only takes 2 hrs tops to charge it.
This is a heavy bike to begin with. I would guess with tools, cargo box, fenders and fairing, It probably weighs about 80#. My average speed doing errands in town is about 8.5 mph.
With the electric assist my average increases to 10.5mph or there-a-bouts. On the level I can maintain speeds of15 mph easily which makes it very effective for traffic cycling. But it's a lot easier on me, and I don't think that is a good thing. This way I will not get in shape for out-of town touring which is my pleasure.
When touring I usually carry 65# of camping gear plus added water at 2# per litre. My average speed then is about 9.5 mph depending on terrain. The motor is ok used judiciously for about 20 miles, and when it runs out of juice, it's a lot harder to pedal than without. Consider that the weight of motor and battery is another 11 lbs and the electric motor hub does not freewheel as well as a regular bike wheel. There is a lot of resistance. So suffice it to say, it's only good for in town, but in town it's damn good.

Peterborough's worst intersection

It seems the police and city staff have known for quite a long time that Lansdowne and Monaghan is the most dangerous intersection in Peterborough. I’m sure city council had that information too.

Knowing then what the Examiner has now revealed to the public, why would city staff and city council agree to create a bike lane that directs new cyclists into this unsafe intersection? And if they had the opportunity, would they change their minds on this?

In a presentation to city council last November I questioned city staff’s proposal to create a bike lane on busy Monaghan Rd., a high traffic, heavy truck route that cyclists would normally avoid. They were unable to show that bike lanes were any safer than riding on roads obeying traffic rules. But claimed one American study showed bike lanes attract new cyclists and that alone is good enough reason, as they have a mandate to encourage alternative transportation.

Competent cyclists who practice and obey the rules of the road are not attracted to bike lanes. But to the young, the inexperienced and the timid are. Bike lanes give a perception of safety as they are designed and recommended by the city. Many parents tell their children to use the bike lane, but what happens when it ends? They are directed into busy intersections such as the above without the experience or knowledge to cycle safely with traffic. There are three schools on Monaghan Rd., and Fleming College students have been directed to use this bike lane to access Crawford Dr. But there is no need for any of these students to use this intersection. There are safer alternate routes.

City police say there were 34 collisions at this junction last year. How many cyclists will be hit this year? Recently a young father was seriously injured while riding through this intersection, and I can’t help wondering if he was attracted to it because of the bike lane.

Transportation manager Jim Kimble says, “The intersection is a perfect example of engineering as much safety as possible.” And, "From an engineering perspective there's not a lot the city could do to make it safer.” I disagree. I would suggest that through engineering, the city is making this intersection less safe, by knowingly directing novice cyclists into an already dicey situation.

Visibility

Who's In The Wrong? | Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery - Bicycle Comics

Who's In The Wrong? | Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery - Bicycle Comics

Ya, right! The best defence is offence.

On the Phone in the Car | Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery - Bicycle Comics

On the Phone in the Car | Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery - Bicycle Comics

Distracted drivers are my biggest fear!

Re: Scenic route gets facelift- Examiner article July 24

I just got in from a trike ride down the River Rd and read the article about road crews ruining the scenery, and boy have they got it right.

The s-curve that goes under the Trent U pedestrian over-pass was repaved last year. They then put up a concrete barrier retaining wall all along it on the river side. It’s at least half a mitre high and really ruins a beautiful panoramic view of Trent U on the water. It has also blocked access to a lovely little shady nook, with benches for walkers, hikers and cyclists to tarry and enjoy the view.

This so-called road improvement is supposed to improve sight lines? It hasn’t improved sight lines for anyone. Please take down that ugly wall and gives us back our beautiful River Rd. If the city won’t consider its inhabitants, perhaps it will consider the tourist dollar.

Re: Perilous cycle spots (Examiner letters July 21)

Mark Steele disagrees with me that Peterborough is bike-able, and he names two areas; Clonsilla Ave W and Ashburnham S of Lansdowne St.

These are 4-lane roads, and when the curb lane is not wide enough to share I take the lane, keeping highly visible to overtaking traffic and allowing them to pass in the inside lane. Drivers see me easily and understand my intent.

Under Ontario HTA 147. (1) , a bicycle as a slow moving vehicle is allowed to do this.

Situations such as this are learned and practiced in CanBike 2, cycling education for adults. Registration is at: http://www.learningsource.ca/

Peterborough is a wonderful, bike-able city when cyclists obey the rules of the road and act in a predictable manner.

"Nobody ever died from not knowing how to play flag football. Yet we spend tax money teaching kids its nuances in gym classes, while bicycle safety is still foreign to most school curriculums. That isn't right."

- Don Cuerdon, cycling journalist who uses the pen name "Captain Dondo"

Transit changes remain stalled- The Examiner May12

The city says it cannot find the money to complete improvements to public transit that would encourage more ridership.

Even though, it received more money than expected from provincial gas tax revenue (which is supposed to be earmarked primarily for public transit).

As Transportation manager Kimble stated, ’Following implementation (of previous improvements) in fall of 2006, ridership increased by 8.5%.’

This only proves; if you build it they will come!

Given that more money spent on improvements equals increased ridership, what is wrong with borrowing the money required to continue necessary improvements - or perhaps taking it from the roads budget?

After all, more transit riders means less cars, less congestion, fewer roads required, and reduced emissions. This is where we should be headed.

Why is it that when spending money on roads, politicians and city staff call it investing in the future, or investing in infrastructure, but spending money on transit is called subsidizing?

In actuality, motorists are being subsidized through taxes of non-motorists. I just read that while drivers are belly-aching about $1.25 gas, the actual cost to society is $4 a litre

I submit that public transit decisions are made by city council and city staff who drive.

Motor heads just don’t get it.

Police charge 27 cyclists

Traffic and downtown patrol officers laid 27 charges in a plainclothes sweep targeting cyclists and skateboarders in the downtown core, city police said Friday.

Sgt. John Ogrodnik said all the charges related to cyclists, and were related to riding on the sidewalk, going the wrong way on a one-way street and running red lights.

Riding on a sidewalk will net you a $65 ticket, he said, and a Highway Traffic Act offence is a $110 ticket-Peterborough Examiner July 11/08



To: letters@peterboroughexaminer.com

Congrats to our police service for their enforcement effort regarding cyclist’s infractions. As a transportation cyclist I recognize the security and safety of following the rules of the road as I go about my daily tasks.

I’m particularly pleased they are going after wrong-way cyclists. Almost 30% of all car/bike crashes are caused by cyclists riding against traffic flow. They’re not only a danger to themselves, but also a danger to those who cycle properly, with traffic. I’ve had many a close call coming around a corner to find someone coming right at me.

As far as sidewalk cycling goes, it’s not as safe as some might think. A cyclist is 2.6 times more likely to have a crash on the sidewalk as compared to riding on the road. They are a danger to the rightful users of this space e.g. children, senior citizens, mothers with strollers and dogs on leashes. Ironically, they flee the roads to avoid the SUVs and then become the SUV of the sidewalk.

I know it’s people like this that injury stats are culled from; and Darwinian theory prevails, but what bothers me is that in the process of eliminating themselves, they skew the stats to make people think that somehow cycling is a dangerous activity (which it isn’t). On an hourly basis, motoring is more dangerous than cycling.

They also give legal cyclists a bad name and we don’t like it. We ride according to the rules of the road in a lawful, predictable manner which motorists appreciate and respect. We don’t want scoff-law cyclists ruining our good relationship.

Good news! For those who cycle already and would like to cycle more, but feel intimidated in certain traffic situations, a CanBike2 course for adults starts on Sept 10, and there are still a few openings. This course will help you feel safe and confident in traffic; setting you free to enjoy cycling for shopping, errands and commuting in this wonderful bike-able city of ours. Register at www.learningsource.ca.

My main ride...

The Lightfoot Courier is a cargo trike, built to carry 500 lbs.
In these pics I just picked up a weeks groceries for two and am
adding on a large bag of dogfood for a total of 85 lbs.

Global Warming