Everyone who read the last post will know I wanted to write something about Canberra. To update everyone, I moved to the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) in September for work. I have cycled in the ACT on a number of previous occasions. It is a nice area although it has its issues.
I was put up for 3 weeks in the Pavillion on Northbourne – a motel with Serviced Apartments. It was reasonable but lacked cooking facilities. I took the Green Trek there and began riding to work in my second week. There are more people cycling to work in the ACT than there are in Sydney. I feel that this is due to their superior facilities. To get to Customs House, I rode down the bike lane on Northbourne Avenue and then went left into London Circuit and then rode down Constitution Avenue. I then took a left into Allara Street and then went up a lane and then rode into the basement car park (there are more bicycles parked there than cars.
While I was in the Pavillion I had to look for permanent accommodation. I found a unit in Mawson and I keep the bikes inside. I now use the bike path from Mawson to Adelaide avenue where there is on road cycling facilities which I take to State circuit and then ride over the bridge over Lake Burley Griffin. I then ride around a block so I can get to London Circuit and then do as I did before
I have yet to get a locker – there is a waiting list and I am on it. I keep a suit bag with my office clothes in the office. I leave it over night in the locker room and take it with me after I get dressed.
The process is a bit different for the ride home. I ride up Northbourne and then take State Circuit. I then go up Adelaide Avenue and follow it all the way to Woden. I then use all of the on road facilities until I get to Hindmarsh Drive where I go onto the bike path. I then take the bike path back to Mawson and from there get back to my unit.
So far the trouble from idiotic motorists has just been the issue of space invaders on the on road facilities and some abuse from idiots. One of which sounded his horn while I was riding up Northbourne Avenue on the way to the Sutton Roadhouse on the Federal Highway (they make good milkshakes!).
I recently joined Pedal Power the local equivalent of Bicycle NSW. I signed up on their website and went to their office and bought the red book which was loaded with some interesting rides. They run a large number of social rides. I went on one last week which left from Acton ferry terminal.
It was quite a mixed group mostly older riders. There was some people my age there. I broke the ice with a few people. I met a couple on a tandem – I enjoyed talking with them. The ride went from Acton around Lake Burley Griffin into Reid, behind the war memorial and on to a cafe in Dickson. It was from there that everyone went their separate ways. It wasn’t quite the training ride that I was expecting but it wasn’t bad.
I went on to a bicycle shop in Lyneham, I was browsing there and saw some single speed bikes. Apparently this shop in Lyneham specialises in single speed and fixed gear bikes. It is quite a good shop. I went there yesterday and got a new seat post for the Shogun Katana. It was fitted and is a vast improvement on the original seatpost.
I got to test ride one of the SE Drafts they had on the rack. It has been a bike I was looking at ordering off the internet because they are cheap. As with everything cheap there is a reason. In fact I found out why there have been some critical comments on the internet about this bike. It weighed about the same as the Katana (which by the way had 2 chain rings + 7 cogs at the back and 2 bidons with water in them and a wedge pack with spare tube and tools and a rear light!!!!). This was due to the fact that the SE Draft is made of High Tensile Steel and has a number of heavy low end parts. It has a BMX style one piece crank set. This would make it difficult to fit SPD pedals (I would have to get a set of adaptors if I were to make it work). I also eyed up a Mongoose Maurice HiTen- it is a smilar story to the SE Draft. Unlike it’s more expensive cromoly brother it is 11.25 kgs and and it is made up of low grade parts. It would make a good project but I will wait a bit more before deciding if I buy a single speed.
I have enjoyed riding in Canberra and will be looking at joining a club soon. I know there are 3 potential clubs that would be good fun to join. There is the Canberra Cycling Club – which is affiliated to Cycling Australia. The Tuggeranong Vikings Cycling Club which is also affiliated to Cycling Australia and the ACT Vets which is affiliated to the veterans cycling organisation. I have heard there are some informal training rides but I will wait and see what happens as regards joining a club.
In any case there is plenty of variety in the cycling events in the ACT. I was able to catch up with Lindsay Munks and some of the people from Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club at Mount Stromlo for the Scott 24 hour race. They had a ball and Lindsay won some good gear. It was good catching up with them. I was interested in the 24 hour race and gave Mountain biking some thought. The race is an event for the Canberra Off Road Cyclists. They are a mountain bike Club with good local connections so it would be useful to keep them in mind should I go in for mountain biking.
I have found the ACT interesting and will post another post soon on the Tour of Canberra’s hills as soon as I find the time.
Jonathonsbicycleblog's Weblog 