Propelling myself on a bicycle through busy traffic is not the first thing that springs in mind when I have to 
choose a means of transport. Although downtown Vancouver has the odd cycle lane painted on asphalt, this is not a common sight in Surrey or Richmond. And where the council has made the effort to create cycle lanes, it is not always clear to the intended user what to do with them.
choose a means of transport. Although downtown Vancouver has the odd cycle lane painted on asphalt, this is not a common sight in Surrey or Richmond. And where the council has made the effort to create cycle lanes, it is not always clear to the intended user what to do with them.
Not that you are safe in a cycle lane. 
Other road users, in articular drivers of full size pick up trucks with side mirrors sticking out half a car width, do not take much notice of cyclists, and rush uncomfortably close past the unnerved cyclist. It would not be the first time that a cyclist, totally unaware of the pick up truck intending to overtake him, got whacked out of his toe-clips by the right door mirror.
Other road users, in articular drivers of full size pick up trucks with side mirrors sticking out half a car width, do not take much notice of cyclists, and rush uncomfortably close past the unnerved cyclist. It would not be the first time that a cyclist, totally unaware of the pick up truck intending to overtake him, got whacked out of his toe-clips by the right door mirror. 
Being a cyclist in British Columbia, and when venturing out onto the asphalt ribbons, places you pretty close to being outlawed and having to fend for yourself I figured out. 
But not to worry I thought, because Canada has an abundance of space, filled with nature. Heaven on earth for cyclist who want to do a bit of off roading. Mountain biking seems to me the solution to avoid the dangers of pick up truck infested asphalt. On top of that, it brings you closer to nature as well. As has been demonstrated before, you can overdo it a bit and find yourself with the handlebars of your mountain-bike deeply buried in the fur of a grizzly-bear. Too close for comfort I would say. But nevertheless, an unforgettable experience. 
Not that bears are the only thing mountain-bikers should worry about I found on the Vancouver Sun website:'Woman allegedly ‘caught in the act’ of dragging debris onto trails'
Neither to be blamed on immature behavior, as the lady in question happened to be 64 years old, nor on a game of 'giant Mikado', as there were no giants spotted in the vicinity of late.
There you have it. When it is not safe 
to ride ones bicycle on the street nor in the woods, there is only one solution left for the persevering cyclist. It is safe, dry, tiring, but also very, very boring.
to ride ones bicycle on the street nor in the woods, there is only one solution left for the persevering cyclist. It is safe, dry, tiring, but also very, very boring.
A home trainer...
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