The Ride of Silence will not be quiet

150 cycilsts took part in Bendigo's 2009 Ride of Silence. Photo: Eddie Barkla

On May 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence began in North America to roll across the globe. In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. There is no brochure, no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride is a chance to show respect:

• To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
• To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
• To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD

Keep roads cycling safe and beautiful

Road-side debris like this steel rod can damage bikes and injure cyclists. (Photo Dr Aaron Anderson)

Some of us may remember a national campaign to “keep Australia beautiful” and not to spread our rubbish around.  It may well be worth re-visiting this as cyclist we are at risk to debris rubbish that finds its way onto the road verge.

The obvious is the broken glass that will pierce a tyre and tube very quickly to the bricks and large articles that if struck by a cyclist is likely to make the front wheel come out from under the rider and subsequently end up off the bike on the road.

National Ride2School Day

Kids enjoy some exercise and independence by riding to school. (Photo Eddie Barkla)

Wednesday 25 March was National Ride2School day which is a “Go for your life” initiative with the hope building behaviours and connections to assist our youth to be healthy and active.

‘Medical experts tell us that school students should be aiming for at least 60 minutes of daily activity to beat off obesity-related diseases, including diabetes 2 and cardiovascular disease,’ according to Ms Leigh Snelling, Ride2School’s Director. Leigh said National Ride2School Day was a great way of showing how easy it is to include exercise into daily routine for a healthier, cleaner and greener future.

The golden rule: courtesy and safety always

Cyclists should take a whole lane when approaching a roundabout and make their intentions very clear.

One of the many joys of being a dad is teaching your children to drive a car.  Even though we had taught our children to drive on farm at a very early age when it came time get their licences we employed a driving instructor.

We had taught them many aspects of using gears, braking and keeping control of the car in a straight-line and in difficulties to remain composed and not to overreact.  The driving instructor added the aspects that keep them within the road rules and their application to sharing the road safely.  Things like checking mirrors and head check over the shoulder prior  to making any decisions of changing speed by braking or using indicators for a directional change into another lane or at an intersection. 

Festival of the Wheel Castlemaine

The weekend of 25th-26th October 2008 will host an exciting  inaugural event for Castlemaine. A major fun, fitness and environment event in and around the town for all sorts of cyclists will usher in the first annual Festival of the Wheel’.

The Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, or MASG, which was established in 2006 and boasts nearly 800 members, is organizing the multiple rides, the night of entertainment and the Don KRC Family Day in the Botanical Gardens as a fundraiser to support its efforts to cut our greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable world.

Over the past few years, bike riding has boomed in Castlemaine. As well as road and trail riding in abundance, bikes are now used for carrying freight (including bread delivery), passengers (via the new MASG trishaw) and for getting kids to school on the front or back. Riding to work has also become increasingly popular. The Festival will build on this trend and stage a terrific weekend of cycling for all levels and types of riders. There will also be great entertainment on the Saturday night and Sunday.

Cycling Lanes for co-existence of shared road users

Photo by Vanessa Barkla

Bike lanes are a great place for cyclists to make safe passage with other shared road users. Or are they? It would seem there is a large proportion of the general public have the view that cyclists should keep to the bike lane as this is a designated area allocated for their sharing of the road.  What happens when the bike lane dissolves and suddenly riders and other shared road users are in the same space? What about when riders chose to ride on a road where there is no designated bike lane or a marked road verge that allows for cyclists to have a small part of the road or even a centre line marked to show what space is to be shared? Is this wrong that riders should use this road?
These are all factors that have for’s and against and there is no right or wrong answer but the desire to co-exist as legal entities on the road space.  There are a number of other issues that cyclist’s face that can frustrate motorists as to why some cyclists find it difficult to keep in a bike lane.

“Look left, look right, look bike” for safe entry into merging traffic

Look left look righ look bike

No matter how brightly you dress use lights of the highest brightness if you are not in the line of vision and the thinking of the approaching motorist  we are vulnerable as cyclists. Being predictable certainly helps being seen along with wearing bright clothing as well as the lights that shine brightly and flash in a manner to draw attention of other shared road users all make for a high priority . Being predictable in where we place ourselves on the road surface so that we can be readily seen and see others ourselves allows for taking care and attention of the detail of approaching road user’s speed and their mannerisms’ to detect whether they are being cautious or lack thereof.

“Ride of Silence 2008″ Bendigo

Bendigo cyclists will join a worldwide bicycle rally to raise awareness that cyclists, pedestrians and motorists all share the road.
Reason:

To honour those who have been injured or killed on our roads

To raise awareness that we all share the limited transport infrastructure of this city

To ask that we all share the road in a considerate and safe manner

To highlight the urgent need for suitable, safe infrastructure of cyclists

Cycling and walking are safe activities. Riding a bike or walking to work, school, the shops or just for fun also has a health benefit that driving doesn’t.

Good for the heart and hip pocket

Commute by bike
The cry that continues to ring out across the nation, “petrol prices are on the rise” is opening the mind of many people as to how to meet the cost of living and keep driving a car.

Cycling to work is a cost- effective means of transport.

At the same time it has the benefit of increasing your health and wellbeing.

Cyclists are not stationary objects

A friend’s uncle was a flying instructor during World War II. Conducting low-level manoeuvres over Werribee, a nervous passenger once asked if he realised how close they were to the ground. “Yes,” he replied, “but I never look, because where I look I go.”

It’s counterintuitive, but you shouldn’t look directly at an obstacle in order to pass it safely.