Tandem rental provides different spokes for kindred folks

Iqaluit residents Sharon MacDonald and John Fawcett ride a tandem bike during a spell of hot, sunny weather in the capital recently. The tandem bike, along with three others of the one-seat variety, are available for rent at the Unikaarvik Visitors Centre. Unfortunately, the sunny weather is gone for now and Environment Canada predicts rain and cool temperatures for the next seven days. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON MACDONALD)

With a new ribbon of asphalt winding through the city, Iqaluit’s streets just got a whole lot more bicycle-friendly.

Combine that with the — now over — record-breaking wave of sunshine and heat that settled over South Baffin for most of July and this was a prime summer to launch Pisootiit: a bike rental program at Iqaluit’s Unikaarvik visitors centre.

“People are really happy when they come back. You can see they have a nice tan,” said Martine Dupont, manager of the visitors centre.

Pisootiit is the legacy of last year’s climate change conference in Iqaluit. Organizers collected carbon offset credits from delegates, totaling around $4,500, and gave them to the city to fund green projects.

Pisootiit was the winner, and with a little help from Nunavut Tourism and Nunavut Parks, in the form of bike racks, the program kicked off this past June with three mountain bikes and a tandem bike, better known as a bicycle built for two.

“The tandem was really fun, because everybody in town when they drove past or walked past they were waving, honking the horn or laughing,” said Iqaluit resident Sharon MacDonald, who recently rented the tandem for a half day with her boyfriend.

As it turns out, two people don’t have it any easier pedaling up a hill than one person, because they’re also pushing double the weight, MacDonald said. And it’s an exercise in communication.

“The person in the front is controlling the brakes and the steering, so they’ve got to let the person in the back know what’s going on,” MacDonald said.

While Pisootiit is provided by the visitors centre, Dupont said the program has drawn both tourists and locals.

Tourists like the bikes as an emission-free way to explore the city, and locals like access to bikes without having to shoulder the expense of buying one or shipping it north.

That’s a particular draw for MacDonald. “I have no problem paying a low fee to use the bikes, so I think it’s an excellent program.”

Rates start at $15 for a half day on a mountain bike, or $20 for a full day. The tandem bike rents for $20 for a half day, or $30 for a full day. Renters have to be 19 years old and must leave a $300 refundable deposit.

All fees collected go back into the program, and Dupont hopes she’ll be able to add more bicycles, as well as maps for self-guided tours next year.

Unikaarvik’s summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on weekends.