E-bikes Yes Or No: My Story So Far

Just over a year ago my family bought me a pedal assist e-bike. Yes we could have gone with a bike that was under $1000 from Walmart or Amazon. but instead we decided to shop local. My Dad and I both sought out advice and decided on the bike I have now.

Some of the advice we were given is: 

Buy from a store you trust and service’s what they sell. This allows repairs and warranty work. 

Do not buy a department store bike. 

Do not buy knock off batteries (buy the correct battery for the bike) they are a fire hazard. 

Do not leave a charging battery unattended. 

 Buying a cheaper bike might seem like a quick win but in the long run it will cost you in repairs (if you can find someone to fix it) or having to replace the bike sooner. 

I ride my bike almost every day. Some trips like going to the mall or my dentist I still use my non e-bike or Hamilton Bike Share. I have done a few rides that for me. would have been impossible on a non electric bike. I have been to Brantford Ontario (80 and 100 Km), Paris Ontario (120 Km). Oakville Ontario (95 Km) and even Malton Ontario (150 Km). 

After working out some initial bugs with the bike like breaking spokes (rebuild the rear wheel), a mistake I made when washing the bike and having to get the battery replaced. I have also had routine maintenance done on the bike like brake pads and cables checked and replaced. 

I have been able to participate in multiple rides a day, in different parts of the city and still do my day to day errands. Towards the end of the summer we purchased a extra battery that I will carry with me on really long rides or when I have a few rides in a day and just the need the comfort of a fresh battery at the end of the day. 

 

In 2021 (the last full year I rode my non ebike) I rode 2084.2 Km according to Strava. in 2023 (Not quite finished) 5,934 Km recorded on Strava (A time or 2 I forgot to press record) Just the other day a little over 1 year I reached 7000 Km on the bikes odometer

Slow Rolls - The Return

2020 was a year like many of us have never experienced before. I was hoping for a second year of group rides and outreach through Everyone Rides. I had joined the board of directors of Cycle Hamilton. It was a different Cycle Hamilton than I was originally used to, no monthly meetings and no social activities. Still we pedaled along. A question that I seemed to always get asked was when are group rides starting up. Our leadership was cautious and rightfully so. Through talking with our then Co-Chairs the idea and my own digging I came across the idea of Slow Rolls. A program I am a participant in restarted their weekly Sobi Rides, limited it to 5 people and we had a couple of different routes that were all ages and abilities and for the most part completely away from motorized traffic.
The rides were at a leisurely pace and we enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city and the waterfront. How do I bring this to Cycle Hamilton? Slow Rolls!!!

What is a Slow Roll?

• It is a group of people getting together to ride their bikes.
• Everyone is welcome.
• A ride in the city at a leisurely pace and for what it is.
• There is no sign-up or commitment.
• No one gets left behind or dropped.
• There is no humiliation or shaming.
• No one is left to find their own way home.
• And most importantly it is about building relationships.

There were times that it was discouraging because no one else showed up, but that was okay. I still got to ride my bike. There were times 1 person showed up and we had a great chat and got to know each other.

In 2022 I paused hosting the Slow Rolls as often to focus on Advocacy and studying and promoted other group rides and participated in a few that I hope to see back this year.

It is now 2023 a new season is in front of us. I usually do #30DaysOfBiking in April and thought what a great way to kick off April with a Slow Roll or 2 (2 in one day) In the future Cycle Hamilton will be doing more and we will be adding a twist of doing them in a couple of wards we usually don’t as Advocacy Rides. Looking at what works, doesn’t work and how we can get more people on bikes.

References:

Cycle Hamilton: https://www.cyclehamont.ca/
Everyone Rides Initiative: https://www.everyonerides.org/
Slow Rolls: https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/the-rapid-rise-of-slow-roll/
#30DaysOfBiking: https://30daysofbiking.com/

 

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A BOY, HIS BIKE AND HIS BIG ADVENTURE

 A BOY, HIS BIKE AND HIS BIG ADVENTURE

The spring of 1979 I was finishing up grade 8, I spent a lot of my free time riding my bike both on my own and with my friends. I was teased quite a bit as a child because I have a hereditary problem called spina bifida and through this it caused my feet to turn out so walking and running were often difficult. But I could ride my bike for what seemed like hours and miles.

My favourite TV show at the time was ‘BJ And The Bear’ a comedic show about a truck driver and his chimpanzee named Bear. I still don’t know to this day if I liked the show because of the truck or the idea of having a pet monkey.

I would frequently go to the Burlington Mall with my parents and occasionally go on my own either by bus or bike. I inquired at the toy store about getting the Matchbox ‘BJ And The Bear’ truck and they said they didn’t have it but a store at Centre Mall in Hamilton did. I did what any other kid did when they wanted a toy I begged and pleaded with my parents to go to Centre Mall but something always came up.

The first week in May was sunny and warm and on Saturday morning I set out on my trusty 3 speed Supercycle. I was 13, had no clue about route planning and even though I had disappeared on my bike for hours at a time I had never ridden that far before. I headed out from my townhouse complex towards Northshore Blvd. past Joseph Brant Hospital (pondered if I wanted to continue). Then continued on Lakeshore Road. I stopped at the Canal Lift Bridge and thought to myself again to I really want to do this. I continued along Beach Bld. to Woodward Ave. I had made this trip with my Mom many times before in her car but this was a first for me on my bike. I got a little lost but I was determined. Most of the trip was on sidewalks because there weren’t any bike lanes then. Instead of heading to Barton I turned on Brampton and recognized the lumber store on Parkdale. I got my bearings and headed up to Barton then on to my destination.

I went into the mall and went to the toy store and purchased my ‘BJ And The Bear Truck’ and another one I can’t remember, then I stopped in at Big Boy’s and had some fries and gravy and a cold drink.

I took almost the exact same route home but this time I got stopped at the lift bridge for a ship heading into the Harbour. Which ended up making me late for supper. But I locked up my bike and went into the house to show off my purchases. And when it was discovered where I went on my adventure I was grounded for the next week only being allowed out for school, no bike riding after school. It did open a discussion to what my new boundaries were and unfortunately regular trips into Hamilton weren’t part of them. As a grad gift from grade 8 I got a new bike and I start regularly riding in the local Bike-a-thon after that. 

<a rel="me" href="https://mstdn.ca/@cycletherapyHam">Mastodon</a>

Ontario Bike Summit Presentation

Back In December 2020 I presented with the Everyone Rides Initiative at the Ontario Bike Summit. We were part of the Equity, Diversity AND Inclusion Ontario Examples Session. There have been a few updates since then I am no longer a interim board member of Cycle Hamilton I am a full fledged board member and it looks like I am going through the process of identifying a lesion under my tongue again. Below is my small part of the Everyone Rides Presentation.

Hi everyone, my name is Mark. I am an Everyone Rides Initiative rider and volunteer. I have also been a member of the Hamilton Bike Share board of directors since 2019. I have been a member of Cycle Hamilton for 4 years and this year I submitted my name to be a interim board member of Cycle Hamilton.

However, this is not where my cycling story begins. Just over 5 years ago I went through a cancer scare. Through this health scare and all the testing involved I was also diagnosed as diabetic, I was overweight and unhealthy. This was the point in time that I decided to quit smoking. This was not a simple realisation and is still not an easy task for me. At the time I smoked 75 cigarettes a day and had been smoking for 35 years. I struggled to quit smoking for 4 years, with help from CAMH, Public Health, Smokers Helpline and Good Shepherd’s - Steps to Health Program, I have now been smoke free for over 1 year. (round of applause and virtual high fives).

I am now a regular member of Steps to Health, they offer numerous programs including one called Energized. They meet twice a week for 16 weeks -- one day is nutrition and cooking and the other day is physical activity. It is here that I was introduced to bike share and group rides. Steps to Health has access to a Group Ride Pass from the Everyone Rides Initiative, this allows them to sign out bikes and go on rides with people who are learning to integrate physical activity into their lives.

Riding with a group and quitting smoking helped raise my confidence level and I started getting more involved in the cycling community in Hamilton, I went to Cycle Hamilton meetings and other group rides throughout the city. It was at one of the Cycle Hamilton meetings that I first met Theron and I signed up then and there to be a volunteer with the Everyone Rides Initiative. Through the ERI I got the awesome opportunity to do outreach in the community and with partner organizations. One of these programs was the Good Shepherd Annual Picnic, we had a fun day in Gage Park with the bikes, trikes and BBQ. It is fulfilling to be on the other side of giving and to be assisting others on bikes and encouraging them to ride.

My involvement with Steps to Health has benefited me in so many ways including building my self-confidence which has led to me pursuing opportunities to give back like being an ERI Card Delivery Volunteer, an ERI Connector and being asked to join the Hamilton Bike Share Board of Directors. This year I also applied to be Cycle Hamilton’s interim board member and was accepted!

(pause)

There have been many group rides, discussions and miles that have gotten me to this point and I am thankful to all the friends, family and cyclists along the way for their encouragement and kick-in-the-pants when I needed it.

Be safe, be seen and pedal on. 

It All Started With A Fire

Sometimes you hear 'It started with a fire' and people are talking about a desire deep inside of them for me it was a actual fire read on:  Facebook Memories can be a good thing or a bad thing; it depends on how you choose to look at them. On December 6, 2016 (4 years ago today). I had a live changing moment. Here is the post I made to Facebook ‘Please pray for everyone in my household we had a fire today. Everyone is OK thankfully’ My then landlady and I were fine but because of the fire we were temporarily homeless, the power and gas were turned off in the house because of the fire and my tiny bachelor apartment was devastated almost all of my personal belongings were laying in a heap in the backyard.

We went to stay with a mutual friend Kathy. I made daily trips on my bike back to the house to check the mail and ultimately check on progress of where the restoration company was with the restoration and repair of the house.

I didn’t realize it then but some major changes were about to take place in my life. Even though I don’t like change. I didn't recognize it at the time but the relationship between that land lady and myself was toxic and abusive and so much of my life revolved around her needs both physical and emotional. I adjusted all my appointments, If I ended up with a medical appointment, quit smoking group appointment, or was away on a ride too long I was made to feel guilty. So much of our time revolved around tv shows and watching them in the afternoon.

Through staying at Kathys she encouraged me to join Breathe Easy, a stop smoking group put on by Good Shepherds Steps to Health Program. And she saw some of the things that were going on between myself and my landlady before I did and encouraged me to move forward. I remember the day I had been cigarette free for about a month and stopped in to see the landlady she was back in the house, soon as I left all I could think about was having a cigarette. I did cave that day and journelled it, and made a realization then and there I could not go back. I talked to Kathy, another friend and my dad about not going back and they were all supportive.

Just after the fire my Dad suggested I look into local cycling groups. This was where I first discovered Cycle Hamilton. I became a member and bought a T-Shirt as a reward for being 1 month smoke free. I participated in my first group ride out to Dundas and back, became more active on Twitter as ‘SharpieGuy’ well because I was always chewing on a Sharpie instead of smoking a cigarette (whatever it took not to smoke). 

In the last four years I had so many firsts (Or firsts as a non-smoker) First time going to Festival of Friends to watch a band, first act of civic activism (lining Queen Street in winter) first time going to a restaurant without standing out in the cold or the rain for a cigarette, first group ride, first hockey game where I sat through the entire game, sitting through root canal without feeling out of breath or that I needed to cough. The health benefits have been pretty great as well, better blood pressure, better sleep, lower cholesterol and finally lower A1C. My first time actively taking part in an election, through the Cycle Hamilton's Municipal Election Ward Rides. My first 50 Km day\ride with James from Whitby when he rode through Hamilton to Coney Island, My first Gregs Ride which was also my second 50 Km in the saddle day. 

It also led to a couple of awesome years with the Everyone Rides Initiative and being on the Hamilton Bike Share Board of Directors. And now being a Board Member of Cycle Hamilton and to think it all started with a fire.

 

Hello My Poor Neglected Blog

I am sorry to have neglected you but we have been in a pandemic and the world seemed to stop for a little while.

 

Just over 5 years ago I went through a mouth cancer scare. I had a biospy from a dental surgeon and he wanted to operate, removing a few teeth and part of my jaw because in his words it was pre-cancerous. This was the point in time I decided to quit smoking. I also got in contact with a family doctor and filled him in on what was happening and between him and my dentist we would monitor it. With connecting with my family doctor he send me for some blood work and it came back that I had high blood sugar. I was now a diabetic though it would be a few more months before any one of my doctors would actually say the word ‘diabetic’. Remember I am still working on quitting smoking. At the time I smoked 75 cigarettes a day and had been smoking for 35 years.

 

I struggled with quitting smoking for 4 years. With the help of CAMH, Public Health, Smokers Helpline and Good Shepherds - Steps to Health Program I have now been smoke free for a little over year. But that was only the one battle I faced. I also had to get my blood sugar under control. My A1C at one time was over 20 and my daily blood readings were about 13. The reason for reflecting today was because a Facebook memory came up that I was happy with a 8.4. So I checked my blood sugar when I saw this and it was 6.4 (much better).

 

I guess it’s time to tie al this to cycling now. A few years before I had the cancer scare I was briefly hospitalized for cellulitis in my leg and weighed in at 350 pounds. I saw 2 doctors for this as a out-patient and 1 was a cardiologist and we worked on a small plan to help me lose weight. This included cycling. I started out small going just around the block a couple of times a day, then further and further. By the time I was diagnosed with diabetes I was going for 20 mile rides a couple of times a week.

 

There were a lot of challenges along the way to where we are today. For years I lived in a house that I took care of my landlady and adjusted all my appointments around her life. If I ended up with a specialist appointment that interfered with her life or I was a way on a ride for too long I was made to feel guilty about it. A fire in my bachelor apartment in said house, where I lost practically everything. A nice friend of ours took us in and I ended up staying with her for almost 2 years when she passed away. The one constant was riding my bike.

 

Last year I enjoyed my summer as a Everyone Rides Connector and then was asked if I would be interested in being on the board of Hamilton Bike Share. This year I applied to be a interim board member of Cycle Hamilton and was accepted. There have been group rides, discussions and miles that have gotten to this point and I am thankful to all the friends, family, doctors and cyclists along the way for the encouragement and kick in the pants that have allowed me to get to this point.

 

Be Safe, Be Seen and Peddle On