tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-159777072011-08-16T23:04:46.912-04:00A bike commuter in suburban Toronto.Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.comBlogger3331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-85210104824513491602008-02-04T08:36:00.000-05:002008-02-04T08:49:11.702-05:00

For just over a week now, my wife and I are proud, happy and exhausted parents of a little girl. This picture is from the morning after she was born. She was born 8 lbs 8 ounces on Jan 27th.The first 4 days were the most challenging endurance event I've ever made an attempt at. Sleep was rare. I thought randonneurs were the only people who tried to get by like this, but it turns out millions

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-24894108029176064742008-01-17T22:36:00.000-05:002008-01-17T23:19:37.687-05:00

How to get rich: Do what these guys did. I don't mean "follow their advice". I mean make your own advice. Make up a term that sounds pseudo scientific like "law of attraction" or "law of vibrations" and tell people that their success depends on their understanding of "physics". Man. Even though they have some helpful things to tell people, I got annoyed by the whole message while listening

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-82576958473549151792007-12-24T08:06:00.000-05:002007-12-24T08:33:41.952-05:00

I stopped in at the Kensington Festival of Lights on Friday night. I started off with a traditional empanada. (That's just my tradition for when I visit Kensington market.) Finding the action wasn't too difficult. Follow the sound of the drums and look for the pulsing crowd.I arrived after the parade had already passed. Most people were filling the park, surrounding some action in the centre

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-45466547280846083792007-11-20T08:15:00.000-05:002007-11-20T08:24:22.563-05:00

Don't forget to keep your unicycling fun. It doesn't have to be a grind.Make sure you watch it to the end.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-79084961505936942382007-11-13T10:19:00.000-05:002007-11-13T10:27:26.978-05:00

I know I have a lot of catching up to do around here. It's just one of those things that happens when you have too much going on at once.Today, Toronto is hearing "presentations" from the public regarding the capital budget for 2008. I would have liked to show up in person but it was impossible. I made an email presentation instead. Right this minute, the public is probably making

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-22484023910042602862007-10-27T11:48:00.000-04:002007-10-27T11:40:27.144-04:00

My wife and I went for a walk along the Don River last Saturday. (No bikes involved) She heard that there were salmon swimming upstream to spawn. She had been looking forward to this for days.For anyone familiar with the Don River, especially the section near downtown, the idea of seeing wildlife in the river might seem a little abstract. The water gets murkier and murkier as it heads south.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-78296482908160229992007-10-13T23:37:00.000-04:002007-10-13T23:32:42.766-04:00

Last weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, I had my bike with me for a visit to Ottawa. I was eager to go for a ride through Gatineau Park, on the Quebec side of the Ottawa river.For anyone unfamiliar with this part of the world, Gatineau Park is a cyclist's paradise - long winding roads cutting through forest with the occasional rock face on the side. The hills are long but not too steep, and there are

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-90086916542884744212007-10-10T00:11:00.000-04:002007-10-10T00:11:24.606-04:00

It's election day in Ontario. We've had a dysfunctional election campaign here. Less than a year ago, the most important issue on our minds was the environment. This is finally recognized as important, urgent, critical to the survival of millions of people and to the economies of the world. What do the Progressive Conservatives decide to campaign on? Religious school funding, of course.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-14948331833173546972007-09-27T12:56:00.000-04:002007-09-27T13:03:48.050-04:00

I was at the Bells on Bloor ride on Sunday. It was a very fun event. Well organized and amazingly well attended. I've heard numbers all over the place. My original guess was 300 people, but everyone seems to disagree. 500 is probably a better guess. Watch Martino's video and if you have the patience, you can do a count.I have a few photos of the event up on flickr.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-53421673680752397602007-09-25T09:05:00.000-04:002007-09-25T09:21:13.017-04:00

Friday's ride home ...A young guy, with hip hop blaring, rips past two cyclists, one being me. My friend and I pull up alongside at the red light. The driver's side window is open but he won't look through it. I talk with my friend. The driver has perfected his angry look. He sneaks a glance at us before making his right turn. Two houses down from a school, a soldier and his sweetheart

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-12860738059850707712007-09-20T18:02:00.000-04:002007-09-20T17:19:21.346-04:00

This morning, I was in pedestrian mode, walking my bike instead of making a normal left turn. While standing on the sidewalk, starting to cross, a minivan pulled up to the stop line in front of me and started to ease through to make a right turn on red. I yelled "hey!" and pointed at the light. He stopped, albeit in the ped-crosswalk. The guy rolled down his window as I passed in front of his

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-28956865494526174942007-09-18T08:28:00.000-04:002007-09-18T08:31:58.448-04:00

These are some of the responses I got from a driver who passed me less than a foot away while I was going down hill at the speed limit.“Don’t worry. I knew exactly where you were,” he says smiling.“You were too far out into the lane anyways.”-- Me: That lane belongs to me! You have to wait til it’s safe to pass me.“Oh really? I don’t remember seeing a bike lane.”-- Me: No, it’s a vehicle lane,

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-5063787701638845452007-09-07T17:40:00.000-04:002007-09-07T17:06:57.259-04:00

Last week, I became the owner of a shiny new bicycle. It's a Bianchi Volpe, technically a cyclo-cross bike, but I plan to use it for commuting and fun long rides on the weekend.I don't buy a bicycle often, so it took me a couple months to decide what to do. The last bicycle I bought was a mountain bike in 2000. I've mentioned here before that the road bike I've been using for commuting and

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-19027875599441288642007-09-04T12:40:00.000-04:002007-09-04T12:22:44.979-04:00

This Labour Day, while biking around the city, I stopped in at HTO park where I met Bertrand Lemeunier, a cyclist passing through Toronto on a cross Canada trip. He was relaxing on one of the teletubby hills with a conspicuously loaded bicycle.Bertrand is doing the full edition, cycling from St. John’s to Vancouver, plus side trips along the way. This means he’ll complete the trip at the end of

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-11160613266043710182007-08-30T11:59:00.000-04:002007-08-31T00:28:33.292-04:00

This site is two years old today. I started it off with no big plans and no expectations. Back then, I had this feeling that my comments on other peoples' sites would give the impression I was a little bit crazy. I decided I wanted people to know that there was a real person behind the comments, so I would start my own blog. What better way is there to show you’re real than to talk to a

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-69641059270086740992007-08-23T07:46:00.000-04:002007-08-23T07:36:10.577-04:00

The cottage I was visiting a few weeks ago was missing a way to take care of garbage. It's my wife's family's cottage, and her parents usually bring the waste back to the city or find a nearby dump. I thought it was a good time for me to try building a composter. There's no garden, but the compost can eventually be spread anywhere.There was a lot of wood available, probably left over from when

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-14445316498024852612007-08-20T18:11:00.000-04:002007-08-20T17:02:12.262-04:00

Friday evening ended with me pushing myself through a freak north headwind as I worked my way up Yonge Street. I had failed to find the memorial ride for Charlie Prinsep after riding all over Cabbagetown and the east end, following some guys on fixies around who were also looking for the group, and hanging around at Jet Fuel Cafe thinking people might return.Since I heard about Charlie being

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-4889986414562138872007-08-14T18:05:00.000-04:002007-08-14T16:32:13.803-04:00

There's something so backwards about this.In the Calgary Herald today, there's a story about people recklessly driving their cars on Alberta roads. Other people on the road, afraid, called the police to complain. The RCMP caught drivers with cars matching the descriptions from the complaints. No one has been charged.The fact they haven't been charged is surprising since all the cars were very

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-83361681846533711772007-08-08T13:55:00.000-04:002007-08-08T14:01:05.744-04:00

I'm a sucker for good bit of packaging. I found this beer in a small depanneur where it was stacked in the aisle next to the Molson, Labatt, Coors, and Keiths. (By the way, a depanneur is a Quebec convenience store. I like to learn key words like that so when I speak severely broken french, it sounds like know something. If you're taking notes, try ending most sentences with "la", and

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-60272984436303885372007-07-15T15:28:00.000-04:002007-07-15T15:31:06.662-04:00

This is my first attempt at filming while I ride. It's pretty rocky, so if you have a weak stomach, don't hit play!

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-7339766145831124962007-07-12T13:00:00.000-04:002007-07-12T13:05:29.359-04:00

My bike just got the equivalent of a hip replacement. It's like a spry young 75 year old now. (How many bike years are in a human year?) The old bottom bracket, that clunked on every stroke of the pedal, has been replaced with a new solid sealed cartridge bottom bracket.Last year, and the year before, I got the bottom bracket regreased with new ball bearings. I asked for a sealed cartridge,

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-27207731938775784282007-07-10T18:08:00.000-04:002007-07-10T16:45:55.154-04:00

These geese in Richmond Hill demonstrate how to take the lane.The heat is ruining my plans to push hard this week. I need to make myself into a faster cyclist. In a couple weeks, I'm meeting up with a bunch of guys I know from university so we can go on a big bike ride. The speed I need isn't so I can show anyone up. It's just so I can keep up.It's fair to say that most people I know think

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-33621030009600480892007-07-01T10:41:00.001-04:002007-07-01T11:50:19.849-04:00

Critical Mass, June 29 2007, Toronto.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-33478471912442197512007-06-29T13:04:00.000-04:002007-06-29T13:12:54.978-04:00

It was a bit of an unusual ride in this morning. I waited at the corner for any other Bike Friday cyclists. None showed up.I took the lane on Yonge Street when I was passing some parked cars. For the second time this week, a car pulled up close behind me. I turned around and yelled at him to back off. He did. I think he was just totally absorbed in a conversation with a passenger and

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-90209094718579931962007-06-21T23:43:00.001-04:002007-06-22T00:00:16.790-04:00

Utilitarian cyclists in Oakland California.Did you notice the credits at the end? Could that be John Forester's nom de plume?Via the bike radio show Bikescape.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-72855620021586363472007-06-20T12:23:00.000-04:002007-06-20T12:27:11.619-04:00

This story doesn't have an exciting ending, but if you're willing to read through, I'm interested in hearing comments.It's Monday, after work. The weather is nice and warm, which seems to bring out a lot of cyclists. I'm passing under the 401 on a narrow path used by cyclists and pedestrians, mostly heading to and from work. A cyclist is heading towards me, gunning it, so I slow down to make

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-83062044043536980502007-05-30T21:45:00.000-04:002007-05-30T22:05:44.800-04:00

Now that I own (well, barely own) a tiny piece of this highly fertile southern Ontario soil, I've been trying to make use of it. While my work isn't quite bearing fruit, it is bearing leaves, so I thought I'd show it off.These are my tomatoes. I spent so much time going back and forth on which kind of tomatoes to plant, that I forget which one I picked. I think these are some kind of cherry

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-5849138749738979842007-05-28T13:55:00.000-04:002007-05-28T13:57:25.030-04:00

My commute lands me up in the Highway 7 and Leslie area, the city that hath no name. It's technically half Richmond Hill, half Markham, but that's beside the point. What does matter is that the employment area north of Toronto is so vast that it's difficult to have organized group commutes from one place to another.Desparate for some company, this morning I met up with the southbound group

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-20966170692854596562007-05-18T20:11:00.000-04:002007-05-18T20:18:37.108-04:00

I always like to tell myself that I'm seeing more cyclists out on the road. It's difficult to have a reliable count because the numbers are so small and there are so many factors that affect the results, like what time I ride or the weather.This evening, however, there was a sight very special for me on the road ahead. I had three (that's 3) cyclists ahead of me on Leslie Street as we crossed

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-44047996551303784922007-05-15T15:37:00.000-04:002007-05-15T15:41:47.936-04:00

I almost forgot! Whew. Good thing I didn't. Today is May 15th. Time to go out and get a good deal on gasoline since everyone else is protesting and gas will be cheap!These days have come and gone in the past, but this time there is actually pretty strong support for it. I've received email from a number of friends and coworkers encouraging me to support this effort.It's not that I don't feel

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-25939955393286048282007-05-12T10:17:00.000-04:002007-05-12T10:18:45.711-04:00

At Yonge and the 401.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-63013177187335574372007-05-01T12:48:00.000-04:002007-05-01T12:57:46.849-04:00

I Bike T.O. You Bike T.O. Check it out.Today, is the start of something new. A group of us have started a web site called I Bike T.O. The idea is to create a site that will provide a single place for news and announcements related to cycling in Toronto, but also to connect people through discussion. One of the features I'm looking forward to seeing is our profiles of cyclists around Toronto.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-12224491002624334262007-04-27T13:01:00.000-04:002007-04-27T13:58:37.568-04:00

Today’s ride was a relaxed one. Lately, I’ve been catching myself riding at a very relaxed pace, pushing my feet down and up like I'm in some deep mud. This usually happens when I’m looking around at whatever lines the streets.A few days ago, it was different…On my way to work, I’m riding North on Yonge Street, going up a very long hill. It’s between York Mills and the 401, for anyone familiar

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-76811865133791495832007-04-23T21:47:00.000-04:002007-04-23T22:06:45.897-04:00

Today started out with the sad news that a TTC employee was killed on the job inside the subway tunnel. The whole story isn't in yet.This led to the closure of the Yonge subway for a few stops. Interestingly, the city closed Yonge Street to car traffic south of Lawrence to keep it clear for the bus shuttles. I went to the intersection of Yonge and Lawrence to see what this would look like. I

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-9006558964349127332007-04-21T17:59:00.000-04:002007-04-21T18:07:19.075-04:00

This song kicks ass. Pedal Pusher by Abdominal"A big ups to all those pushin the 2 wheels."I've been out of town for a while. Coming back here just reminds me why I like this city so much. It doesn’t hurt that it's 22 degrees and everyone is out walking around.Here's my best photograph of Las Vegas.Don't get the wrong idea. I had a lot of fun there, but I was happy to be coming home.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-78606782960788712412007-04-13T08:30:00.000-04:002007-04-13T08:29:46.208-04:00

Until yesterday, I've been beat up by a cold. No cycling for me. My leg muscles are going to wither away soon.One of our local free weekly newspapers comes out with it's Bike Edition this week. They kicked it off with a "Town Hall" meeting to talk Bike Plan. I wasn't there, but BlogTO was. I like that Tanya suggested putting signs up that say cyclists can use a full lane. Those signs need

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-25943600596746730932007-04-05T13:04:00.000-04:002007-04-05T13:05:36.927-04:00

Since I missed most humanities courses in school and stuck with technical stuff, I have to listen to CBC as much as possible in case I get to hear an author's name and it sticks in my head. It comes in handy in other ways too.This week on The Current, they've been all over climate change. (It's probably part of a conspiracy which will lead to vast wealth for them, like most CBC employees.) On

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-59560932755770547782007-04-04T13:01:00.000-04:002007-04-04T13:01:51.366-04:00

I have a friend who has both a bicycle and baby. Naturally, she wants to spend time with both. She put a rear seat carrier on her bike, and is now looking at finding a helmet for her wee one.A friendly looking woman, although not the friend I'm talking about. sourceMost stuff I've seen says that a 1 year old is the absolute youngest baby that should be on a bicycle. Maybe she'll wait that long

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-12740621013873276782007-04-02T12:37:00.000-04:002007-04-02T12:47:34.348-04:00

I'm usually apprehensive to give myself a title, like "writer" or "cyclist", but I'll imply both as I point out a few other cyclists who write. As it warms up and many people are considering starting to ride bikes to commute or generally get around, it helps to see some examples, and how others enjoy it.A newish blog called Planetary Gears had a post last week about bike commuting. I like the

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-32141326647744050492007-03-27T20:00:00.000-04:002007-03-27T20:14:58.087-04:00

There was another embarrassing comment from an Etobicoke councillor in the paper today. In the face of a reasonable plan to mitigate the effects of our pollution, a councillor demonstrated how much she cares about the rest of humanity. From the Globe article:"When you have big suburban lots, like I do . . . a push mower just ain't going to do it," said Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby (Ward 4,

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-18695384262123271212007-03-27T07:27:00.001-04:002007-03-27T07:27:13.714-04:00

I picked up a new tire on the weekend. Choices were limited at the store I went to, so I bought my first ever boxed tire. It was more expensive than I planned ($44) but it had the advantage of high puncture resistance due to the kevlar content. So I didn't so much pick the Panaracer Pasela TG, as the store picked it for me. It seemed that a couple of the sales people were very happy for me to

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-12463566927418352932007-03-24T17:51:00.000-04:002007-03-24T17:53:37.023-04:00

These were spotted in the window of a barbershop downtown. It looks like they actually have a working drive system and brakes.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-53247098062355182802007-03-23T12:55:00.000-04:002007-03-23T12:56:14.558-04:00

The Fab Four seen near College and Bay.A couple weeks ago I was bugging Joe about all the flats he gets, which is the worst thing you can do for your flat karma. This past weekend, I found my bike with with a flat rear tire. Fortunately it was a slow leak, so I didn't have to change the tube on the road.Last night I got around to changing the flat. I sat down in front of the TV and switched

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-39023871082581954572007-03-19T07:55:00.000-04:002007-03-19T10:52:49.894-04:00

Image from ‘Through My Looking Glass’. I saw a similar sign near Yonge and Eglinton yesterday.I’ll go out on a limb and say that a national road pricing scheme will not be a part of today’s Conservative budget. It wouldn’t be a part of a Liberal or NDP budget either. There are many advantages we would see from a system that made people consider their options every time they thought about going

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-78850945413402830662007-03-14T12:43:00.000-04:002007-03-14T12:19:12.447-04:00

Photo by Martino, more hereI love this weather. When I was a kid, I thought spring was a big waste of time. I wanted to either be sledding or swimming. This in-between time wasn't good for me, so it wasn't good for anyone. Now I know what it's all about.This morning, I decided it was time to make the big switch from ice bicyclette avec studs, to the asphalt velocipede. There was ice in a few

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-75242599150879608462007-03-12T12:45:00.000-04:002007-03-12T12:47:36.287-04:00

I managed to get downtown for about 30 minutes of the Kyoto rally. Along the way, I passed numerous cyclists out and about. Most appeared to be either utilitarian, or at least close to it, since they were wearing their winter coats and puttering about. Maybe they were just enjoying the beautiful weather. +4 degrees C feels balmy when you're on a bike and acclimatized to -5 or -10 C.When I

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-74780179911795645722007-03-09T12:39:00.000-05:002007-03-09T12:48:58.805-05:00

This Sunday, there's going to be a big do at Nathan Phillips Square. High Noon. If you like life and all the good things associated with it, you should go. Tooker cyclists are going, and so are some hip mamas.I have plans with family that day, so unless I can get everyone in my family to go to a rally, I won't be there. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever really participated in a

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-90324672099416835672007-03-02T19:01:00.000-05:002007-03-02T17:04:51.727-05:00

I know I wasn't alone in having a long commute home last night. Mine went something like this.I decided in the morning that taking the bus/subway was the most sensible thing to do, given the coming snowstorm. Most of us left work early to start the trek home.Viva, the local express bus system, has two kinds of buses. It has normal length buses, which I'll call the short buses, and articulated

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-4404682450848003432007-02-28T20:30:00.000-05:002007-02-28T20:28:19.973-05:00

While people might be statistically against road tolls (just based on online discussions), support seems to be building. The logic is hard to argue with. Pay for what you use. If you take a step back and look at the high costs of providing the infrastructure, and consider the fact that people use it as much as they want once they pay a flat fee for their license plate, the current system

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-89345565771572391062007-02-25T23:22:00.000-05:002007-02-26T11:19:46.697-05:00

Good times had by all. The shot above is from the finals. In case there's any doubt, the racers didn't hold back.I was one of many people there taking pictures. I made a few little videos with my camera. Here's one of them from the final rubber round.This is one of the early heats. I know it's slightly evil of me, but I was sort of expecting (hoping?) for a few more crashes. I was probably

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-5482950762280766602007-02-21T22:55:00.000-05:002007-02-22T07:50:51.505-05:00

Are you feeling like a champion for riding your bike to work in the winter? Well, you are a champion, but you know when you're pedaling along, saying to yourself, "If it were 1 degree colder or that wind was any stronger, I ... just ... couldn't do ... it." The truth is, you probably could. Just check out these two people.Jill in Alaska just did her second annual Susitna 100, a 100 mile race

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-85036320934534300202007-02-19T13:30:00.000-05:002007-02-19T16:34:53.115-05:00

David Suzuki has a way of talking that manages to express the great urgency of our situation while always remaining positive about solving the problem. Yesterday, he spoke to a group of people in Markham about climate change, the history, the problems and solutions. What I found most interesting was how he relates to his audience. Even though I'm sure he knows many people in the room are

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-55061425956458665262007-02-14T13:25:00.000-05:002007-02-14T14:31:27.483-05:00

I have to link to the excellent account given on Torontoist of the Stephen Lewis, David Suzuki and Eleanor Wachtel meeting in Toronto this week. You can even listen to the entire event on BlogTO. One of the best moments is when Stephen Lewis says that it's us who have put the environment on the agenda. Our government is following, not leading, so it's up to us to make ourselves heard.By the

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-70150303925890957782007-02-13T21:08:00.000-05:002007-02-13T21:54:06.127-05:00

This weekend I was aching for some time outside. I decided to ride as much as possible through the parks and make my way towards the lake. I wanted to get all the way out to the Leslie Spit and get a good view of the city in the winter, but those plans would change.This is along the Don River Trail, passing under one of the many bridges.The river bank was actually sandy under this bridge.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-54220544729201008152007-02-06T12:37:00.000-05:002007-02-06T12:46:10.770-05:00

I haven't felt that cold fresh air deep in my lungs for a long time. I feel awake. My toes are aching as they thaw out. My face is tingling.Unfortunately, this is only the second day I've cycled to work in the new year. I've biked around the neighbourhood for errands, but trips to work have been sacrificed because of Home Depot runs and spending every waking hour (outside of work) replacing

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-78530787852201690082007-01-18T00:27:00.000-05:002007-01-18T00:29:55.688-05:00

What weighs more: a tonne of carbon dioxide or a tonne of methane?Transportation is a weighty matter, especially when it comes to climate change. (Oh, what a line!) We'll talk in terms of mass here though, in an effort to sound scientific. Greenhouse gases (GHG) come mostly in the form of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4). The confusing part comes from people talking about tonnes of "

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-72360389404548891432007-01-10T08:05:00.000-05:002007-01-10T08:23:24.359-05:00

Ah, the winter. I happened to find this video on Youtube of a guy cycling in "the arctic". He classified it as comedy, but I'm not really sure why. He's happily pedaling over the snow to inspiring 1970's-government-promo-music. Maybe he didn't intend it, but he makes winter cycling look easy and comfortable. Warning: the snow-covered pathways and frozen river will make you dream of the

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-19588758562255341782007-01-09T13:50:00.000-05:002007-01-09T14:28:06.167-05:00

How would Global Warming present itself, if not as a series of El Ninos? El Nino is caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean, a patch of water warm enough that predominant winds will flow in other directions or become more chaotic. If the Pacific Ocean is warming up, we're not talking about a piddley body of water like Lake Simcoe or even Lake Superior. We're talking about the largest body

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-44496574508020397112007-01-08T09:02:00.000-05:002007-01-08T09:06:41.259-05:00

I often think about what kind of personal information I put on this site. You can guess some of the things that might be of concern, like identity theft. So I’ll mention something that changed for me in the past month using my second (third?) language of pig latin: ymay ifeway anday Iay ustjay oughtbay ayay ousehay.Surprisingly, the RCMP haven’t listed ‘blogging in pig latin’ yet on their list

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-42719247760808872932007-01-03T23:28:00.000-05:002007-01-03T23:37:16.157-05:00

Rona Ambrose fails to sell Canadians on the Conservative environmental plan. She's getting canned.It's a little known fact that Stephen Harper gained most of his experience from managing an electronics store in Red Deer, Alberta. He had to fire 3 salespeople before he could find one who managed to sell their $200 speaker cable. You know the stuff. It's an inch thick and is supposed to make

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-70474580774128362992006-12-28T08:01:00.000-05:002006-12-28T16:01:22.447-05:00

Copenhagen times its traffic signals for cyclists at 20 km/h. Our Conservative Government has the same plan, and it's scheduled to be implemented across the county in 2049.Speaking of the "new government of Canada", Rona Ambrose is getting demoted for delivering her boss's message.The United Kingdom is considering carbon rationing. I wonder if this would involve passing on the carbon ration as

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-55159414374348770282006-12-22T11:46:00.000-05:002006-12-22T11:53:13.201-05:00

Steven Page supports the Tooker bike lane and is "fighting" for bike lanes.The Toronto Star's George Horhota makes sense of the Statscan report on commuting. Specifying who are the people who enjoy their commutes is much more significant than how many hate it versus how many tollerate it. And, as if you needed to be told, cyclists are the happiest commuters.Have a cheer-filled, fun and happy

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-23960974145208715172006-12-22T07:43:00.000-05:002006-12-22T07:49:28.848-05:00

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-44753994242444870202006-12-14T17:20:00.000-05:002006-12-14T17:27:49.889-05:00

Misguided politicians voted in favour of the motion for an expanded helmet law. I believe this means that the issue will now be debated. It is not yet law.Ontario Legislature unanimously calls upon government to make helmet use mandatory for province's cyclists TORONTO, Dec. 14 /CNW/ - The Ontario Legislature unanimously passed aMotion today, calling on the government to make helmet use

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-37984672494814044102006-12-13T09:23:00.000-05:002006-12-13T09:36:12.762-05:00

The grey sky overhead today was brighter than the roof of my car yesterday. Other than a few idiots on the road, like the one driving in the oncoming traffic lane towards me while passing an SUV in a residential area, it was a pleasant ride.I sent my second email to my Member of Provincial Parliament yesterday. She replied to my first, but sort of passed it off and told me to talk to municipal

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-22015453249245097022006-12-07T21:28:00.000-05:002006-12-07T21:43:22.900-05:00

We're being urged to conserve. I hope the new plan has some carrots and sticks in it.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-60481394250895062232006-12-06T16:00:00.000-05:002006-12-06T16:06:18.027-05:00

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.It looks like the entire Bike Forest is on display. I like seeing the pimped Rhoades Car cruising down the street.Thanks for the heads up Vic, and way-to-go Brent!

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-76409808520127800632006-12-05T20:11:00.001-05:002006-12-05T20:11:11.546-05:00

Just in case there are any high paid openings for Cycling Advisor to the Prime Minister in the next year, I didn't mean to sound mocking here.After pontificating on Stephane Dion's worthiness to be the the Liberal leader without doing any research, it became obvious to me why news powerhouses like Larry King prefer to work without reviewing any background material.* It's easy! However, Larry

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-31077488896698334582006-12-04T12:45:00.000-05:002006-12-04T12:47:35.050-05:00

-4 C this morning.I was considering leaving the bike at home and taking transit instead. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I wasn't feeling energetic. I go online, check my email, drink some coffee, read some blogs about other people biking in the winter.Yes! I can do it! I did it last winter, and I've seen much worse than -4. I can handle it. The roads are clear. It doesn't

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-24238262613375134102006-12-01T20:11:00.000-05:002006-12-04T14:39:45.411-05:00

After getting some advice a couple weeks ago, I decided it would be good to do something about my substandard brakes.I cleaned my rims, replaced both my brake cables and installed Kool Stop brake pads on the front.The first time I stopped, I thought my front fork was going to collapse underneath me. The sharpness went away quickly, and the stopping is now smooth and much more effective.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-53201140976310855162006-11-29T22:55:00.001-05:002006-11-29T22:55:02.015-05:00

Anyone need a photocopier?My neighbour is One Of The Most Impressive Cyclists I Know. Although, he's not the kind of guy to care about being given such a title. If I gave him a steering wheel cover, he would care just as much.Yesterday, he gave me a photocopier. He found it, and thought I might be able to use it, so he carried it back to our building in his wagon that he towed behind his

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-43844861689817908772006-11-28T22:50:00.000-05:002006-11-28T22:59:02.147-05:00

Today started and ended with fog.The morning ride -The ride home -

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-49941659308085748282006-11-25T11:48:00.000-05:002006-11-25T11:53:38.850-05:00

My wife was in Cuba recently. She met a friendly man who worked at their hotel. Any story that starts off like this sounds like bad news for me, but it turns out that as well as being an amicable guy, he had an interesting bicycle. My wife took a photo for me.It's a single speed, probably with coaster brakes, but I can't see the actual brake. Could it be a fixed gear? Possibly, but I doubt

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-5074881362328024022006-11-23T13:20:00.000-05:002006-11-23T14:23:59.037-05:00

I've been growing a big metal box on my bum lately. It's quite embarrassing really. The box is actually so big that it entirely encases me (and up to four other people). It's a good thing I never claimed to be car-free. The main reason for driving has been related to work. I try not to discuss work here, so I'll leave my reasoning out of this, and it's not so interesting anyways.I haven't

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-29597500247670335222006-11-20T07:56:00.000-05:002006-11-20T08:09:47.592-05:00

The latest addition to my lighting system (center).I bought this LED headlight last weekend at Mountain Equipment Co-op. It's bright enough to light up the road surface. I know there are brighter headlights available, but this one is good for a low cost solution, and I like that the batteries last weeks in an LED headlight. Most of the roads I ride on have street lights.I set the blue-cased

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-51477280890582099122006-11-16T20:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T23:02:23.402-05:00

Forget about parking in the bike lane (well don't really forget, but...), this guy is driving in the segregated bike lane in China. A woman decides to stand up to him. (Found through BikeLaneDiary)I've talked to some well informed people who tell me it's far from surprising to see someone drive their car in a bike lane in China. Apparently, one of the problems in China is that government

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-7613738543302535182006-11-15T00:02:00.000-05:002006-11-15T08:13:11.987-05:00

It was a busy weekend of bike riding for me.Saturday morning, I departed for the west end of the city to meet up with the Take the Tooker folks. Car traffic was entirely jammed westbound on Bloor for about 4 km past High Park. How people can be satisfied with the status quo, I don't understand.There were 5 of us starting the ride from Kipling Station. We left a little late from Kipling, which

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1163391325498961672006-11-12T23:07:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.801-05:00

Passing on this announcement. If you have Monday afternoon free ...It's all happening tomorrow...! Bring a videocam, if you can.Green Toronto Now - street party!Monday, Nov. 13 (3 - 5pm) MUNICIPAL ELECTION DAYPedestrians, cyclists, drummers, and people concerned about public spacing will be jiving it up at Bloor and Yonge to remind politicians we want a green, clean, people and

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1163111284474542742006-11-09T17:21:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.648-05:00

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go on the Take the Tooker Ride this Saturday. I always like riding with other cyclists, and I figure I should back up an idea I like with some action.Now I have to decide where to start. I can ride through Etobicoke, over the Humber River and past High Park, or I can ride through Scarborough, the Danforth, and over the Don River. I'm leaning towards the Etobicoke

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162872490150743552006-11-07T08:44:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.496-05:00

I've covered municipal and international politics. Now to move onto a subject where I have absolutely no authority: bike mechanics.I replaced my rear brake pads late last week. I finally decided that metal on metal wasn't stopping me as well as I needed. This became obvious when I approached a red light at the bottom of a big hill (Hoggs Hollow) and had to make an abrupt right turn.The new

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162750613458935002006-11-05T13:08:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.367-05:00

In 48 hours we'll be in the middle of the beginning of the end for George Bush the Second. Or at the least for Donald Rumsfeld. Even if the Republicans win the Senate and Congress, any Republican Congressperson would be stupid to not point fingers somewhere. They have another election to worry about in two years.For George Bush, it'll be a long drawn out decline. I doubt he'll be impeached.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162601954826933982006-11-03T19:44:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.234-05:00

I heard this story a few days ago, but didn't read the whole thing. It's been discussed extensively online, so I just want to pass it on in case you didn't see it.Summary: Manager at Starbucks store in Portland rides his bike to work regularly. When he shows up at a manager meeting by bike, he gets confronted as being unprofessional and is transferred to a store 16 miles from his home.Shocking

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162590150520611422006-11-03T18:33:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:53.095-05:00

Toronto needs a little pat on the back. We're told growing up to love ourselves first before we worry about others paying attention to us. Growing companies are told to focus internally before customers will appreciate a good product. Toronto should take some advice from the self-help book The Strength Within (it got 5 stars, after all) and concern itself with its own needs, and appreciate the

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162343350118685102006-10-31T19:45:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:52.956-05:00

This is the sight that greets cyclists after passing north of Steeles Avenue into the town of Markham. This is a residential through street called Henderson Avenue half way between 2 major arterials (Yonge and Bayview).I managed to get a branch in the way, but you'll notice that there's a new green informational sign on the side of the road. This is Markham's solution to creating an instant

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1162220120564051242006-10-30T09:45:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:56:52.820-05:00

I meant to say: This is the bike chase scene for which you've been waiting. (I don't want to slide down the slippery slope of grammatical promiscuity).Have you heard about this trend to make businesses and film productions carbon neutral? Syriana was one of them.Here's a television show that's making a step in that direction. More clips and even full episodes of this environmentally sensitive

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1161963539396134082006-10-27T12:05:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.693-05:00

This morning, following my usual route, what do I see as I cross north over Steeles Avenue? A Bicycle Route sign stood prominently on the side of the road, poking up over top of municipal election placards. As I reached John Street, there were more Bike Route signs, along with an aspiring councillor smiling and waving to people in their cars.This is Bike Friday, the October edition, by the way.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1161742455720456582006-10-24T22:02:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.559-05:00

(Photo of St. Clair Avenue near Avenue Road)Are you looking at a scene of chaos or progress?This is just a quick heads up to look over at the Toronto Coalition for Active Transport web site. The highly anticipated Mayoral and Councillor candidate surveys have arrived.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1161495985720580382006-10-22T01:26:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.439-05:00

Today started off as planned. I woke up early and set off with my friend Shawna, a published photographer, to meet up with another friend who was meeting us outside the CBC building. We would be attending Go, a Saturday morning radio show.We decided to take Yonge Street since it was early morning and Shawna, hardened by the streets of Hamilton, was ready to deal with whatever traffic we might

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1161407052539494662006-10-21T00:50:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.303-05:00

Lately, I haven’t had much exciting to write about. Is it because of my changing definition of “exciting”?I doubt it.I’ve barely pushed my bike around at all; only once to work, plus a few short trips. Instead, I’ve needed to be pulled around by my car for 3 work days out of five. I say “needed” because I’m covering huge distances around the metropolitan area, and I like my job. I don’t

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160771903162059812006-10-13T16:31:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.186-05:00

Lord Linley sounds like a royal family member I'd like to meet. He brings his daughter to school aboard his bicycle, previously a Strida folder, now the appropriately named Pashley Sovereign.Since his daughter is 14th in line to the throne, public outrage over his dangerous actions were particularly strong. I mean, think about the stability of the kingdom, my lord! Granted, he didn't choose

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160688888469810692006-10-12T17:26:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:52.050-05:00

It just snowed here! But that's what happens way up north in Richmond Hill. People are probably still concerned about UV indexes down south in Parkdale and Riverside and the Financial District. It must be nice.3 degrees C. I should have brought my balaclava.

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160452254379886122006-10-12T12:51:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.429-05:00

Some progress has been made on the Mount Pleasant bike lanes idea.Here's a summary of what I know about the three councillors that currently represent the wards along Mount Pleasant Avenue:Cliff Jenkins - Ward 25, the north end of Mount PleasantCouncillor Jenkins is the first person I heard the idea from. He fully supports bike lanes on Mount Pleasant, and I've heard from him directly a number

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160670384975355752006-10-12T12:23:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.937-05:00

I saw three deer in a small ravine this morning. I noticed one of them while I was riding along, then I stopped and saw her two friends. It was in the exact same spot where I saw deer last year, which is only about 1 km from two major expressways, the 407 and the 404.They were enjoying eating and sniffing around and whatever else deer do. When I walked onto the sidewalk, they raised their

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160537478173825052006-10-10T23:27:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.781-05:00

Bikeshare, the program no sane person can say anything bad about, needs some money. I guess that can come from personal donors, or from a steady government supply. See if you can help out by writing a cheque or a letter.The world is a better place because of Bikeshare.Heads-up: The program will be discussed on CBC Metro Morning radio here in Toronto tomorrow (Wednesday).

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160534201676160112006-10-10T22:31:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.630-05:00

ParadoxSubmitted anonymouslyCycling home from the pubthree sheets to the wind.Which is the lesser of two evils?Wobbling down the road, orthrough the park?No, don't go through the park.It's dark. It's not safe.Monsters live in the park after dark!Deciding that the fear of the unknownis safer than the known fear of dodging vehicles with senses finely blurred, i choose the park.The park is dark,

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1160239643328007522006-10-07T12:30:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.242-05:00

***"Buy this car to drive to work. Drive to work to pay for this car."Metric - Live it out - Handshakes(I love the song called "The Police and The Private" on this album.)***"I raise my hand in PeaceI never bow to the laws of the thought policeI take a holy vowTo never kill again"Neil Young - Living with war - Living with warCheck out the boo-ometer, on the Neil Young site:"...No other cities had

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1159880132261910632006-10-04T08:54:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:50.887-05:00

To all Toronto cyclists who travel in the central part of the city between Bloor and York Mills:What are your thoughts on the best north-south route through the area? If bike lanes were added to one North-South road, which one would be the best road?There are currently no real bike lanes anywhere north of St. Clair Avenue. The designated north-south route is called route 35, which travels

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1159910077114418172006-10-03T17:10:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:51.128-05:00

On Friday night, the bottom bracket on my old peugeot started to grind with every stroke of the pedal. I'm pretty sure that's a bad thing. It's been a year, and quite a few rain storms, since I last had the bottom bracket packed with new grease and bearings. It's a job that I know I put off too long in my attempts to avoid doing it too often. Because of a loose bottom bracket, the peugeot

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1159669632677526392006-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:50.775-05:00

Due to a variety of things going on, I’ve driven my car more than half the days to work this past 2 weeks. Just like anyone else, I don’t get any joy or pleasure through my drive to work other than possibly hearing something interesting on the radio. Driving the car is a chore, and one that gets even more draining when you’re stuck staring at the car in front of you. Traffic jams are an

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977707.post-1158549508786448682006-09-28T22:36:00.000-04:002006-11-14T23:56:50.065-05:00

This power-assist bicycle was spotted on the suburban outskirt of Brockville. Yes, Brockville, a town of 22000, has a suburban outskirt, a modern style suburban development, with biggie sized store-fronts, biggie sized parking lots and biggie sized roadways, circa 2005.It looks a lot like the town of Brockville received a provincial government grant for traffic lights, as there is one every 100

Darren Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13186653520767141027noreply@blogger.com3