Summer 2016 1

biketoria// bike to work week //riding plumber// people power // andalusia spain // pedestrian pleasures // and more...

SUM

MER

2016

no. 134

CycleTherapy

Andalusia

historic places

modern cycling

Velo Victorious

2 Cycle Therapy

Published by the:Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition709 Yates St. PO Box 8586 Victoria, BC, V8W 3S2

The GVCC’s purpose is to get more people cycling more places more often in Greater Victoria by:• Improving cycling education and making

it universal for cyclists, motorists, and others dealing with bicycling

•Facilitating communication between cyclists, business, government, and other community groups

• Improving facilities and infrastructure for bicycle use• Improving the legal climate for cyclists•Encouraging more people to ride bicycles more often•Developing a cycling information base

To contribute to Cycle Therapy, please email:cycletherapy@gvcc.bc.ca

Submissions are greatly encouraged. Still, we reserve the right to edit copy in the interest of clarity or where necessary. The views expressed in Cycle Therapy are not necessarily those of the GVCC. All articles, photos and graphics published in Cycle Therapy remain the intellectual property of the authors and artists.

Visit us online: gvcc.bc.ca

facebook.com/GVCCbctwitter.com/gvcc

Editorial Collective: Kate Berniaz, Mandy Pearce, Kathleen Fraser, Kate KennedyEditor: Mandy Pearce and Kate BerniazDesign Collective: Ryan MijkerContributors: Kate Berniaz, Brenda Boyd, Anne Drummond, Michael Fisher, Carolyn Gisborne, Ed Janicki, Victoria Levesque, Norah Macey, Cyrus Molavi, Edward Pullman, Lise Richard, Christine Terry, Sarah WebbDistribution: Matthew WebbBike Couriers: Janet Besler, Brenda Boyd, Barry Edmonson, Forrest Nelson, John Perry, John Van Hoorn, Andy RobertsonGVCC Board of DirectorsPresident: Edward PullmanVice-president: Bharat ChandramouliTreasurer: Michael FisherSecretary: Brenda BoydDirector: Breanna MerriganDirector: Matt HuculakDirector: Mandy PearceDirector: Timothy ScolnickDirector: Cyrus MolaviDirector: Glenys VerhulstDirector: Matthew Webb

Printed by: First Choice Books & Victoria Bindery

The GVCC is a proud member of the British Columbia Cycling Coalition.

On the Cover: Photo by Kristy Westendorp PhotographyInstagram @BettieBTwitter: @Bettiebikes

CycleTherapy President’s Message by Edward Pullman

Riding a bike is a safe activity. Statisti-cally speaking, you are more likely to be killed or injured driving a car than you are riding a bike. Despite the danger posed by motor vehicles, you will prob-ably live longer if you ride a bike often, given all the exercise and cardio activity that results from riding. This is a message box I often come back to when talking to the media, peo-ple on the street, or friends and family when talking about biking. Research has shown that portraying biking in a positive light is important in persuading more people to ride bikes. As an organization whose mandate is getting more people cycling, more places, more often, it is important that we portray bike riding as a safe, healthy and enjoyable activity. I stick to that script as best I can, even after events like those on March 29th, when a bike rider was killed at the corner of Government and Fisgard by a delivery truck. This was a 73 year-

old female bike rider who was, by all accounts, an experienced, all-weather cyclist who followed the rules of the road, wore a brightly colored jacket, and generally did everything our society expects a cyclist to do to ride safely in traffic. While a police report of the incident has not been released, one needs only to visit the intersection in question to see the design issues that place cyclists at risk. The sidewalk at that spot has a curb extension to shorten the crossing time for pedestrians crossing Govern-ment street. This curb extension puts the bike lane and vehicle lane very close together. It’s very conceivable that the truck driver was waiting to turn right at the red light when the cyclist approached, unknown to the truck driver due to blind spots, and made the turn. If this is the case, then neither the truck driver nor the cyclist is really at ‘fault’. The fault lies with our poorly designed roads that put cyclists at risk and fail to prioritize their safety. A ban on red light turns at that light, improved intersec-tion design, and any number of design changes that address cyclist (and pedestrian) safety could have prevented this tragedy. So, yes, cycling is a safe, healthy activ-ity we should all partake in. But we can’t forget a fundamental rule of physics: when it is bike versus vehicle, the vehi-cle always wins. The more we can sepa-rate motor vehicles and bikes on our road, through protected bike lanes and intersections that prioritize safety over vehicle movement, the fewer senseless deaths and injuries we will see. It’s time to admit that the North Ameri-can design philosophy of mixing motor vehicles and bikes has been a failure, and start building infrastructure that will guarantee the safety of those on bikes.

Summer 2016 3

Editorial

This will be my tenth year living in Victoria, so it’s high time to start pitching in. I’ve joined the GVCC because I know there’s a great opportunity for improving cycling conditions for every person get-ting around town. It’ll take better infrastructure, more support for people riding, and a strong advo-cacy organization. I’m aiming to help the GVCC from an operational perspective by clarifying how we measure performance and orga-nize our volunteer effort.

My education has inspired me to believe that there is a better way

to design our cities: I attended “outdoor school” in high school, explored sustainability in business school, lived in a pedestrian- and cycling-centric town (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) on exchange, and developed a ride-sharing startup business plan as my undergradu-ate capstone. I walk to work, have never owned a car, and can’t wait for the incoming cycling network improvements.

I hope to meet you soon, if I haven’t already. Let’s talk about what’s next for cycling in Victoria.

Board Member Profile Cyrus Molavi

With so many people involved in the Cycle Therapy collective, there are often people coming or going. With this issue, we are pleased to welcome a new editor, Mandy Pearce, to lead the magazine. Though it takes a team of people to get each issue of CT out, it takes one person to keep everything organized and on schedule.

Mandy Pearce has volunteered with CT for a year in both copyedit-ing and advertising. Her attention to detail and keen organizational skills are well matched for the Edi-tor’s role. If you are interested in

submitting an article or volunteer-ing for the collective (especially in graphic design or advertising/partnership liaising), Mandy would like to hear from you. Email cycle-therapymag@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions.

Along with a new editor, the GVCC is integrating its communications channels. We have already made the move to provide CT online. Though still available in print to your home or at local bike shops and libraries, the online version offers full colour and it is easy to share with your friends, family and

contacts outside of Victoria. We will be sharing more articles (in-cluding some from our archives) through Twitter and Facebook and our regular e-news. This will mean more CT will reach more people on a regular basis, not just three times a year.

So, some changes to CT but the core of the magazine—sharing sto-ries about people who bike: where, when, how and why—continues. Share your stories and photos as you get out on your bike this sum-mer and, overall, enjoy the ride!

by CT Collective

4 Cycle Therapy

Biketoria CourseThis spring UVic students were given the opportunity to learn about cycling policy and research in real time with a geography course focused on Biketoria. This upper level course taught by Dr. Cameron Owens and Dr. Trisalyn Nelson, has a unique model that saw the course content and structure integrated into the work the City of Victoria is currently undertaking in designing an All Ages and Abilities bike network.

Throughout the semester students heard from guest lecturers on land use and transportation planning, cycling advocacy, economic development, and cycling safety. Lectures were supplemented by on-the-ground experience of riding bikes through Victoria to explore the potential bike routes proposed in the #Biketoria project. Finally, students undertook in-depth group

r e s e a r c h projects to delve into particular aspects of cycling that interested them.As Dr. Nelson shared with the Times Colonist at the beginning of the semester, “Many of the projects will hopefully be supporting the information needs of the city as they roll out the Biketoria project, so we’ll be looking at a number of different evaluation projects we can do.”

With the final presentation that students gave, this certainly was the case. Students researched different components of cycling and the Biketoria project including:

Cycling culture and the role it plays it getting more people on bikes;

Incentives businesses use to encourage cycling among their employees;

Interactive map of the proposed network with commentary and videos;

Parking impacts and mitigation measures

in Oak Bay Village; andParents and youth—barriers and

opportunities for cycling.

The final presentations, report and tools will be placed on the City of Victoria’s City Studio website.

This course is a great example of the opportunities that can come out of the community, municipality and university working together collaboratively. Hopefully, the Biketoria course will be taught in the coming years as the City of Victoria and other neighbouring municipalities build more cycling infrastructure and realize more benefits from getting more people on bikes. This will provide students with a great opportunity to contribute further research that could continue to improve cycling in the region.

CT Collective

Theme Rides Schedule25 Year Cycle Celebration – GVCC Anniversary Ride Sunday, June 5

GVCC Architectural Tour Saturday, June 18Magical History Tour Saturday, July 2Heritage Hallmark Ride Sunday, August 14Victoria Tweed Ride Saturday, September 10 Victoria Secrets Ride Sunday, September 18 Spooks & Spokes Ride Sunday, October 30 Christmas Lights Ride Sunday, December 18

Check out gvcc.bc.ca for details and updates.

We hosted several Cyclist Lounges at Ross Bay Pub in Victoria (Feb. 24), the Penny Farthing in Oak Bay (Mar. 31), and at Canoe Brewpub (Apr. 26). The Oak Bay lounge was one of our best attended so far, including 4 Oak Bay city councillors and Mayor Nils Jensen, who addressed the crowd.

The advocacy team has been busy engaging with the City of Victoria’s Biketoria plan, crafting responses to provincial and municipal governments’ request for input, and encouraging community participation in the cycling issues of our region.

On April 16th, we hosted Victoria Likes Bikes at the Vic Theatre, featuring films and presentations by Chris and Melissa Bruntlett of ModaCity (Vancouver) and Jayne Bradbury of Fort Properties.

What’s New at the GVCC

Look for our review of Cycling the Islands in the Fall 2016 issue of Cycle Therapy.Visit Bolen Books on Tues. June 7th at 7pm for the book launch and signing of local author John Crouch’s new book, Cycling the Islands.

At the May 5th Committee of the Whole meeting, Victoria Council unanimously approved the proposed Biketoria network. Phase 1 will be completed by the end of 2018, consisting of:• Pandora Ave: Cook St to Store St• Fort St: Cook St to Store St• Cook St: Pakington Ave to Pandora Ave

• Wharf St or Government St: Humboldt to Johnson Street Bridge or Pandora Ave

Staff will begin developing details designs on these four routes (approx. 5.5km, similar in size to Calgary’s downtown protected bike lane network). Further consultation on the design and implementation of phases 2-4 (including funding sources) will come in the months and years ahead. A huge victory for those who want a healthier, safer and more sustainable community!

Velo Victorious

Summer 2016 5

by Lise Richard

Bike to Celebrate!YOU are personally invited to attend the 22nd annual Bike to Work Week, May 30th–June 5th 2016! Last year the Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week experienced its highest enrollment with 9,127 participants, 1,346 of whom identified as ‘new riders’. Our research shows that at least 70% (942) of those folks will continue bicycle commuting as a result of participating in the Bike to Work Week.

Bike to Work Week connects people, cultivates community and celebrates bicycles and the people riding them. But why do over 9,127 people choose to participate—or why do they ride a bicycle at all?

Each year at the end of Bike to Work Week participants are surveyed for their thoughts and reviews on the event. Resoundingly year after year the top five motivators for participating in Bike to Work Week are:

Improving mental and physical healthRegular cycling improves personal fitness on many levels. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults should get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity every week (an average of 30 minutes per standard work day) which may be achieved by riding a bicycle for commuting needs. Chronic diseases, obesity, depression and stress are all health conditions whose impacts are reduced through regular cycling.

Reducing Environmental ImpactThe equation is simple. The more a bike is ridden, the less fossil fuel is required, burned and emitted. Riding a bike for daily workplace commuting has instantaneous positive results for the health and wellbeing of our environment. In Canada, 30% of our national emissions are related to personal transportation. As a business, supporting employee participation in Bike to Work Week (and

beyond) is a fun, tangible way to track and report on employee travel emissions and to achieve sustainability targets.

They thought it would be fun…and were they right! Colleagues get to know each other on new, exciting levels through workplace team engagement.

Participants experience the city in a new way and learn new skills. With 19 Celebration Stations to attend, prizes to be won, delicious snacks from local business sponsors to enjoy, and new friends to chat with, there’s no way Bike to Work Week is not fun!

Save Money (on commuting)Yup, drive less = spend less. Simple and easy, the way commuting should be.

Win prizesRegister a team and submit your results on time, fill out a Celebration Station prize ballot or collect passport stamps—there are many chances to win a prize from among the over $30,000 of goods and services available! What’s more motivating than a chance to win a new bicycle?

So gather up your colleagues, your family members or friends and register a team for the 2016 Bike to Work Week, May 30th–June 5th. Even if you’re already cycling regularly, REGISTER! Many municipal governments come to the GVBTWS for our data at the end of the event and use this information to paint a picture of the cycling-scape in their municipality. Registration opens April 13th: www.biketowork.ca/victoria

Bike to Work Week encourages individuals to become cycle commuters for one week, breaking down perceived barriers. When people try cycle commuting repeatedly and enjoy themselves, it naturally finds its way into their daily commuting needs, whether that’s to work, for errands, to social events or taking the kids to school.

Stay up to date with event information: www.facebook.com/BiketoWorkVictoriawww.biketowork.ca/victoria

Photo By Theresa Gulliver

6 Cycle Therapy

Taking the Flight Path By Victoria Levesque

This past year, my family and I discovered the Flight Path, a 9.3km multi-use path circling YYJ. I really didn’t think much of the idea of cycling around an airport. What was so desirable about that, I thought? Looking at planes from behind a chain link fence? Hmm.

Cue a beautiful summer day, two boisterous young kids and two frazzled parents needing an outing, desperately! We normally cycle places from our front door, but this time desired different scenery.

With the bike rack attached to our car, we loaded up our bicycles and drove out to Pat Bay (Mile Zero on the Flight Path interactive map). Once we arrived at the parking lot, we saw we were not alone. As we unpacked the bikes for our leisurely ride and picnic, watching planes take off and land, another family was unloading their

longtail bicycle from the back of their van in preparation for an adventure.

Before setting out on the wide paved multi-use path, we fuelled up with a snack at the picnic tables overlooking Pat Bay. A few small planes teetered over us, gearing up for their landing. Whoa, they get pretty close overhead at our starting location of Pat Bay Seaplane base!

My daughter is still learning the ropes of riding her own bike and my young son is definitely child seat material, so this route looked like a great opportunity to jump onto the saddle as a family.

Once we headed out, I noticed there were feature signs along the route, marking historically significant places such as Hospital Hill. This was an enriching addition to our outing, providing

educational opportunities for all of us as well as moments to pause and swig from the water bottle.

The view travelling down the two-way path at Mills Rd is particularly stunning with heritage trees and rolling hills looking toward Pat Bay. I found myself in awe of a WestJet plane coming in to land from this vantage point. We ventured back later with grandparents and friends to experience the route again.

This loop is recommended, but would be enhanced by a local café or play structure for the kids to enjoy somewhere along the way. This is a good entry to family cycling in Greater Victoria. The path, similar to the Galloping Goose, gives a sense of safety and tranquillity due to its separation from vehicle traffic.

Photos By Victoria Levesque

Summer 2016 7

When travelling west on the Galloping Goose, just after crossing the 4-way stop at Watkiss Way and West Burnside (about two minutes before the CRD Rest Stop near Atkins Road), you may have noticed a darling café off to the right, called The Nest. This cyclist-friendly café is one-of-a-kind, and the owners definitely had cyclists in mind during the year they spent preparing to open, when menus were devel-oped, cycling-related décor was collected, and a huge mural created to cover the whole back wall. The mural uses an actual photograph of the Galloping Goose Trail, enlarged to fill the wall—truly a masterpiece!

The location was easy to determine, because owner Martin Schenk built the adjoining townhouses, and had the spot already zoned for commercial use. Since they were on the Galloping Goose, and hundreds of cyclists pass this spot daily, it made sense to create this special experience to “take a rest at The Nest”. Martin and his two daughters, Katie and Jenny, have gone to great lengths to create a rest-stop for cyclists, including 26 bike lockup facilities, plus bike repair sta-tion with tools and a pump, along with a parking lot for 13 cars, plus on-street parking.

The Nest features indoor seating, with outdoor seating on the patio (blankets provided for chilly days). There is also a group seating area on the lower level and a large picnic table, adjacent to a mulch path for access to the Galloping Goose. Dog owners also enjoy The Nest which provides clips for dog leashes, as well as water bowls and treats. They have truly created a very special community meeting place. Many people make friends here, drop in to find friends already settled in, and there is always room to add a few chairs and share the conversation. The music is also carefully chosen, yet maintains the right balance for conversa-tion.

Katie and Jenny manage the café and have about eight other staff. The menu includes items made from old family recipes, some baked goods that are made on-site, and some items that are sourced from local suppliers. Everything is delicious and there are often new items to try, including samples provided at the counter. Smoothies are named after bike parts, so you can try the “high gear” or the “sprocket rocket”. The menu was developed with hungry cyclists in mind; there are delicious soups, paninis and baked goods. Gluten friendly items are also available.

The Nest has plans to hold entertainment evenings when local musicians can showcase their talents. In the summer when daylight stays with us longer, the café will extend their hours to accommodate working cyclists who ride in the evenings. This is truly a cycle-friendly café going out of their way to fill this need; there is nothing similar in the area.

If you’ve not been to The Nest yet, this is definitely something you should check out soon!

By Norah Macey

Take a rest at the Nest

8 Cycle Therapy

by Brenda Boyd

The province of Andalusia in Spain is a popular cycling destination. It is a rural province, noted for its olive groves, orange groves and fields of sunflowers. A group of four of us visited in May last year.

We started our trip in Seville, a city which has improved its cycling infrastructure over the last few years with the addition of cycle lanes, cycle tracks and an attitude that cycling is good for the city, its people, and for tourism.

We had 5 days in Seville to explore all the city has to offer, by bike and on foot.Our first day in Seville was spent taking a city bike tour, which was a great way to orient ourselves, find landmarks and hear fascinating information about the history of Seville from our local guide. We visited historical landmarks and rode through groves of Jacaranda trees with their vibrant violet blooms creating clouds of colour in the sky. I had never seen them before and was left stunned by their beauty.

Our tour company, AdventureBug, bussed us out of Seville to a small village 30 kms out of the city where we saddled up and pedaled off to start our trip to Granada. Our group consisted of 6 cyclists from the USA, 2 cyclists from Qatar and 4 of us from Canada. The tour company provided the bikes, booked the hotels and supported us with a van to carry the luggage, snacks and lots and lots of water, as well as a guide. They were always within 10

kilometers of the group, and set up rest and water stations every 15 to 20 kms along the route.

We started out cycling through many kilometers of orange groves and had the opportunity to eat fresh oranges right from the tree. Those were the sweetest, juiciest and warmest oranges I’ve ever enjoyed. And there was fresh squeezed OJ every morning at breakfast.

The orange groves gave way to fields of sunflowers, covering the hills as far as one could see. It was an amazing sight, bright yellow flowers with a green background, all facing the sun for kilometer after kilometer.The sunflower fields became olive groves, their silvery green leaves quivering as the wind blew through the trees.

These groves cover hundreds of kilometers of Andalusia and have for hundreds of years. We had the opportunity to cycle a small portion

of the “Olive Train route”, which consists of over 600 kilometers of abandoned rail trail that used to run through the region, collecting olive oil from the farms. The trail is a multi-use corridor for cycling, walking, and horseback riding. The route from Seville to Granada is a very popular cycling route, and is well posted with

CYCLES Andalusia

Photos By Brenda Boyd

Summer 2016 9

signs warning motorists that cyclists are on the road. This is a good thing as the route was rural, hilly and winding. Every day we rode uphill, gaining altitude one pedal stroke at a time. Our guide described it as false flat, regular steep and Steep! With some grades of 8 – 10%, it was a real challenge as the temperature was a constant 35–40 degrees Celsius every day.We had the opportunity to spend our nights in a variety of hotels and inns such as a converted monastery (very airy and cool), a barrio (with its narrow winding lanes to get lost in) and a small hotel clinging to the side of the mountain with a breathtaking view of the valley, rail trail, and olive groves. Every food stop involved dishes of olives, no two tasting the same. Who knew you could do so many different things to make an

olive taste so good?

The people of Andalusia welcomed us warmly everywhere we stopped. Lunches and dinners consisted of locally produced food where our guide was kept busy translating the menus for our group, recommending special dishes and local wines that were enjoyed by all. Not being a wine drinker, I was very pleasantly surprised to find the local drink, Vino Tinto, to be delicious. It’s made by filling a wine glass with ice, pouring half red wine and half lemon soda over it. Wonderful!

Our adventure ended in Granada where we had the opportunity to spend a day at

Alhambra, the world famous palace of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. It’s a hilltop fortress that includes the royal palaces and reflecting pools as well as fountains, orchards and gardens. Water flows through very clever channels throughout Alhambra, making it a cool and inviting place to get away from the sun-scorched city of Granada.

As Spain has 50 provinces, I’m hoping to go back and explore more of them during a future cycle trip. Spain was really great value for the dollars spent, as the food, drink and accommodation were half the cost of countries such as Holland, Austria and Denmark.

Rebels againstthe ordinary.

hotelzed.comVictoria & Coming to Kelowna spring 2016

different (in a good way).

accentinns.com

5 Locations in BC

10 Cycle Therapy

Erik John is a journeyman plumber running his own business in Victoria. What makes him unusual is that he arrives at the jobsite on a completely carbon-free Yuba Mundo cargo bike pulling a dual wheel extended trailer with everything he needs to do the job.

We recently managed to sit down with Erik for a few minutes between jobs. He explained how he completed his apprenticeship in Victoria and then spent some time in Saskatchewan and became hooked on cycling. He decided to return to Victoria and combine his two passions and run a plumbing business without the usual plumbing truck.

His business vehicle is an electric assist Yuba Mundo pulling a custom-designed trailer from Tony’s Trailers (www.tonystrailers.com). Erik originally started without the electric assist but found the

challenge of pulling all that weight too much—especially on the hills in Victoria. He quickly learned to check and double check that he’d brought everything to a job, as running out for a missing piece was exhausting and wasted time.

Erik spoke of the fresh air and exercise he gets while travelling to a jobsite. Customers have commented on how they respect how hard he works to get to a job, and on his eye-catching rig. It’s so eye-catching that a potential customer approached him as we were taking photos of his trailer and asked about job rates.

Plumbing is a competitive business and Erik charges regular rates for his work. You know he is fit and alert when he arrives on the job and he is not carrying the cost of gas, parking or expensive vehicle depreciation in his business. He charges only for time on the job, not for however long it takes

to arrive. He noted that he tries to group jobs closer together to reduce travel time. Currently, his preferred areas of service are Tillicum and Gordon Head, as well as neighbourhoods to the south, including Fairfield, Oak Bay and James Bay.

After discussing a personal plumbing issue (he knows his stuff—obviously) we turned to the topic of pet peeves and he commented on the challenges of riding in rush-hour traffic on roads such as Shelbourne. With a long rig and wide trailer, Erik understands better than most why the Shelbourne corridor is ripe for cycling improvements.

As a model of an excellent urban business providing a needed service, Erik John’s residential plumbing business is perfect for a bicycle. Quiet, clean and efficient—everything you want to see in a plumber. Erik can be contacted at erik@bicycleplumbing.com or 778-533-1490.

Bicycling PLUMBER by Michael Fisher

Photos By Michael Fishder

Summer 2016 11

by Ed Janicki

Open Heart and

The Secret Race

Both of these books about competitive cycling were given to me last Christmas and I read them in quick succession. While written in very different styles about very different people, both detail struggles to get to the top of physically demanding sports. At the end I was left wondering whether to admire or dislike Tyler Hamilton or Clara Hughes, but can recommend both books as informative and because they might blow away some of your preconceptions. The Secret RaceTyler Hamilton was an American pro bike racer for several years on the same team as Lance Armstrong. Though not a household name, Hamilton had, by any measure, a successful pro career, finishing near the top of several Grand Tours and winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege (one of the great one-day races). The book is written for Hamilton by Daniel Coyle of Outside magazine, who had already written extensively about Armstrong. The writing style is polished and professional and although it is written in first-person (perhaps because it was not actually penned by Hamilton), it conveys a somewhat matter-of-fact tone largely devoid of ego, but not without emotion. He speaks about himself mostly in the context of what is going on around him. There are many first hand anecdotes and observations of the personalities and lives of top-pro cyclists, especially Lance Armstrong. For example, one day Armstrong chides Hamilton for eating a cookie, but the next day forces the whole team to train extra hard because he couldn’t resist three pieces of chocolate cake! The book lays out in brilliant detail how

Armstrong and other racers got away with doping. If you can suspend judgement, you may come to understand—not necessarily sympathize with— the pressures that push professional athletes towards chemical performance enhancement. You begin to understand why an athlete might start out saying they would never, ever dope, and perhaps hold to that promise for a few years; but inevitably the pressure gets to them. In other words: you can’t believe any of them, but can you blame them? Much of the latter part of the book describes Hamilton’s fight to clear his name after he is eventually discovered. It’s less interesting, but worthwhile to read, in painful detail, how far a culpable doper will go to deny their guilt. Open Heart, Open MindClara Hughes, one of Canada’s greatest ever Olympians, is one of few athletes from any country to have won medals in both winter (speed-skating) and summer (cycling) games. The book seems to be written by Hughes herself, and while it’s not as polished as the Secret Race, it effectively conveys her earnest personality. Like Hamilton’s book, it is written in first-person, but she writes mainly about herself, and her ego definitely comes through, which can be a little jarring. This book is only partly about her cycling career, with which she had a love-hate relationship. She actually loved speed-skating more, until she eventually tired of “going round in circles”. She chronicles her years in each sport, why she made each

switch, and how she got to the top level. For me that was perhaps the most satisfying part; some may also enjoy reading about her efforts to help girls play sports in countries where it is generally not part of the culture. Hughes has spoken publicly about her lifelong fight with depression, and much of the book attempts to explain how an outwardly successful person can possibly be depressed. It’s perhaps intentional she makes it clear she is not always a nice person. This is also a very personal book, as it goes into some detail of her personal relationships (more so than in the Secret Race). She speaks a lot about her difficult relationship with her father. Like him, she could be abusive with the people closest to her. She does not spare invective against some coaches and levels abundant criticisms against fellow athletes who annoy her. Her greatest athletic successes are quickly followed by bouts of despondency, and her writing succeeds in displaying the extreme ups and downs of a person suffering from depression. In conclusion, read The Secret Race if you like to read about professional cycling and the pressures to get ahead by any means. Read Open Heart, Open Mind to get to know Clara Hughes in a way that is not obvious from the television screen.

12 Cycle Therapy

The joys of moving on your own two feet complement the joys of moving around on two wheels. While not everyone is able to move around on foot, it offers certain advantages, which I like to think of as pedestrian pleasures.

#1: The ability to stop trafficNo matter how you move around, staying in motion is the goal and anything that impedes continuous motion creates frustration—sit-ting in rush-hour traffic in a car, coming to a full stop at a stop sign on a bike, or waiting for a light to change after pushing a walk signal button on foot. When I walk, I relish the opportunity to use mid-block crosswalks to stop traffic (legally!) according to the mere presence of a few painted lines.

#2: Time to notice detailsYour ability to notice details in any environment depends on the speed at which you’re travelling. Billboards present information at an appropriate scale for people driving at high speeds, while sand-wich boards on a neighbourhood sidewalk present information in an inviting way to cyclists and pedestrians. Travelling on foot af-fords extra time to notice all the interesting details that make up vibrant spaces, such as architectural details on buildings and art-work tucked away in alleys or on quiet side streets.

#3: Unrivalled access Walking provides unrivalled access to interesting spaces that make

up both urban and natural environments. Greater Victoria con-tains innumerable places that are best accessed on foot, from Fan Tan Alley to the breakwater at Ogden Point. Bastion Square is a great example of a downtown space just begging to be explored—you might be surprised at where you end up.

#4: Mid-block connections Victoria contains a number of mid-block crosswalks between Blanshard and Douglas. You can currently travel on foot from Her-ald to Broughton without having to wait at any lights, just by using these mid-block connections. This network is being added to over time as development takes place downtown. The condo building under construction on Caledonia Street will include another mid-block crosswalk between Herald and Caledonia Street, extending the network by one more block. One of my favourite hidden con-nections is a raised walkway that runs between Fisgard Street and Cormorant Street. Surrounded by trees, it provides welcome relief from the traffic on Blanshard and is a highlight of my morning commute.

The next time you set out for a walk, consider these pedestrian pleasures.

Pedestrian Pleasures by Carolyn Gisborne

Photos By Carolyn Gisborne

Summer 2016 13

Warmshowers by Anne Drummond

Sleep deprived and weary of lugging bicycles and gear, we were struggling across the station from the Zurich train to the local train, when a soft voice asked if we were Anne and Laura.

We have been Warmshowers hosts for a couple of years, and have really enjoyed the steady stream of bicycle travellers that have stayed in the Tiny House we built in our gar-den. Meeting Kathrin was the beginning of our first experience of being WS guests and it was wonderful right from the start.

Kathrin and Sven live in a 200-year-old house in the little village of Niederteufen in the beautiful hill country near Appenzell. The house used to be a pub so had lots of lovely old dark wood, low ceilings and big beams. Kathrin and Sven are hardcore but very un-derstated adventure travellers, with many miles of bicycle travel behind them, and many

dreams ahead. They met while both of them were on 3-year bike tours through Eastern Europe, the Americas, Turkey, Iran and India. After initially meeting near San Francisco in a campground where raccoons were raiding Kathrin’s food, they met again a month later and cycled into Mexico and onwards to Gua-temala and Belize. Then onwards across the Andes from Santiago to Mendoza, eventually returning to Germany together. Since then they have shared many bottles of red wine, crossed many borders and cycled thousands of kilometres together. Both of them have written extensively, with humour and sensi-tivity, about their travels—with more than a touch of Kerouac evident in Sven’s writing. Their websites are filled with inspiring pho-tographs which sum up all the delights and struggles of bicycle touring in remote places. Rich details of sights, sounds and smells are documented along with the subsequent feel-ings evoked; leaving the reader with a strong

sense that it is the journey not the destination that is important to them.

After many years of bicycle travelling they settled in eastern Switzerland where, despite being busy professionals who do not have a car, their lives are full of rock-climbing, hik-ing and cycling adventures—and soon a Twike adventure in Scandinavia.

They were wonderfully kind to us, cooking a fabulous meal which we enjoyed outside in the shadow of a great ragged ridge that grabbed all the setting sun till it glowed red and pink. We had many questions and there were many stories to tell, so the night was long and satisfying. But finally our eyes could not stay open one second longer. In the morn-ing, after breakfast together and more useful advice, they waved us goodbye as we pedalled off into the clean, green hills of the Appenzell.

Photos Provided by Kathrin and Sven

14 Cycle Therapy

Let your leg swing over the seat.Let your wheels grip gravel.Let the world roll slow.

The golden crowned kinglets, and geese in the field, the buffleheads on Blenkinsop Lake, eagle above, and hens in the grass, safe under warp and weft wire. Let the cooler

at Mcleod’s gate offer bundles of beans. Let the gallery of kitsch at the side of the trail sing carnival songs. Let blue sky.Let Mount Baker. Let your wheels roll into Mattick’s farm, a madness for ice cream cones.

At Fig farm, bouquet of basil, bouquet of thyme, and a clutch of duck eggs, the smell of horsesand cedar chips. Down the waylet the rooster ride on the back of the sow.

Let the call: “On your left”keep chaos at bay.

©Christine Terry

Lochside Trail

by Christine Terry

Photo By Gillian Harvey

Summer 2016 15

The Active Transportation & Healthy Communities Program aims to motivate, encourage and support residents in the Capital Region to safely walk, cycle, roll and use public transit more often. With a goal to support healthier lifestyles and address transportation and climate chal-lenges, the program uses a collective im-pact model to link active travel to everyday life. Thanks to funding provided through the Victoria Foundation, the Traffic Safety Commission, and the Real Estate Founda-tion of BC, the CRD and its partners are delivering a number of exciting projects which shine a spotlight on people-powered modes, including cycling. Projects will be led by a variety of organiza-tions and public sector agencies through-out 2016 and 2017. Examples include:

- The Bike2Farm Project: Up to 200 youth will get to experience their local food systems on two wheels. Linked to the Fla-vour Trail initiative led by CRFAIR Soci-ety, this project will allow youth to explore community gardens, edible boulevards, ur-ban farms and grocery stores throughout the region in a safe and fun way.

- Bicycle & Skateboard Repair Sta-tions: Up to 15 new self-serve repair sta-tions for bicycles and skateboards will be installed at recreation centres, in central business districts, and parks between May and November 2016.

- Active Transportation for Newcom-ers Project: This project raises awareness of the benefits of active transportation and encourages newcomers that are new to these activities in Canada, to try walking, running, cycling, or public transit. Deliv-ered by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria, in partnership with Bike to Work Victoria, the project will provide bike skills training courses tailored for im-migrants and refugees and develop trans-portation safety resources translated into top settlement languages.

- Open Streets Pilot Project: This project will establish a regional guidebook for hosting Open Streets – scheduled days when a community temporarily changes the use of roadways to encourage active transportation and informal social interac-tion. Led by the Greater Victoria Place-making Network, this project will help to catalyze and support local events led by community champions across the region.

- Nature on the Move Project: CRD parks will be hosting three new guided cycling programs on the Regional Trails throughout the summer months, with a special focus on natural and cultural history along the Galloping Goose, Lochside and E&N trails. Participants will also be intro-duced to trail etiquette and safety.

- Active & Safe Routes to School Project: Up to 30 schools from across the region will be supported in developing maps and action plans for active and safe routes to school, plus receive youth cycling skills courses and support for special events like Freedom Fridays, Bike Safety Rodeos, ‘Walk in 5’ Stations, and skateboard main-tenance classes.

- Plus much more! Active Transportation & Healthy Commu-nities is a part of regional implementation of the 2011 CRD Pedestrian & Cycling Master Plan which focuses on accelerating five E’s to increase the use of cycling and walking: engineering, education, encour-agement, enforcement, and evaluation. It runs in tandem with community-led infra-structure improvements to transform the built environment and regional transporta-tion data collection and modelling initia-tives.

For more information visit www.crd.bc.ca or contact Sarah Webb, CRD Active Transportation Pro-gram Manager, at 250-360-3240.

People Powerby Sarah Webb

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16 Cycle Therapy

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