This column is written as imaginary correspondence between Maddie the Motorist and Byron the Bicyclist.
Dear Byron.
I was turning left onto Oliver Street from Third Avenue North when a cyclist came out of nowhere in front of me. I braked hard to stop but I could have hit him. This isn’t the first time I have seen a cyclist wheeling wherever they want to wander. Don’t they realize they are supposed to follow the same rules of the road that drivers do?
Signed; Maddy the Motorist
Dear Maddie. Yes, I have also seen some cyclists wander the road seemingly without regard to any rules.
For the most, yes, the cyclist has to follow most of the same basic rules as drivers do. But because the bike is not a vehicle, the rules are a little different.
For both drivers and cyclists, I highly recommend Hub Cycling’s free on-line StreetWise Cycling course. It takes from 1-2 hours to complete. I took the full two hours with a break about halfway through.
The course starts with checking your gear. From there it covers route planning and the rights and responsibilities of the cyclist. Riding on the road and navigating intersections is covered. Then there are optional sections related to e-cycling.
Even though I have cycled for decades, I learned a few things. This included one part specifically for places that have dedicated cycle signaling.
To take the on-line course, go to bikehub.ca/bike-education and click on “on-line learning.” From there click on “StreetWise Cycling online Course for Adults.”
The course grades you in each section. When you make an error, it takes you back to what you missed and tests you again.
When you pass, there is a very nice certificate for you, Maddie. And let us tell oour cyclist friends about this. We all need to travel safely.
Sincerely;
Byron the Bicyclist
Bert Groenenberg is a pedestrian, cyclist and motorist.
