Spring into the Bendigo bush

Trail ride: the Spring in the Bendigo Bush ride introduced the delights of getting out of town on a bicycle. Photo: Frank Kinnesley Rail Trails Australia

Exploring the forest around Bendigo can be daunting if you don’t already know your way around. The Spring in the Bendigo Bush ride was a great opportunity to get out in the forest – without getting lost.

The City of Greater Bendigo usually organises a walk in the forest for the spring event. This year was a bike ride along the O’Keefe rail trail and back to Bendigo through the Wellsford forest with marshalling help from the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail.

Drizzle did not deter the 30 riders who set off on the 45 km circuit from the Pratts Park Road car park. We had visitors from Melbourne and Kilmore and two nine-year-old girls who completed it quite cheerfully as they do a lot of riding. So it’s a good ride for a family used to those sort of distances.

Comfort is a combination of saddle selection, technique and core strength

Chose your saddle & match the right techniques

One of the biggest turn offs for the majority of people trying out bike riding is coming to terms with the seating arrangements. Saddle selection is a personal choice of which some will give up after a few attempts because its all too hard in both the saddle selection and to get comfortable. A general rule for saddle selection is the overall length of the saddle is longer and narrower for men, where as women’s saddles are more likely to be shorter and wider. It is also best to check that the saddle is level as a starting point and not tilted forward as some may think as this can create more pressure.

 

 

 

 

Before jumping too far into what saddle may suit there are some skill techniques that can contribute to poor comfort and changing over many saddles may not be only answer.  New riders starting off adopt a posture that is more upright and select a mountain bike or a hybrid as these lend more to this style of posture.  This is not unrealistic but it does place the larger portion of the body weight directing onto the bottom, sit bones and spine. Cycling with ease and comfort is best achieved when the body weight shared over the feet, hands and bottom. When evenly distributed over the three areas the weight on the bottom is reduced. The core strength of the individual will dictate some comfort, if this is lacking then leaning over for any length of time will be a challenge.

Bendigo Triathelon Club a growing Community

The club currently is proud of over 140 athletes having competed in the last 12 months boosting membership across all age barriers with members in their 60’s still competing regularly right down to under 10’s. The clubs knows that without the valued support of local sponsors that this growth would not have been possible.

The club high lights has been over the last 20 years “Seeing athletes of all abilities grow over the years, some to elite level while others have had great longevity and are the motivators behind introducing new members to club level and beyond”.

Castlemaine Cycling Club 30 years young and virbrant

There were a few riders getting together to train over a period and they met one day to discuss starting a club, and a meeting was planned.  The Club was formed with a Public Meeting on 18th May 1978. There were 18 people present. Mr Barry Thornbury took the Chair and was voted in as the inaugural President.  There was a  motion: That a Cycling Club be formed and it be named the Castlemaine Amateur Cycling Club. Moved Mr A Morrow, 2nd Mr S Robins and Carried.

There were 18 present on the first night and the first race meeting was set for the 27th May 1978. The current membership is 62 and rising, with a strong component of juniors in the club.

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.