Monday, March 04, 2013

Riding in Ottawa - it's not 1983 anymore

I always felt secure on my bicycle while growing up in a quiet west-end community of Ottawa.  I no longer live in Ottawa but my parents do, and on my last visit I rented a Salsa Beargrease and toured about the city.
Some reactions were positive, others not so much.  Since I don't have any photos for this post I shall keep it brief.

The Negative: I got stared down by a guy driving a ParaTranspo Bus, I got honked at twice (not the just-a-friendly-toot-to-remind-you-that-there's-a-car-here kind, but the GET OFF THE ROAD kind), and there were at least two times that a car seemed to pass me intentionally close.

These kinds of things don't seem to happen in Hamilton.  I wonder why?  I wonder which is a more realistic expectation for a vehicular cyclist?

The Positive:  People all over were staring at me (the good kind, I think.  Remember, I was on a big, fat-tired bicycle), I heard "that is the coolest bike I have ever seen" from three different teenaged boys on school trips, I had two city workers approach me grinning ear to ear eager to have their questions answered about the bike, I had a truck pull up alongside me (while in motion) and the fellows in it (also grinning widely) give me the repeated thumbs-up.

I have to say, I felt special riding this thing. It was a real ego-boost. In other words, since I didn't actually get hit by a car, the positives well outweighed the negatives.  I'll do it again one day but for now I will put this "thread" to rest. Cheers.

1 comment:

  1. Here in Denver, I have gotten nothing but positive response any time I have ridden my Salsa Mukluk. There is something positively grin-inducing about a fat bike, for both the rider and the other road users.

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