My new Pegasus

The cycling infrastructure here is fantastic. Many roads have bike lanes and there are bicycle-specific traffic lights at larger intersections. Moreover, the presence of cyclists on the road is respected and expected. It's not like in North America where a bicycle is an anomaly, and seen as intruding on the right-of-way of cars. The debates going on in Ottawa right now over the proposed bicycle lane on Laurier avenue simpy echo the stereotypical positions that haven't changed in thirty years. Cyclists want a bike lane that goes somewhere practical, not around some park. Business owners complain that there will be less parking. Motorists want the cyclists to get the hell off the road so that they can drive faster to the next red light.

It is so nice to ride in the city and not feel guilty for slowing traffic down or that I have to assert my presence to get a few feet of pavement. And I never feel that some pickup truck is going to run me over because they were posting a really important Tweet.

So while the tram is fine, for the past couple of weeks I have been riding the orange work-bicycle that belongs to the apartment. It is a single-speed with fat tires. Although slow, it has a certain presence and the 47mm tires really soak up the cobblestones. But this was only a temporary fix. This past Thursday I picked up my new bicycle! It's a Pegasus Premio SL, with 28 inch wheels and the full kit for city cycling. The price was right and it rides very nicely.

Jeff's new Pegasus - from Fun Bikes

It's actually hard to find a men's-frame bicycle that is set up for city cycling. There are city bikes, which have 7 or 8 speed internal gear hub (just like 3-speeds of yore). While this has some advantages in terms of reduced maintenance, I found the shifting to be very hesitant and clunky. The bikes with derailleurs are called touring bikes, and the ones with a men's frame always come equipped with straight, mountain-bike style handlebars. This forces the rider to lean forward, putting much weight on the hands. Completely impractical for riding in the city, but the style matches the Jack Wolfskin jacket that the rider is invariably wearing, so the effect is that they look like they could be going mountain-biking, and not actually to the grocery store. I got the shop to put on some regular bent handlebars and to raise them all the way up. It's such a beautiful city that it would be a shame to ride around staring at the pavement.