the gears of war

Cycling in London is quite an adventure. While helmets seem to be optional, a certain level of aggression is mandatory for survival. In Toronto, the cars dominate the road and bikers ride with a lot of caution. Or, in most cases, in mortal fear. In London, the distribution of power is a little more balanced and, while cyclists don’t necessarily have any official right of way, they do have more respect on the road.

There are two exceptions to the general statements made above about cyclists riding in fear in Toronto. Probably more, but we like to keep things simple and only have so much space. First, there are bike couriers, who are a different breed altogether and don’t understand what fear is. The second group consists of people who have grown up in a non-North American society where cycling is a more widespread means of transportation. They’re used to it and aren’t bothered by crazy Toronto drivers.

But back to London. One reason why cyclists have more road-clout is because there are so many of us. Perhaps it’s the inner tree-huggers manifesting themselves, or the cycle to work schemes where the government and some companies subsidise the purchase of a bicycle. Or the increasing ubiquity of cycle lanes and cycle-specific routes. Whatever the reason, cyclists come out in force, and they seem to be everywhere. It’s sometimes unnerving to be sitting on a bus and see a head float past you outside the window, but you get used to it.

Although we have yet to find ourselves in the middle of a peloton, we certainly don’t lack for company while riding. There’s a lot of diversity on the roads too. We’ve seen young and old, male and female, of all nationalities. Because it’s so widespread, cycling is big business. From courier bags and panniers to leg/knee/arm warmers, you can get just about any accessory to accompany you while cycling. Beyond the bike itself, there’s still an endless array of gear you can get and a good number of people willing to sell it all to you. We’re just going to comment on a few.

Obviously there’s the bike itself. We’ve noticed that fixed gear bikes (fixies) and folding bikes are immensely popular here. Quite surprising when you consider that a Brompton, one of the most popular brands of folding bikes, goes for about £600. But people ride all sorts of bikes here, from mountains to hybrids to racers. And it doesn’t matter whether your bike is new or old – we’ve seen some vintage ‘town bikes’ that look like they’re from the 60’s and 70’s still giving faithful service. Caspian is quite happy with the bicycle he picked up here. He found it on gumtree, which is London’s answer to craig’s list, and while it wasn’t super cheap, it was considerably less than going to a bike store and purchasing off the rack. It’s not as sleek and impressive as the bike we left back home, but the vintage Peugeot racer has loads of character (including yellow and green camouflage pattern handlebar tape that’s so bright, it ain’t hidin’ nothin’) and oozes street cred.

While helmets are optional for some, Teresa made sure it wasn't for Caspian. You can’t put a price on safety, after all. He got his online for half price during a sale and he’s quite enamoured with it. He was originally going to bring the one he has at home over, but we didn’t have room. At one point, he had considered wearing it on the plane, but then we weren’t sure whether we’d even need it, depending on how the job search went. But the one he got here is much nicer – top of the line, in fact (Specialized S-Works 2D). It’s so light sometimes he forgets he’s even wearing a helmet. And besides, it doesn’t make him look like a multi-coloured mushroom.

While many don't feel it necessary to get a helmet, it’s absolutely necessary to get a lock. Bicycles get stolen left, right and centre. We have often walked by bikes that have been stripped of most of its parts, from wheels and seats to even components, pedals and cranks. There are apparently tricks to decrease the likelihood of having your bike stolen. Top on the list is to outfit it with streamers and a basket. They reason like this: a bike thief has street cred to worry about and riding a bike with streamers and a basket (with flowers) means that all goes out the window. Having a good lock definitely helps, though. The general rule people go by is to spend at least 10% of the value of the bike on a locking system. Considering Cas’ bike wasn’t that expensive to begin with, that wasn’t going to be hard. There are a gazillion locks from which to choose, and each manufacturer has its own rating system as to how secure the locks are, which can make it quite confusing. To help simplify things, an independent company has undertaken the task of testing and rating locks on a common scale. So you’ll often see graphics on locks that certify it as ‘Sold Secure Gold/Silver/Bronze’. For the most part, the locks are similar in materials and design. The real difference lies in the locking mechanism itself and how sophisticated it is. After much research and agonizing over the decision, Cas settled on a Kryptolok D-lock and cable combo, also bought online. The D-lock is the main element and the cable is an extension that protects the front wheel. It’s got a Sold Secure Silver rating and we got it for 25% off with free delivery, which seems like a reasonable buy. It’s funny to observe the lengths to which people will go to secure their bicycles. We’ve seen people use heavy duty locks normally used for motorcycles and even one guy who wrapped his entire bike in electrical tape so it wouldn’t catch the eye of any thieves.

Lights are the next important and these are also pretty non-negotiable. London is further north in latitude than Toronto. While this is excellent in the summer, with the sun rising at 4:30am and not setting until almost 10:00pm, in the winter, this means a lot more darkness. In addition to lights, cyclists often adorn themselves with jackets and vests of a very pronounced fluorescent colour. London is often known for its sartorial savoir-faire, but this was probably assessed after people had changed out of their cycling gear.

Some cyclists wear facemasks (to filter out the smog). Caspian thinks they make you look like Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat. The facemask gets mixed reviews; sometimes it makes you look hardcore while other times, it makes you look like a wuss. After going a couple of days without it and sucking fumes from the backsides of buses, Caspian decided it doesn’t matter how it makes you look, it certainly beats having blackened lungs. And in the winter, albeit the milder London edition, it may help your face stay warmer.

Then there are mudguards or fenders. In Canada, this isn’t really high on anyone’s priority list because most people normally ride when the weather’s agreeable. Those who don’t probably find inclement weather part of the attraction. In London, a city famous for being rainy, mudguards become a bit more relevant. Some offices are good enough to have shower facilities where people can clean off and change. But some people still opt to ride to work in their suits (and Teresa’s still trying to figure out how girls manage to ride in skirts; Caspian hasn’t figured it out, but he hasn’t been bothered enough to think about it at all either). While it won’t make a difference when it’s actually raining, mudguards can keep you clean(er) and drier when it’s not raining but has recently (meaning the ground is still wet).

Finally, to hammer home the point that cycling is quite pervasive, we thought we’d touch on a more ridiculous side. There are companies that sell clothes – and we’re talking high-end fashion type clothes, here – that have been specifically designed for cycling. Think crisp three-piece suits tailored to stretch as you cycle and formal dress shoes that allow for cleats to be attached. And then there are the helmets for which you can buy covers that look like hats. So if you’re extremely wealthy and, for some odd reason, happen to be cycling through town (maybe your driver has the day off and you couldn’t book a backup in time), you can cruise about looking dapper in a nice suit with a matching fedora. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll leave the fluorescent vest at home.