@Jet: Hah! How ironic! And yeah that's a perfect example. I figured there's prolly like a hundred years of experience on this forum - in just about every condition.

@TJ: Exactly! That's a huge one for me taht I've been trying to teach all my friends who are bike n00bs. "You ARE a vehicle. If you have to take the lane for your safety... TAKE IT!" People yell at me for it and I just tell them, "I ride where I'm safe, because no one else is gonna look out for ME".

Shapelike: Yeah, the "devil strip" is that concrete between the two rails of the streetcar tracks. I believe I read it at the "From Alley Cats to Scorchers" show last year and it totally jumped out at me. That's apparently what avid city cyclists called it back in the late 1800's. I also like to bust it out every chance I get to try and rep Toronto bike history proper like! You know, pay hommage to those who ate ***** before us.