creek . There are creative recumbent bikes , and oh , the hoverboards ! ( Are they allowed ?) One woman leaned forward on a hoverboard , wearing a niqab and a long , flowing robe , looking majestic . Fly fishers and picnickers lug their gear . One day a pedestrian bravely negotiated the path with a white cane .
Biking is so much fun that sometimes I pop into the park on my own , which I never used to do .
OK , I ’ ll come clean : I did fall and break my arm two years ago , on flat , dry , uncrowded asphalt . I was biking slowly . I took my eyes off the path and , well , slipped off , just like that . Strangely , as I lay on the path with my husband attempting to help me , no one stopped to ask if I was okay . They just whizzed past my head on their bikes . Oh well , I healed and hopped back on .
If you have an old friend hiding in your garage , I urge you to tune it up and join us on the trails ! Make sure that your helmet hasn ’ t expired ( they do ) and consider carrying a bike lock ( theft is real ). Google your local bike laws , such as whether adults can ride on the sidewalk , and how to use bike lanes in traffic . There could be a 20 km / h speed limit on paths .
If you ’ re biking on a path , think of it like driving a car on a single-lane highway . Stick to the right , whether or not there ’ s a yellow line . Ride single file . Pull out to pass only when the oncoming lane is clear , and ding your bell . And remember , pedestrians are precious .
You might explore mountain trails , ride on city streets to fetch your groceries , or bike in the snow on fat tires . Maybe you ’ ll get a stretchy Tour de France outfit and enter a race . You might like the mechanical advantage of a regular bike or the extra advantage of an e-bike . Or perhaps you ’ d prefer a three-wheeler .
If your bike is stolen , photographs might help you and the police to identify it . Take several photographs and record brand details and the serial number . In addition , you can effortlessly register your bike on Bike Index , a non-profit bike registry that works on its own and with many police departments to recover stolen bicycles .
Alone , with a friend , or with a cycling group you find online , for exercise , transportation , or plain old fun , I think you ' ll agree that biking is a thrilling way to leave your car at home and experience your world .
Sheila Bean taught with the Calgary Board of Education for seventeen years — retiring just before COVID-19 . She still dabbles in teaching and writing . If you see her on the bike path , ding your bell and wave hello !
Charity Golf Classic
Register at artaevents . net
Monday , July 8 , 2024 | Shotgun start at 10 a . m . The Quarry Golf Club , Edmonton , AB
A day of golf while supporting a great cause — What could be better ? news & views SPRING 2024 | 35