This spring, get a bike in Toronto

It’s springtime in Toronto.

And with the promise of warmer weather comes an opportunity to give out the best piece of advice I have about living in Toronto: You should get a bike.

I understand if you’re skeptical. I was too. I lived in the heart of this city for more than two years before I even considered two-wheeled transportation. I used to look at cyclists weaving on downtown streets and think they were absolutely nuts.

But then I moved to a new house, which just happened to be a little bit too far from a subway station to make for a reasonable walk. And so a bike seemed like a reasonable — if kind of scary — option for getting around on days when I didn’t want to use my car.

The effect was almost revelatory. Toronto can often feel big and spread out, and that feeling is made worse by ridiculous traffic and crowded public transit. But on a bike, Toronto feels small. Accessible. A trip from Leslieville to the Junction or from the Beach to Etobicoke can be a daunting trek by other means, but a bike makes it all possible.

Sure, it can still seem dangerous out there on busy streets with little between you and five-ton trucks. There’s not much in the way of bike infrastructure in this city, and that’s been made worse by political wrangling that has seen existing lanes painted over and plans delayed and repeatedly rewritten. But even if you’re nervous, I’d urge you to try it.

Start small. Start slow. Be confident and defensive. And another thing: Be responsible. There’s a tension between motorists and cyclists that really simmers in this city. And I get it — I’ve seen it from all angles. I get mad when I see drivers pass bikes too closely or lean down on their horn when a cyclist takes the whole lane to stay safe. But it also frustrates me when I’m out riding and stop at an intersection only to watch as the cyclist behind me blows through the red light. It’s too common — and, fairly or unfairly, it makes us all look bad.

So take a pledge with me. When you’re out riding this season, be conscious of the rules of the road. That means waiting for green lights, doing hand signals to indicate you’re going to turn (even if it makes you feel like a dork), spending the ten bucks to get proper lights for night riding, and not creeping up beside cars that have signalled a right-turn. Seriously, drivers can’t see you.

Above all, be good. Be better than good. And enjoy the ride.