Feel the Fear, Do It Anyway

Riding a bike to commute around a busy city must be a scary concept to most people; it certainly was for me. When we purchased our first e-bikes I viewed bike riding as a hobby. I really enjoyed riding leisurely along on the bike trails around Hamilton and was always angry at Simon if he took us on a route that led to riding on the road. I felt completely vulnerable as a cyclist on the road, and, certainly never considered using my bike to commute around the city. Poor city design, unfinished/nonexistent bike infrastructure, and the aggression of motorists lead me to believe cycling on the road was unsafe.

It has been a process for me to get to the point where I confidently use my bike as my main form of transportation. I was reminded of how confident I have come after watching a YouTube video. This video suggested fear stops many people seeing cycling as a viable option for commuting around a city. With this in mind, I thought I'd share some musings that may help encourage others to give cycling a try for their commute.

My number one concern was cars. I think that when we hop in our cars, we can become disconnected from our environment, and from our fellow humans. It's machine vs. machine on the road. In the city we often become impatient, intolerant, and even agressive as we sit in traffic trying to get to our destination. Other road users are just hurdles in our way; we can forget they are real people with families who are also going about their lives. It is scary to be on the road with cars, however I have had to accept that if I want to use my bike as transportation, I do have face the traffic.

I have slowly built-up confidence biking on the road. I started by doing leisurely rides with Simon on the weekends (when the roads were less busy). I learnt how to be confident but respectful in claiming space on the road when there is no bike path available. I learnt how to use hand signals to inform other road users what I am doing. Through experience I have learnt to watch out for the many bad habits of drivers e.g., cutting through the bike lane to turn at intersections, not stopping at crossings, driving into the bike lane to go around other cars. Identifying bad habits helps me anticipate possibly dangerous situations. I make sure I wear a high vis jacket on the road and have my lights on. I plan my route if going somewhere new to ensure I go the safest way. I have learned to sit comfortably with the fact that you cannot control the actions or beliefs of others; many people do not like cyclists and believe the road is just for cars. I have to remind my inner people-pleaser that I am just as entitled to use the road.

Having the confidence to ride myself on the road was one thing, but, taking the most precious cargo in the world (the kids) with me was something we had to carefully consider. Our cargo bike, the Riese and Müller Load 75, felt incredibly safe from the moment I got on it. I can see both kids in front of me, they are both secured in their seats in a 5-point safety harness and the suspension makes for a smooth ride for them. As far as safety riding in the city, Hamilton is slowly progressing with better cycling infrastructure leading to cycling being a real option for people to safely get around our city. My hope is that this growth continues, and more people will start getting on a bike. Sometimes to make a change you have to be the change.

Riding a bike in the city seems so logical to me. There are so many advantages that I see:

• I don't have to sit in queues of traffic,
• I get my 30 minutes of exercise during my daily commutes,
• I get vitamin D and fresh air,
• I dont have to worry about parking,
• I'm happier for it (side note: research shows people who commute by bicycle are in fact happier),
• It is cheaper than owning, maintaining and driving a car, and,
• It is much better for the environment.

I very rarely regret getting on my bike, but I often regret taking the car places. There are so many benefits to using a bike for transportation that people do not realise. I think many people see the kids and I out on our bike and have one of two thoughts: that lady is crazy, or that looks so cool. I know I would have been thinking both of those thoughts if I saw someone like me a year ago! Yet her I am today, a cargo bike Mum living my BEST life. It is so liberating and empowering embracing the fear and doing it anyway! So go on, hop on your bike, you will soon wonder what you were even worried about.