Pretty Gloves

Oh yes. Mine are actually white. I bought them to celebrate getting my work contract extended and because I only have fingerless and winter weight gloves. I wanted something which covered my entire hand but allowed me to feel through the material and not get too warm. There were no black pairs there and I didn't even realize that Fox offered black. I am not sure which I would prefer. I usually wear more black but the white will not get as warm in the bright Ottawa sun, although it will show more dirt. I have a white helmet right now too, so I match. At least until I get a Bern.

I got them at Fosters, as usual. 15% of for students with an ISIC. The province of Ontario does not charge taxes on many bike accessories. I am not sure if clothing counts. I need to find where I put my receipt!

Oops

It is hard to motivate myself to update when I would rather be out riding in the spring weather. The change in temperature is also leading me to cover prettier cycling accessories. If I were a full-time functionary instead of a part-time functionnaire (we are bilingual here) and full-time grad student, I would purchase the following things:

- Pretty new bike from Ottawa's Tall Trees Cycles. I would get the "city" Kona Africa instead of the "womens" because then I would get specs rather than a heartwarming story, not to mention better grammar.

- Chic Bern Muse helmet. I am linking to the London Cycle Chic blog's shop because I love their blog and because Foster's

- Riding Pretty's helmet covers, although that would be better for winter as well as covering up my current, less attractive helmet. The Bern Muse would look fine on its own.

Covet.

Pretty Helmet Cover

I'm a day late to call this Wordless Wednesday. How about Thesis Thursday? As in, I need to frantically make things up rather than talk about cycling.

All I really have to say is that now that the weather is nice enough to ride in a skirt and now I have a beautiful ladies bike with a skirt guard and step-through frame that I coveted for so long. This has left me coveting something new, namely a helmet cover for maximum prettiness while riding.

I have been eying this one on one of my favourite women's cycling sites.

Turn Signals

Drivers, cyclists, everybody: please use your turn signals. I live in an area of Ottawa with lots of old, winding roads that are not on a grid system. There are a lot of confusing two-way and four-way stops, and the streets alternate randomly between one and two-way lanes. It's confusing and hard to tell who has the right of way. When I got from my place to the Canal, I pass by Rideau Street, a major road and then a serious of small streets. They go four-way stop, two-way stop, two-way stop one-way, four-way stop, one-way four-way stop, and then the road ends and I have to turn. Two of the roads have bike lanes, but most don't.

One thing that would make this and any driving or cycling experience much easier would be if people would use their turn signals. This even affects me as a pedestrians. Going to cross with the light and having to jump away when a motorist 1) thinks the pedestrian advance is outweighed by their right turn needs and 2) has not even signaled that right turn. I realise that this is something that cyclists are as guilty of. In fact, sometimes I seems like I am the only cyclist I see who uses turn signals. I also wonder how many motorists understand them. I have also been almost clipped so many times, or alternately waited unnecessarily many times when it turns out someone is turning but has not signaled.

Please, please. Whether with your hand or lights, use your turn signals!

New Old Bike!

Mine as of about ten minutes!



Not my yard pictures. That's the seller's place. He was a really nice guy from the Quebec side of the river who brought it over for me because of the freak weather. I was all set to bus there and ride it back since it has been mild and warm. Some rain, but that doesn't bother me. Then there was a flash freeze yesterday and now it is -30. The freezing rain was like gravel to the face.

I have been looking for an old cruiser like this for ages. I had one like it in Germany and it is so much more comfortable to commute on. I carry a lot, so I need a stable bike with lots of carrying capacity. I also don't care about speed, so not being hunched over drop handlebars is a huge plus. I wanted a women's bike so I could wear it with skirts because this will be my summer bike. I still have the hybrid with snow tires for the rest of the year.

It was such a good deal, and came with almost all the accessories I want, other than a chain guard. So pleased. I had my eye on this for some time. While it would be nice to get a new bike, it just is not in my budget right now. I am also somewhat offended by the gendered advertising. Check out the description above, which is in the "commuter" section, and then compare it with this in the "womens section" [sic].

Ladies on Bikes

I thought I had the market cornered on writing about being a woman in a Canadian city commuting by bike in ridiculous weather, but it looks like Night Shade Bike Crew beat me to it.

It's probably for the best. My intentions are good, but having a job that involves writing reports all day as well as a graduate thesis hanging over my head really leaves me with a nasty case of writers block. That's why most of my posts involve stream of conscious rants about drivers almost clipping me. Not that the happened soon.

Fear not, I will keep at it. A post about cycling in heels and contemplating what it is like to cycle in hijab is up next. Just as soon as I coax another few thesis pages into existence.

On Bike Lanes and Defensive Cycling

I just learned the term "right hook" the hard way. I went out for a Sunday ride in the sun earlier. It was lovely. Decent weather, break from thesis writing, discovered a sugar shack and cloister. The way home was less fun. Most bridges in Ottawa have bike lane, I suppose so that we don't slow down traffic on the uphill part. The St. Patrick bridge is no exception. Cyclists should be careful when merging with traffic because drivers often don't expect a cyclist to be around the corner in "their" lane, when there has just been a cycling lane. I got boxed in between two cars. In front was someone who passed me right before an intersection in order to do that right turn a few seconds faster and behind was someone following very close and not expecting me to brake when the first car pulled their "pass and turn" move. Nothing happened other than a fender coming far to close to my leg, but it still reminded me to watch out.

The recent poor cycling conditions have really improved my defensive cycling and awareness on the road. I watch for things like people stopping to park, pulling out of parallel parking, taking advantage the above to do a left turn, pedestrians cutting between parked cars and jaywalkers far more than before.