There is a positive piece in The Herald Sun today about bike riding!
http://tinyurl.com/on4wh
Back on yer bike!
21mar06
OVER the past few years I've got back into bike riding. I rode a bike as a kid, but once I was allowed to drive old Holdens, the bike was forgotten.
It's now making a comeback. I sometimes go riding with my kids, but mainly I ride for health and fitness reasons. You can often see me early in the morning, battling my way around the inner northern suburbs.
I'm afraid I don't cut a particularly dashing figure on my bike. People with incredibly muscly legs and bikes with really narrow tyres keep zooming past me as if I'm standing still.
Fortunately, there are all kinds of bike riders. It's not compulsory to look like a king parrot on steroids, like the couriers you see in the city.
There are heaps of daggy middle-aged pedallers like me out there.
Style is not a huge issue for most cyclists.
These days, you can buy a really good bike for three or four hundred dollars.
There are plenty of fantastic bike trails in Melbourne, and a lot more bike lanes than there used to be.
Avoiding cars can be a bit tricky, but on the whole I've found most drivers to be pretty considerate.
If you ride cautiously, you've got a pretty good chance of staying alive.
Bike riders need space, and they can't accelerate like cars and motorbikes.
The State Government is slowly building the metropolitan Trail Network throughout Melbourne. The Yarra Trail and Bay Trail both carry over a million riders every year.
It's great riding alongside the Yarra through beautiful parkland, or beside the bay with the city skyline as a backdrop.
Not many people ride their bikes to and from work.
Many live too far away. Most don't have the option of taking a shower when they get there.
Some, like me, have to travel around a fair bit during the day and can't afford the extra time required.
Until recently, bike riding has been largely an inner-city affair. Most of those who do ride to work travel into the city from the inner suburbs.
Most of the best bike trails are in the inner-city area, although there's a great trail heading through the outer eastern suburbs.
Thankfully, new trails are going to be built next to Geelong Road and the Eastlink Freeway.
There's plenty of great places to cycle in outer Melbourne and country Victoria, but not many that are built for the purpose.
A recent Newspoll found that less than half of those living in Melbourne's outer suburbs felt they had access to a safe place to ride a bike.
While the State Government deserves credit for expanding the trail network, increasing bike lanes on major roads and requiring cycling facilities in new buildings, there's a lot more to be done.
We're going to be reminded this week that Australia is a great cycling nation.
After the swimmers, cyclists are probably our best performers at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
We can't all be superfit and streamlined like the professionals, but we can very easily join in.
After a brisk 30-minute bike ride you'll feel a million dollars.
And while I'm not citing my own as evidence, if you want to improve your rear appearance, cycling's perfect.
Cycling isn't just good for your health. It's also good for local businesses.
Shops in Warburton get a lot of business from cyclists because it's strategically located on a major trail.
Petrol is getting dearer, we're getting fatter and the planet is getting warmer.
Cycling means saving money on petrol, living longer and protecting our environment.
It doesn't suit everyone, but with petrol heading back towards $1.30 per litre, and climate change threatening, it's a great way to help yourself and help our community.
So, if you're thinking about doing something different, I'd suggest you follow the famous advice from one of Margaret Thatcher's ministers.
On yer bike!
[email hidden]
LINDSAY TANNER is Labor finance spokesman and federal member for Melbourne
P.S. Had a great day at the TT and then at the Boxing tonight. Get down and see the fish on the Yarra for 10 minutes on the hour between 8pm and 11pm - very cute and free. The kiddies will love them. 😄