Category: Momentum Magazine

The Tree Bike

Leave a comment
The Tree Bike Lead
Photo by Robert Dall

Darcy McCord (Left) and Ilan Handelsman with the tree bike.

By Sarah Ripplinger

Seeing that eco-minded people are grabbing the handlebars in full force, Bikes on the Drive – located at 1350 Commercial Drive in Vancouver – decided to put together a bicycle that keeps the environment in mind from production line to finished product.

The Tree Bike treads softly on the earth with its sturdy frame and long-lasting parts, designed by Devinci. Manufactured and assembled in Quebec, The Tree undergoes a paint-application technique that has its roots in reducing waste and toxic effluent.

“Our bikes are powder-coated, not sugar-coated,” said Bikes on the Drive general manager ilan Handelsman. The technique involves electrically charging the metal bike frame of The Tree and then spraying on a powder coating of paint. The bikes are then heated, the paint adheres and voilà.

The powder-coating process “makes a more durable, lasting bond to the frame” that, when scratched, doesn’t chip off, said Darcy McCord, service manager at Bikes on the Drive.

The seeds for the design of The Tree were planted two years ago when Handelsman and his co-workers saw a need for commuter-hybrids that are manufactured in Canada. Together they selected a neutral black color for the bike with the green tree logo – designed by Bikes on the Drive mechanic Tobias Cain. They also wanted their bike to be sustainable and local.

“The reason we’re in the bike business is because it’s sustainable,” said McCord. In this case, sustainable means less waste, less energy used in production and using parts that can be repaired and replaced. “This bike is designed to be serviceable and it’s designed to last.” MSRP $1150 (V-Brakes) & $1350 (disc brakes)

bikesonthedrive.com/tree/

One per cent of the proceeds from the sale of The Tree Bike go towards Canopy, a company that works mainly with heavy paper consuming sectors to reduce the amount of tree-sourced paper and toxins used for printing. canopyplanet.org

Originally published in the Sept/ Oct 2009 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.

Change Is Blowing in the Wind

Leave a comment
Red Bike in Fall
Photo by Marc Bjorknas

Bicycle riding in the fall.

By Sarah Ripplinger

What groundbreaking changes can one summer bring! Vancouver’s Burrard Street Bridge bicycle lane trial entered into full swing in July – with much praise from the cycling and non-cycling community alike. In addition, Vancouver hosted several car-free days, now called Summer Spaces, and the Museum of Vancouver presented an art exhibit dedicated to exploring the city’s many biking subcultures. The city of North Vancouver is considering installing a bike escalator to help cyclists ascend Lonsdale Avenue – a harrowingly steep stretch of road – and the SFU Community Trust is considering installing a gondola to carry transit passengers to campus up Burnaby Mountain.

In this issue, we take a look at the appropriateness of cycling for today and tomorrow. Why are more people being drawn to the saddle and what changes and innovations are likely to be made to meet their needs in the future?

Apart from finding new ways to encourage people to ride, it’s interesting to contemplate the future of bike design. As we see in this issue, greener bikes could be the way of the future; plus, we learn about how environmental awareness, bicycle-riding theatre troupes and audiences are attracting crowds on Vancouver Island. Critical Mass was almost too popular for its own good in Vancouver this summer and, as contributor Zan Comerford reveals, CM in Victoria is using new techniques to attract attention to its rides. In keeping with this month’s theme, we take a broad-stroke approach with a feature article about the state of cycling in BC and we also hone in on what’s buzzing in the interior with a snapshot of Kelowna’s bike and biz scene. This and more coming at you at 16-42 kilometres flat.

Keep those spokes humming!

Sarah Ripplinger

BC Editor

bc@momentumplanet.com

Originally published in the Sept/ Oct 2009 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.

The Rear Bike Camera Mount

Leave a comment
Rear Bike Mount Lead
Photo by Marc Bjorknas
The rear bike camera mount is a great way to capture “Fragments of authentic bike movement,” as Marc Bjorknas aptly puts it.

By Sarah Ripplinger

It’s summer, the perfect time for a bike tour. You have a pretty decent camera, but steering and photography don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. The answer, a bike-junkie-cum-shutterbug’s dream come true: the rear bike camera mount.

Designed by Marc Bjorknas, a Vancouver-based pianist, composer, artist, and photographer, the rear bike camera mount is a way to capture action shots of friends as they struggle up hills, get pounded by rain, and grin ear-to-ear on a sunny, romantically-tree-strewn pathway. Bjorknas says mounting his camera on the back of his bike has allowed him to “catch candid moments and capture some of that joy” people exude while biking. Plus, he says, “I think it’s just a little more authentic.”

Panned photo of Cyclist
Photo by Marc Bjorknas
Cyclist in movement.

There will inevitably be some blurry and out of focus photos, as your camera will have to be set to shoot every five seconds or so (unless you can control the shots using remote or other means). Otherwise, as Bjorknas says, you can describe your candid shots as “fragments of authentic bike movement.”

The basics – what you’ll need:

• Camera that can shoot at intervals (usually every two to 10 seconds). Bjorknas uses a Richo GR Digital 2 camera, but you could also use another camera equipped with interval shooting, such as the Pentax Optio 750Z, or download a Canon Hacker’s Development Kit to install an interval mode onto a regular Canon camera (see links below for suggested websites to visit for more information)

• Camera with an “infinity focus” setting (this allows you to capture objects both in the foreground and background, ensuring that your subject is at least partially in focus)

• Clamp/universal camera mount (available at most camera stores)

• Watertight case (Bjorknas uses a “Pelican” case from London Drugs)

• PVC barrel (large enough for your camera lens to fit through)

• Neoprene (for shock absorption)

• UV filter (sometimes available for cheap through Craigslist)

• Light hood

• A piece of string to attach your mount to your bike rack (just in case)

• A bike rack

Modified Pelican Case, Light Hood, UV Filter and Universal Camera Mount
Photo by Marc Bjorknas
Modified Pelican Case: Drilled for camera mount. Cut with hole saw for PVC barrel. Lighthood, UV Filter and universal Camera Mount.

Putting it all together:

Cut a hole in the watertight case that is large enough to fit the PVC barrel (shown attached to case in photo diagram). Glue the barrel into the hole in the watertight case. Attach the UV filter and light hood to the PVC barrel. Place your camera inside the case and secure with the neoprene or other foamy material. Attach one end of the clamp to the camera case, the other to your bike rack. Tie the string to the clamp and bike rack. And voila!

For instructions on how to build a bike camera mount for the front of your bike, Bjorknas recommends visiting www.camerahacker.com/build/Bicycle_Camera_Mount.php

Canon Hacker’s Development Kit suggested websites: www.lifehacker.com/387380/turn-your-point+and+shoot-into-a-super+camera www.chdk.wikia.com/wiki/UBASIC/Scripts:_Ultra_Intervalometer

Originally published in the July/ August 2009 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.

Taking it E-sy

Leave a comment
Lisa Brown and E-Bike Lead
Photo by Christian Webber
Lisa Brown and her E-Bike (left) have enough power to toe partner, Stefan Reinsberg, up a neighborhood hill.

By Sarah Ripplinger

Rushing about in her housecoat, Lisa Brown is up early to get Theodor (Theo for short) to daycare before she heads to work. The sun shines in through the kitchen window, casting a beam of bright light on the floor – the heat from it is palpable. It reminds Brown of her aching calf muscles, sore from the long run she took the day before. Her energy levels are low, but her partner, Stefan Reinsberg, has the car, so she’ll take either the bus or the bike. There isn’t enough time to take the bus, so bike it is. Her mind balks: what about that behemoth hill she has to climb? But, then she remembers the little motor waiting to jump into action – a birthday present from Reinsberg. One twist of her handlebar throttle and even the steep UBC hill will feel like a breeze.

Stefan and Theo
Photo by Christian Webber
Stefan Reinsberg (left) shows Theo, 2, the many components of an e-bike while mom, Lisa Brown, looks on.

“For me, it’s about mobility; it’s not about exercise,” Brown said one sunny morning at her home in Vancouver’s West Point Grey area. Like many urban dwellers in search of alternatives to the car, Brown decided that she could satisfy her daily transportation needs on the saddle of a bike. However, she didn’t necessarily want her cycling regimen to cut into her running routine. The solution: Rev up her bike.

Brown has embarked on what could be the next revolution in bike transportation: the electric bike, or e-bike. A small motor sits inside her front wheel hub. Wires attach it to a pack of 36 volt Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries nestled in a pouch under the top tube of her bike frame. A small computer on her handlebars, called a Cycle Analyst, lets her know how much juice is left in the battery and how fast she’s motoring – up to a maximum 50 km/h or about 32 km/h without pedalling. (ICBC regulations set a maximum speed of 32 km/h for e-bikes when they are not being pedalled on level ground). A motor controller, located at the rear of the bike, regulates the output and speed of the bike. Two lights, one mounted on the rear and one at the front, draw energy from the battery to light Brown’s way. The equipment does add about 35 extra pounds to the bike, including the front-wheel motor. “The one disadvantage, I must say, is that it’s quite heavy,” Reinsberg said. “And if you do run out of juice, you have to cycle a very heavy bike.”

E-bike batteries tend to last about two to three years before they need to be replaced. Brown says that she gets around 25-35 kilometres out of her battery before it needs to be placed in the charger, which can be plugged in to any standard outlet. That’s part of the convenience of the e-bike, Brown says. If you run out of power, “you can just bring a charger and plug it in and have a break.”

Brown grew up in the Okanagan where the family car was a mainstay of everyday commuter life. She presently works as a capital project development engineer, which has meant that she often needs to travel to destinations throughout Metro Vancouver. Using an e-bike, she said, is convenient and more affordable. Plus, commute times on her e-bike are comparable to travel times by bus or car. A trip from the Cambie Street Bridge to UBC on her e-mountain-bike, she said, can easily be completed within half an hour – this is one of the primary reasons why Brown is happy to own one. “It’s essentially the convenience and the speed you can travel at… you just go.”

E-Bike Batteries
Photo by Christian Webber
Rows of NICAD batteries are protected from the elements in a soft bag with zipper. Charging the batteries is easy, just attach them to the charger and plug it into the nearest outlet.

Owning an e-bike has had a positive impact on their family-time too. The couple, who have been together for almost 10 years, say that they can tow Theo, two – in their Chariot trailer with shock-absorbers – down to the beach and back with relative ease and without the headache of finding scarce parking.

Reinsberg purchased the electric assist kit for about $1,400 from the Renaissance Bike Company, located on Main Street, near 30th Avenue in Vancouver. He installed it on Brown’s well-used bike in their kitchen, which was transformed into a makeshift bike shop during the cool and rainy month of March. “It’s not that tricky,” Reinsberg said. The bike operates similarly to an electric wheelchair, he said. Brown’s “freewheel” e-bike allows the front wheel to spin and be pedalled freely when the motor is not engaged. The manual that came with the motor took all the guesswork out of the job. The hardest part was getting the fork of Brown’s old bike onto the new front wheel that houses the motor. That motor transmits a fair amount of force on the axle – enough force to carry him and Brown together up a fairly steep incline. This can be harder on the bike over the long-term, Reinsberg said, but is fine for the purposes of everyday commuting.

Reinsberg laughs now when he thinks of his first reaction to the idea of Brown riding an e-bike: “Initially I was thinking that e-hubs are for sissies; I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea that she wanted that for a birthday present.” He changed his mind after seeing how much more amenable Brown was to riding her bike with the motor, and after finding out how much fun it was to have the little electric boost.

“It’s magic,” Reinsberg said. “Nobody really likes going up hills.”

Renaissance Bicycle Company: ebikes.ca

Originally published in the July/ August 2009 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.

Political Tailwinds

Leave a comment
Bike Future Wall at Velo-City Exhibit Lead
Photo by David Niddrie
Redsara Ross writes on the Bike Future Wall at the Velo-City Exhibition on until September 7 at the Museum of Vancouver.

The Inside Scoop on Bike-related Politics in BC

By Sarah Ripplinger

Spring proved to be particularly ground-breaking in the realm of cycle policy across our province. The first major change came in the shape of the one-lane, one-sidewalk Burrard Street Bridge bike lane trial. While some may be disappointed that the full two-lane trial was rejected, there is still a light at the end of the ‘bridge’ that indicates a full two-lane trial could be passed sometime in the future.

Safety Steps

Beyond bridges, TransLink is in the midst of re-evaluating Metro Vancouver’s policies surrounding traffic safety and bike theft. Stakeholders from the bike community, the BC Ministry of Transportation, ICBC, the City of Vancouver, and others gathered to discuss strategies to encourage commuter cycling in the region at a workshop in May. The main thrust of the meeting was that some individuals may be deterred from biking because of unsafe roads, the absence of certain traffic laws, or a lack of secure bike parking. Delegates called for a political champion to spearhead important changes to the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) and begin a public education and outreach campaign designed to make streets safer for cyclists and motorists.

Another option would be to reduce the speed on city side roads to 40 km/h. Reducing the 50 km/h speed limit on side streets is something the City of Vancouver is considering right now. Lowering the speed limit would increase the ability of motorists to see bikers and would also improve their stopping time and ability to manoeuvre. To submit your comments about the proposed reductions, contact (tel) 604-873-7526 or (email) 40kph@vancouver.ca.

Big Wins!

Vancouver City Council approved a motion in June to double spending on cycling infrastructure to $3.4-million. The funds will be used to fix Vancouver’s bike routes and make them safer for cyclists, including lowering the speed limit on bikeways to 30 km/h. Car-free trials in the Collingwood, Gastown, Mount Pleasant, and Commercial Drive neighbourhoods were also approved by council at the start of June. If only bike months of the future could be so eventful!

Planning Big in Oak Bay

In Oak Bay, Vancouver Island, a grassroots campaign is underway to improve bike lane infrastructure in their neck of the woods. A group of cyclists and their supporters are putting together a bicycle master plan (BMP) to present before the Oak Bay municipal council. The plan will include suggestions about how the municipality can increase the connectivity of the bike lane system in Oak Bay to surrounding municipalities. Corey Burger, who is part of the BMP planning team, said they are still looking for volunteers from Oak Bay and surrounding communities to “help complete surveys of cyclists, identify sites for infrastructure improvement, and collect other information that might impress upon local politicians the importance of promoting cycling within the municipality.” For more information, visit Safer Cycling Oak Bay’s website: www.scob.ca.

Do you have a tip about bike politics in your community? Send an email to Sarah, BC Editor: bc@momentumplanet.com

Originally published in the July/ August issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.