Simple pleasure #21 - bike riding

Riding my bike home from work on a lovely autumn afternoon.

Simple pleasure #21 - fenders

Bicycle fenders on a rainy day.

STOLEN

I appreciate a little humour in the morning. It makes for a pleasant start to the day.

This morning on the ride to work while stopped at a traffic light, I noticed the licence plate of a nearby car, and it made me chuckle.

ONTARIO

STOLEN

YOURS TO DISCOVER

I wasn't quick enough to snap a pic but the idea is captured. So funny! Where in the world could Ontario be? Quick, go find it!

In Quebec, vanity plates aren't so common, but I've noticed over the past several years, that Ontarians like to have a bit of fun with it. Makes for for a bit of fun for passers by too.

Nice day for a bike ride

I'm squeezing every last opportunity to bike to work this year. I'm always delighted to make it past October, so getting to ride halfway through November is pretty awesome. It was above 0 degrees this morning - 8, 9 or maybe 10? I don't even remember, but it was mild so I couldn't resist.

I've been glancing out the office window all day monitoring conditions and watching the flag across the street flap around in the wind. The flapping has been getting more vigorous as the hours pass. I think I may have misjudged today.

As long as the rain holds back, I'll be ok. I just need 40 minutes and I'm home free.
Good luck to me...

Biking in the rain

It rained and poured and was windy and I got soaked.

That was the ride home today. I had a feeling there would be rain, but hoped it would clear by 4:15. Instead it cleared at around 5:15 when I was home again and peeling the wet clothes off and putting dry clothes on before hopping into the car to get Claire and Lauren from daycare.

The good thing about a challenging situation and coming out ok is that I know I can handle it next time. I did get wet, but I didn't melt!

On the road again

I rode my bike to work today after a two year hiatus. And it felt good!

Ok, it hasn’t quite been two years, but nearly. I’ve been itching to get out there again and I couldn’t take the wait any longer. The roads are clear, the temperature isn’t frigid, and there are tons of other cyclists on the road, so why not?

I’ve been meaning to do a road test for a few weeks now just to be sure the bike is road ready, but I haven’t gotten around to it. It did get a full tune up just before I stopped riding all that time ago so I figured it was fine and took a chance. Last night I pumped the tires and found my lock and helmet, this morning I dusted off the seat, and off I went! I gave myself a 50 minute lead for what is usually a 35 minute ride, just to ease myself back into routine and get my riding legs back. 8.92 km is a bit of a long haul at 7am after all.

Now as long as the rain stays away for the ride home, it will be a great first day back on the road again.

Dude, what's wrong with my car?

It's been over a week since the mechanic tinkered with Sally's idle, and the battery and handbrake lights are still blinking. Yesterday I started hearing a tinny clunking  sound whenever I applied the brakes, like a piece of metal from the underside had come loose and was flapping a round.

Family and friends suggest we sell, and we're starting to lean that way too.

In a last  ditch effort to find the cause of the original issue (and to see if we can keep the car running until we get around to selling), C and I have arranged to leave it in the garage parking lot tomorrow overnight. The mechanic will start it himself on Monday and see the lights in action. I'm curious to see if the battery is anywhere near dead by now.

Canadian idle

This good old fashioned Canadian winter we're having is taking a toll on Sally the Sentra. The latest tweak was to increase a low idle. Unfortunately it didn't fix the mystery of the battery and handbrake light.

The battery and handbrake light go on at start-up and stay on until about 5 minutes into the ride before going off. This began in mid November, but because the lights always went off, I ignored it. A month later I was 5 minutes from home in the middle of evening rush hour traffic with Claire in the back when suddenly all the lights on the dash started blinking on and off - ABS, airbag, handbrake, battery. I thought the car was going to stall right there on the street.

Zut alors!

I pulled away from the turn I was trying to make and drove down the street to the next available area to pull over. I turned the car off, got Claire out and walked the rest of the way to daycare. I didn't bother going back to the car and had C pick it up on his way home from work. Luckily C did manage to drive home, but when he turned off the motor and tried to restart got nothing. Dead Sally. Poor old girl.

The next day CAA came to the rescue to test the battery and got a good reading, but detected a problem with the alternator. A boost was enough for C to make a short drive to the garage. The garage tested a  good alternator but dead battery. Strange. Opposite conclusions. What to do?

Well, seeing as C was right there in the garage and Sally wouldn't start he kind of had to pay for a new battery. What a pain because the dead battery was bought from CAA a year ago and was still under warranty.

Zut alors!

So, new battery installed, the drive to the airport and back that afternoon to collect Grandma B was successful and without incident. The next day the battery and handbrake lights lit up.

Zut alors!

The lights persisted on every start-up for the next few days so I finally took Sally back to the garage myself to get some answers. Of course the lights went off before reaching the garage so T the mechanic saw nothing, except the handbrake light, "because the handbrake was on", he said. "I know, because I always put it on when I park the car" I replied, meanwhile thinking, 'D'uh..., I'm not that clueless.' "The lights go on at start-up, even when I pull the handbrake off. THAT'S the problem."

Fortunately T knew the issue as he installed the new battery the previous week. He explained how batteries and alternators work and offered to test both again for my peace of mind even though he knew they would test fine. The new battery was only 5 days old after all. He also gave me a card for free towing. This too was for my peace of mind because I kept asking "worst case scenario if I'm driving in traffic will the car just die on me??" questions. I also brought both girls with me to the garage so the stress on my face must have looked pretty severe, lol!

Of course the tests were fine, but T did detect a low idle and showed me how the voltage dipped every time an accessory was switched on like the wipers or radio or rear window heater. A low idle and constant dips can deplete a battery over time. Also the alternator isn't encased as it is with newer Sentras so heat from the exhaust system and cold extremes (Canadian, eh), could have an effect. Age is a factor too. Now in her 11th year,  Sally ain't no spring chicken.

So off we went with a tweaked idle for a drive across the city to visit Auntie B. 3 hours later when I started the car to come home, the lights went on again.

Zut alors!

They've been coming on again for the past 3 days. C and I decided it's pointless to go back to the garage. We'll ride it out, likely get a failed battery and no start-up at all one day in the next few weeks and take it back again. By then either the temperature will heat up significantly and the problem will go away, or we'll be shopping for a new car.

To be continued...

Simple pleasure # 15 - bargains

Spending $6.00 for 3 plastic ponchos during a torrential downpour in Niagara Falls.

Toronto the good

This entry is in thanks to the dozen or so people that helped me during my journey this week with the girls on the TTC from home to Union Station and back.

I'm not stressed about packing us up and getting to where we need to go on public transit. Claire is easy enough to manage now and Lauren is usually pleased with the adventure and behaves well, as we don't take transit all too often these days.

I'm also really good about packing. I keep just the right amount of transit fare in a pocket that's easy to access and carry just enough snacks and chewy toys and diaper gear to keep the girls happy but not weigh me down.

On this latest trip I packed all I needed into Lauren's pink ballerina knapsack and carried it on my back. Claire was strapped into the Snugli on my front. I was anticipating lots of walking at our destination so I opted to bring along the small stroller for Lauren to use if she got tired. I didn't let her sit in it on the bus or subway because it takes up too much room. So with Lauren holding on to one of my hands and me pushing the folded up stroller in the other, I must have looked like a woman with her hands full - to say the least.

I was comfortable, but still there was no hesitation from people offering up seats or finding empty seats for us.  Doors were opened for us and one gentleman on the subway offered to hold the stroller for me just to lighten my load.

For all the grouchy,  rude and crazy behaviour I've witnessed on transit in the past, this sort of kindness restores my faith that there is a lot of good in the city.

Simple pleasure # 14 - road trip

The anticipation of our first family vacation as a foursome!

Withdrawal

It's been a year since I've been on my bike and I'm itching to get back on.

I remember that I just got it tuned when I decided to stop riding because the weather got too hot and I didn't want to faint and fall off, what with the little baby growing inside of me.

It's been hard to find a few minutes to get out because Claire is still all about the mama. She'll tolerate C holding her, but not for long enough for me to get a good ride in.

In the meantime I'm going to look into baby seats and trailers. I was too nervous to haul Lauren on the bike, but I feel my desire to get back out there is overshadowing the fear. It would be wonderful for us all to go out for a cycle at the same time. 

Morbid Monday

I was stopped at a red light at the end of my street this morning when a hearse pulled up behind. It then followd me along the main street for two blocks before pulling into the parking lot of the funeral home.

A little too morbid for me at 7:45 on a Monday morning. 

Bike rider!

I rode my bike to work this morning. What a lovely sententence that is!

First time ever riding in March (in adulthood) and it was nice! I made great time too - about the same as if I drove. My legs must have been so excited to be riding again, but I have a feeling I'll be really feeling it tomorrow. Oh well, it was worth it.

May 1st is my usual ride to work start date, but last yeat I managed to start in April. And now mid March for this year. Global warming? I don't know, but I'm not complaining.

I overheard that the temperatures will be nice next week too so maybe I should get on over to the bike shop for a tune-up. Spring is here!

Biker mom

As Lauren and I were walking from the daycare playground this evening, a family came up behind us. "Where's your bike?" the dad asked. It took me a moment to register that he was talking to me. "It was raining this morning so I left it at home today." I replied. He and his wife nodded in acknowlegment. I've never spoken to this family before but I've seen them around the neighbourhood, and they've obviously seen me.

And there you have it. I am officially recognized as the mom with the bike. It's not the riding of the bike that's so special, but the action of me pushing the bike and the stroller with Lauren sitting in it at the same time. Because I ride my bike to and from work most days, the best technique to manage the last few minutes of the way from daycare to home is with stroller on my left and bike on my right. They're all on wheels so it's really not at all as awkward as it may seem, but it sure attracts a lot of attention from passers by.

I've been doing this simultaneous bike and stroller push for over a year now and still hear comments from people asking how I manage. "You sure have your hands full!" Or, "Wow, how are you doing that?!" I often get offers from people who want to help. A few months ago a woman riding by on a tandem bike stopped to ask if I was interested in a child bike seat. I had considered a bike seat before I came up with this push technique, but decided against it. Traffic is too busy where I live and if I were ever to get bumped by a car, Lauren would go down with me and I'm not willing to take that risk.

It makes me happy to know that there are so many thoughtful people in the neighbourhood, but to be honest, the best help is to stay out of my way. I just need a clear path down the sidewalk and I'm good to go.

Still, for all the attention, wanted or not, and the 10 minutes it takes to push us home, it's worth it to be outdoors on my bike.

Note to self: cycling in the rain

Note to self: buy fenders for the bike.

Also, buy appropriate rain gear. Arriving home in sopping wet clothing and dirty from tire spray is really no fun anymore.

It’s not the cyclist, it’s the attitude

Recently while cycling home from work I approached a red light at an intersection behind another cyclist. As is usually the case, the stream of cars on our left weren't leaving much room between them and the curb. When this happens I usually fall back and wait for traffic to move again rather than risk being squashed into the curb, but the cyclist ahead managed to squeeze his way forward.

At the corner a large vehicle starting to make a right turn then stopped short of hitting the cyclist ahead of me. I was close enough to the vehicle to hear the driver mumble something. “%#%@ cyclists!” I don’t know what he said exactly, but I doubt it was a compliment.

I hear a lot of grumbling regarding cyclists. They take up room on the road, they plow through stop signs and red lights at intersections. They dangerously weave in and out of traffic and are a menace towards pedestrians on sidewalks. I’ve witnessed all of these instances and will agree that some cyclists are a hazard.

I have also witnessed hazardous behaviour on the part of drivers and pedestrians. Just this morning a pedestrian failed to look both ways before stepping from the sidewalk onto the street a few feet from my path. Had there not been time for me to stop it would have been a nasty collision.

A few minutes later I saw a driver make a left turn onto a street nearly knocking down a dad and his 2 kids on a crosswalk. The pedestrian signal clearly indicated that it was that family's right of way.

Unfortunately too many people have a very careless attitude on the road whether they be cyclist, driver or pedestrian. It's an individual issue. Put that careless cyclist behind the wheel of a car and I'm sure you'll see reckless driving behaviour. Or watch that reckless driver walk down the street for a block and they will likely try crossing the street when or where they shouldn't be.

We all need to smarten up and pay attention. There's room for everyone on the road and with a little more care we should all be able to get to where we're going safely.

Neanderthals roam the earth

If you believe that Neanderthals are extinct, let me assure you that they're not. In fact they're alive and roaming around right here in this city.

They're tricky to spot because they look and dress like modern man, but just one cat call from their mouths is a sure sign that their brains haven't yet evolved.

I'm sure any woman who, while going about her own business and has experienced this unwanted attention, like I was on my cycle to work this morning, would attest to it. I thought this lame behaviour died off at least a decade ago, but sadly, no.

So in reaction to this I take the high road and ignore it. But what I'm thinking is - Dude. Seriously? This is 2010, catch up already. Go educate yourself or something. I should hand out books to these poor souls and explain in language they might understand. "Book. Read. Learn you. Good." But that would take too much of my time.

What might be even more effective is to simply throw books at their heads. Maybe that would knock some sense into them.

Excuse me waiter, there's a fly in my blouse

So I'm riding home and suddenly an insect of some sort flies down my blouse and starts buzzing around.

Zut alors! 

This is not a good situation to be in while both hands are on the handle bars trying to negotiate traffic. I do manage to waft my blouse with one hand and the insect finally frees itself. Phew...  accident averted. 

Stink strikes again. Thank goodness for Albert's

It must be Thursday. I mentioned in a previous post about the stink on St. Clair Av W. Well sure enough as I rode to work this AM, the whiff was in the air.

What I didn't mention last time is that there is relief from the stink in the form of the delicious smells wafting from Albert's Real Jamaica Foods on St.Clair @ Vaughan Rd.

Albert's has been serving up West Indian delights in this location for well over 10 years, and more recently has been soothing my nostrils with wonderful smells of soup, curried chicken, roti and patties. Even at 7:30am in 30 degree heat I want to eat it all up. Unfortunately I'm always in too much of a hurry for a pit stop - and the doors don't open until 11am.

I think I'll pop in for bite this weekend and say thanks for saving my nose once again.