Cycling is cheap. It does not require external fuel and it is healthy. In many instances business trips can be made by carrying modest amounts of cargo. All these points indicate that the bazaar tariffs on Canada by its southern neighbor may ultimately lead to some positives by forcing Canadians to become more self-reliant.
Threatened import tariffs by a deranged U.S. president have many Canadians believing its southern neighbour is the new “public enemy #1”. The transportation sector is an example where illogical tariffs could create turmoil on both sides of the border as some car manufacturing and parts plants may close and costs of motor vehicles may rise. If there is a silver lining in all this mayhem it is that cycling in Canada may get a boost.
Cycling is a non-technical mode of transportation that does not require expensive or complicated parts shipped across Canada’s border. Many things get done under the radar by the community of cyclists who are often invisible to the public eye. Yes there are the impressive-looking cargo bikes that could be useful in some circumstances. However a lot of work is done on simple bikes with no fancy design.
Cycles specifically designed to carry cargo are infrequently observed in the City of London. This may be due to their cost. Certainly they are able to carry significant cargo and, when accompanied by an electric motor, they can be far cheaper to operate than a gas-powered motor vehicle.
In remains a fact that small-scale business activities of Canadian society are often overlooked and never fully documented. This is because so much of it remains unofficial. Within the activities of cyclists there are numerous instances where business acts are completed without recognition of their importance. Yet there are a vast number of them.
This article will examine some recent observations of cyclists in London, Ontario taken from a broader study undertaken by Gorski Consulting over many years. The focus will be on the types of cyclists that are observed conducting non-official business activities, from very low-cost activities, to those that require greater expenditures to achieve their work. This will emphasize that cycling for business can be a viable option when dictatorial insanity to the south attempts to disrupt Canadian society. But this cycling activity needs government intervention to make it more organized and efficient. It also needs government involvement to provide public disclosure about how cyclist injuries and deaths are occurring so that corrections can be made and cycling can be a true benefit to Canadian society.
Low-End Cyclist Business Activities
Those at the lower end of the economical scale have developed unique ways to transport cargo and conduct personal business. At the cheapest end of the scale are those who carry cargo without any attachments to a cycle. Some of these instances have been observed on London’s streets recently and are shown below.
The person on the right shows how various carts and wagons are used by pedestrians to transport cargo. The cycle rider on the left shows how bulky cargo is transported in precarious ways throughout the City. In both instances these modes of transportation are extremely cheap and far more common than officially recognized.Here minor cargo is transported on the cycle’s handlebar while the cyclist is also holding a coffee cup. The cyclist is also not wearing a helmet. Safety is compromised but this type of transportation is observed on a constant basis in the City.For those murderers who must dismember bodies this view shows that the transportation of a chainsaw can be done on a cycle. Oh, and holding a cup of coffee, by the same hand, can be done at the same time.Here a cyclist who has too much cargo resting on his handlebars simply steers by holding onto the cargo. Again, while such actions are not condoned, they exist and this is reality.Even smaller pieces of cargo can become dangerous as shown here where the red scarf is hanging precariously in the spokes of the cycle’s front wheel. Not every cyclist is capable of carrying cargo with the same level of ease. As shown here elderly riders may have difficulties when too much cargo weighs onto the handlebar. Yet, when necessity calls for it, such transportation is done, regardless of age.Here we see another typical male cyclist with no helmet but riding with substantial number of bags hanging from the handlebars. This is done while higher speed motor vehicle traffic is nearby.In younger years almost every cyclist has been a “taxi” to a friend. While many of these travels involved a passenger sitting on the top-tube those tubes do not exist on many newer cycles and they are no longer horizontal. In the modern age this passenger rides with his feet on the back axle. Still cheaper than Uber.Here a larger table seems to be no problem for transportation on a cycle without any additional equipment. Yet in the narrowed environment of a protected cycling lane such an activity could be hazardous or incapable of occurring.This may be an example of a cycling waiter or bartender. A tray filled with coffee cups is being delivered by cycle to persons unknown.
These are just a few of the many examples observed around the City of London where unofficial business is being conducted on a cycle without any specific designs or attachments. There are instances where cargo carrying on a cycle involves additional attachments and some observed examples of this are shown below.
Personal Business Cycling With Additional Attachments
Official “pannier” saddlebags are common in transporting limited amounts of cargo on cycles but that attachment involves a cost which, even though moderate, is not accepted by those with very limited incomes or no income at all.The pushing of grocery carts while riding a cycle is a common activity in London that is not even discussed. While these carts can carry a substantial cargo they also can be difficult to manuveur while also attempting to steer the cycle on or across an urban roadway.Given the lack of official recognition, a number of views of cyclists pushing grocery carts will be shown in this article because of the importance of this issue. This activity is common yet it is also unsafe. In this view the cyclist is also not wearing a helmet so any collision event could cause a needless increase in injury.Here we see a cyclist who has stepped off his cycle and is walking on a sidewalk while also pushing a grocery cart. In a short distance this rider will mount his cycle. Again, no helmet is worn here.In another example here we see a male cyclist with no helmet pushing a grocery cart but he rides on the sidewalk. This is safer for the cyclist but may not be safe for any pedestrians if care is not taken.And here we see a somewhat uncommon situation where a cycle is being carried on top of a loaded grocery cart. It needs to be acknowledged that, although this seems unusual it is also not unique. Actions like these are occurring in the City of London.This view shows a common situation where baggage is attached in various ways to a carrier on a cycle. Again, various methods are employed to enable the carrying of cargo through various attachments.Here we see a situation where the cyclist has decided to dismount while pulling a loaded wagon. This is not always the case. In many instances cyclists will ride while pulling such wagons.Here we see an entrepreneurial cyclist who has attached a large garbage bin to the back of his cycle. While uncommon a variety of such attachments are used by cyclists to complete some form of business.Pushing grocery carts while riding a cycle is common in London. But the additional width of the cycle and cart lead to problems when attempting to fit within the limited confides of a painted cycling lane. Here we see that the cyclist is already at the extreme edge of the cycling lane but then he encounters an obstacle which causes a greater problem, as shown in the next photo.A garbage can has been discarded into the cycling lane causing a cyclist to travel outside of the cycling lane and into the lane designated for motor vehicle traffic. Such complications are not officially acknowledged and dangerous scenarios like these persist without public recognition.In this photo we see an extreme reliance on multiple cargo-baring carts while a cyclist walks his cycle in an urban area of London. These unique solutions are helpful in accomplishing a business need but also creating potential safety problems.
Having reviewed some unique cycling combinations there is one which, in our view, is most promising and it has been left for this last discussion. Cycles with mini-trailer attachments at the back of the cycle are the best solution because they can carry substantial cargo, are narrow enough to fit within the confines of typical cycling lanes and they are also the safest combinations of all. The photos below provide some examples of cycles and mini-trailers observed in London.
This photo provides a typical scenario where a cyclist has attached a mini-trailer to the back of his cycle. Even though the rider is not wearing a helmet the mini-trailer provides him with greater stability. Also any cargo in the trailer is positioned at a low level and this also improves stability. If the cyclist was carrying cargo above his wheel for example this could create an unstable situation even with moderate steering inputs.In this example a female rider is transporting a child in a mini-trailer attached to the rear of the cycle. Again this does not reduce the stability of cycle. However it is not the safest situation for the child which might not be visible to drivers of motor vehicles.In this example a cyclist has modified the mini-trailer by removing its sides thus allowing to carry cargo of larger dimensions. Even so this combination would fit within the confines of a typical cycling lane.Here is another example where the sides of a mini-trailer have been removed thus allowing for the transport of a wider range of cargo.
Cycling Insecurity Due To Theft
While unofficial business activities take place in the City of London, there are hazards that remain and need greater government intervention. One of the greatest problems for cyclists is theft. Whenever a cycle is left in a public, or even private space, it is vulnerable to being stolen. Some examples of observations are shown below.
While this view does not show any additional attachment, it shows that other cycles are transported, possibly for dubious reasons, by simply steering them in a riderless fashion. Unfortunately stealing cycles in not that difficult to do but it is a business in which some persons excel.As a demonstration that possible cycle theft is not uncommon, here is another rider who is pushing an unoccupied cycle for unexplained reasons.And again, here we have another unoccupied cycle that is being transported for suspicious reasons.
Cycling has the potential of being a great benefit to Canadian society but headwinds like theft exist that prevent it from being what it could be. This mode of transportation is fragile. It requires public attention and action to expand its benefits.
Discussion
These photos have shown unorthodox ways in which cyclists in London carry cargo to achieve unofficial business. Each rider and their circumstance is unique. Because of these homemade alterations the efficiency of them is mixed while the threat to their safety is real. Mini-trailers attached to the rear of cycles provide the best combination, both in terms of cargo carrying capability but also in terms of cycling safety. Governments could improve these conditions by making mini-trailers more available especially to those a the bottom of the income bracket. Many cyclists use their cycles as an essential mode of transportation because they cannot afford other alternatives and they tend to develop home-made improvisations due to necessity. These improvisations may solve their initial problems but they add to the likelihood that a collision will occur either with motor vehicle traffic or via single-cycle loss-of-control. Yet carrying cargo and conducting business in these inexpensive ways can provide Canadians with independence from foreign agencies that would wish to destabilize the Canadian economy.
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