Bike to Work Week a welcome reminder
Last year at this time, I decimated former Victoria councillor John Luton in a bike-towork challenge event. This year the result was quite different: John won, I lost. How did he do it? The event pits drivers of motorized vehicles against pedal-powered bike riders in order to see who can get from A to B quicker, over a designated route.
The first sign of the impending defeat was when John showed up with a brand new, very expensive bike. It was more costly than one of my driving school cars! He was wearing green. “When you’re green, you’re mean” is a phrase that kept sounding in my head.
We both started at the Oak Bay Avenue Starbucks and ended at the same establishment in downtown Victoria on Fort Street. It is a journey of about 10 to 12 minutes.
John took off like a man possessed. I, in turn, had to walk to my vehicle, which was across the street, before getting underway. I hit every red traffic light on Oak Bay Avenue. It was not a good start. Pedestrians appeared out of nowhere at every poor excuse for a crosswalk. J.L. did not seem to have the same bad fortune. In fact, I am sure his initials stand for Just Lucky.
In the end, he beat me by about a minute. Good for him — he deserved the victory. The organizers gave him a bouquet of flowers. I settled for a cinnamon biscuit.
All sorts of people from the media, business, transportation, political and community groups participate in this well-organized event each year. The aim is simple. It is meant to raise awareness of the opportunity many of us have in this paradise of the Pacific we call Vancouver Island, to get on our bikes and commute in relatively the same time or better as if we were driving motorized vehicles.
Think of the advantages. People who ride bikes are not in cars. That leaves much more space for the rest of us, who for whatever reason must use our vehicles. There are more parking spaces for vehicles and fewer vehicles on the road. Bike riders are more physically fit than the average sedentary driver and passenger. The natural environment is better off because of the reduction in harmful emissions. It costs much less to own and operate a bike than a car.
The City of Victoria proclaimed itself the “Bike Capital of Canada” in the mid-1990s. The bike-towork event showcases everything that is good about biking. We are environmentally, economically and socially better off because of this self-proclaimed reality. It was a pleasure to see every participant wearing a helmet, safety gear, following the rules of the road on a wellequipped bike and having fun doing it. That is certainly not the everyday biking reality in our city. There are all sorts of cyclists’ indiscretions that we all witness every day. It was refreshing to see a completely positive promotion of cycling in our region.
Although it was disappointing to be bested by John, I accept defeat for a good cause. It is my intention to request a rubber match with him, which I hope will end in a different result. In truth, there were no losers in this friendly competition, only happy faces at the finish line. The objective is to raise awareness of the advantages and efficiencies of cycling for both employees and employers.
Let’s face it, we live in “pedal paradise” and benefit from the best weather in the country. It is time to really emphasize the practical pedal-power option.
Steve Wallace is the owner of Wallace Driving School on Vancouver Island. He is a former vice-president of the Driving Schools Association of the Americas, a registered B.C. teacher and a University of Manitoba graduate.