One year ago I graduated UBC and lost the privilege of the UPass. Faced with (shudder) paying for transit, I decided to buy a bike and use that as my means of primary transportation. So, I bought a road bike off Craigslist, made a promise to myself never to be caught in anything made from Lycra, picked up a free bike map, and off I went.

Here are some things I have learned in the past 365 days:

1) The Cambie St bridge is my favourite to bike on because you get the most room and you can bike on the roadway on either side (although the new lanes on the Burrard Bridge might change this favouritism). Plus, there is a liquor store conveniently located on the south side of the bridge, which I must pass on my way home. And by pass I mean go in and buy something.

2) Biking in the rain, as one of my co-workers noted, is a decision between getting soaked and looking like a moron. I chose to look like a moron by wrapping myself in water repellent clothing reminiscent of nuclear clean-up crew bodysuits. This was necessary for me if I didn't want to arrive at work dirty, cold, and wet. A fender is essential, however, unless you enjoy a dirt stripe up your back.

3) Puddles are often deeper than you think. Seriously.

4) Wet leaves are not your friends.

5) Our Community Bikes on Main St is my favourite place to go and do repairs and maintenance. If you don't want to do your own, you can pay them to do it, but it's fun to learn how to do it yourself. And if you strip a screw they have a hack-saw. Yay.

6) Bikes on the Drive has some funky helmets. And I would avoid Simon's Bike Shop on Robson St unless you enjoy attitude.

7) 10th Ave is the best bike route to use to cut across the city, but it's also the worst maintained, so...

8) Zipping along Broadway at night is very satisfying. Especially that speedy downhill part from Main to Commercial. Sometimes I pretend I'm a superhero. Watch out for car doors opening as they will end your superhero fantasy prematurely.

9) Picture yourself biking. Now picture yourself getting cut off by a car and giving them the finger in return. Now picture, if you will, yourself being chased by said car and hiding behind a pillar with a news headline flashing in your head to the tune of "Local biker found dead in fountain."

10) Bring a change of underwear for such occasions.

11) Times fallen of my bike in one year: 1

12) Things said to me after falling off my bike from woman who I had just smugly zoomed past: "Don't worry, it happens to the best of us."

13) Embarrassment level on a scale of 1 - 10 for said time: 8.7

14) Midnight Mass is a hell of a lot of fun. Nothing beats biking with 30 - 40 other people at 2am down Fraser St and then eating Nanaimo bars at a 24h bakery until you feel like you're going to puke from sugar intake.

15) During the snowfall in January I caved and bought a bus pass. This was the only month I didn't bike and I felt lazy and annoyed. My annoyance level was surpassed, however, by my fear of slush.

16) Biking is often faster than public transit. The downside is that you cannot read on a bike. Or, at least, I have yet to figure out a good way to balance an open book on my handlebars.

17) I'm jealous of those people that bike with no hands, casually tucking them into their pockets. I am also neurotically afraid for them.

18) Best discovery made on my bike that would have been difficult to get to otherwise: New Brighton Park.

19) Times I have been almost killed by cars going through traffic circles too fast, pulling right hand turns without looking, and cutting through red lights: more than I care to remember.

20) Percentage of muscle now contained in my legs Vs. percentage of muscle contained in my upper body: 80/20. Basically I have enough to support my head on my neck, but I could probably kick a steel door down. Go figure.

photo by Random Dude in the BR Flickr Pool