Vancity Bike Share
Roland has an awesome wrap-up of the Vancity Bike Share, complete with commute video he made from photos he took while riding his Vancity bike set to Creative Commons-licensed music. The photos pass by pretty quickly, possibly too quickly for the music he chose. He credits me with getting him back biking again, indirectly, but Vancity and Change Everything deserve the credit, as they got me biking again. I considered making a similar video but I don't feel confident (crazy?) enough yet to hold a camera and keep my balance at the same time. Vancity bikes are due back to Vancity on Friday September 7th, but I'm advised there's no celebration for those who participated. A hot-dog lunch thanking people who at one time or another had got a bike would have nicely complimented the pancake breakfast launch.
Last week I was quoted in The Province about the Vancity Bike Share program, saying something like the following:
It was great. After I gave my bike away, I ended up buying a new bike and I've been riding to work twice a week now. It was a program that got me back cycling.
The headline, while technically accurate, makes it seem like Vancity is worried, or that we, the reader, should be worried. Whether I said those exact words, I don't know: the reporter who called me didn't record the conversation, since he was transcribing what I said (at one point he asked me to repeat myself). Also, the article mis-reports me as being 23, when really I'm 29. Regardless, that's going in my paper scrapbook for quotes and mentions in 'mainstream' or 'traditional' (or, my preference, 'broadcast', as distinct from 'social') media, a digital log of which is available on my site. It's reverse-chronological for now, but over time it might evolve into something combining dynamic updating and static information.
This morning CBC TV contacted me though my contact form and then by my work's phone # (that's what I get for not publishing my personal phone #) and asked me to be interviewed for CBC News. I should be on sometime after 6 PM on Vancouver's CBC's evening news, talking about the Vancity Bike Share program. I don't do media interviews often, so it will show, but I enjoyed riding around on Roland's bike—of all the days I decide not to bike into work, I choose this one—and talking to the CBC reporter. They'll stream the story on the CBC website for 24 hours, which should give an enterprising someone the chance to 'archive' it.
I have yet to write at more length about my new bike purchase of a couple weeks ago, which was directly as a result of participating in the bike share. So far so good: it's a one hour workout each way, 10.5 KM to work and 8.5 KM back (I take different routes. I'm already pretty serious about it, having bought rain pants, back and front lights, and even weather proofing for some of my existing clothing. Still, the true test is not a bright Summer evening but cold, wet, and dark rides both ways in the Fall.
This morning, instead of working from home as I had promised, I ducked out to ride around my neighbourhood for a half hour before the deluge predicted by Claire Martin. A half an hour turned into an hour and a half, and took the route that I decided will be the route to work. Mostly downhill, and not scary downhill like Union which levels off just as it crosses with Boundary. And under the Second Narrows Bridge. And next to train tracks and the Cascadia terminal. And next to New Brighton Park, which you have to go underneath the train tracks to get to. And which forces you to turn left onto Lakewood Drive then turn right onto Adanac, which is a downside, since it takes me briefly away from work.
A woman walking her dogs said hi and noted that the bike I was riding was part of the Vancity Bike Share, which she had read about in the newspaper. We have a brief conversation about it, and then ran into her on the way back home. (It's not likely that she notice I was also wearing my OK button as well, but it keeps me accountable for the times I don't want to talk to friendly strangers.) The bikes are indeed identifiable, so I was wise to call this social biking. I'm not expecting to make any friends or business contacts through it, so far saying hello to fellow trail walkers and bikers sure beats heads-down and fearing talking to those we don't know. Having grown up in a small town, I'm used to at least acknowledging others' presence on the street, so this is a welcome change from urban drudgery.