Grind My Gears
Network to nowhere
One of the issues cyclists in Kelowna bring up time and again is that the “cycling network” in this city is very disconnected. Many cycling...
Safety, no compromising
Kelowna has the stated goal of increasing the number of trips taken by foot or by bicycle to 25 per cent over the next 20 years. In addition, the city wants to...
And the wheels roll on
Seems to me that "Go by Bike Week" is a good time to restart this column. What better way to start that conversation than to help promote the...
Obsessed with light
*Blink* *blink* *blink* If you overtake me, day or night, the blinking red light is what you'll see. If you're lucky enough to see me after dark you...
A child shall lead them
With school just around the corner, it seems appropriate to talk about the kids. Too often, I’ve heard this answer when asking someone if their children...
That's not the point
Sometimes being an advocate for cycling makes my head hurt. People have so many different ideas that are sometimes based on experience, sometimes on knowledge,...
Suicide by car
We have to admit we love our cars. We see them all over the place. We go into debt slavery for years to have one. We take them to the car wash. We rub them with...
On the wrong side
Someone, somewhere decided that building infrastructure that combines all non-motorized traffic was an efficient use of land. One great fact of non-motorized...
Bike it upside down
A few things lately have made me think that we need to change the way we approach ideas. We should engineer ways to succeed instead of trying to poke holes in...
Catering to the top
Kelowna has a good cycling network. It has good coverage and it has connected most parts of town. But — you knew there was a but in here somewhere —...
Potential trail killer
The old rail bed from Kelowna to Vernon is now looking to get new life as a recreation trail and transportation corridor thanks to thousands of donors organized...
Bikes can have class
It’s that time of year again when we see a large increase in the number of cyclists during Bike To Work Week. This year, it runs May 29 to June 4. Bike To...
What, me worry?
Some readers might remember MAD magazine and the likeness of a guy named Alfred E. Neuman. A little known tune released in 1959 features a goofy guy singing,...
Helmets or heartbreaks?
A friend recently asked me my opinion of posts on Facebook about studies finding helmets don’t provide real protection. His question made me revisit the...
Open season on cyclists
The weather has become better and with the time change, people have more daylight. Sadly we’ve also seen a couple of disturbing collisions between cars...
Spring Into cycling
The weather is getting better, the paths are drying out, the temperatures are rising. What better call to get your bike out of winter storage? Yes, out of three...
Cyclists are all friends
Last week, I went to watch the Kelowna Rockets play Seattle on Family Day. As usual, I rode my bike downtown to get rock-star parking right in front of the...
We are all accountable
Many drivers think that police and bylaw officers are not enforcing the rules that cyclists have to follow. On the other hand, cyclists often see issues arising...
Puncturing myths
While I have shared my email address for people to correspond with me about my articles I also watch the comments to see the reactions from readers. The...
Bike riders marginalized
Last year, city council passed the Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan that included the future cycling network city staff had put together. There was one part...