Catherine, tell us what motivated you to bike to work? How long have you been doing it?
Aside from walking in nature with my dog, just about the only exercise I really enjoy is biking—that is, e-biking. About seven years ago I decided my knees deserved due respect, and that an e-bike was in order. I test-rode a couple, but they rattled and wheezed. Then I fell madly in love with “Daisy,” a beautifully designed Mercedes-Benz pedelec, or pedal-assist e-bike. I loved that bike so much that after putting 10,000 k on it, I bought another identical one that happened to be available off-market. These lovely bikes are very popular in Europe, but sadly not here.
How do you manage to bring all of the equipment, especially during the rainy season?
After a year or so of enjoying riding on weekends; I wanted more riding. Why couldn’t I ride to work? But CARTers have a lot of “carting” of equipment, about 40 pounds of it, so how could I safely transport this equipment on my bike? I search on Google images for “cart” and “wagon” and “carrier and bingo!, I found what looks like a golf cart, but actually made to carry up to 60 lbs of equipment. I remember how excited I was to have found the answer, that I could now ride to work! So after a lot of figuring out how to pack delicate electronic equipment and other gear essential to biking in all weather (except below-zero days) I figured it out.
Tell us a bit more about your bike.
It’s now been another few years. “Thor” an ST2 Stromer, is my new, more powerful pedal-assist replacement. In three years I’ve ridden it over 5,000+ km. I am proud to say I’ve saved so much in reducing my footprint, in gas fees, in parking fees, in wear on my car, (ICBC reimbursed me $700 since I drove my car under 1,000 km in two years).
What keeps you feeling positive and motivated?
As CARTers, we’re so terribly busy, especially with on-site work. It’s a seven-day week job for us. What keeps me energized is my passion for this form of exercise. I arrive on campus feeling red-cheeked, strong and positive. My rain gear is comfortable and effective. My equipment handling is down to a science. When a class ends and I have but 10 minutes to pack up my gear, run to my bike, unlock it, hitch the trailer, ride strategically so as to be safe, then arrive at the new building/class, lock “Thor,” run into the classroom, unpack my gear and be ready to write, all within 10 minutes, I do it with pride and precision.
Do you follow any diet or exercise regime?
The great thing about this Burley Travoy trailer is that I can pack lots of extra food as most days I’m on location all day. I have experimented with various lunch boxes, even an electric one that heats up my food. Of course to continue to stay healthy and energized, I am most conscientious about nutrition. A large salad is always in my bag, perhaps a mock egg-salad sandwich (tofu), a thermos of tea with soy milk, a greens/berries pea protein smoothie. Perhaps a homemade bean soup with coconut milk.
Do you have any words of encouragement/advice to fellow captioners who would like to start biking to work?
I bring up the subject of e-biking to anyone/everyone who will suffer my annoying enthusiasm. I tell CARTers that not only will they be able to multi-task (exercise at the same time they go to work), but they’ll save money and more time, especially when running from one building to another to cover back-to-back lectures. The rides are beautiful, while being hypervigilant yet in one’s own space. I don’t know as yet what the hook is to convince my colleagues to invest their energies to such a great endeavour. To be sure, it initially takes capital, but the rewards are many.
Biking can be dangerous, so to mitigate the possibility of a mishap, I have a Loud Mini bike horn, so loud I have to wear hearing protection. It’s probably the single most important safety purchase in my arsenal of enhancements. I have end-of-handlebar signal lights, and my helmet has remote-control yellow-arrows turn signals. “Thor” has a powerful headlight and taillight, and the rest of my gear is lit up all around. It does take maintenance to ensure they’re always functioning. There’s no waste on batteries as most of it my lights are USB chargeable. All good for the environment!
In any weather, I make sure to wear the right gear so I’m always comfortable! If it rains, I take extra gloves and rain gear. Because breathing deeply when pedalling, I wear a P95 mask that allows me to breath freely, yet protects me from pollution. My goggles are prescription, progressive and UV protected. My two locks are rated 15 in the security scale, so I feel pretty confident. Having said that, I would never leave my bike unattended overnight in an unsecured location. It does give me comfort that Stromers are built with high-security. They are connected to a phone app that, should I desire, I can lock the wheels remotely.
Often in the summer I’ve packed my trolley with all kinds of goodies for a picnic, including chair, blanket, book, food, for a date with a friend in a favourite spot in nature—oh, and of course my portable dog is in a snuggly or back-pack.
So instead of hopping into a car, with this get-up, I readjusted my lifestyle to this mode of transportation for shopping trips, visiting friends, running errands, etc.
I’d love to show-and-tell with anyone who is toying with the idea of a lifestyle adjustment for their travel habits. Call me: you’ll have trouble shutting me up!