The Gong ride contribution to a grand for charty 90Km

Before the ride on the first of November, I was weighing up my options for doing this ride or going on the Fitz’s challenge. I know people who live in the Dapto area who were keen to have me around after I finished. I also thought it would be a good ride to do (as it always is). I haven’t done Fitz’s challenge yet and will definitely do it next year. I decided to do the Gong ride this year because I needed something that would remind me of the people who I rode with in Sydney. I also wanted to do it because it is a good ride.

Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club has a team in the Gong ride bust so did Pedal Power.  In the end as much as I wanted to ride with Dulwich Hill, I signed up with Pedal Power in the hope that I would meet other cyclist from the ACT. I signed up then contacted the team organiser Chris Mann. It turned out he had done some research with Google and knew something about me from Sydney cyclist and other forums.

I arranged to meet Chris and the other riders at Steel Park, St Peters in the morning around 7.30. I took myself and the Red Hybrid to Dapto the night before and got myself settled down. In the morning I got myself ready and took the down to Dapto station in time for the train to St Peters. I was expecting an older train as I was told that an old red rattler was used by city rail last time to bring riders from the Illawarra to the start point at St Peters. However we got the usual train that is used on the Illawarra, Hunter and Blue Mountains lines and it made a good difference. I got to the start point on time. I hung out and absorbed the atmosphere for a while waiting for Chris and the other riders to appear.  I know St Peters very well. I have rode through the area many times and knew some of the Cafe’s and Pubs on the lower end of King Street.

Chris finally showed up and I met the other riders. They were mostly older riders. Chris and I were the younger riders. We had the usual hiatus at the start point, getting the last-minute things done and then had the team photo. I will see if I can get any of the photos on to this site as soon as I can.  We were also delayed at the start because of safety concerns as the traffic lights along the Princes Highway were delaying riders. Everyone was also reminded about an incident that occurred earlier in the week where a cyclist using the Parramatta T-way had got involved in a road rage incident and attacked a bus driver. This incident had got a lot of media attention including the usual trolls from the Terror and the likes of John (Bong Head) Birmingham and Miranda Divine.

When we finally got underway I had a good look around for Dulwich Hill riders and only noticed some who must have one the training ride to Waterfall and were on their way back. I also enjoyed a good look at some of my old haunts around Tempe, Sydenham and later Brighton Le Sands. We rode as a group for a while before we wound up being separated.

We went through some of the best areas in the St George area and enjoyed a good run to the first rest point at Loftus. After a comfort stop I got the customary muffin and cup of coffee and got myself ready to carry on. I caught up with some people I know from my days as a St John volunteer in Sydney and caught up with them for a while before finally getting under way.

As we rode through the Shire I caught up with Chris and discussed the differences between Canberra and Sydney as regards cycling culture. It turns out Chris has done some time in Sydney and was used to commuting to the CBD with the cars doing less speed than his bicycle. He also has some family in the Illawarra and had caught up with them every so often. He has done a lot of rides in NSW and was fully aware of the cycling and road culture in Sydney. I have met Canberrans who were not aware of the differences in road rules and other issues.

We finally got to the stage where we went through the Royal National Park and it was here that the group split up again. The ride went well and I was able to make good time getting to the clearing where lunch was served.  It was here that I caught up with Brian Yap – a member of Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club and MASSBUG. He was riding his recumbent. I think his recumbent was the only one I saw that day. We discussed the ride and how Dulwich Hill was going. Apparently the Saturday Slowies Group is getting big and is more often split into 2 groups. for the ride to and from Centennial Park. I also found out that everything was fine with MASSBUG which was pleasing to hear.

After Lunch I set off down the escarpment to Lawrence Hargraves drive. I made to the lookout and then began the descent to Wollongong. It was on Lawrence Hargraves Drive that  I copped a puncture in the front tyre. It happened a the worst time and in the worst area. I was able to dismount and begin working on it although I had to put myself and the bike on the other side of the crash barrier as the police were holding back the cars at the start of the road and were letting them through in dribs and drabs. I began working on the puncture when I found that the valve on the pump had gone. Fortunately there was a guy on the other side of the road who had a pump but no spare tube. I asked him for a lend of his pump and he tossed it over. Unfortunately for me it was too high and it got caught in the tree behind where I was.  I was on the sloping side of the road and had to almost climb the tree get the pump ( I held onto a branch and jumped/swung out and got the pump) and then had to fight my way back to the bike. While  was getting the spare tube in the traffic passed and there were some interesting looks and a laugh from one of the lazy weak bastards in a XR6. I got the tyre pumped up and was joined by some of the roving mechanical helpers who were patrolling the course. I bought a new spare tube and headed off after giving the other rider his pump with the welcome news that he was lucky it didn’t go further down.  I also saw some of the Dulwich Hill riders including Simon Sharwood riding back to Sydney.

I got myself under way and eventually got on to the Sea Cliff bridge. I was eager to catch up with some of the people ahead and began to ride hard in some parts. I calmed down by the time I made it to the fruit stop at Scarborough. I got the tyre pumped up with the floor pump at the mechanics that were stationed at the Fruit stop and after a couple of bananas, I got myself under way. I began to enjoy the scenery as I went further along the beginning of the Illawarra region.

When we finally reached the outskirts of Wollongong I picked up the pace a little. We joined a bike path briefly and went through Woonona and Bellambi before reaching Fairy Meadow on the final stretches of the ride.  It was good to reach the finish. I wound up meeting Brian again and we went all out to join the DHBC group at the Five Islands Brewery. We got to the brewery as the others were leaving. I caught up with Geoff and Marion and found out that it was indeed their tandem that was in a Bicycling Australia magazine article on Mudgee.

After all of the days exertions it was good to relax with a Dapto Draught and some wedges at the brewery. After I caught up with Brian, I headed back to Dapto via the train. I got myself washed and then headed home to catch up with Mum and Dad.

Last Bike Sydney Ride – the Sydney Push ride

On Wednesday I went on what will be my last Bike Sydney ride.  I took the Green Trek on the train to Martin Place in time for the assembly at the stairs near the GPO clock tower.

When I got there I met one of the local bike messengers, who surprised me when I found he was riding a Raleigh Mountain bike as opposed to the usual single speed bikes. I hung around the GPO waiting for the other riders and Gilbert Grace – the ride leader turned up. Gilbert turned up and I signed on. If he was surprised to see me he didn’t show it. I had not gone on a Bike Sydney Twilight ride for ages. They really are something special.

Before too long the bike messengers departed either for jobs or back home/the pub or another hang out and the other riders turned up. These included an older rider with an electric power assist hybrid and a young commuting cyclist.

Gilbert gave us the lowdown on the theme of the ride. It was going to be the Sydney Push. The Push was a group of famous and some would argue infamous intellectuals who included the likes of Paddy Mcguinness, Germaine Greer, Harry Hooton, Eva Cox and Robert Hughes. They used to meet at some of the Royal George Pub pictured and held meetings and took part in activism that was particular to their interests. They took their name after some of the local criminal gangs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like the gangs there was a connection – tenuous at best between the Push and the Sydney Underworld, who also frequented the Royal George and other venues which the push frequented. They were prominent from the 1940s to the 1970s.

After we signed on we were joined by a couple of other riders including Kerry Chin who I had met previously on Massbug Rides and Critical Mass. When the ride started we headed up Martin Place through the grounds of Sydney Hospital, through the Domain to the Art Gallery. From there we went on to Woolloomooloo via a lift. Gilbert and I took the stairs and were joined by the other riders when they came down in the lift. We then headed up through the back streets up to the Cross where we went to the first landmark of the ride. The former residence of Juanita Nielsen on Crown Street.

Gilbert related the story of Juanita’s disappearance and her campaign to prevent the destruction of the Darlinghurst Kings Cross area. We also heard how Tropfest began in a pub down the road. It had begun in the back room of a pub and then grew. It is now one of Sydney’s big events – a short film festival which thousands enter. We also heard about Bea Miles one of the Sydney eccentrics who also frequented the area.

From there we went through to the lower end of Darlinghurst road where Gilbert pointed out a studio/residence where Brett Whitely and others lived and worked in the 1960s. We then headed though the back streets of Potts Point and Darlinghurst before we returned to the City. I found it ironic that as cyclists we had a discussion about the Aston Martins on show in the showroom in Darlinghurst.

We rode back into the city and then rode to Pyrmont where we saw the Royal George (pictured above). It is now the Slip Inn and famous as the watering hole where the Price of Denmark met Mary his Australian wife. We discussed the pub for a few moments before a safety briefing on the areas we were going to go through in Pyrmont. We then followed the path accross the Pyrmont bridge and rode around the buildings near the Channel 7 area in Darling Harbour.

We then rode through Pyrmont, where the rain began to play havoc with the ride. I wasn’t sure but I suspect Gilbert cut the ride short when we got to Glebe because we were initially going to go to a pub in Forrest Lodge. Instead we went to the Friend in the Hand in Glebe. I wasn’t worried about cutting the ride short and welcomed the opportunity for a meal and a couple of schooners of beer.

One of the guys who had a cable lock allowed me to lock my bike with his. We went inside after taking all the stealable stuff of the bikes and were able to score a table near the fire. The thing with the Friend in the hand is that like a lot of Sydney Pubs it has a lot of international clientele, some of them no doubt have stayed there and there is a lot of souvenirs on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Some of these things include what I suspect is a surf boat hanging upside down, any number of remote control aircraft, a large number of photos of celebrities – who may or may not have something to do with the pub and the usual number plates and foreign currency.

Like a lot of Sydney Pubs The Friend also has some good food going cheap. I scored the Spaghetti Bolognaise and a garlic bread all for under $10.00. I enjoyed my schooners and partook in the bread that was handed around by the pub management. We also got some olive oil to dip it in.  While we ate we discussed future rides including an underbelly themed ride that may happen sometime in the future. We discussed the likes of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson. I also mentioned the possibility of seeing the old Commancheros club house at Louisa Street Birchgrove. Gilbert knew of some good places such as the place in Pine Street Chippendale where Roger Rogerson shot Warren Lanfranchi. We also had a discussion regarding religion, moving house, Atheism, the causes of  World War I and other topics before it became to call it a night.

I decided to ride back to Tempe through Petersham, and Dulwich Hill. It was a good ride and I got back in time for some good sleep. It will be a shame to miss such fine company and food, however I may try to get to Sydney for the occasional ride.

New bike, new location, new job

I haven’t written for a while because things have been changing quicker than I anticipated with my job. I will be going to Canberra and will be riding to work there. The nations capital has been designed for cycling. I will be there for at least 12 months on a fixed term assignment. I will still keep the blog going as there will be some interesting times as I get used to the Australian Capital Territory.

I have also finally got the Rudd money and invested it in a new bike. The Rudd bike is a black (they only come in black) Giant CRX Four. I bought it at the recommendation of Lindsay Munks from Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club. He has one that he converted into a touring bike. It worked well on a tour of Tassie. I would like to do some more touring. Lindsay had a look at the Rudd bike when I brought it to roller training the day I brought it back from Ashfield cycles.  He found the 2 things I had to get rid of from the first look. He said that the adjustable handlebar stem would wear out in weeks and that the suspension seat post will wear out as well. I got a replacement handlebar stem and that got replaced on Saturday outside the Marrickville Cafe. I have yet to get a new seat post.

I have see photos of Lindsay’s tourer, he calls it Black Beauty. He bought his CRX 4 from Ashfield Cycles and changed the previously mentioned parts. He then changed the handlebars from drop bars, using retro brake leavers and bar end shifters to replace the rapid fire shifters. He also changed the brake shoes for cyclocross brakes. It works well as a tourer. Having seen touring bicycles in Cheeky Monkey and other places I have been surprised at the quality of Lindsay’s work. Yes the CRX 4 is an 8 speed flat bar road bike but it’s frame is light and it can be converted to a touring bike. Lindsay’s bike is up there with the Surly Long Haul Truckers and the other bikes that cost in excess of a grand and a half to buy off the shelf.

There will be new challenges with the new location. I will have to leave a number of groups that I have been involved in. Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club membership only lasts till the end of the year but I will still have the benefit of the insurance through Cycling Australia. I will also try to find a new club in Canberra or Queanbeyan – depending on where I end up. I have given consideration to joining Audax, which is a club for long distance cyclists. It is popular in the ACT and a number of my friends from Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club are members of Audax and the rides are cheaper and longer or so I am told.

I will also have to join Pedal Power which is the ACT equivalent of Bicycle New South Wales. If I end up in Queanbeyan I will still use the Pedal Power membership because they apparently retain a large number of members in the Queanbeyandistrict and they do run some recreational social rides in Queanbeyan. The other thing I will have to get will be a book of rides that Pedal Power produces which covers the ACT and some parts of Southern and Central Western New South Wales. There have been some members of Bicycle New South Wales who have left Bicycle NSW for Pedal Power after the 2006/07 Board Elections which appeared to have been stacked. Some of these as illustrated in one comment on this site have lead to a similar amount of dissatisfaction with Pedal Power or have been regarded as a success as the people involved are no longer funding a group they regard as unethical. I will leave my judgement until I find out what Pedal Power is really like.

The other minor issue is that I will have to try to get used to the ACT and this may put the Grand for Charity project back a considerable bit. The intention of this project was to do 1000 kilometers of charity rides in about 12 months. I have done some good rides and there are some good long ones coming up in the ACT but it will be a bit of a battle to keep the project on track and get myself moved in and settled in but I will keep trying. There is the tour of Canberra’s Hills and the Fitz’s challenges. I also believe that the Lake Hume Rotary Club also has a challenge at Kergunyah. My next move as regards the charity rides was to undertake some multiday tours like the Hartley or the Sydney to Surfers ride for Youth Off The Streets. I will still have a crack at them but I will try to get the Grand for Charity done as best I can.

There are some good things about moving to Canberra from Sydney. The better cycling facilities are one thing another thing is the camaraderie that exists between cyclists in the ACT. There are some minor issues however. The ACT laws allow footpath cycling in the same way that the Northern Territory and Queensland allow riding on the footpath. This then creates an expectation by motorists that cyclists will use the footpath instead of the road. This is a bad situation for road or racing cyclists who ride too fast for the shared user paths or the footpaths.

The other big challenge will be the temperature. The ACT is infamous for it’s freezing cold weather. I have bought a base layer from Torpedo7 and will buy some more base layers before and after I head off. The base layer will help warm me up on those cold Canberra mornings.

Besides it’s cold mornings the ACT is infamous for it’s dry heat so there will be a great need for a lot of bidons to carry water in. I will probably build the Rudd bike up over a period of time to avoid blowing all my cash at once.

Easter Riding

 

The Chocolate RideWith the arrival of Easter I went out on the MASSBUG Chocolate ride. It was held on the 28^th of March. It left from the front of Petersham RSL and was quite a good ride. I have been on it before but this was special. I decided to take two panniers and some calico bags. As I was on holidays having recently come back from Brisbane I took the train from Springwood to Redfern. I rode from Redfern to Petersham due to track work on the Inner West line. I got there in time in fact I had time to spare.

The other riders included people from MASSBUG and Belinda Kier and a couple of her sons & Suzy Spiro and a few other people from Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club. We had a briefing from Fiona Campbell. We got a list of businesses we were visiting. We were told about the a point where the ride was going to have to take the lane riding in to Dulwich Hill. There were some really good bikes being used that day. Fiona brought her Dahon and a carry freedom trailer. There were others with trailers and nearly everyone had panniers.

We headed east along Trafalgar St and then joined the shared user path on the eastern side of the railway bridge and rode into Stanmore. We then headed up into Newtown and rode up to our first destination The Alfalfa House Co-operative in Enmore. I got a block of organic chocolate, while others went in for goods as diverse as bread, vegetables, seeds for growing vegetables at home and memberships of the Co-operative. Alfalfa house is a small shop so it was crowded and we found out at the next MASSBUG meeting we found out that the people working there were worked off their feet and the committee in charge of the co-operative asked for a warning next time that the Chocolate Ride was dropping in.

We then rode to TIMS in Marrickville and it was here that I had a mechanical. I must have over inflated the rear tyre as it was not bedded down. It had gone over the rim and was caught by the brake pad. Ian and I wound up deflating the tube and bedding it down and reinflating it. Unfortunately I missed out on the lovely Greek sweets and cakes at TIMS but it was not to matter. I have been there before and enjoyed the cuisine on offer.

We then went to a gelato wholesaler behind the metro and I stopped at the Metro to get some money from the ATM machine. I caught up with everyone and had a tub of gelato. Brenda Bailey said she was worried about my panniers getting caught into the rear wheel and that became my cue to fill them.

When we finished at the Gelato wholesaler we rode to Adora Chocolate. We headed through the back roads of Marrickville and rode to the Cooks River Cycle Path. When we got there we found that the soccer mums/dads/idiots had parked their cars over the entry to the cycle path. We waited while Fiona tooted for the owner to come and move their car. They didn’t so we moved around the cars. Fiona called the ranger and was assured that they were on their way to book the cars. We had a half hour break at Adora and had chocolate and iced coffees and water. We watched some of the bad driving on Illawarra road before heading off down the Cooks River Cycle Path.

We road to Dulwich Hill and got ready to ride up over the bridge over the railway bridge. We rode two abreast and took the lane we rode up through some of the back streets to Marrickville road Dulwich Hill and then we went either to a Delicatessen, a smoke house or to a Lebanese bakery. I went to the deli for a lasagne and then went to the Lebanese bakery for some Lady Fingers and Baklava. From Dulwich Hill we went through to Petersham.

We went to Petersham to the Georgiou’s Confectionery at 147 New Canterbury Road Petersham NSW 2049 for our Easter Shopping. I took a big calico bag and went in to the warehouse. I bought eight 1 Single Egg Baskets – they consisted of a 60g egg in a basket wrapped in plastic. I got these for Mum, Dad, Sarah, Ray, Jodie and Ruth. I got Damien some small eggs. These filled up the panniers and pleased Brenda no end. I gave Ruth a ring and told her to get some salad for the Lasagne and then got ready for the final stage to the Petersham shops.

We got ourselves together and then headed up New Canterbury Road to Petersham shops. We reached the shops and then got ready to disperse. I got 10 Portuguese tarts at a café and finally filled the panniers. I rode back to Redfern and caught a train to Strathfield and then changed for a Blue Mountains train. I got off at Warrimoo and went to Ruth’s After a powernap we had the lasagne and salad and a Portuguese tart and some of the Lebanese sweets. After dinner I went back to Springwood and then back to Mum and Dad’s place. Mum and Dad enjoyed the Portuguese tarts and Baklava and Ladies Fingers.

The Good Friday ride

Fortunately for all of us Good Friday is a public holiday. It was warm and I was ready for a good ride. I had a tough week and so I decided to do a bit of sight seeing around Parramatta. I had considered going to Cape Solander but decided to go to Parramatta. I got myself ready the night before. I got up at the usual time of 06:00 and rode down Unwins Bridge Road and then crossed the railway bridge and went on to the Cooks River Cycle Path. I rode up the path to Dulwich Hill where I was able to cross the bridge over the Cooks River with a few tight turns. I took a road section to bypass the sections of the path that were blocked for maintenance by Sydney Water.

I rejoined the path and rode on to Canterbury, where there was another section which was closed by Canterbury Council for maintenance. I decided to take another road section which went around Canterbury Racecourse. I went through some back streets to rejoin the Cooks River Cycle Path. I rejoined the path and proceeded on to South Strathfield.

When I got to South Strathfield I took some on road sections to Homebush. I used on road sections to get a bit more speed and also to avoid any issues with pedestrians etc. It does work but it is also handy to have the Cycle Path to bypass busy roads and difficult parts of the trip to Sydney Olympic Park.

When I reached the path that lead to SOP I had to weave around a elderly pedestrian who appeared to be in a world of his own. I called “Passing on your right” and got around him but he still called out something unintelligible. I rode through to Bicentennial Park and then went on to Sydney Olympic Park. I was going to take a route though a path which had a gate. I found that the gate was closed and locked. Some pedestrians came along and one of them said she had the same idea about using the path. She and the other pedestrians climbed over the fence and proceeded on to their merry way. I wound up using the road and found a cordless phone before I left. The phone still had battery power and had some numbers. I tried to give them a ring but the phone was unable to find a base for it’s signal. I rode past the new apartments near Hill Road and then took the path near the archery centre.

I rode through a car park which was full of cars belonging to exhibitors for the Royal Easter Show. I found a security guard with a radio and handed him the phone telling him where I found it.

I took the Holker St Busway to Newington and used the Louise Savage pathway to get to Adderly Street Silverwater. I rode the path and the road till I got to the point where the path goes under the M4, where I went to Harris Park.

When I got to Harris Park I used some on road sections to get to Parramatta. I went around Parramatta. It has some old colonial architecture and has had a massive revamp to become Sydney’s second CBD. Due to restrictions on trading over the Easter period – namely Good Friday and Easter Sunday there was little traffic so I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Parramatta without any problems from Bogan motorists. I went close to where I suspect the old Parramatta goal was located. Parts of it have been turned into offices for the DOCS and the Corrective services. I then rode around Parramatta Stadium. I am not a fan of Parramatta Rugby League Football Club. In fact I follow the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs their rivals. It was interesting to note that they had a statue of Eric Groethe who captained their last premiership side.

I wound up having to go off road for a bit – this is where the Trek 730 came into it’s element it is a hybrid with touring/trekking tyres from Schwalbe and these worked well. I rode around a cricket oval and crossed a bridge and into Parramatta Park. According to a sign I had rode through the Old Government Farm. I did a couple of loops of Parra park which is Western Sydney’s answer to Centennial Park. It is a fascinating place. For starters it had old Government House. Parramatta was considered as an alternative seat of government for NSW and a Government House was established there. There was a number of monuments with cannons and even an observatory. I like Parra park because it has some really interesting architecture – the gate house is something reminiscent of Europe which is much like parts of the suburb. However the rush to make Parra into second CBD may take some of this architecture away. I decided to head back to Tempe after 3 laps.

I rode through the CBD and then onto the path at Harris Park. I rode through Newington and SOP to Bicentennial Park. I then took Pommeroy street to the Cooks River Cycle path and rode back to Tempe with some on road sections thrown in at Marrickville. While riding through South Strathfield I had an idiot riding sans helmet tailing me. I allowed him to pass and he went off at speed. The idiot must have caused some consternation for a couple with a child on a tricycle. I called “Passing you on your right” and they thanked me with a look that indicated that the idiot had surprised them. Fortunately the Idiot had not caused problems from an intellectually disable kid on a bike with massive training wheels being helped by his carers. I came across another intellectually disabled kid on a Kmart bike who asked me how far it was to Olympic Park. I told him not long – he had asked the Idiot.

I got to Marrickville and went down Renwick Street where I passed another member of Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club on his way west on a Bianchi. I got home and had a shower and a power nap. I got myself together and went back to Lithgow. In all it was not a bad day although I could have done without the locked gate and the Idiot.

 

Hurry Up and build the Bike Roads now!

It has been in excess of 2 years in the planning and now they are being built. Sydney’s bike roads have the potential be high quality safe cycling facilities giving cyclists access to the CBD and surrounding areas. The campaign for safer cycling facilities has been a long one waged by Bike Sydney, Bike East and MASSBUG. With Sydney competing with Brisbane and Melbourne for Australia’s cycling city, I would have to say that the bike roads will improve my commute from Marrickville to the Rocks Markets on Saturdays by removing some of the danger posed by trying to access the rocks via Hickson Road.

Doing this currently involves using the Pyrmont Bridge at Darling Harbour then turning left onto Sussex Street and riding through to Hickson Road. According to the City Of Sydney website “

The RTA and their traffic modelling support Kent Street as the best option for a cycleway. The City is planning a two-way cycleway for the eastern side of the street separated from cars and pedestrians running from Druitt Street to Clarence Street near Observatory Hill ”. Under this plan I would be able to access the Rocks with ease. Other workers in the city would be able to ride across the Harbour Bridge and on to North Sydney.

“Cycling advocacy is for cyclists. Bicycle advocacy is not cycling advocacy. Bikeways neither make cycling much safer nor reduce the skill required. They probably do the reverse. Government knows that bikeways don’t make cycling safer, but it uses the public superstition that they do. The government’s bicycle program is designed by superstition for the convenience of motorists. Cyclists react to the government’s bicycle and bikeway programs.” Forester claims that he is a traffic engineer and as such qualified to comment on cycling issues. There is no mention of his experience as a cyclist or if he indeed rides. Furthermore traffic engineers are by and large employed by companies building roads – particulary toll roads which are often used to exclude cyclists. He provided a report on the proposed Bourke Street cycleway based on information provided by Friends of Bourke Street. There are links to it on the “Sustainable Sydney” and Friends of Bourke Street websites. It is worth mentioning that Ken Kiefer who shared similar views on bicycle advocacy was killed by a drunk driver.  

One would ask what on earth would possess anyone to oppose safe cycling in Sydney a city renowned for having an ideal climate for cycling and notorious for it’s motoring culture which is hostile to cyclists? Well in my opinion the best answer to that question is pure unadulterated selfishness and spite. The dead give away about their rationale for opposing the bike roads is the question on their website “

Will your parking lanes be turned into a Cycleway?” You guessed it, obviously we have people who are obviously so obsessed about their ownership of cars and their “right” to store them on a public road, that the safety of others is thrown aside (probably in the same way as they throw their car doors open).Sustainable Sydney then goes into great detail listing roads in various inner-city suburbs and localities which they claim are subject to “to be examined for separated bicycle road suitability”. This ploy obviously devised to stir fear in businesses and residents of the areas. The parking issue is 64 parking spaces!Some of the suggestions on the Bourke Street Bulletin would indicate that there was consideration towards alternatives. These include a 30 km speed limit. Bicycle NSW and Bike Sydney have advocated these but have been ignored and dismissed by both the RTA and the Minister for Roads who hold the veto over lower speed limits. Furthermore given the NSW governments decision to lower the demerit points for low range speeding – driving less than 15 km an hour over the speed limit, it would make little difference. There as also a suggestion that Bourke Street be made one way which would allow more space for the bike road but this was also vetoed by the RTA.

Fortunately Clover Moore was returned as Lord Mayor of Sydney and when the bike roads were put to the vote the council unanimously voted for the bike road projects to begin. All councillors, Labor, Liberal, Green and Independent voted for the project. The opposition to the project at council level is nonexistent. Given that the opposition to the project was organised prior to the 2008 council election they had prior opportunity to do something about the project but they lost.

Cycling through Sydney can be best described as a challenge. More people are eager to ride to work and reduce their dependence on cars. I for one would like to see Sydney compete nationally with Melbourne and Brisbane both of which are building bicycle infrastructure and in the case of Brisbane are reducing speed limits to encourage safer cycling – Brisbane now has a 40 km per hour speed limit. They are also considering a 30 km per hour speed limit sometime in the future. For now I will have to battle my way long Hickson Rd to the Rocks but hopefully some time soon I will have a safe way to the Rocks.

So to the City Of Sydney I say build my Bike Roads. Build them NOW!

The bike roads will be signalised at various intersections and will provide separation of cyclists from busy road traffic. The “Friends of Bourke Street” bulletin displays some questionable attitudes towards cycling safety. In one discussion on the bulletin “Richard” said “haven’t walked the Western side, but took both Andrew Woodhouse and Joshua Cole (the “Hub” journalist) for a stroll down the Eastern footpath south of Phillip/Crescent Streets. Apart from the immense frustration of waiting for all the traffic lights – if I’d been on my bike I’d have jumped them”, not only a curious attitude toward cycling safety but a very doubtful attitude to the road rules!

There are other parts of the city which will also be getting bicycle lanes including Bourke Street which will give cyclists access to Zetland and Alexandria. The only opposition to the bike roads appears to becoming from a group of residents in the Bourke Street area which appear to have done some research using google and come up with dubious research that they claim make the bike roads dangerous. They have also organised two groups namely Friends of Bourke Street – opposing the bike road on Bourke Street and “Sustainable Sydney” opposing the bicycle plan outright.

 The initial rationale given for the opposition to the Bourke Street bike road were claims that some historic trees would be cut down to make way for the bike road. Despite evidence that the trees would remain with the bike road, the council revised the plans and still the opposition remained. This time the reasons cited were supported from one John Forester. According to his website he appears to be pushing similar to Ken Kiefer. Forester claims

The Gong Ride

I am sitting back here at Mum and Dad’s place in my Gong Ride t-shirt writing this post. I did the gong ride yesterday week and enjoyed it. I did it with minimal training but it all seemed to work quite well.

The weather was fine, not too hot, not humid, not windy (particularly no Southerly at the beginning of Lawrence Hargrave Drive). This meant that the ride was not an ordeal by fire. Most significantly it did not rain! This meant that the road was safer than it might have been if there had been rain to make it slick and dangerous particulary on the descents.

I kicked off at St Peters with Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club as pictured Below (picture credit Adrian Emilson)

I can be seen in the front with a fluro vest on.

I got the bike serviced a week before the ride. My main concerns were the brakes, gear adjustment and a chain but it pretty soon blew out to being a new cluster, new chain and possibly new chain rings. What was going to be an $88 service + a new brake pads soon became $250!

As I have been mainly commuting with the Fearless Gearless, The need to get used to the saddle became apparent. I did one long ride before the ride. I went around Kurnell, about 60 km in all. I was worried about the issue of saddle soreness but that soon disappeared. It was good to see Kurnell again. The desal plant works have created some changes to the route but it is still a good ride. It is very popular with triathletes, roadies and other riders doing the ride. It was busy on the way back but I got home in good time.

I also did the roller training session on Thursday evening. I did well with the training. I found myself wondering if there was going to be any rain on the day, as it was predicted to rain all week with Gong ride day being particularly wet. I was also able to confirm the arrangements for the post ride drinks and meal at the Five Islands Brewery.

As I ran out of food supplies the Thursday before the ride, I went shopping. I got myself 4 tins of creamed rice for the day before the event. These give me a good carbohydrate base. I also got a 2 carbohydrate bars (the Powerbar brand) and a couple of Protein bars for the ride. As an after thought I also scored a couple of Bananas they are a good source of carbs and are easily packed.  All this was in addition to the food I normally have so the grocery bill was larger than it usually is.

I got a new tyre for the front as the old front tyre was looking a bit dodgy. It had been on for a couple of years and was getting old. It was the partner to the rear tyre that I wore out during the preparation for the Great Escapade. It was worn smooth and but not down to the puncture resistant bead. It was looking bad with some holes caused either by glass and exacerbated by over inflation (I like to keep my tyres nice and hard OK!). Furthermore the tyre appeared to have been warped (probably by over-inflation, most definitely by wear!) I got another Schwable Marathon 700 x 28, it is the same as the rear tyre which is getting worn out now and it is supposed to be a good brand. The flatmate from hell whinged about the noise from the replacement but that is life.

As Sarah my sister was due to give birth over the weekend, I was worried about getting the news of the birth. I need not have worried. I got a call from my Mother on Friday evening telling me that Damien Gordon Elliot (my nephew) had been born in Nepean Hospital.

I did the Saturday Slowies ride the day before and found myself going reasonably well although we did get wet when it rained. So much so that we took to sheltering under an awning in Enmore. We were able to joke about it as being a short ride. However the rain eased up and we were able to get ourselves underway and did our training. I took things easy that afternoon after doing the Rocks Markets for St John Ambulance. As we were meeting at Sydney Steel Park in St Peters at 06:00 am I decided to get an early night and went to bed as close of 08:30 pm as I could. I set the alarm for 04:30 and arranged the stuff I was taking with me. I put the food into the rack bag and laid out the clothes I was going to wear. I got a reasonable nights sleep fortunately.

When the day arrived I got myself out of bed had a big breakfast. I had 2 helpings of Wheat Bix and 2 cups of coffee. I got myself ready and got out the door as quickly as I could. I filled the water bottles and mounted up. I rode out to the park. On the way one of the bottles fell from the bottle cage mounted on the handle bars. I retrieved it (minus the contents). I got to Steel Park on time and refilled the water bottle and put it into the rack pack. I caught up with everyone and we had the above group photo. We were going to start unofficially but decided to offically start after some debate. However we found ourselves reverting to our original plan when we saw the numbers at the mass start.

The first 10 kilometers were a dream, we only had to stop at a few traffic lights. As we got to the sea side area at Brighton Le Sands, Michael one of our members copped a slashed tyre. He was able to get the tyre fixed and continue on and even ride back. When we stopped at Loftus we got a muffin and a cup of coffee. I also got to use the loos and had a chat to some members of Sutherland division.

When we got underway I found myself wondering at the natural beauty of the National park area. It is quite a big area. We got to Heathcote and we found ourselves stopped at lights in a mix of cars. We saw the 56 km starters kick off. We then got to the serious descents. At these points we were stopped and escorted down by a motorcycle Marshall. This involved the use of brakes and fortunately mine worked well. There were some parts where things got hairy but I got through in the end. The lunch point was quite a scene. There were people milling around everywhere and it was one of those hairy moments.

I caught up with most of the Dulwich Hill riders and had lunch – my Protein bars bananas and a carbohydrate bar. I caught up with some St John members who I know from previous events. Getting out was a difficult issue and took a while. When I got on the road again we had a few good descents before reaching Lawrence Hargraves Drive and the lookout over the sea. I gave Ruth a ring after I found I had a message (the lack of a phone reception at the lunch point and in the National Park precluded me getting the call). I told her were we were going to meet and arranged to meet her there.

I got myself ready for another major descent and rode on to the beginning of the descent only to be stopped for a while. During this period riders of varying abilities, on all kinds of bikes gathered around. There was a rumour that someone had gone over barrier at the side of the road. There was indeed a crash but it turned out to be an elderly rider who had clipped a pedal on a road blister. As Road blisters are allegedly a traffic calming device, there has been a lot of discussion on Sydney Cyclist regarding their safety. It turns out the rider who was 83 died doing something he loved but is sorely missed by his family of course.

When we got going we finally got to ride the sea cliff bridge and enjoyed the ride. There were official photographers and I ordered a photo of myself on the bridge. As we were going along the sea cliff bridge we saw some of the riders riding back to Sydney. This included Michael and a number of other Dulwich Hill riders.

When I got to Scarborough I met Brenda from MASSBUG and discussed the ride and cycling politics. It turns out most of MASSBUG were on the ride. I also caught up with Adrian and his girlfriend and gave them some sunscreen. I was about to head off when there was a mass crash or stack. I waited for a while for it to clear and then headed off mindful of the mix of experianced and inexperianced riders around me.

When we got to the outskirts of Wollongong I was able to put on the pace. We got to Sandon point and there were more photographers. We were diverted onto a local bike track for part of the ride and we eventually got back onto the road sections. The area was really beautiful. When I got to the finish I was taken a back by the fact that were off road in grass. It meant that the tyres were fighting to get a grip but I got there in good time. I picked up the 2 bottles of gatorade and had a wander. I went looking for the brewery and had an interesting time finding it.

I saw a resteraunt near the seaside and though that was it but I was wrong, a guy outside directed me in a general direction and I followed it till I got to the North Wollongong surf Lifesaving club. I asked another guy there and was told “we have beer and sausage sandwiches here” and given the complete directions (following a bike path for a while then doing the road to the stadium where the brewery was). As I headed off he recommeneded the Dapto Draft. I met Ruth and Olive on the way. I arranged to meet them at the Brewery.

When I got to the Brewery I got a round of applause from the people who were still there. I was able to polish off some wedges. Ruth and Olive caught up with me and I got a glass of beer from Geoff. After a while I disassembled the bike and put it into the back of Ruth’s car. While I was doing that I watched Brenda and Paul from MASSBUG put their bikes onto the bike rack of a friends car. We then went to Nepean Hospital in Penrith via the M7.

Damien is a small baby at present. He was breaking wind like crazy and thank God I have a congested nose. I got to nurse him and Ruth got a nurse as well. He was mostly quiet. Dad is quite besotted by him. Gail Ray’s mum came down from Rockhampton and is quite enamoured by him as well. Sarah is well and Ray is extatic. The maternity ward in Nepean Hospital is quite good there were a number of other families visiting. I would say it would be a marked contrast to a Hospice or a palliative care ward.

After a while Ruth dropped me off at Penrith Railway station. I caught the train to Redfern and rode back to Tempe. My knees were a bit rough but not much else happend.

Getting ready for the Gong ride

With the Gong Ride coming up I will move the training up a notch. The good thing is I got the green Trek serviced at Woolys Wheels on Friday. I rode there and got there at 8. As they open at 10 (why do all bike shops in Sydney open late) I did a few laps around Centennial.

The Green Trek made it down to Wollongong two years ago when I did the ride. I may need a new seat but however given that I have only been using the single speed for training for quite a while it may be a case of me getting used to riding the Green Trek all over again.

When I got back to Woollys I found we were in for more than just a $89 service, I had a feeling we would be in for a new chain but a new cassette was also in the mix to. Further more the bike is going to need new chain rings very soon. I didn’t get them this time round but I will next service. It was a very expensive excursion to Paddo – all of $250 blown on the Trek. I will hopefully be able to use it until it is dead (frame is in perfect nick – almost!) but that will be a while.

I also scored some new shoes and a couple of jerseys at the Netti sale. I found that the jerseys were from the same group. But at least I scored the shoes. I saw heaps of people I know at the Netti Sale. Fiona Campbell took the bike bus to the sale from Marrickville. There was a guy I worked with when I was at Clyde and who lives up the Mountains. He came down to score some goodies. I put cleats on the new shoes yesterday so it will be curious to see how things go.

I also had trouble with the Fearless Gearless. The wheel is chewing up spokes quickly. I have come to the conclusion that I will need a new wheel. I spoke to the guys at Cheeky Monkey and they have come up with a single speed wheel with BMX cog etc for $380 or there abouts. I will probably have to go with that, although I may ask the guys at Bike Repairs what they can do. In short the Fearless Gearless isn’t working all that well. The only good news from it is that the slicks work well – really well.

If my legs are good and the wind doing the right thing (still or even better still behind me) the fearless gearless can go as fast as 31 or 32 km/h. I have been able to use it for general commuting and for the occasional shopping trip. She can also do well as a MTB but for general use. I like the fearless gearless enough to think of it as a good ride. Once she gets a new rear wheel I will start looking at the other modifications I am looking at doing to her up even further with riser bars and maybe even some fancy handle bar grips.

Yesterday I went to the Saturday Slowies ride with the Green Trek and enjoyed riding it around Centennial. I am getting stronger as a rider (at least that is what I think. I know that I have been able to do most of the stuff I used to do with the granny gear with just the upper 2 chain rings. This is good in someways because it means I am becoming fitter.  It was an interesting ride in more than one way.

I noticed a guy with a bike with bull horn handle bars similar to the Kat. The Shogun Katana or Kat as I call it has the bull horn handlebars previously used by triathletes, time-trials and more recently messengers and couriers who want the rest of the world to think they are messengers. The difference between the Kat and the other bike was the other bike was a Pinerello and was pretty much in good shape. The Kat has been lingering in my bedroom with some issues with the old wheels.

I am going to do it up. I have a set of wheels from an old road bike that doesn’t fit me. They are 700 wheels but the Kat’s brakes will need to be adjusted for them to work with the new wheels. Further more the Kat will need the cables repaired and a new chain and a good old fashioned strip down service. I will have to get the bike ready soon for the summer season of rides. It may be a good step in case of the Green Trek or the Fearless Gearless going bung.

I also got a bit of sageous advice from Lindsay yesterday. We were at the cafe after the Saturday Ride. We were discussing bikes and he mentioned that a really good investment would be a good road bike. Something in the vacinity of $2000. Something from Giant, Trek, Avanti? or a similar brand. NOT CELL or any other dodgy brothers brand. I like the idea quite a lot. If I am going to be a serious rider I am going to need a serious bike. I am considering something like a top of the range Cell but that has changed. As I had yesterday off from the Rocks Markets I went out to Parra to checkout the bike shops there. I operate on the suspicion that everything is cheaper out west for a reason. They don’t use bike for commuting all that often (serious roadies live out there somewhere but by and large the bicycle is regarded as a leisure vehicle).

When I got to Parra I was checked out Blackman cycles. They also have a shop in Penrith that I have visited before but there is always the possibility of cheaper things elsewhere. I didn’t see much except the Giant Bowery that is cheaper than it is in town. I went to Universe cycles and saw where most of the bikes advertised on Ebay go. There were more bikes that were 2nd/umpteenth hand there than anywhere else. I asked about how much they cost. It turned out that they buy ’em up cheap and sell ’em of dear!

I also went to the Parramatta Bike Barn and saw what has to be the last remaining Masi single speed in the country. There are some good deals from trek and Giant but the usual story from Apollo et al. I will still keep my options open though.

The politics of Bicycle NSW.

The peak body for cyclists in New South Wales is bicycle NSW, it used to be The Bicycle Institute of NSW but over time like most other state based cycling organisations it adopted the brand Bicycle NSW in 1994.

In it’s role as a “member-funded and -owned, not-for-profit peak community organisation” it is supposed to provide the advocacy for cyclists that NRMA provides for motorists. This year there has been more than enough evidence that the organisation is departing from that aim. In the first instance is Bicycle NSW’s response to the Pat Farmer’s press release claiming cyclists “should pay registration fees to help legitimise their place on the roads and pay for infrastructure and safety campaigns”.

The press release seen below is best described as short on detail (despite the tons of evidence provided by the Cycling Promotion Fund and other groups). Bicycle NSW said “A form of bike registration or levy may help legitimise cycling, however Bicycle NSW does not at this time have a policy position in this area. We have a clear purpose, which is focused on getting more people riding bikes more often, because life is better on a bike”.

Instead of pointing out the screaming obvious that Pat Farmer who is a member of a party which had lost government by a thumping big landslide and had only just held on to the seat of Macarthur by 1000 votes. Instead of getting down to the task of representing the people who had just elected him, Pat Farmer had “moved more than 60 kilometres away from his western Sydney seat to live in one of the city’s most expensive suburbs.” The Mosman Farmer needed something to take this issue off the front pages of the newspapers and so decided to use cyclists to take the heat. Bicycle NSW decided to issue a poorly worded press release. I even heard that when the television media asked a spokesperson for Bicycle NSW for a response to The Mosman Farmer’s comments the spokesperson repeatedly said “life’s better on a bike” and the walked off.

The other issue is the relationship between Bicycle Users Groups and Bicycle NSW and the need for joint efforts in advocacy. I received an email from someone who commented on a post on this Blog and has provided an insight into what is happening with Bicycle NSW and BUGS council. My informant met with a member of the Bicycle NSW board and was told ”

“BNSW will not put any resources (by which I mean funds or paid staff) into supporting BUGs – Andrew Dodds, who runs the BUGs Council does so as a volunteer and if I wish to support Andrew, I would be welcome, but also as a volunteer.

1. Any improvements that BUG members would like to see must be implemented by the BUGs themselves through Andrew Dodds or amongst the volunteer BUG members themselves.
2. BNSW wishes to restrict its dealings to implementing the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan, as presented at the 2007 AGM.
3. BNSW sees itself as operating at the Federal and State levels and will not put any resources into local or regional projects.
4. The only events that BNSW are interested in allocating resources to are the Spring Cycle, Gear-up Girl and as co-hosts of the Ride to work and Ride to School programs with Bike Victoria.
5. The stated policy of BNSW is to get “more people cycling more often”, which does not mean they will place resources into building the membership numbers of BNSW as people can ride bikes without being members.
6. BNSW employ a “Volunteer and Operations Coordinator” (currently Michelle Herbert), who is the contact person for allVolunteers who wish to communicate with BNSW.
7. BNSW have no intention of running a NSW Big Ride in the future, but both Alex and Jenny said if I was interested in doing so, then that would be great. However, BNSW will not provide any resources (as above – funds or paid staff). All Big Ride equipment has been sold.“

Bicycle Users Groups are local cycling organisations, they put a lot of effort into advocacy at a local level and know their local area better than anyone from Bicycle NSW. Roads in NSW are the responsibility of either the local council or the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA), the RTA is responsible for major roads (highways, arterial and subarterial roads).  Given the different levels of responsibility for roads, bicycle advocacy would be better delivered by a common approach from Bicycle NSW and BUGS (BUGS are more effective with local government than with the RTA). By abandoning BUGS, Bicycle NSW is abandoning local advocacy.

Recently Bicycle NSW has begun to cherry pick it’s campaigns. It campaigned on the Harbour Link proposal that would see a shareed path way that would cut out some of the hills near the harbour bridge and link the harbour bridge cycleway to North Sydney. They have now published a statement from the North Sydney council regarding the harbour link project on their website (http://www.bicyclensw.org.au/E-news.asp#128)  This while at the same time a major commuter route is under threat from the V8 supercar race at Homebush bay. The total silence on the Homebush Bay issue is worrying.

Yesterday my heart was broken when I heard a long time volunteer with Bicycle NSW, who is a member of DHBC expressing his disgust at what the organisation was doing for the Sydney Spring Cycle. Spring cycle has 2 new starting points this year. It includes Blacktown and Liverpool. The Liverpool riders have been charged the same rate for riding on bicycle paths (the Liverpool to Parramatta Rail Trail and the M4 path to SOP), that the riders from North Sydney who will ride over the Harbour Bridge and along partially closed roads. I have no doubt that the riders from Blacktown will be riding along similar bike paths (they may even have the chance to find the alternative path along the Prospect Creek Cycle path which was partially destroyed by road expansion by Boral!). The rip off is added to by the fact that Bicycle NSW was ignoring the work of most of the BUGs in Liverpool.

I find that there are many people disillusioned with Bicycle NSW. The disillusionment is now fueling an alternative movement. Some are joining interstate bicycle organisations, such as Bicycle QLD and Pedal Power (the ACT organisation). There are also moves to get insurance through BUGs and organise an alternative advocacy organisation for NSW.

Personally I do not want to destroy Bicycle NSW. It was and is the peak advocacy body for recreational and commuting cyclists in NSW. It has done some good work in advocacy and it has had some success, but the direction it’s board is taking it is alienating a lot of it’s membership including myself. Issues like the silence on Sydney Olympic Park are linked by many to pandering to the NSW government. The failure to criticise the government is based on the dependency on government money for financial viability. This means that advocacy is compromised seriously.