Gas prices continue to rise beyond predictions, traffic congestion builds, parking prices are the highest in the country, and public transit runs beyond capacity. But these common commuter concerns arent a worry for Calgarian Paul Storey. He has been riding his bike to work, year-round, no matter the temperature or conditions, for 14 years. “Dealing with traffic and parking downtown just doesn’t appeal to me. So, I started this and it just stuck,” says Storey. And, despite a recent early-morning collision with another cycle commuter that landed him in emergency, his 13 km ride to work remains an enjoyable part of his day and a key component to his exercise regime.

But Storey has noticed a change on the Calgary roads and pathways in the last two years. “I used to be the one laying the first tracks on the snow in the morning. Now, the path is pretty well packed by other cyclists by the time I get on it,” says Storey. More and more people are dusting off their old bikes or buying new ones and taking two wheels to work.

According to recent Statistics Canada Census 2006 results, the number of people riding bikes to work is up by 20 percent compared to the 2001 report. Still, even with that gain, cyclists accounted for a mere 1.3 per cent of Canada’s commuters with 195,500 people pedaling their way to work, The vast majority, an estimated 10,644,300 workers, drive to work in a car, truck or van.

According to the report, if you live in Victoria, you are the most likely in the country to ride your bike to work, followed by those in Kingston, Saskatoon, Peterborough and Guelph. If you live in St. John’s, Nfld. or St. john NB, you are the least likely in the country to ride to work. According to Trish Patrella, PR and Marketing Coordinator for Norco, their commuter specific gear is much more popular and selling better in Quebec and Ontario compared to Western provinces.

Those who are 15 to 24 years of age are most likely to commute by bike. But, the 45 to 54-age category is the largest growing age category for bike commuters. And, according to the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, only 1/3 of commuters in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto are women.

While the percentage of people that choose their bike to get to work seems miniscule, the Census growth points to a trend that is fuelled by just that – fuel. “More people are coming in because of the price of gas. That’s the end-all and the be-all reason,” says Stewart Louis the owner of Singletrack Cycle store in Calgary. The 2006 Census results placed Calgary’s bicycle commuter percentage at 1.3 percent. But Louis thinks it is now much higher than that. And, the manager of The Bike Shop down the street agrees. “One out of five bikes are going out of the door with racks. That wasn’t happening a few years ago.” The store is working to target potential cycle commuters with a page on their website devoted to cycle commuting including a list of “Bicycle Commuting Excuse Busters” as well as a cycle commuting networking forum.

...Beyond the Price of Gas – Advocacy and Municipal Support Sure, the pain of filling the gas tank is turning many more people into cyclists but the green movement and strong advocacy programs are also playing a large role in the growing numbers. A quick Google of cycle commuting will bring up a host of Canadian sites, blogs and user groups of people talking about and advocating for cycle commuting. In Toronto, where 1.7 percent of commuters cycle, a large network of 112 BUGS, or Bicycle User Groups, has been developed. The BUGS, usually created within specific communities or regions of the city, promote cycling by holding cycling information sessions and repair sessions. They help newbies overcome their fears surrounding cycle commuting by offering a cycling mentor who will do the commute with them. They also often commute into downtown together to provide security and support.

Also, many municipalities across Canada have public transport and road infrastructure that has lagged far beyond population growth, and advocates say that promotion and funding for active commuting methods is an obvious solution to help alleviate transport difficulties. In Toronto, the city developed and began implementation of a bike plan in 2001. The plan follows 49 recommendations and is a long-term approach to improve and expand on cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes, bike paths, bike lockers and posts, bus bike racks and cycling programs. As of 2006, 15,000 bicycle posts and rings had been installed throughout Toronto as part of the program. The City claims this is the most installed in any city in North America.

Toronto plans to spend $6.2 million in 2008 on cycling infrastructure. However, the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation says the city still has a long way to go and complains that only 2 percent of the city’s transport budget is devoted to cycling infrastructure. They also say the city does not devote enough money to promotion and education. The annual cycling education, safety and promotion budget is only $159,000. Vancouver, on the other hand, has committed to devote 10 percent of its transport budget to cycling by 2010. Calgary is lagging behind and recently announced it would spend $5 million over five years to improve bike lanes.

Montreal has launched an ambitious plan that includes 400 new kms of bike paths, the country’s first self-service bike rental system, better snow clearing of paths and five times more bike parking spaces. The city has committed $134 million to the plan.

Also in Montreal, Vélo Québec is working on getting more children and youth to ride their bikes to school. According to Vélo Québec, in 1971, eight out of ten children walked or road their bikes to school. Today only four out of ten children do the same. Vélo Québec’s “On the Move to School” program encourages children to use active transport to get to school. The program works with teachers and parents to ensure children’s safety. In 2007, thirty schools and 12,000 students took part in the program.

...Businesses Doing Their Part For Paul Storey, a place to park his bike and good shower facilities are key to his commute. “I don’t think I would have kept cycling to work this long if I did not have a good place to get cleaned up at my office,” he says.

Cycling advocates agree it is key to get businesses on board to help make cycle commuting easier for its employees, recognizing it as a win-win situation. According to a public health study completed in Denmark, bicycling to work reduces mortality risks among workers by 40 percent. The eco-travel company of Butterfield and Robinson was awarded Toronto’s 2007 Bicycle Friendly Business Award. The company offers its staff access to secure and monitored bike parking, shower and change facilities, an on-site employee bike mechanic, bike-to-work clinics, as well as $400 per year bonus for use towards the purchase of a bicycle or bicycle related products.

...Getting the Right Equipment According to Stewart Louis, most people coming in his store to gear up for commuting by bike are starting from scratch. “They may already have a bike but they are asking for the right bike, the right accessories and the right clothes to make their commute comfortable. For many of them, it seems to be all about comfort.” He points to the Gary Fisher Utopia hybrid bike as a popular choice for many of his customers. “It offers a more efficient ride than a mountain bike but still gives a smooth, comfortable ride that can handle our bike paths,” he says.

At Norco, they are working to meet the needs of cycling commuters. “Our Corsa series is really popular and made specifically with commuters in mind. It goes out the door with bells, racks and fenders so the customer is ready to go right away,” says Trish Patrella at Norco. She says the company continues to see significant growth in their hybrid, flat bar road bikes and commuter bike lines – those with larger wheel size such as 700c. She also says they are seeing strong growth in accessories such as panniers, fenders and anti-theft devices.

According to Patrella, Norco will continue to work to make the bikes better suited to commuters with step-through and lower-profile frames. They also will continue to make their bikes less appealing to thieves. “It’s a shame because we work so hard on designing these bikes. We’d love to make them look more fun and exciting but we have to tone it down so they won’t get stolen,” she says.

Patrella also notes that people are now willing to spend more on their commuter bikes now and looking at them as their primary bike rather than their secondary bike. “We still are looking at keeping low price points but we are able to have higher end specs now as well,” she says.

...Canadian Companies Ahead of the Game Before gas prices were sky-high and Al Gore was a cultural phenomenon, Craig Colombe saw potential in cycle commuting. He is the owner of Two Wheel Gear, a Calgary company that manufactures and sells what he describes as “a suit bag for your bike.” The bag is designed to fit on a standard bike rack and carry paperwork, laptops and suits – wrinkle free. “I was riding my bike to work myself and just saw the need. I felt like there were very few things available out there that could make my ride and transition to the office easier,” he says. Colombe began selling the bags over the Internet in 1997 and has seen his business thrive in the last few years. He says there is good growth in the Canadian market. But, his strongest market is the Virginia and Washington, DC area that, he says, has a strong cycle commute culture.

In Edmonton, necessity was also the impetus for design for Linda Young the president of Pinhead Component Inc. When her bike’s front wheel was stolen from in front of her Junior High School, she thought there must be a better way and began tinkering with designs for an improved locking system. It was many years later in 2001 when she and a partner prepared the product for the market. The Pinhead uses metal pins to replace quick release systems for seats and wheels. The system comes with a special key that is the only thing that will loosen the convex bolts used to hold the seat or wheels in place. It is not meant to solve the problem of having the whole bike stolen – just components.

“Our commuters like this product because it’s easier to lock their bikes plus they can cut down on weight with a smaller lock,” says Stewart Louis. He says customers buy the Pinheads system and then are able to buy very small, light u-shaped locks since they only need to lock their frames – not their wheels too.

Sure, more of us are willing to ride our bikes to work, but some of us want a little help. Interest in Ebikes is on the rise and a Québec company is making head roads where you might typically expect a Taiwanese company. Bionx is based in Asbestos, Québec and makes electric bike motor conversion kits that are, lightweight and offer a range of up to 60 miles per charge and can assist the rider to go up to speeds of 35 km/h. The standard Bionx system includes a control console, a battery and a wheel/motor and can be installed on most bicycles by replacing the rear wheel with the Bionx motor-wheel. The Bionx system can be retrofitted on just about any bicycle: road, mountain, tandem, folding and recumbents.

Darryle Kaminski of Power In Motion in Calgary, says their store, that sells ebikes and ebike conversion kits, is having trouble keeping up with the demand for power assist bikes and kits. “More people are looking for a cheaper way to get around,” he says. According to Kaminski, most people just take advantage of the power assist to help them up hills.

...Bikes as transportation, not just recreation Nyall Engfield is an Ottawa-based attorney who is also a strong cycle commuting advocate and hosts a blog site, Canadian Cycle Blog – Greener and Leaner. He laments the fact that biking is simply viewed as recreation in North America rather than transportation as it is in Europe. On his site he encourages people to send letters to the federal government to provide tax rebates for the purchase of bikes, and letters to municipal governments to improve and increase the number of bike lanes. So far, he says, he has had good public response regarding the letter writing campaign but has not taken the letters to government yet.

He feels manufacturers can also do more to make cycling appealing as a mode of transport. He would like to see more promotion of bikes that make running errands easier. He gives the example of Dutch bikes. “This would be a great benefit to manufacturers since they would have access to a huge untapped market. That is, older, less athletic people who walk places.”

“There is still a great deal of market potential. Through more advertising, people have to see cycling as a pleasant and accessible alternative to walking or driving,” he says.

Source: CSGA newsletter, May 23 2008

Axiom refers to the Enforce Air DLX as a “mini floor pump” and with the foot post, extended hose and flip handle, that’s what it really is. This is one of the best pumps we’ve ever used. It comes with a gauge so there’s no guesswork on tire pressure and the floor pump style won’t make your arm fall off when fixing a flat on the trail. The pump has a 6063 aluminum barrel, reversible valve with an aluminum cap and includes a mounting bracket that bolts to water bottle mounts.

For more information, check out the June 2008 issue of Decline Magazine.