Bicycle Safety
Some time ago, Jeff and Sandi gave us two bicycles: a Schwinn and a Cannondale. Since then, I have used the Schwinn as my primary mode of transportation. I ride it to and from school and work every day, seven miles round trip. It rides great, the brakes work well, and it’s just the right size.
One thing, though, that’s bothered me off and on since I got it has been the pedals. They’re plain plastic, but they have these ends that curve around on the inside close to the cranks. Every once in a while, I will get my shoelace caught on one of these. Sometimes this will happen at an especially inconvenient time – when I am trying to cross a busy street, for instance. I have repeatedly told myself I need to do something about the pedals. I certainly have had plenty of opportunities to replace them. I have other bikes sitting idle, and I could have cannibalized their pedals. But, I was personally offended that any bicycle pedals would be designed with so obvious a flaw, and I decided to right the wrong.
So, last weekend I took my rotary tool and cut off the dangerous portions of the pedals, and now I can ride comfortably, free from the very real fear that my foot will become physically tethered to my bike at the precise moment I’m crossing some traintracks or jumping a gorge.
Filed under: Transportation on May 5th, 2009 | 2 Comments »