Rainy Days
Gordon Hobbis October 4, 2007

The plume of smoke that rose in the sky when the Copperstone condominium project was ablaze last Wednesday could be seen for miles. Yet, in the bike shop, only one block away, we were unaware of the action outside until a customer came in and asked if we knew what was burning. That day made me think of another fire in Sapperton that involved the bike shop. The fire occurred on the site of the soon to be completed San Marino building at 414 East Columbia Street. That site used to be a two story building with businesses on the street level such as the Sapperton Five and Dime. The second floor was apartments and a large hall that was once the Moose lodge and a dance studio. A fire in September of 1981 almost consumed the entire building. The second floor was lost but enough of the street level was saved that it could be rebuilt. The dance hall was well known for the bounce in the floor that some thought was because it was built on old tires. My uncle who built the building admitted that the bounce was because wood for the joists was expensive so they spaced them apart more. At the time of the fire the upstairs was being used as a storage area for the bike shop. There were a few hundred burnt and charred bicycles that we pulled out of the wreckage. Most of them had melted seats and tires but were otherwise OK so we had a fire sale. The smoky aroma of the burnt bikes was so strong it is still imprinted in my nasal memory banks. Just the smell of the fire at the Copperstone was enough to bring back the memories of the last big fire in Sapperton.  

This past week has been like the James Taylor song, “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain”. Now a little rain doesn’t have to dampen your cycle spirits if you’re prepared. Wet weather clothing for yourself, fenders for your bike and a little extra care when riding should do the job. What do you do if you are not prepared? When a dry day goes bad and you have no choice but a wet ride home there are a few things that can be done to lessen the pain. A couple of plastic shopping bags can make a good pair of water proof socks. Slip them over your socked feet before putting on your shoes. You can get fancy by cutting away the excess and taping the top to you socks. Rubber bands can hold the plastic bags to your leg. An emergency fender can be fashioned from a piece of cardboard, the longer the better but it only needs to be about 4 inches wide. Look for something that is stiff and if it is glossy, like a cereal box, then it will be a bit more water repellant. Attach the cardboard to the bicycles rear rack with a bungee cord, some string or whatever you have. If you don’t have a rear rack then put the cardboard on your seat and sit on one end of it so the remainder extends out over the rear wheel. Just don’t stand on hills. Old time bike racers would slide the morning paper in the front of their jersey at the start of a ride to block the wind until they warmed up, you could do the same in an emergency. You’re going to get wet, but with a little MacGyver thinking you can stay warmer.

Another solution to unplanned wet day rides is to have a folding bike. My folding bike is my favourite for riding to work. If the ride home is unappealing, then a ride from a friend or getting the bus is no problem. The bike can easily be folded and can come home with me. The same would hold true if a monsoon hits while riding, fold the bike up and catch the Skytrain or bus. You can also duck into a mall or shop with your folding bike if it’s folded. Get a shopping cart, put the folded bike in the cart and do the shopping that has been getting put off until a rainy day. Be a good scout and be prepared when you can but for those times that Mother Nature throws a surprise your way, use your ingenuity to keep those pedals turning.