I've been getting a bit braver in exploring sections of the Region on my bike "off-trail" and doing a lot more on-road riding. Last weekend, I figured I could really close out a nice loop between the North end of the Forwell Trail and Parkside/Weber (near where ion's Maintenance Facility is, which is a stop I routinely make) by going across Northfield.
Heading Westbound, after coming down Conestogo (to try and avoid King/Northfield), I turned left onto Northfield and merged in to the bike lanes that start there. Pretty scary and narrow with cars coming by on both sides there (it cuts across the ramps). Here's a video I made heading the other way:
A few things I realize after sitting back and watching this, that I did wrong:
I cut back over to the bike lanes at Conestogo but by the time I got up to King I was uncomfortable enough that I popped back up onto the sidewalk briefly and went through the Best Buy/Wendys parking lot to get back over to Conestoga Mall, where the MUT starts up again heading South to the Forwell trail.
Heading Westbound, after coming down Conestogo (to try and avoid King/Northfield), I turned left onto Northfield and merged in to the bike lanes that start there. Pretty scary and narrow with cars coming by on both sides there (it cuts across the ramps). Here's a video I made heading the other way:
A few things I realize after sitting back and watching this, that I did wrong:
- It wasn't completely obvious to me at the time where the bike lanes started. I see now they start much earlier, but I didn't notice them until I was about 1/3 of the way across the bridge.
- I kept thinking the "Bike Lane" signs were pointing at the sidewalk, treating it as a "Shared Pathway" - when really they're pointing at the road... but the signs have to be off to the side, since there's no little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road.
- I feel like I need to say it, that I never, ever ride on the sidewalk - but I didn't think it was safe once I got partway across the bridge to stop and schlep my bike over the snow and ice onto the narrow, partially covered bike lane to get back in it, once I realized where it was.
- Super nice of the driver at 0:47 to stop and let me go by! I felt bad, since there was a big line of cars, there; I was perfectly willing to wait! (you can't see in the video, but he waved me through, which is why I went right away so as not to cause more of a delay)
I cut back over to the bike lanes at Conestogo but by the time I got up to King I was uncomfortable enough that I popped back up onto the sidewalk briefly and went through the Best Buy/Wendys parking lot to get back over to Conestoga Mall, where the MUT starts up again heading South to the Forwell trail.