The crappy (winter) weather has arrived early this year, and my road bike has been lovingly tucked in and put away for the year.
It’s always a bit of a shock going from the road bike to the winter mountain bike, and even though I know there’s a difference, I always forget exactly:
a) how much heavier the mountain bike is,
b) how much slower the mountain bike is, and
c) how much more work it is to ride on fat knobbies
It’s that time of year again — the leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping and it’s getting darker earlier.
It’s also the time of year that gets more and more dangerous on the pathways. Runners and walkers seem to have a genetic need to wear black all the time.
Riding home from work tonight, I came close to hitting several people. They were all wearing black, with no reflective gear or blinking lights. Even with a 30 watt bike light and headlamp, they were almost impossible to see until I was just a few feet away.
Pathway bylaws require all pathway users to be visible. Cyclists are required to have a headlight, but the onus for the safety of all pathway users should not be on any one particular group. All pathway users should make sure they are visible and safe.
