Them’s the breaks.

Gabe Lareau, 19, our featured “Bike-to-Work Week” blogger, shares some tips for making sure your bike remains relatively trouble-free (even if it means you might have to make a repair on the fly) and safe for your travels.

by Gabe Lareau

First, a little haiku to commemorate the last day of Bike to Work Week …

Riding up a hill
Mouth breathing and hair sweaty
My stupid bike breaks

Yes, dearest reader, it is true. On Thursday, while riding up one of those infamous Twelfth Avenue hills, my Fuji American—affectionately named Fiona for alliterative and Shrek-esque color scheming reasons—decided that she had had enough of these darned hills and torrential rain for now. And, as frustrated as I was at her deciding to quit on me right in the middle of a climb, I couldn’t necessarily blame her.

Just as the pioneers needed their oxen to rest, the cowboys always having to take their horses back to the watering hole, our noble steeds sometimes need a fix-up. And fix her up we most certainly did.

A new chain and back wheel derailer jockey wheels as well as two freshly pumped tires later, Fiona is now properly replenished to near-mint condition.

Whether you bike on the occasional fun joyride, or you are a committed die-hard cyclist, this is going to happen to you again and again. I guarantee it. So, with that, today I’m going to help you freshen up your skills on how to have the safest and most trouble-free bike ride that you can possibly have. Even though riding a bike is still infinitely safer than driving a car, circumstances can still hit the fan and Lady Luck will not be on your side one hundred percent of the time.

So, let’s get to it!

Gabe Lareau parks his bike at the Two Rivers’ YMCA bike rack where he is a summer counselor.

First off, safety. Whenever you bike to work as opposed to driving a car, then some serious congratulations are in order because you have successfully cut out the most dangerous activity we do on a daily basis. Despite the pandemic shutting almost everything down, a total of 42,060 people were killed in car accidents on American roads—an 8% increase from 2019. Compare that with the 846 cyclists who were unfortunately killed (all by cars) in 2019.

To make sure we, and all of our fellow bicyclists are safe, it is imperative that you choose your route wisely. Seriously, take ten minutes, go on Google maps and plan out your route, always considering the risk of you or your party meeting a steel bumper. Which means, if you can, always go for bike paths first, meaning safe, segregated paths that run nowhere near a road. Think one of the paths that run along the river—no cars, no problem.

If you can’t go for a bike path, then a series of residential streets are your best bet. If that’s not an option, you can use what I ride to work every day: a striped path/sharrow lane on a regular street. Be wary though, dear cyclist, as we are entering the realm of real danger. Just two months ago, my sister, Marina was riding towards an intersection, and a car turning right hit her, leaving her with a freshly broken arm.

Finally, if you absolutely have to, taking a busy street can be your last resort. However, I strongly, strongly, recommend you never even bother to take these. Cars go way too fast, and it is too congested. A better option than riding one of these streets is to email or call your local representative and tell them they better put a bike lane in the street’s vicinity lest they otherwise desire having human roadkill.

Then comes the safety gear!

Bike helmets are an essential part of your two-wheeled safety strategy

I assume I am preaching to the choir here, but helmets are nonnegotiable. It’s exactly the same premise as seatbelts in cars: if you’re not gonna put one on, do not go. There is a large chance my mother would not be alive today had she not worn a helmet on the day she got into a bike accident. Next comes blinky lights for visibility—another nonnegotiable after hours and extra insurance during daylight—and you can never go wrong an added crossing guard vest.

In case you break down like me, which, once again, will absolutely happen, then it’s always good to carry a set of Allen wrenches, an extra tire tube, and a few CO2 tire inflation cartridges. After that, you should be all set to hit the path! or road if you must.

Also, if the previous paragraphs sounded like I was speaking a completely different language, then head on over to your local bike shop. They will hook you up with everything you need.

That is all I have today for you, dear reader. I can’t believe Bike to Work Week has already reached its last day. Oh, how time flies when you’re in the saddle.

Riding up a hill Mouth breathing and hair sweaty My stupid bike breaks

Gabe Lareau parks his bike at the Two Rivers’ YMCA bike rack where he is a summer counselor.

Bike helmets are an essential part of your two-wheeled safety strategy

For more on this topic ...

You can read all of Gabe's articles in his exclusive series for Let's Move QC:

• A lifetime of riding can take you places - Gabe shares his love for cycling and perspective on the benefits of biking to work and the issues surrounding local cycling routes.
• The joys and sorrows of urban biking - Gabe talks about the hazards cyclists face when they have to share the road with cars.
• The secret to staying sane when biking in the rain - Gabe says you shouldn't let the rain get you down. Just keep peddling and channel your inner Pooh - you know, the silly old bear.
• Them's the breaks - Gabe shares his tips for keeping your bike-rides safe and trouble-free (even if you have to make an occassional repair on the road).