In this series we stop people along the bike lanes in Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»and have chats with them about their thoughts on cycling, their bikes, and more. Have a look at the archive .
Name?
Devon.
Where are you off to today?
I am actually headed off to Crescent Beach. There is a swim club out there and my sister’s kids are swimming in the end of the summer gala. I grew up swimming so my family was all hoping I would be there.
Do you bike along 10th avenue often?
A lot. I live along 10th actually, at Main Street.
What is your favorite part of Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»to bike along?
That is a tough question as Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»is so diverse. Definitely not the seawall as it is just a mad house. You always have to be on your guard. I do like riding down to Marine Drive, and just past that you can ride along the river. It’s quiet down there and there is even a pub along the route. I think that if you are not in a massive hurry you can really enjoy the city. You just have to slow down and take a look at your surroundings. I work on Main Street (at Eugene Choo) and people come into the shop all the time and ask how long we have been there for. When I tell them we have been there for 15 years they’re surprised because they just whip down Main Street in their cars. When they actually take the time to walk down the street, that’s when they find all the little gems.
Do you commute by bike?
I ride all the time. Not just to commute but to get everywhere. There are definitely routes that I love more than others. Like I don’t like taking 10th avenue during biking rush hour, so I will take 8th avenue instead because the streets are wider. 10th is much narrower especially from here (10th and Manitoba) to Oak, and where there is two sided parking for cars. I got doored in July of this year and I really feel like if there was only one side of the street for vehicle parking it would take a lot of the pressure off the cyclist to be far enough away from the parked cars and also not be hitting each other. I’ve seen so many horrible bike accidents, and I just think that little bit of extra room would make all the difference.
Tell me about your helmet?
I love my helmet. It’s a Giro, and I’ve had it for a very long time. I did have to replace it when I was hit. It’s a really great helmet as it really cups your head, and then I put on the accoutrements myself (the lights). I also love the visor on my helmet. This thing is the bomb, because it blocks the sun and keeps the rain off of my glasses. There is a lot of good things about this helmet.
You are making me want to buy your helmet.
Well another good thing is that I went into onTheRivet and was chatting about my helmet and how it had a broken part inside. They said that they could order me a new piece for it instead of having to buy an entirely new helmet. Another piece broke after that and they were able to order that for me as well, which I was grateful for as I can’t actually buy this style of helmet anymore.
Would you ever get on your bike without your helmet?
Actually there were a couple of times where I’ve gotten on my bike without it and gotten a block away before I hit a fit of panic. I am not comfortable without it, and I had to go back and get it. It is like being in your car without your seat belt on. Yeah, it isn’t going to save your life all the time but there is a possibility with little fender benders that it will preserve your quality of life.
Why do you think it is important to wear your helmet?
I am a firm believer in wearing a helmet especially after the first time that I was hit. I was going very slow, and even the car was going pretty slow, but I still got a wicked concussion from such little action. When I got doored this year, the paramedics showed up and said, “Thank god you were wearing your helmet.” I had a massive concussion and I am still in this concussed state. It could have been so much worse had I not been wearing one. I know it is isn’t going to save my life if a car hits me really hard, but at least it will protect my brain.
