Lessons from the Bixi (a contraction of the words bicycle and taxi, rentable bikes with stations all over Montreal). Lesson #1 Its Bixi, not Big C. Lesson #2 Make sure all the items on your person are secure. These bikes are made for minimizing theft and damage. They are simple, heavy and have a turning radius of maybe 180 degrees. Just for context, if it werent for the gear cables; the front tire and handle bars on my Trek could turn 360 degrees. With gears it probably has the ability to turn 245. Dropping your belongings as you ride Bixi in the busy streets of Montreal means you will have to lift all 45 pounds of this bike to turn the thing around and then hold it up while you stoop to pick up said lost item, twice, in the middle of the street. This is verifiably dangerous during rush hour and can be avoided if you heed the 2nd lesson. Lesson #3 When commuting, always give yourself way more time than you need. While Bixi stations are located all over town, its not uncommon I have found, to encounter stations whose touch screens do not budge from the home screen. This means two unfortunate circumstances, you cant rent a bike and you must proceed to the next Bixi station. In the heart of the city that means one block of walking, no big deal, unless of course, you are short for time. Lesson #4 If you are in a hurry, take your time. My uncle once said this about the Canadian probate courts. I thought it was funny, until I rented Bixi for 3 days. Lesson #5 Planning, prioritizing and time management are valuable skills. Bixis have a 30 minute period of riding time before you have to dock the bike, at which time you can take another one, but there is a catch. You must wait 2 minutes. This is to prevent theft I am sure and to account for their fleet. Still it can and does prove challenging to manage these restraints and add ons while commuting. Things one hates while on Bixi, red lights, pedestrians, sewer caps, namely anything that impedes the direct route between you and your desired destination. Your goal while riding your Bixi is to complete your commute in the allotted 30 minutes. Going over that 30 minute window or nearly approaching it will cost you, $1.75, 2 minutes, or simply walking the rest of your commute. I usually cut my losses and just walk the remainder of my route. Lesson #6 Observe the moment. Bixis have 3 gears, slow, slightly faster and a little faster than that. Once you have learned to plan in enough time, you can enjoy the scenery as you turtle your way through the city. While my quads have gotten stronger from all this mountain climbing, the Bixi maxes out at a little faster than slightly faster than slow. While working away at those pedals, I am able to take in the sites, as if my legs and my upper body are on two completely different journeys. Everyday there are people enjoying the park at Mount Roayle, meditating, exercising, dog training, splashing in water, running, playing volley ball, biking, playing musical instruments, making out, pic-nicing and on and on. Its lovely to see people creating a great day. I would not have seen that on the Trek, because it has 21 gears and can move as fast as my attention span. Lesson #6 Know your surroundings. The brakes on a Bixi have as much give as a clutch on a 1972 Volkswagen. Applying the brakes 200 feet before your stop will have you moving slow enough that you can apply your Flintstones brakes and possibly be at a stand still in your intended locale. You may be thinking, but the Bixi moves only slightly faster than faster than slow. Youre right, but you can catch some speed coming down the mountain. This morning I applied my brakes and a loud, piercing squeal came out of my Bixi, but the speed didnt change much. I am pretty positive I have hearing damage from it. No joke. Lesson #7 Bring your Trek to town even on your day off.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 03:56:04 +0000
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