Paul Dicks (with son Joshua)
Name/Age/Occupation?
Paul Dicks/ 45 years old/ Paramedic for City of Toronto
What sort of bike do you ride?
Cannondale racing bike/Fixed Gear 46x16 from Urbane Cyclist/ Giant MTB
When did you start biking? How did you get started?
Started as a kid, did one summer of time trials with the Brampton Cycling Club when I was 24, then stopped riding when I went back to school to become a paramedic. When I became separated from my first wife at 39, I moved to Toronto close to my ambulance station, and bought a bike after nearly killing myself rollerblading to work
Why did you start biking?
Initially, when I was a kilometre from work, it was faster. Then, as I moved to a station further away, it was to save money by avoiding the TTC. Remember the ads the TTC ran saying how much one could save by leaving the car at home? It was several thousand dollars. Now add to that the cost of 12 Metropasses, $1320, and for me it is double, as I would have to use two municipal transit systems, Mississauga and Toronto. This adds up to enough money to buy a really nice bike every year, or to take a nice cycling vacation, or pay for all the gear one wears out riding all year long, like my long tights that last 4 months at best before the crotch disappears.
How often do you commute by bike to work?
As often as I can; my wife sometimes forces me to drive if the weather is inclement, despite the fact I rode all year round without missing a commute for two years before we got a car.
Briefly describe your commute
From the SW corner of Mississauga - up Southdown/Erin Mills to Dundas, and currently to Keele St and north to Wilson. Normally, I continue along Dundas to Bloor to Danforth and south on Warden. 37 km currently, normally 43 km (each way)
How long does your commute take?
Approx 2 hours, depending on wind speed and direction.
What's your favourite bike store?
Urbane Cyclist. They have a wide variety of bikes (and now offer recumbent trikes, my new serious want/need/desire). The staff is very knowledgeable. Cary spent a long time finding the proper size axle for the wheel of my son's trailer - who knew the company had changed sizes in the past decade? And twice, they have built up bikes for me in less than a day. And MEC stocks things for commuting like studded snow tires, lights, tires, tubes, great summer and winter clothing, interesting cycling tour books, and lots lots more.
Where do you park your bike when you get to work?
We can park them in the ambulance stations, and all the stations have showers.
What's your favourite thing about bike commuting?
Tough question - saving thousands of dollars every year or getting my exercise while commuting. It is just so nice to go for an early morning ride, with hardly any cars on the road. When I used to use the Davenport bike lane to commute, in the winter I could count how many people had used it before me by their tire tracks in the frost on the pavement. You can catch someone (or be caught) and strike up a conversation until the routes diverge, and I've actually led someone to join the Randonneurs Ontario with one conversation over about 5 km. And when I get to work, I am energized, instead of ready for a nap. Further, when I am riding 80 or 90 kms a day, I can eat a lot and not gain weight - the first two weeks I was riding from Mississauga to Scarborough, I lost 8 lbs.
What would you change to make your commute better?
Better paved roads in Toronto; they are way worse than in Mississauga
Why did you decide to start commuting by bike?
The above mentioned roller blading incident.
Randonneurs, Who are they?
Randonneurs Ontario are the long distance bike club. We start the year with short rides of 60, 80, 100, 120 and 160 km, then get serious with 200, 300, 400 and 600 km rides, and one or two 1000 km rides. You can get medals for completing the ride, and it is an endurance event, not a race, so it doesn't matter how fast you ride, as long as you can maintain 15-16 kph average including rest stops.
TBN, Who are they?
Every Toronto cyclist should know about the Toronto Bycling Network, largest club in Ontario, rides ranging from too slow and short for me, to darn fast and a nice distance for me (like close to a century long). They also host the Hairshirt Ride, named after that wonderful form of medieval penance. Be at Square One at 0600, receive a route sheet, and ride to Niagara Falls and back. First time I did it in 12 hours, second time, somewhat longer.
Anything else?
I should probably let you know that I am the Toronto rep for the Canadian Kilometre Achievement Program, so you can expect plugs for it from time to time. If you keep track of your kilometres, it is a great organization to join.
Paul Dicks, number 172
Any advice for people starting out bike commuting?
Other than visiting Mountain Equipment Coop? I would say pick a bike other than your $5000 racing bike, something with fenders, a rear rack, and get some decent lights. For winter, MEC is selling winter cycling shoes (just got mine), and I have used Hotronics Footwarmers, battery powered, for three years with great results (Sporting Life ski store on Yonge south of Eglinton sells them). For the hands, I found great gloves from Bass Pro Shops, $30 for waterproof gloves that are so warm you can't wear them above 0 C. I wear them over summer cycling gloves, to get cushion for the palms, and they are in camouflage, not normal cycling colours. A fixed gear bike is a good idea - much less drivetrain to replace every spring after all the salt and sand ravages the chain and gears. With any long commute, even cleaning your chain at each end of the commute, you will pick up salt and sand in your chain lube, unless you have a mudflap on your front fender, or your chain is enclosed.
What would you say to convince someone who is considering commuting by bicycle to get on board their bike?
Get the Toronto Bike Map, plot out a route, and try it on a day off to judge how long it will take. Add a few minutes, for the Monday to Friday Traffic. And it will be more fun if you have someone to ride with.
What do you like about biking in Toronto?
The paved bike paths in the river valleys
And Dislike?
The walkers walking abreast right across the bike paths, and the rollerbladers who keep sweeping their legs right across the entire two lanes. And the inconsiderate person who called for his 60 lb dog to come to him when they were on opposite sides of the path - I nearly got creamed by a big German Sheppard
What's your favourite piece of cycling kit/clothing/gadget?
My Hersheys Chocolate jersey, as chocolate milk is my favourite cycling drink, during and after.
Helmet or no helmet?
No question, helmet - I've wrecked two myself in crashes, and would hate to have that damage occur to my head. And as a paramedic, I know what happens to a brain when an non cushioned head hits a solid object at speed. It ain't pretty.
Bikelane or no bikelane?
Separate lanes away from the roads, like in the Netherlands, will be ideal, but bikelanes are better than no bikelane. How about some of those red light cameras set to nail cars and motorbikes riding in the bikelanes?
Favourite bike stories?
On CKAP (Canadian Kilometre Achiever Program - www.ckap.ca, tellem Paul sent you), there is a wonderful story about riding down the west coast from Vancouver to Tijuana, and another of people in their 70's and up riding from the bottom of England to the top of Scotland. CKAP is a wonderful way of getting cyclists to ride more and enjoy the benefits of cycling (health, fitness and enjoyment).
Oh, and this: http://www.randonneursontario.ca/result/rrallstrat03.html
Favourite cycling moment?
On a randonneur brevet, riding north of Alliston in the night (around 0200, I think), on a lonely country road, with a full moon and clear sky. There was low lying fog along the road up to my neck, and thousands of fireflies along both ditches. The moonlight was causing the fog to glow. Words do not describe the beauty I witnessed that night. There is something special about the long randonneur rides that ensure riding through the night. And, by the way, I earned my 50 000 km plaque from CKAP last year (2006); I started with CKAP in 2002. Next, the 100 000 km plaque.
How could the City help you enjoy riding more?
Actually being serious about making it safer for cyclists. Wasn't the bike plan supposed to be finished around now? One idea I saw in an old Bicycling Magazine, was from a small city in the States. They passed a law that made bike lanes added to any road that had a major rebuilding scheduled. Wouldn't that be nice? Bike lanes on ALL the major roads.
Any good advice as a paramedic for cyclists?
Wear your helmet, use lights at night, don't assume the driver can see you, and never pull up on the right side of anything turning right. I'd like to meet all of you, but not while I'm in my paramedic uniform because you have been injured or killed while riding.
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