In this series we stop people along the bike lanes in Vancouver and have chats with them about their thoughts on cycling, their bikes, and more. Have a look at the archive HERE.
Name?
Aisyah.
Tell me about your bike?
Well I’ve had it for quite a while, about 8 or 10 years. It was such a cheap bike at the time but it seems to do the job here in Vancouver. It’s a heavier bike so sometimes it is a little hard on the hills, and it doesn’t help that I am the slowest biker in the world. People are always passing me but it doesn’t matter because I get where I need to go.
Tell me about your helmet?
Well my helmet is due for an upgrade. I found out last year that helmets have a life span so I was just talking about getting a new one.
How did you learn about helmets having a shelf life?
Last year we went on a big fundraiser bike ride for Love in Motion. It was a 9 week bike ride that started in Vancouver and goes all the way to Prince Edward Island. We only did it for the first week, but a large group from my church went and two or three from our group went the whole 9 weeks. The whole experience taught me a lot about my bike and bicycle safety.
And you’ve got your light attached to your helmet?
Yes, I feel that it is very important to have lights on my bike and that it’s kind of foolish to ride without them.
Would you ever ride without your helmet?
No. I guess I am kind of conservative that way. I don’t really care about how my hair looks, even after I have used my helmet for a while. I would rather have it on for safety because anything can happen to anyone at any time.
Why do you feel it is important to wear a helmet?
I’ve got a lot of nurse friends who have seen a lot of concussions and have said that just wearing your helmet can protect you from having the situation be worse than it already will be when you get into an accident. You could have a fall, but you could have a concussion if you fall a certain way so it is just better to have your helmet on. You never know what is going to happen. It is a choice however and I don’t want to judge people who don’t wear helmets. For me I am just going to do my part and not worry about other people.
Do you have any favourite places to bike around in Vancouver?
I like to bike out to places with a good food destination because then you can bike and have something to eat, like heading to Steveston for the day. I also like to just look around while I am biking because I’m not a hardcore cyclist. I enjoy doing the UBC loop and going to Jericho Beach.
That’s still pretty hardcore for a city cyclist.
Well I’ve got a road bike at home that I like to use for longer bike rides. I just use this hybrid bike for when I cycling around the city.
Where are you off to today?
Today I have to study, as I started a new ESL teaching job and there is a lot of prepping to be done. I just want to be ready.
