The New Year tour

30th December 2009 Stage 1 Lithgow to Katoomba On Wednesday, I rolled out of bed with a determination to test the route for a ride from my parents place to Sydney. I decided to make it a minimalist tour, so I was going to carry very little. I also have wanted to do this ride as a means of showing that tours can be done on an average or even a below average bike. I chose to do this tour on the Holstar Peleton Road bike that I picked up on ebay way back in 2007. It is read (hence I call it the Red Hybrid) and is what some would describe as an entry level commuter bike (basically it was an attempt by Holstar to cash in on the flatbar road bike craze). It is an 24 speed, has 2 bottle cages and 25 x 700c tyres. It is not particularly good in fact the places where a rack would be bolted on the rear stays are out of alignment, hence no rack. On this tour I used a musette in which I carried the following items: 1 Rain jacket

1 U lock

1 Cable lock

1 Spare pair of shy shorts

2 Pairs of socks

1 Camera Usual toiletries eg toothbrush, razor, shaving cream and mouth wash

On the bike I also had a spare tube, patch kit, tyre levers and took kit for changing tubes etc in the wedge pack under the seat. I kept the pump strapped to the frame.

 I left mum and dad’s place after 6:30. I headed up Mort Street and along the Browns Gap Road. On the early stages of the ride I found I had some trouble and check the bike and found that the front wheel was out of alignment and rubbing against the left brake pad. I made the necessary adjustments and the bike was right as rain. I rolled down the steep descent into Hartley and enjoyed the quiet countryside. I rode across the John Morris bridge and into Little Hartley where I had a look at the Comet’s and the Collett’s Inns. I then rode back to the John Morris bridge and made my way to the highway where I used what little shoulder there was to get to Berghoffer’s Pass which is located close to the Mt Victoria Pass. When I got to Berghoffer’s Pass I had to carry the bike part of the way because of the road tyres and the rough terrain. I was passed by a mountain biker on his way down the pass. I found some sections were good enough to be ridden and was able to get up to Mt York Road with little difficulty.

I rode through Mt Victoria and got to the highway where I encountered one of the most difficult points in the journey. The bridge over the railway line is narrow. I was able to make it but had to sprint to avoid the trucks. The shoulder is narrow on both sides and trucks did pass extremely close. I made it to the wider shoulder which is marked out as a bike lane on the way to Blackheath.

 When I got to Blackheath I made a couple of side trips. The first was to Govett’s Leap where I enjoyed the lookout and the second was to Evans lookout both points look out over the Grose Valley. At Govett’s leap I found I was not the only cycle tourist when I came across a Mundo cargo bike and a Marin hybrid locked in one of the shelters near the lookout. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of the bikes.

 Once I finished I then rode on to Medlow Bath. It was here that I found that the shoulder was narrow. Other than a yobbo yelled from a passing car, I had little trouble. I was going to catch a train to Katoomba and continue on from there, however I was passed by a mountain biker. I asked him if it was possible to get to Katoomba from there. He told me that it was possible and I followed him along the highway.

 The shoulder was narrow and littered with gravel. The trucks came close. As I got closer to the Katoomba some bushes were grown over onto the road. I wound up ducking under the branches and made it to the wide shoulder. I turned into Bathurst road and was able to ride into Katoomba street and found Blaxland Cycles at Katoomba, in a street behind the main drag. I got the air in the tyres topped up and got some information about the rest of the ride from the owner. He told me about rides he had made out to the Central Coast, Oberon and Bathurst from the Blue Mountains.

 Eventually I found my way to Lurline street and rode down to Echo Point. When I arrived at Echo Point I copped the first of a series of punctures when the front tube blew out. I wheeled the bike to a park and changed the tube. Before I left the park a guy walking with his family asked if he had seen me in Blackheath. I said he probably had. He replied that I had made good time. I then rode back up the hill to Blaxland Cycles and got the tube topped up and a new spare tube. While I was in the shop the front tyre blew out again and a short investigation found that the rim tape had a hole in it. The guy who owned the shop changed the tube and the rim tape and only charged me for the new tube. I decided because of the heat, I decided to resume the tour the next day. I hung out for a while enjoying the weird and wonderful that it Katoomba.

31st December 2009 Stage 2 Katoomba to Warrimoo

After 9:30 I headed down Lurline street and got down to Echo Point and found the lookout covered in fog. I took a few photos and then headed off. I rode down Cliff drive with out much in the way of the usual scenery. The few cars that were around had slowed down and I was given enough space. I got to Leura and rode up the main drag. I then turned into a street close parallel to the railway line. I was able to make good time as I got to the highway and as the traffic was light I was able to turn into Sinclair Crescent and ride on to Wentworth Falls. I rode to through to Railway Parade and got a taste of the fast flowing undulating road. The road surface between Wentworth Falls and Bullaburra could be best described as tar over the top of a corrugated road. The handlebars on this stretch vibrated like crazy.

 Drivers on this stretch were reasonable. At one stage I was passing through a point where the road was divided by concrete dividers. The drivers behind me were willing to wait until we had passed them before overtaking. When I got to Lawson I found that part of the route in Bikely was closed. I continued on and eventually found my way to the train station. I walked the bike through the pedestrian underpass and took some photos of the graffiti art. I got to Honour Avenue and resumed riding.

 I went through the bush and on to the township of Hazelbrook When I got to Hazelbrook, I rejoined Railway Parade. I also got photos of graffiti art on a paling fence that took my fancy. I rode on through to Woodford and got onto the highway. It started raining so I put the rain jacket on. The shoulder was wide and the surface was good. The gradient made for quite a fast descent.

 I got to Faulconbridge. I took a look around for an alternative to the highway or the footpath. I found that Faulconbridge appears to be a well to do suburb. I wound up having to use the narrow shoulder to get to the road that crossed the railway line. Fortunately the drain grates are covered by modern grills not the old bar grates. I did a hook turn onto Macquarie Road and crossed the railway line. I rode to the grave of Sir Henry Parkes. It is marked out and has enough plaques from various anniversaries of his birth and the Centenary of Federation. I then went down Macquarie road and had a look at the Corridor of Oaks. The Corridor of Oaks is a double row of oak trees that are planted in honour of each Prime Minister since Federation. There is a plot marked out for Howard but he has yet to plant the tree.

I eventually got to Springwood and decided to have lunch. I locked the bike outside a pastry shop and got a pie and a Coke zero. I took a look around town and had a good look at the local bike shop. As is not unusual for an LBS in an semi bush area it caters to the mountain bikers. It does have a number of road bikes on display. There were some American tourists there who were buying mountain bikes for their own tour.

Eventually I decided to finish up and rode on to Ruth’s place. I decided to spend New Years Eve with her. I rode down Macquarie road and then took a couple of roads through Valley Heights. I eventually crossed the highway and took it to a service road which lead to an underpass where I rode to Ruth’s place on the other side of the road and railway line. When I found she was not there I rang her and found she was still at work and not expecting to be back until 7:30. I left my stuff in her living room and rode on to Blaxland where I picked up some cream and some other stuff that she had asked for.

 I also had a look in Blaxland Cycles, owned and run by the father of the guy who runs Blaxland Cycles at Katoomba. They have some impressive cycling memorabilia including some signed cycling jerseys on the wall and also have a number of road and time trial bikes I also got some more information on the route down to Sydney. Apparently the owner thinks that the highway would be a reasonable option. Knowing that the highway does have a point where there is no shoulder and cars can travel up to 90 km an hour (legally), I made a point of asking for a route with less cars. I was assured that the Mitchells Pass will be the quietest and safest.

I headed back up the Highway and back to Ruth’s place. On my way back I saw a group of 3 guys on MTBs riding down the other side of the highway. I saw in the New Year with a meal and some wine with Ruth and then retired for the night. 1rst January 2010 Stage 3 Warrimoo to the Sydney Harbour Bridge I woke up a bit late and worse for wear, however I got myself together and was able to head off at about 10:30. I rode down the service road and rejoined the highway. I headed down past the railway station and made it to the Mitchells Pass. The pace was quite quick and it lead through a new subdivision with new houses in the process of being built. These gave way to the what I suspect were the last remaining rural properties in East Blaxland. I eventually reached the Lenox Bridge at Lapstone and I took time to have a good look at it. I took some photos. I was passed by a couple of guys on time trial bikes and followed them down to Emu Plains. When I got to Emu Planes I found myself riding through relatively quite streets although there were signs that Sydney was beginning to wake up.

Eventually I had to cross the bridge over the Nepean and I wound up sprinting across the bridge to a point where the shoulder was wide enough to take a break. After I got my breath back I rode on to Castlereagh road where I got to the Museum of Fire. It was closed but I got a couple of photos of the fire engine outside. I proceeded along Castlereagh Street to a roundabout where was able to turn into Coreen Avenue. I followed this road and then went found my way to Dunheved Road, which was still quiet. I eventually got to the Debrincat Street where I rode through some of the back streets to Mount Druitt.

When I got to Mount Druitt, I took Luxford Road and some back streets to Belmore Avenue and North Parade where I was able to find my way to Rooty Hill. When I reached Rooty Hill, I took the M7 Cycleway. I noticed the diversity of cyclists that passed me here. There were any number of roadies in full kit to recreational riders in everyday street gear. I met a couple in street gear on MTBs who were looking for the way to the Western Sydney Parklands. We eventually found it and I followed them down the SUP along Horsley Drive.

I reached a set of traffic lights which lead to another SUP across the road. I crossed here and got onto one of the few Shared User Paths that linked the Prospect Valley Cycleway to the M7 Cycleway. Along the way I found an old outback toilet right next to the start of cycleway. I took some photos before riding on. When I reached the Prospect Dam I found the rear tyre had a slow leak. I stopped and refilled the water bottles. I put some more air in the tyre before heading off Eventually however the slow leak made things problematic and I had to change the tube. The cause of the leak was glass from a beer bottle. I wasn’t the only cyclist in the area and I received plenty of offers of assistance. I eventually got myself underway and was passed by a guy riding a MTB with time trial bars. He passed me a few times, each time he was on the aero bars with a serious determined look on his face.

I continued on to the Parramatta Liverpool Rail Trail and joined it just near Guildford. I rode on to Parramatta and got onto the M4 cycleway. I eventually rode on to Adderly street which I found when the pipe bridge was closed for repairs. I rode on to Sydney Olympic Park where I found some of the road surface had been buggered up for the V8 race. I stopped for lunch at the local Subway outlet. I then found the bike hire place and topped up the air in the rear tyre. It is run by the guy who owns Centennial Park Cycles (they hire bikes in Centennial Park) and I gave him a shock when I put 120 PSI in rear tyre. One of his assistants was surprised when I told him I had rode down from the Blue Mountains. His boss told him it was down hill most of the way. I got myself under way and found myself following familiar roads to the Cooks River Cycleway.

I followed the Cooks River Cycleway to Marrickville where I took to the road and rode into town. I noticed that Mick Mazza Cycles is still operating as I rode up Illawarra Road. I also notice not much in Marrickville has changed since I left for Canberra.

I followed the bike bus route to Newtown and took the back road route to Sydney University. I rode through the university to Glebe and went down the commuter route through Glebe Street and on through Broadway behind the University of Technology. Followed the route along the road behind the Entertainment centre and eventually crossed the road and onto the Pyrmont Bridge. I rode up the King Street Bike lane to Kent Street. I followed Kent Street to the Rocks and found my way to the Harbour Bridge cycleway. I was proud as I crossed the Harbour bridge. Once I got to Milsons Point I went looking for some water and found that the old water fountain has been removed.

I crossed the bridge again and found a water fountain near the observatory. I found my way to George Street where I got some mince, bread and a iced chocolate at the Coles up the road from Martin Place. I then rode to Central Station using the bus lane and took the train back to Ruth’s Place.

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.

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.

Lets face it most Motorists are hypocrits.

Lets face it most Motorists are hypocrits. After the latest report of the death of a cyclist on Swanson Street in Melbourne the local tabloid- the Herald Sun, opened a readers comments section where the public got to express an opinion on what had happened. Melbourne is one of Australia’s safer cities for cyclists. It has a good participation rate and is developing facilities faster and of a better quality than my city of Sydney. Nethertheless I was sickened by the vile & ugly sentiment expressed by some in the comments section of the Herald Sun.

It seems that there are some in the community who cannot see past their own bias when commenting on the tragedy. The Herald Sun comments give us a sterling example of this sort of logic:

“Wait… sorry… ban buses? Ban cars? Um, who exactly do you think it is that pays for the roads via rego? Push bike riders get a free ride. They have no right to be on the rd in the first place, may as well say I have the right to WALK on the rd since I live here and pay taxes. Rego your bike and contribute and maybe the rest of us will have a bit more respect for you. At the moment you don’t earn your right to the road, all you do is irritate and endanger the rest of us with your disregard for anyone else.”

Posted by: Maggie of Cranbourne 12:30pm September 18, 2008
Comment 47 of 117

“Bikes have no place in the busy streets of a city centre.”

Posted by: b of Canberra 1:50pm September 18, 2008

“TO DAVID ELLIOTT,YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING,I SEE MANY A BIKE RIDER THAT DOES NOT THINK THEY HAVE TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT AND THINKS THEY HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN ANY OTHER TRANSPORT ON THE ROAD.YES SOME PEOPLE IN CARS DON’T WATCH OUT FOR BIKES AS I HAD A MATE KILLED BY SOMEONE THAT WAS TO BUSY SENDING A TEXT INSTEAD OF WATCHING WHERE THEY WERE GOING.”

Posted by: STEVE of BAYSWATER 12:33pm September 18,

“Cyclist & Motorist of Lower Templestowe 12:22 – Not entirely correct as that I own a shabby car (to take to the station), a European car and a motorcycle (sometimes to ride to work etc.) and I pay three different registration. According to your logic, I should pay the highest of the one registration because I only drive one at a time. There is wear and tear because the public are losing roads for cycles which count only a small proportion of the public. Also there is the accountability issue as it is easier for a person to identify a cyclist with a registration imprinted on a special visible vest than the usual kaleidoscopic lycra wear. sooner or later this will happen because as cars leave the road for cycles, the government will have to have a new way of obtaining revenue.”

Posted by: Paul Chao of Box Hill 1:51pm September 18,

“Cyclists are Germs on the road, They rate up there with people who Ride scooters. They cut in front of you, ride up along side of you at red lights and then slowly ride off in front of you. This isn’t even starting on them trying to slip stream trucks and Busses and there disregard to follow any road rules. The only people who don’t think Cyclists arn’t a meanace is Cyclists themselves. Yuri lay off Maggie, Its a have your say forum Titled “Bus ban call”. It not like she is making distastful comments in a forum dedicated to the cyclist. Your talk about being a human being but feel its ok to trash talk her. You filthy hypocrite. You will probably find Truck drivers kill the most people on the roads these days and idiots who drink drive. Its an unfortunate acident , but choosing to ride a push bike, scooter or even a motor bike is making a educated choice to be less safe on the road.”

Posted by: Grugerty 1:58pm September 18,

“It’s easy to solve. Ban bikes in the city. The fact is, the more bikes you have, the more people get killed. “

Posted by: Noel Jackson 2:11pm

The ultimate sickenting comment came with

“For all Bike riders, posting here. The fact is you are making a conscious decision to put yourself in greater danger everytime you Ride on a main road. For thise who post ” I have had many near misses” why would you be crazy enough to keep riding.? Will people please stop posting about insenotive people. This is a have your say forum and is not a memorium to the cyclist. I don’t see whe its bad for people to post their thoughts”

Posted by: Gink 3:17pm September

“It is sorry to here about a death on the roads but until Cyclists start obeying the road rules and stop carry on like cowboys its hard to have an sympathy for them if they want to share the roads with other users they should have to pay registration insurance and pass a test then they would have as much right to use the roads until then stick to cycle paths away from main roads”

Posted by: Mick Hooker of Melbourne 4:46pm

“Cyclists seem to beleive that they have total use of the road and don,t give a damm about other road users and pedestrains (BAN THE CYCLISTS)”

Posted by: Jim Ryan of Albury 5:18pm September

The correlation between the anticycling sentiment and intellect is demonstrated further by

“cyclist should be ban!!”

Posted by: george 7:20pm September

“Cyclists should be banned! The roads weren’t designed for cycle use.”

Posted by: Paul Tanner 8:11am September 19, 2008

The above comment is interesting given that cyclists were the ones who had the roads treated with Tar Macadam. In addition Swanston Street was not designed for cars but the old horse and buggy era,

Comment

“Riding a bike in the CBD should be banned and should attract a fine of no less than $500 for those who ignore the ban. The number of times I have seen bike riders go through red (traffic) lights, weave their way through moving vehicles and barge their way through pedestrians who are legally crossing at the traffic lights is beyond belief. “

Posted by: Bill of Melbourne 8:17am September 19, 2008
Comment 113 of 117

“If the roads were designed for cyclists, why don’t they pay road tax? Register those bikes! $800 a year! “

Posted by: b of Canberra

There were comments that balanced the ugly garbage (there were many people writing in and the Herald Sun was obliged to publish them).

I often wonder about what would happen if the Herald Sun or the Daily Telegraph put a comments page on the an accident involving a truck crushing a car? Would there be people comming out with the same sort of ugly vicious comments about people killed in the car?

Of course there would be an outcry against anyone posting similar comments. It was heartening to here that cyclists in Melbourne rallied at the site in the evening. This is something I doubt I would see from my fellow cyclists in Sydney.

The other issue about the incident was that (from the Age September 19, 2008) the “Melbourne City Council last year considered forcing tour buses from Swanston Street to a purpose-built terminal at Federation Square.But the council buckled under pressure from tour operators – which pick up 320,000 customers a year on Swanston Street from nearby hotels.The council pledged to instead move buses to near the corner of Bourke and Exhibition streets in 2009.The Lord Mayor, questioned yesterday over cyclist safety, defended himself against accusations of inaction. “It doesn’t matter where you park the buses, accidents do occur,” he said. Later, Cr So rang back and broke down, saying he would call for buses to be parked elsewhere. The council’s chief executive, Kathy Alexander, said tour buses would, after “a reasonable notice period”, have their parking permits revoked, and be allowed to pick up and set down on St Kilda Road, opposite the Arts Centre.” In other words it took a fatality to get the council moving on the issue of the danger that busses posed to cyclists. How pathetic. In NSW we have had a coronial inquest find Gosford Council’s masterly inactivity on the issues of the old Pacific Highway lead to the death of a family who’s car went over the edge of a sink hole. Their relatives are looking at suing the Gosford city council for damages. I would urge the family of the cyclist killed on Swanson street (- a 33 year old woman. One year younger than me) to do the same.

How do you price your commute?

Budget bicycling gives a ride log which prices each ride at $6.00 the cost of a bus ticket in Canberra (I can’t remember if it is a return ticket). I have wanted to do something similar but the problem is I live close enough to work to make the $21.00 return ($1664.00 yearly) ticket to the International Airport railway station an outragous waste of money.

In previous years I would have been able to drive into the airport carpark and base it on a tank of fuel or something like that. The problem with this is fuel fluctuates and now there is a limit on the number of car places.  On thursday my conunderum was solved. Customs has now adopted a pay for parking policy which will set the price of car parking at Customs House Sydney International Airport.

Starting on the first of April (probably very fitting for anyone who wants to drive to work) parking will cost $4 a day. In October it will rise to $8 – which is the full cost. Some bright sparkes have done their sums and found that this will cost them something over $2000 at year.

This is the equivilant of a reasonably priced road bike and a crumpler messenger bag or a hybrid or  MTB with rack, panniers, lights, cycling gear (including a helmet) and Bicycle NSW membership. Being a doubter I feel that there is not going to be many people taking up cycling.

I gather the meetings where the policy was unveiled were quite Jerry Springer. The presenter from Canberra was not prepared and did not have any answers to questions, and to make things even more problematic the Regional Director said “I worked hard for my position, don’t question me” when asked about if he paid for parking his car in the garrage at Customs House. I related the story to my supervisor who said that the parking spot came with the car which is part of their salary package so if he had his wits about him he could have said yes. Instead from what I have been told the meeting became quite hostile after that. There were some who asked me “What are you going to do when you get artheritis or if you have an accident and cannot make it to the train station” (I felt like saying if that is the case I will be an old man and retired in relation to the artheritis and have enough sick leave owing to cover any accidents) when I mentioned bicycle parking is free

I have mixed feelings about the changes to the carparking arrangments. There are some people who live in the outer suburbs who have next to no public transport and who may be working difficult hours, shift workers for example who will need some form of car parking. On the other hand there are some people who will snub public transport, cycling and or walking because it just does not suit them. They will complain about the policy and there will be some interesting out comes.

I noticed some people looking at changing jobs. They claim that there are other government departments that are not forcing their staff to pay for parking. An example is the co-tennant of Customs House, the Australian Federal Police Protective Service. The AFPPS has said it won’t pass the parking on to it’s people. I doubt if they will continue to absorb the price of parking for too long though.

There are others who will be eying up the parking in the near by Tempe Reserve, this may become timed parking sometime in the near future but we will have to wait and see about that. There is likely to be some grumbling to the union. The CPSU rep told me we weren’t the worst affected, apparently our staff in Brisbane are moving to a building 2 kilometers from the nearest train station and are now copping quite a hammering. The policy is supposed to be a national policy but it is full of holes. For example staff at Customs House will pay for parking but staff working at the international airport proper will not. The staff at Sydney International Airport will continue to received Isolated Establishment Allowance etc which will make them well paid compaired to those at Customs House. However the union has some doubts about what legal standing any challenge to the carparking charges would have as Customs doesn’t have to provide free parking – it just has to provide parking.

The motorcyclists and motorscooter riders will probably continue to find new and interesting ways of getting in and out of the carpark without paying and will probably become a growth group as regards the commuters at Customs House.

I have done my best to promote cycling in the building. It may take off with a bit of luck. I have organised ride to work day and will wait and see how many people turn up to that. I am cautious about biting management for some money to put on a breakfast or get some freebies like water bottles to give away due to the strength of the hostility shown towards the plan but will probably ask management for something next year.

In the mean time I will try to get myself organised for a possible move to Port Botany (management apparently want to put more executive cars in the garrage and are eying up the parking spots occupied by work cars used by my section to do examinations at bonds etc. They are proposing to move us to the CEF this would make life commuting to the CEF difficult for me but you never know. I have heard from various sources that a commute could be possible. The thing is this again puts me in the position of not being able to price the commute accuratly. I am on the redeployment list so I may still find myself working at Customs House although I doubt it seriously.

Should it happen though I would score myself a new bike probably from cell and rig it for commuting/general touring and then start a log book for rides. I would go from the red to break even and then to profit relatively quickly. This will bring out the hard headed economic rationalist in just about everybody. However it will illustrate the value of cycling in an increasingly expensive city.

World youth day cycling & getting on the (bike) bus with single speed commuting

For those not from Sydney or who have been living in a parallel universe, Sydney hosted the Catholic World Youth Day (WYD 08). To cope with all the expected issues with motor traffic and to accommodate something like 2-3 hundred thousand happy young Christians. We had some altered traffic arrangements in Sydney.

As I had stated earlier in the blog the changes began the week before last and it went right up til Monday when the majority of pilgrims were to fly back to the countries they came from or in the case of the Aussie based ones fly interstate (some may have taken trains!).

On Saturday I went on my usual ride with the DHBC under the impression we would still be able to access Centennial Park without any issues. We had a good clear run until we got to Anzac Parade where there was a largish fence erected to give the pilgrims a clear run to Randwick race course (they were walking from North Sydney across the bridge to Randwick Racecourse. We were directed a little way down the road where were were able to cross and ride to Centennial Park.

The park was totally devoid of cars – probably the best thing about WYD08 was the limits on cars. This meant we were able to do laps and not worry about motor vehicles (we were even able to use the car lanes!) Centennial Park has a car free day on the last Sunday of the month, I have never rode in the park on that day but from what I was told Saturday was better, No cars and also no Rollerbladers. No triathletes (I suspect they mostly drive to Centennial Park with their bikes on roof racks), so not much in the way of runners. No horses, so almost no horse manure aroma.

The ride went well although we concluded early to avoid loosing our access through Anzac Parade. The park was pretty peaceful. We got back to the point where we entered and what was initially a trickle of pilgrims was becoming a busy wave of pedestrians. We rode part of the way through then joined the path at Moore Park. The pilgrims weren’t bad, I was more worried about locals and of course the police.

We had a good run back to the cafe were we had coffee. I told some people about a case in the SMH about a gay couple who took pilgrims in (An Islamic school even let them sleep in their hall). When the pilgrims found out they were staying with a gay couple they walked out saying it was against Gods law. That brought a laugh from the group.

The road closures affected Sunday and as I am a St John Ambulance Volunteer I saw one guy weaving through the crowd on a road bike at about 6 in the morning. When the papal mass ended the road closures were still in place and the local cyclists were able  to enjoy some moments of riding on roads normally chockablock with cars. The velo cops even rode in a straight line up Anzac to Moore Park and I was able to walk to Central in the middle of the road.

This week also saw me going into Surrey Hills for an Occupational First Aid Course with St John Ambulance. I decided unlike previous years where I have gone into town on a train and claimed the fare back on petty cash when I returned to work; I would ride in with the Bike Bus which was organised by Fiona Campbell from MASSBUG. This would mean that I would continue to get my exercise in for the day and avoid the overcrowding that occurs on City Rail trains.

A Bike Bus is a group of cyclists who commute together. They join the bus at various point along a set route. There is a “Driver” who provides leadership to the “bus”. In Sydney Bike Buses are usually organised by local Bicycle Users Groups (BUGS). There are other Bike Buses that go into town these include one organised by BURSTBUG (Burwood Strathfield Bicycle Users Group) and ASHBUG (Ashfield Bicycle Users Group) and The University of NSW bicycle co-operative.  Being in MASSBUG the choice was obvious.

What was to make things difficult was the choice of bike to take. There was a very real possibility that I would have to lock the bike outside. So I did not want to take my good Green Trek hybrid for the commute. I also would have to take a lock. Fortunately I have the Fearless Gear-less for such a job as this, but would it go up the hills?

My other concern was gear to take with me. I don’t ride in street clothes so I would have to take some with me. I am not wealthy enough to eat at restaurants and cafes 4 days a week (the course went that long) and so I would need to take food. I also needed writing equipment and two towels for the trauma management scenarios and as something to relieve my knees (they weren’t needed as much as I was led to believe), to I had to have space for them. Unfortunately the Fearless Gear-less does not have a rack so panniers were out of the question. I took the gear in a day bag/pack designed for everyday use. It worked although I had to break the load up and when I got the WYD08 Pilgrim pack I was to get as a reward for volunteering for St John on WYD08 I had to put that to the back of the pack and ride in a driza bone we got as a bonus.

On Monday I waited for the Bike Bus outside the Henson Park Hotel and caught up with Fiona the “Driver”. We waited for others who normally join the bus at the Henson Park before heading off. We went though some of the streets we cover on the DHBC Saturday Slowies ride and some which I didn’t know existed. We got to the Newtown Neighbourhood centre where we met two more riders who’s names have escaped me now. These were regulars.

We had to walk our bikes to a point on Bedford St where we could cross into Wilson St when the lights changed. When they did we rode down the equivalent of the Hume Highway for cycle commuters. When we got to Redfern we rode through Lawson Street to the bicycle facilities near Regent St. We rode through the quite areas and into the city via Prince Alfred Park. From there we rode on down Elizabeth St to various points in the city.

It was suggested that I get to Hunt Street via Campbell Street. This proved to be a very good idea. I found that the Fearless Gear-less handled the hills well. I got to St John House and found from a very abrupt and officious instructor that I had to lock the bike outside. I wasn’t the only one to arrive by bike and was joined by a lawyer on a rigid forked cannondale. Fortunately nothing happened to either of our bikes. On Monday I took the front wheel off and locked it with the frame to the pole and took the seat post and front light.

Over the next 4 days I was able to refine this using the cable lock to lock the front wheel and later the seat post to the frame as well as using the U lock to lock the bike to the post. I was able to enjoy a bit of sweet revenge on Thursday when I left after successfully completing the course. I spotted the officious oaf and gently reminded him that “smoking kills” as I passed (Fortunately he was not liked by our instructor).

The highlight of the week was riding with the Bike Bus. They are a good group of people and it would be excellent to see more of them around Sydney.  I would like to conclude this post with a special Well Done to Fiona Campbell who as the “driver” organised the trip and helped calm nerves on more than one occasion (I don’t regularly ride through Sydney in the Peak).

Cycling around Sydney during World Youth Day & a personal best

This week has been an interesting one for those of us who cycle around Sydney. On the political level the Rudd government has decided to set up a green wash carbon trading system that in the words of Christine Milne goes from the polluter pays to the polluter gets paid principle. The Government will cut petrol excise to compensate for the Emissions tax, they will give permits (for free) to coal fired power generators and cash compensation. There will allegedly be an auction of permits but the watered down nature of the emissions trading system makes a mockery of the proposition.

On the practical level things have been problematic. World Youth Day is in town and there is now thousands of pilgrims and laws which enabled the NSW Government to remove the city’s only bicycle lanes on Park Street. They have been replaced with bus lanes which cyclist are allowed to ride in, however they wind up sharing it with Buses, Motorcyclists, and Taxis. For those who do not know the Sydney Taxi driver is the motoring equivalent of the Kamikaze pilot. They stop suddenly to collect passengers (in Sydney the idea of putting your hazards on has become a form of abdication of responsibility on the part of drivers).

I went to Centennial Park for a couple of laps on Tuesday. The preparations have been going all out and there is a corridor of fencing along the lanes leading to the park. I rode the first lap and found that there were contractors putting up fencing along the  Grand Parade they weren’t well lit although they were visible to a point. I did 4 laps before exiting through the Randwick gates which were kindly left open by the contractors.

I went along the shared path to Doncaster avenue – the path was lined with fencing – some of the base stands were actually on the path and creating a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians. When I got to the crossing point which links the shared path to Doncaster avenue, I found the crossing had been blocked by fencing. It appears that the locals cycling or walking around Doncaster avenue aren’t welcome at youth day.

Yesterday despite the predicted traffic chaos I was able to achieve a personal best. I left work at about 4.05 pm and rode to St John House (currently St John Ambulance Head Quarters – I do a bit of voluntary work for them and will be at Randwick on Sunday). I pulled out every trick in the book to get to Surrey Hills. I tried to keep it legal which I was able to do mostly but as time went along I went all out. I rode through St Peters and Alexandria. When I got through Erskinville I was able to ride through to Wilson St Newtown with a red car on my tail. 

The whole situation reminded me of an episode of  Top Gear that I saw on You Tube while at work where they had a race between a car, bicycle, and a public transport user and a speed boat to get from one point in London to Heathrow Airport. The bicycle won, of course although there was a time I was wondering if I would do the same. I was racing the clock – I said I would collect my accreditation by 5 PM and I was getting close.

When I got to the corner of Little Everleigh Street and Lawson Street, I was held up. There was a group of Spanish pilgrims on their way down Everleigh Street (yes The Block). They had a flag on a fishing rod and were dangling it over the road. I don’t know if this was their way of controlling the traffic or if it was their way of showing where they came from. But it did slow the cars and I was able to turn onto Lawson Street. I got the usual pamphlet from one of them. I tried out my dodgy Spanish, which was as good as their English. Eventually I was able to get away and got to the lights near Regent St.

I checked the time when I got to the lights and found it was 4:49pm – 11 minutes to go.  When the lights changed I rode full pace to Elizabeth St through the various lanes. I then went contraflow and through Waterloo and crossed into Surrey Hills. Where I rode through across Albion St and then rode through some of the one way streets and lanes and came out close to the Sydney police centre and Hunt Street Surrey Hills – my target.

When I got to HQ I met people on their way home from work. I told them I was here collect my World Youth Day accreditation. They let me in and the security guard showed me to the floor where I collected my accreditation & information on how to get to the event on Sunday. The time when I got in was 5:00 PM when I got my accreditation it was 5:05. I had made it through Sydney’s peak hour traffic from the airport in less than an hour. I would say I even beat cars heading into town from the airport.

Afterwards I got a drink and some food in the “Red Room” and caught up with some people who I know through various sources. I was able to catch up on the news about World Youth Day and the Tour De France. I will do a separate post on how Cadel Evans is going but I will wait and see how things go with the race before I go making any predictions.

When I rode home it was a difficult ride – Peak Hour was on and in full swing. I rode through Surrey Hills to Redfern and then went home via Wilson Street. I made it in time to get some food and then got myself ready to go back to Lithgow.

Things that go bung in the night

It has been interesting riding the fearless gear-less over the past week. I was able to ride to Centennial Park and did about 6 laps before I went home on Monday. Feeling good nothing becoming an issue. The next night I went to Centennial again – I even had better lights for the occasion and was doing laps when a Police car, fire engine and a ute from the fire brigade came into the park.

They went up to the Kiosk end and the fire engine and ute parked in the areas designated for motor vehicles, while the idiot cops parked in the bike lane. The idiot cop who drove the police car got out not wearing any high vis gear – in fact he was wearing a dark jumper over his police uniform. His partner called out to him about the legality of parking in the bike lane. The idiot cop replied “The park is closed to bikes they shouldn’t even be here” in an accent that reminded me so much of Guido Hatsis.

Being a bit of a stirrer I decided to do another lap and rode around again (there was other cyclists training in the park at the same time I was. When I went through again there was space for cyclists to pass the pigs and the fire engine and firies ute. I wrote a post on Sydney Cyclist and got a couple of replies. It is good to see that not everyone is on the side of the cops. I even got some good feedback from a staunch opponent.

I decided to call it a day eventually and rolled back home. Just as I was going to go I heard an explosion that I thought was a tube going off. I thought I was in trouble until I checked the tyre and found it was still very much intact. When I saw the spoke I knew the trouble was worse. The other times spokes have gone on me they have died quietly. Only to be noticed when the wheel was out of true, this time the spoke has broken in 2 places. It makes me think something got caught in the spoke?  I checked the wheel under the light of the bike headlight which I held in my mouth while I rotated the wheel around. I was able to get the bike home but could not be adventurous with regard my route home.

I took the fearless gear-less to Cheeky Monkey to get another spoke. The ride there was hairy enough. I was going to ride from there to Toastmasters at Petersham. I got there and they were busy. No problem I thought I would collect the bike on Friday arvo – if they got it done and given that there was going to be overtime on Saturday. The last 2 illusions were dissolved on Friday. Saras – a workmate whom I am supposed to be training decided to renege on an agreement we had that I would go early on Friday. I was soooo p!ssed off! I couldn’t speak to Saras for most of the morning. I

t turned out my overtime was cancelled as the goods had gone to Brisbane so my only chance was to go to Cheeky that afternoon. When I left work a bit after 5 I was swearing heavily – I even used the words Robert Hughes used to describe the prosecutor when he got off his dangerous driving charge. I had left the front light on the fearless gear-less and I was using the light that I use on my helmet on the bike. The weather darkened as did my mood. I had some near misses but I got to Cheeky Monkey safely and on time to pick up the bike. Pushing 2 bikes home is not easy. I had to use the road on a couple of occasions and duck and weave around obstacles such as power poles and street furniture. On Erskinville Rd City Rail has erected some kind of screen to prevent people from throwing rocks at trains and has implemented a whole heap of obstacles I swore heavily as I went around them.

When I got closer to King St I was accosted by a couple of drunken idiots. One guy offered to take one of the bikes off my hands. Given that I was annoyed I told him in no uncertain terms to F@ckoff! He went down the road a bit and then yelled out “There was no need to talk to me like that! Did you hear that? Maybe we ought to tell him to F@CK Off?” I must remember to make a note for myself that I must not swear at drunken idiots in Sydney. I got bikes back and got them stowed safely. I am still not happy about Friday as it isn’t fair that I carry the can for an idiot.

The spoke is not the only thing that has gone bung with the fearless gear-less, there is a high likelihood in my opinion that the non drive side crank is on it’s way out. I will have a look today but we will wait and see. On Saturday Slowies the front tyre copped a tack – I suspect it has been around for a while but it went into my tyre and stayed there while the tyre slowly died. I pumped it up thinking it had been a case of slow leak caused by perishing. But when I found the tack I knew what had happened. I took the tack out and the tyre began to die. As I didn’t have a spare tube I wound up patching the tube on the spot. It is not my favourite tasks and I had to let the others go. I patched the tyre and got myself underway.

When I got out the gates and on my way to Moore park I found the others gathered around one guy who copped a double puncture. We were going to be late for coffee at the cafe and there was a high likelihood that I was going to be late for the Rocks Markets. We went back the usual way with me leading – I found that I am not a good ride leader and I would say that I missed issues such as pedestrians up front and went through intersections where I should have gone through with the group. We got back to Marrickville safely.

I was terrified that the crank would come off and things would get even more sticky than what they were. I survived the ride.

I survived the NRMA Careflight Woodford to Glenbrook cycle classic

About this time last week I was on the starting line for the Woodford to Glenbrook Cycle Classic. It is a ride held to support the NRMA Careflight Helicopter Rescue service. I am always willing to support a good cause so I put my registration in and got the Single Speed which shall hence forth be known as the fearless gearless done.

Having said that I am not a mountain biker. I have never ridden the Oaks firetrail on which the ride was being held. But there is a first time for everything and Lindsay from Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club did a dirt works 100 km ride on a rigid single speed MTB. So 25 km would be easier – right?

Well yours truly was in for an interesting time from the begining. I got to Woodford by train. The railway station was right next to the starting line. There were plenty of Grey Ghosts on the platform and but the fearless gearless and I got through without issues. I got to the registration table and got my number. Earlier in the week when I got a 21 tooth cog fitted to the fearless gearless I had a suspicion that I would be the only loon on a single speed and I told this to the guys at Cheeky Monkey. They were right in saying I was giving myself too much credit.

I got talking to some guys on single speeds with 31-16 ratio (still 2-1). There was a race with in a race with some guys using cyclocross bikes to do the ride – some of these were basically road bikes with Hybrid bike tyres. There were some single speeds in this group as well. There were people with bikes that would cost more than all of my bikes put together and there were some bikes that made the fearless gearless look like a the Colnago of MTBs!

I wound up riding with the social riders where I got talking to a couple of girls in tutus, one was a lawyer from a community legal centre and the other was a radio announcer who did traffic for the Sydney radio stations. I sorted out a chain that got tangled up – it was sticky with grease and I urged the rider to get it lubed once the ride was over. Sue the lawyer in the tutu was quite interesting to talk she and her friend had never riden the trail before and had not done much riding. I assured them things would be ok.

When we registered we were given an electronic device that was to be strapped on the rider/walker/runners ankle. This was like an e-tag used on cars. We were started in waves much like runners in a race. Like the runners there was a starting gun. When it came our turn to take off we had the gun and a whole cacophany of trilling from the electronic tags.

The early stage of the ride was reasonable we went down a residential street and then rolled through to the fire trail. There were some hills on this section but I got up those with out trouble.  We were told that the first 12 kilometers were newly graded. This meant that there were soft spots and quite a bit of loose dirt. The report of the changes were right on the money there was quite a bit of loose dirt and I took things slowly. It was ok to start off with. However the further I got the more problematic it was. I became aware that I really should have fitted knobbies (MTB tyres that have knobs that grip the ground) instead of the city country tyres that I was riding with.

The first rough stage came up at about the 4 Kilometer mark and I found myself looking for an easy way to ride down. There was an official photographer on this stage and he must have known how others got down because he pointed out the easy way down and asked for a smile as I rode down. Riders with suspension had an easier time on the rough sections, of which there were many. I got a case of shaken baby syndrome going down some of the easier rough sections. There were a couple of stages where I had to dismount and walk the fearless gearless down because the terrain was so rough.

Just before the halfway mark the back markers of the riders of which I was one were overtaken by the first runners. From then on I knew I would have to ride carefully because we were now joined by pedestrians. Eventually I got to some parts of the trail that were rough and hilly where I dismounted and either ran or pushed the bike to the top. By these sections we were joined by more runners.

I copped some flak from runners because I was wearing the polkadot jersey (Tour De France King of the Mountains). I probably should have worn something else but given the weather I was expecting I felt I needed something warm. The jersey was bought from ebay and I gather was a souvenier from a touring holiday in France or Switzerland. It is warm and keeps me warm in freezing weather. The Blue Mountains where the ride was held is particulary cold in winter (Southern Hemisphere winter is from June to August or there abouts). I wore a pair of long overnicks and had my yellow gillet over my jersey.

Unfortunatly I was wrong about the weather. It was an unseasonally sunny day and quite warm when we started I got stonkered as we went along and by the time I made the final rough stage, where I had to dismount my riding gear was soaked by sweat. If I do the ride again I will wear some arm and leg warmers which can be taken off as things get hot and put on again after the race.

I met Ray my brother in law at the end of final rough stage. He told me something I already knew – next time I do this ride or even ride this trail I should get suspension. I whole heartedly agreed although I will have retro fit a suspension fork to the Iguana (the fearless gearless has a 1inch headset and most modern bikes have a 1 and 1/4 inch headset – the Iguana may take it although I don’t know). As I left the drink station on that stage some one crashed. The St John member in me came out and I went to render assistance. Ray’s RFS crew got in and did the job. I got my bidon filled and got on my way.

Eventually toward the end the terrain got fairly good for riding with city country tread and I got moving. I had to be careful of the runners and I had to ride slowly. In some cases this was not a problem with a number of young female runners in their 20s wearing figure hugging lycra that highlighted all the right curves in all the right places! It wasn’t all a perv though. I had to get past idiots running with Ipods. I often wonder what would have happened if they had been running on the road and in the path of 4wds?

I got to the finish and got accross the finish just although I had to dismount and run/walk up an incline and then remount and ride accross the finish. When I got there I handed over the electronic tag and went and got a sausage sandwich from the Lions Club barbecue. I myself ready to get on my way when I ran into a friend of mine from Clyde days, who bought a house in Hazelbrook/Woodford. When he bought the house he bought a $3500 dual suspension Raceline MTB. He is still at Clyde and is doing well.

I found my placing from an officials desk. I came 470 out of 479, 4 of the riders behind me were unicyclists with huge knobby tyres. I don’t know weather I should be happy or cry. I informed people on the DHBC website and found some support there although someone did back up the point that I need suspension for the next time I do that ride.

I loaded the bike onto the trailer befor I found I had left my commorative shirt at the merch stand. I went and collected it and got back in time to get myself on to the line for the bus to Glenbrook. The bus took us from the finish at Euroka Clearing to Glenbrook Railway station. I had a return ticket from Lithgow to Glenbrook but I decided to ride to Ruth’s place in Warrimoo. After a bit of bungling around I found my way to the highway and rode up the highway and made it all the way to Ruth’s earlier than what I though I would when I rang her. I had some food there because I was famished. I went to Sarah and Ray’s place for dinner and caught up with Sarah and Ray and their former housemate Peter. As I missed the last train that would have got me home at a reasonable time, I got a lift home with Ray and Sarah. 

In short a good day with some lessons namely should I do the ride again (and I will) I will need a bike with suspension forks and equip the bike with knobby tires. I will need to do some training and wear appropriate clothing to get through the ride. In short the fearless gearless will be a good commuter but we will see how it goes.

We all pay for the motorist just have a look at their parking subsidies

In Australia petrol prices have apparently hit record levels – $1.70 a litre. For a long time it has been cheaper to buy milk than petrol. In another blog related to the Sydney Cyclist website Adrian presented his findings on som analysis he made of the online comments from the coments left on The Daily Telegraph website after a road rage attack on the Collussi bunch – a group of road racing cyclists. The website is here if anyone wants to review the findins : www.cyclingybr.blogspot.com/ One of the themes raised in the coments was “Cyclists are inferior or illegitimate road users” this was based on the misconception that “Cyclists don’t pay road taxes “. The following diatribes taken from the newspaper website were given as evidence of the strength of the feelings of motorists on this issue.

In this era of user pays why is it cyclists can take up the whole road during peak hour without forking out a cent ? (1.28)

Do they know that cyclists in European countries have to pay rego to ride on the road? So don’t complain when you are free-riding! (3.25)

When will cyclists realise they do not belong on any roads! If they want to be a road user – let them pay for it. At least then it would soften the blow of having to put up with them. Car, truck and motorbike owners must have current registration, which we pay for, a licence, which we pay for and Compulsory Third Party Insurance, which we pay for. We are then expected to give up the roads for non paying and hazardous cyclists. (3.27)

Cyclists don’t pay road taxes as cyclists……yet they get all these great privileges. They need somewhere to cycle. Why can’t councils and governments create dedicated cycle routes? If cyclists aren’t paying for the roads then it’s no big deal if they don’t pay for the cycle paths. I drive along Beach Road and continually get pissed off with cyclists on the road…… (3.56)

The roads are paid for and upkept from car rego’s and petrol. It is only obvious that if bikes want to use the roads then they should help pay. (5.35)

The economics of driving are seldom examined in the Australian media – especially in the News Limited papers. The following article from The Australian the national broad sheet newspaper published by News Limited is interesting. I am aware that the readership of The Australian IS better educated and better off economically than the readership of News Limited’s tabloid papers eg the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph and the Adelaide Advertiser ETC but the article is interesting especially as it lays bear something that many motorists claim as a right – the issue of car storage.

The cost of free parking

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Christian Seibert | June 19, 2008

HOUSING affordability, cutting greenhouse emissions and easing the rising cost burden on low-income families are the issues of the day across the country.

Congestion in our cities is a problem and encouraging public transport use is also a challenge.

People are looking to the Rudd Government to address these challenges but, for all the discussion taking place, one factor linked to all these policy challenges has been overlooked. It relates to the minimum parking regulations that are a standard component of the urban planning frameworks of our cities.

In 2005, Donald Shoup, an economist and professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, published a book titled The High Cost of Free Parking, which provided important insights into problems associated with minimum parking regulations.

These regulations dictate the minimum amount of off-street parking spaces that any urban development must provide. They are meant to ensure there is an adequate supply of off-street parking for the additional cars that will be attracted to the development, minimising any spillover of cars parking on surrounding streets.

Most off-street parking provided in our cities in accordance with minimum parking regulation is free, but it is a mistake to think that because drivers don’t pay, nobody pays.

By requiring a development to provide a minimum amount of off-street parking, the cost of providing this parking is bundled into the cost of development. This then is passed on to the public through increases in the cost of all goods and services sold at sites that offer free parking.

This has various ill effects. First, so-called free parking distorts transport choices because by bundling the cost of parking into the prices of goods and services, the true cost of driving a car is hidden and it appears relatively cheaper to drive compared with walking, cycling or taking public transport.

For example, if you had to pay $2 up-front whenever you parked at your local shopping centre, you would think twice before driving and you might instead decide to walk, cycle or take public transport.

By encouraging car use in this way, it makes it harder to promote the use of public transport and contributes not only to congestion but also the greenhouse emissions caused by car use.

Second, free parking makes housing more expensive because residential developments are also required to provide a minimum amount of off-street parking. Although the regulations vary, houses are often required to have two parking spaces. This increases the cost of owning or renting a home. When you consider the cost of land in our cities, providing two parking spaces can be very expensive.

Even if you don’t own a car or own only one car, you still need to be provided with the two parking spaces, in which case you have to pay for something you don’t want and won’t use. Given the problem of housing affordability, it doesn’t make sense tohave regulations that increase housing costs and don’t benefit people whodon’t have a car or don’t need two car spaces.

Third, free parking harms those on low incomes. Increases in prices, caused by bundling the cost of parking into the cost of goods and services, have a disproportionate effect on those on low incomes. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, those on low incomes own fewer cars and therefore benefit less from the availability of off-street parking when compared with those on high incomes. The rising cost burden, especially on low-income families, is a big problem, and it doesn’t seem right to have regulations that increase the cost of goods and services such as everyday groceries and also make those on low incomes subsidise the car use of those on high incomes.

If these are some of the problems caused by minimum parking regulations, surely the solution is to remove these superfluous regulations. Many developments would still provide off-street parking, but it would be provided on the basis of commercial considerations and it is likely that considerably less would be provided than is the case at present. This would result in some spillover of cars parking on surrounding streets, putting pressure on the limited supply of on-street parking available in our cities.

The best way to manage this increased demand for on-street parking would be to charge a market price for on-street parking, a price that matches the demand for parking with the limited supply. There are several ways such a new pricing system could be implemented. Local governments could manage it themselves or on-street parking effectively could be privatised, with local government leasing on-street parking to private entrepreneurs who would then manage it.

Given that parking regulation is linked to so many of the policy challenges facing Australia, there is a strong argument to comprehensively reform it. It is a national issue, requiring a national response ideally as part of a broader reform of urban policy in Australia.

Christian Seibert is a Melbourne economist. His article, “There’s no such thing as a free parking space”, is in Policy magazine.”

The sheer cost of providing parking for cars let freeways, highways etc is staggering. Anyone reading this has to bear in mind that in Australia the motorist usually gets 3 hours parking for free. This is decimating the shopping strips of suburbs of the capital cities and small country towns. In some country towns the motorist does not pay for parking at shoppng centres but the parking is subject to the 3 hour limit. I know of a case where a brothel adverising in the Australian edition of Penthouse magazine advised it’s potential clients they could park in a near by shopping centre for 3 hours for free. 

As Milton Freedman would say “there is no such thing as a free lunch” by extension there is no such thing as free parking. The provision of free parking actively discourages use of public transport, walking and cycling and even dumps the cost of motoring onto consumers who do not use or own motor vehicles.