Freewheeling to the election

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...007146,00.html

FREEWHEELING TO THE ELECTION

by peter trute
march 13, 2007 12:00am

*RECENTLY a combination of greenhouse guilt and growing girth led me to
start riding a pushbike to work. It is not a game for the
faint-hearted.*

Riders face an absence of bike lanes and the natural hatred and envy
that exists between drivers and cyclists: drivers hate cyclists beating
them through peak hour and cyclists envy the drivers' air-conditioning
and six-stack CD players.

Despite all this, Sydney is leaping on to bikes with the same gusto it
took to motorscooters a few years ago.

Bike sales hit 1.3 million last year – exceeding those of motor
vehicles.

Why are people taking up cycling?

Well for one, it's free. Save $20 a week on your train fare and there's
five more beers on Friday.

It's also exercise, which you need with the extra beer.

But it won't really take off until it fixes its biggest problem:
cycling is not cool.

We cyclists know it can be fun – but non-cyclists remain nonplussed.

Having switched from a motorcycle to pedal-power I've had first-hand
experience of just how uncool the bicycle is. On a motorcycle you can
channel Marlon Brando in -The Wild One- or Steve McQueen in -The Great
Escape-.

On a bike you channel sweat, usually from your armpits down into your
socks.

You can talk about fitness and the environment but cycling retains some
crippling image problems.

Getting out of a climate-controlled sedan you will always look nicer
than if you just huffed up on a pushie. Even coming off a CityRail
train you'll look less flushed and sweaty.

Then there's the people problem.

Some of the worst ambassadors for cycling are, sadly, its most strident
supporters – those with the "one less car" stickers on a rusting Malvern
Star who treat every ride as a protest action. They cruise through the
traffic and red lights, glaring at drivers.

Also in need of an image makeover are the Critical Mass mob who
periodically block the Harbour Bridge in peak hour in the belief it
will make motorists want to join them rather than run them over.

But for cycling to truly make the mainstream, our leaders must embrace
it.

The industry-backed Cycling Promotion Fund has just surveyed candidates
in the NSW election on their attitudes to cycling. Results come out this
week but already the Liberals have released a policy to boost cyclist
numbers 100 per cent by 2011.

It's a start but would pale alongside the example set by Morris Iemma
and Peter Debnam swapping limos for a Speedwell.

As long as Speedo-loving Debnam can be steered away from lycra bike
pants.


--
LotteBum

The comments below this story are great.

Mitch said "maybe cycling isnt cool to you, but for the people like
myself who have been cycling for years with ripped legs busting out of
our tight lycra - it sure is. i dont think you've actually been cycling
enough to decide if its "cool" or not, so get back on the saddle, stop
caring what you look like."

What a champion!


--
LotteBum

LotteBum Wrote:
The comments below this story are great.

Mitch said "maybe cycling isnt cool to you, but for the people like
myself who have been cycling for years with ripped legs busting out of
our tight lycra - it sure is. i dont think you've actually been cycling
enough to decide if its "cool" or not, so get back on the saddle, stop
caring what you look like."

What a champion!

That's soooo cool!

Kinda feel like leaving a comment about how chicks dig quads, to help
along the discussion.

The NSW folk seem rather reserved compared to the pollies down here,
we're grown accustomed to seeing Hymie, Pretty Boy Thwaites & Big Ted
prancing around in swimwear.


--
cfsmtb

I like comment #10... now its #12... hmmm For no particular reason.....



lama
'thems fightin words!'


--
gplama

I left a comment regarding Richard of Sydney, who suggested that
cyclists should pay a road tax in order to pay for bikeways. Smart
boy, Richard.


--
LotteBum

LotteBum wrote:
I left a comment regarding Richard of Sydney, who suggested that
cyclists should pay a road tax in order to pay for bikeways. Smart
boy, Richard.



Ahh I responded to him too.

DaveB

I questioned "Dave of Brisbane"'s ability to attract females. Or anyone.


--
cfsmtb

Looks like gimps like Richard got a bit of a flogging.


--
LotteBum

On 2007-03-13, cfsmtb (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

LotteBum Wrote:
The comments below this story are great.

Mitch said "maybe cycling isnt cool to you, but for the people like
myself who have been cycling for years with ripped legs busting out of
our tight lycra - it sure is. i dont think you've actually been cycling
enough to decide if its "cool" or not, so get back on the saddle, stop
caring what you look like."

What a champion!

That's soooo cool!

Kinda feel like leaving a comment about how chicks dig quads, to help
along the discussion.

"James, why are you travelling so fast around blind corners that you
can't hope to stop in time if something happens to be around the
corner? What do you do when a fallen tree presents itself? A rock?
A stalled truck? A V8 engine block? A roo?

I live in a small country town where you might expect a number of
bogans who can't drive. Yet there's one particular crest where *no
one* is stupid enough to drive over it, faster than 60km/h, despite
it being a straight road. What's to say there isn't a roo over the
other side? Or the local bus going down in 1st gear? Wouldn't want
to hit that from behind. If you go over a crest, or around a corner
at a speed that means you can't safely stop in time to anything you
can't see, then you are going too fast. Hopefully you'll only do
damage to yourself, but I fear you'll probably end up hurting
someone innocent."

--
TimC
[advice on riding in traffic:] make eye contact with drivers at every
possible opportunity. If they make eye contact, they'll feel worse
about running over you. -- Davidm in aus.bicycle

On 2007-03-13, TimC (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
On 2007-03-13, cfsmtb (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
Kinda feel like leaving a comment about how chicks dig quads, to help
along the discussion.

"James, why are you travelling so fast around blind corners that you
can't hope to stop in time if something happens to be around the
corner? What do you do when a fallen tree presents itself? A rock?
A stalled truck? A V8 engine block? A roo?

I live in a small country town where you might expect a number of
bogans who can't drive. Yet there's one particular crest where *no
one* is stupid enough to drive over it, faster than 60km/h, despite
it being a straight road. What's to say there isn't a roo over the
other side? Or the local bus going down in 1st gear? Wouldn't want
to hit that from behind. If you go over a crest, or around a corner
at a speed that means you can't safely stop in time to anything you
can't see, then you are going too fast. Hopefully you'll only do
damage to yourself, but I fear you'll probably end up hurting
someone innocent."

Heh. I think that just went up.

Let's try for this one:

"Andrew of Canberra: Not only is riding 2 abreast (3 if one is
overtaking the other two) legal, it is also often the safest thing
for a cyclist to do for visibility (and that's up to the cyclist to
decide what's safest for them personally; not each individual
abusive and/or ignorant motorist).

As to the cycle path next to the road? Does it have good access
ramps to the road? Does it go where the cyclist wants to go (is the
cyclist going to be turning off 500m down the road)? Does the path
continually cross side streets, each crossing of which puts the
cyclist at risk from careless drivers? Is the path in OK condition
with no cracks in it (note: you can't effectively make this
judgement from behind a car windscreen from the road whilst
driving)? Does the path have lots of inexperienced cyclists on it
slowing down or endangering experienced cyclists (in other words, I
presume it's OK for you to tell a cyclist that they can't slow you
down, but you don't mind if they are slowed down themselves)?
Despite that path being marked "cyclists only", does it have lots of
leashed dogs, or worse, unleashed dogs, on it?

And the biggy. Given that the current cycle path network in
Melbourne is about 1.5% as dense as the road network, does the cycle
network really take the cyclist where they want to go without a long
detour through "scenic" locations when the cyclist just wants to get
from A to B as efficiently and reasonably as possible?

Your other complaint about rule breaking -- I haven't personally run
a red light in 4 years (I did occasionally when I knew it was safe,
before getting defensive riding education). You'll find the ones
you spot breaking the laws blatantly are the most visible. Look
carefully next time, and you'll probably see an equal number of
cyclists sitting at the red light frowning at the idiot that just
blew through them. They'll also be frowning at the 4 idiots who
just blew through the amber and red turning arrow in their cars.

I'll stick to the roads, ta."

--
TimC
Brain fried (core dumped)