I've recently been doing some media analysis as part of one ongoing project on the hatred of cyclists and a new project that is looking at the reporting of cycling in the Australian print media over the last 5-10 years. One of the most alarming things I've discovered is the complex language politics between "cycling" and "cyclists". "Cycling" is an activity involving bicycles and can include anything from riding to the local shops to participating in the Tour de France. "Cyclists" are identified as people who ride bikes and therefore could be almost anyone.
One of the strange things I've found is that when you conflate cycling and cyclists and then look at all the positive and negative attributes associated with each in the media, the positives are almost universally associated with "cycling" as an activity (ie. its fun, healthy, environmentally good, and convenient) whereas the negatives are almost always associated or tagged on "cyclists" as a group of persons (i.e. cyclists 'are' irresponsible, dangerous, arrogant, inconvenient). For the purposes of clarity it would be nice to partition each of these concepts and analyse them separately, however like most things involving language, they tend to slide around and stick to eachother. For instance, we hear that ‘Cycling is dangerous'... because its an activity that involves exposure to motor cars and/or because cyclists are irresponsible and break the road rules etc. How then do we response to this perception of cycling/cyclists as 'dangerous'? What's the danger – cycling, cyclists or fast moving automobiles? The language we use to account for 'cycling' and 'cyclists' seems to be incredibly important in framing many of the political debates. My sense is that by focusing on/positioning cyclists as some (out)group, it is easier for the media to engage in the politics of blame and in doing so evade questioning what may be good about cycling and how we might want to encourage it.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Bikelove interview
I was recently interviewed about some of my research on cyclist/motorist interactions by Jo Jones on 2Ser Radio 107.3FM. You can listen to the program at: http://bikelove.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Early Bird
One of my favourite films from the recent Bicycle Film Festival was called Early Bird, written, directored and produced by the Melbourne animation artist Trace Balla. The film traces the thoughts that go through ones mind when considering the different experiences we have of traveling to work each day by bike and by car. You can now watch it at the Portable Film Festival's website.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Changes
The public consultation on the proposed Union Street cycleway finished today. I took this time lapse photography of the current intersection just for prosperity. Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to take a new clip when the new cycleway is built.
Its a very exciting time to see some real changes begin to occur and slowly fill in some of the missing links across the city. Here are some pics of the soon to be finished King Street cycleway. King street has always been a major missing link in creating any east-west cycle network across the city.
Very soon, cyclists will no longer have to merge up the hill with 4 lanes of fast moving traffic turning off the Darling Habour expressway overpass.
Talk of the cycleways has been all through the print media and radio this week. Of course the Telegraph and its readers have been going off with the usual anti-cyclist tirade. One has to wonder what has happened to journalistic ethics when reporters begin news articles with sentences such as:
Its a very exciting time to see some real changes begin to occur and slowly fill in some of the missing links across the city. Here are some pics of the soon to be finished King Street cycleway. King street has always been a major missing link in creating any east-west cycle network across the city.
Very soon, cyclists will no longer have to merge up the hill with 4 lanes of fast moving traffic turning off the Darling Habour expressway overpass.
Talk of the cycleways has been all through the print media and radio this week. Of course the Telegraph and its readers have been going off with the usual anti-cyclist tirade. One has to wonder what has happened to journalistic ethics when reporters begin news articles with sentences such as:
THEY are the bane of motorists everywhere and now they're set for an even bigger share of the city's roads.Thank God the DT has warned its readers that the cycling-folkdevil is out on the streets and its coming to get them!
Monday, December 01, 2008
Sydney Community Bicycle Workshop
For the last two Monday nights, I've headed to the Nunnery Bike Co-Op (now know as the Sydney Community Bicycle Workshop). It has only been two years since I'd been there, but in that time I'd moved twice and now the bike workshop had moved to the end of my street in Waterloo. Here is some timelapse photography of the workshop in action.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The high cost of free parking
I just heard about this film from the wonderful collection of films at Streetfilms. Dr Donald Shoup has written a book called The High Cost of Free Parking and it seem to be getting some tread. For too long, the consequences of on and off street parking has been ignored by planners and urban policy makers. This film suggests that a pricing approach to parking not only makes it easy to park, it also reduces congestion and has the potential to make far more friendly urban environments.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Fuji Touring
I've just bought a new Fuji Touring bike. It was one of those rash non-thinking decisions. My old Trek has been a mess over the last few months and I wasn't able to get it up and running well on my commutes. I also want to do some touring up the coast this summer then in Tasmania next year. I walked into Cheeky Monkey tried two touring bikes and said 'I'll have that one'. The Fuji is well priced, simple, rides well and has a good looking classic geometry. I don't care if its not the toughest most techy touring bike out there. I'm not really into fully loaded touring. I just want a good commuter that I can take traveling. To make room for the new bike, I've decided to pass on the Malvern Star and then I think the Trek will go as well once I've taken all the parts I want. So here is the new bike.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Oulipo One
Come all ye crazy...
Sat 22 Nov, 10am-2pm | Meet Newtown Square, outside the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre
The French Oulipo are a colborating group of writers and mathematicians who use mathematical constraints to produce experimental writing. The results are often unusual and surprisingly beautiful. In homage to the Oulipo, we will be guided by a logarithmic spiral as we explore the city by bike. Bring your video or still camera or collect findings as you go. There will be an opportunity to publish and share our experiences of the ride online. We'll ride to the nearest train station when we finish at 2pm.
Ride type: experimental - roads, paths, laneways, alleyways, underpasses - whatever
Distance: no idea
Speed: leisurely with lots of stops - this ride is really about the journey
Oddness factor: high
Weather prediction: BOM predicts chance of showers and wind - we'll ride unless it buckets
Bring: your lunch or some money for a feed/coffee along the way, your camera, zip lock bags to collect stuff, a sense of curiosity
Sat 22 Nov, 10am-2pm | Meet Newtown Square, outside the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre
The French Oulipo are a colborating group of writers and mathematicians who use mathematical constraints to produce experimental writing. The results are often unusual and surprisingly beautiful. In homage to the Oulipo, we will be guided by a logarithmic spiral as we explore the city by bike. Bring your video or still camera or collect findings as you go. There will be an opportunity to publish and share our experiences of the ride online. We'll ride to the nearest train station when we finish at 2pm.
Ride type: experimental - roads, paths, laneways, alleyways, underpasses - whatever
Distance: no idea
Speed: leisurely with lots of stops - this ride is really about the journey
Oddness factor: high
Weather prediction: BOM predicts chance of showers and wind - we'll ride unless it buckets
Bring: your lunch or some money for a feed/coffee along the way, your camera, zip lock bags to collect stuff, a sense of curiosity
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sydney Bike Film Festival in pictures
Its been a busy and wonderful few weeks for all things cycling. Here's just a few pics from some the events that have been happening round town:
Gilbert Grace's solo exhibition Road:Works at Regard Gallery, Wilson St.
Courier Fashion parade at the opening night party in May's Lane.
Praise be to gentrification. Art work from Rode exhibition At The Vanishing Point
E.T. inspired art from the Rode exhibition At The Vanishing Point
Cheeky Monkey Rock n' Roll Bike Parade
Full house at the Sydney Bike Film Festival, Dendy Newtown
The wonderful BikeSydney/BFF Sydney organising committee.
Luis (sometimes know as Lu-Gu) at the Deus ex Machina BikeSwap meet.
BikeSaint serves the best tofu burgers in town at the Cheeky Transport (very early) Christmas Picnic - more photos here.
Gilbert Grace's solo exhibition Road:Works at Regard Gallery, Wilson St.
Courier Fashion parade at the opening night party in May's Lane.
Praise be to gentrification. Art work from Rode exhibition At The Vanishing Point
E.T. inspired art from the Rode exhibition At The Vanishing Point
Cheeky Monkey Rock n' Roll Bike Parade
Full house at the Sydney Bike Film Festival, Dendy Newtown
The wonderful BikeSydney/BFF Sydney organising committee.
Luis (sometimes know as Lu-Gu) at the Deus ex Machina BikeSwap meet.
BikeSaint serves the best tofu burgers in town at the Cheeky Transport (very early) Christmas Picnic - more photos here.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Escape Artist
Cycling became my new home. The small society of racing cyclists offered another noble cause to fill that vacuum, without the ideological baggage. In cycling I found a way to recreate the sense of direction that had abandoned me when the Party softly imploded. But where the communist cause had been about constant refining of means towards endlessly postponed utopian ends, cycling, with its satisfying circularities, presented itself as an ideal project: one in which the means and ends were identical. (Matt Seaton, The Escape Artist, p136)I've just read Matt Seaton's novel The Escape Artist. More than anything else, the book highlights the strange obsessiveness that comes with cycling and ‘the decision’ to be come a racing cyclist. For the outsider, cycling is a very strange obsession involving massive sacrifices in time and energy knocking up countless kilometres while others are out having fun, gaining valuable sleep, or attending to more serious responsibilities. What outsiders don’t see is the narcotic dimension of pushing oneself to the limits in the quest to become stronger and faster. The paradox of this obsession is its incompatibility with any other kind of life. To become a good cyclist, one has to get the kilometres in the legs that leaves little time for much else. Cycling simply becomes life. For the competitive cyclist, time off the bike it marked with a sense of guilt as one watches one’s precious fitness disintegrate while others improve. To be a racing cyclist, one has to be a monomaniac:
But cycling does nothing if not make one single-minded and dogged (or perhaps the doggedness and monomania are already embronically within those that choose cycling). (p176)The Escape Artist is essentially a story of coming to terms with a cycling addiction and slowly withdrawing from it. Its a novel that I'd recommend to any amateur cyclist. In real life, Seaton went on to become the first cycling columnist of The Guardian newspaper.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
The consequences of street design
Just saw this great little video clip via: How We Drive
For an alternative look at how one can design roads differently, check out David Hembrow's recent post on the Woonerf sign in the Netherlands.
The blue sign shown here is that which you find in a woonerf, or in English "living street". This is the modern equivalent of a play street, and the sign shows kids playing as being larger, and more important, than cars.
David points out that similar signs were once common in England but disappeared over time. I would love to know if they ever existed here in Australia.
For an alternative look at how one can design roads differently, check out David Hembrow's recent post on the Woonerf sign in the Netherlands.
The blue sign shown here is that which you find in a woonerf, or in English "living street". This is the modern equivalent of a play street, and the sign shows kids playing as being larger, and more important, than cars.
David points out that similar signs were once common in England but disappeared over time. I would love to know if they ever existed here in Australia.
Bling!
On Saturday, I went out to Peter Bundy cycles in Riverwood to pick up some steel track bars for my track bike. I've also upgraded the bike with a very comfy fizek saddle and some Conti supersonic tyres that are rated to 145psi. Its amazing how little you have to do to turn a bike from feeling ordinary to just amazing.
Later in the day I raced at Tempe as part of Dulwich Hill's Omunium series. It was not the best turn out with many people put off by the threat of rain, but we still had a great time. I discovered that my best event is the 3000m time trial in which I was second fastest in a time off (I think) 4mins 28secs (not that anyone was going to beat Simon). I hope to put more energy in to track racing in the future. Racing at Dunc Gray through winter has been great fun although the food at the Handle Bar Tavern leaves something to be desired. I find road riding a bit boring. Its very expensive when you consider the money and time costs that go into it. Most Opens are way out of Sydney taking up the entire weekend and I do like to have time for other things. At the opens, many of the Pro crews turn up in there big buses and don't really engage the commoner/club racer. However, the track has a much more convivial spirit. You race, have some fun, race again, watch the elite riders do their thing, then head out for food and drinks. Its not like you need a bus load of bikes and a support crew to be a trackie.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Road exhibition
The Bicycle Film Festival's Road Exhibition officially kicked off on Saturday night with a cheeky fashion show in May's Lane St Peters. Check out Sydney Body Art Ride for a full review of the evening including some interesting dealings with the police. There is also some youtube film floating around from the night.
There are three more bike art events kicking off this week, including the Mystery Tour exhibition which I attempted to get in (but failed!). The details are below:
Tuesday 4 Nov 4:30-7pm | Road: Works
Regard Gallery | 372 Wilson Street, Darlington
Oil paintings, prints and sketches by Gilbert Grace inspired by the Sydney
Green Ring. Sneak a preview at http://gilbertgrace.com
Wednesday 5 Nov 5:30-8pm | Road: Mystery Tour
Cheeky Transport | 3a Georgina Street, Newtown.
Bike touring photographs with a twist.
Thursday 6 Nov 6-9pm | Road: Rode
At the Vanishing Point | 565 King Street, Newtown
Over 30 participating artists. Diverse mediums including painting,
sculpture, jewellery, installation, video, photography and interactive new
media. Spread the bicycle love around.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Mimesis, time, change
Being involved in cycling advocacy it is often easy to feel very glum about the current state of things in this city. This blog is no more than a symptomatic account to such thoughts of which I stand guilty as charged. Sydney is not a very easy city to cycle around. The NSW government is the lowest spending state government on cycling in Australia. The political culture is dominated by the twin-engines of cab-charge elitism and petrol-headed popularism. It takes a lot of personal motivation to want to cycle in this city, to overcome a fear of traffic, to create a disjointed cyclists’ street directory in your head, and to find somewhere to lock up your bike. But then once you work it out, it’s hard to imagine any other way of getting around. Cycling is a source of joy and happiness in my life, although sometimes it’s easy for me to labour on all the bad things that happen like that former Roads Minister who said cyclists should ‘avoid peak hour’, that jerk in the ute who cut me off, and that deranged Daily Telegraph reader who likes to spread hatred. In such an environment, its easy to burn with resentment and indignation if that is all one sees in the world. But is that all there is to see?
This morning I went for a ride to Centennial Park which was packed with commuters and training cyclists. Cyclists were blooming like flowers coming out after winter. As I crossed back over Anzac Parade I saw panniers galore and a mini-peloton of cyclists had formed at the lights. I ride through Centennial at least twice a week and I see the park becoming busy with more people turning to bikes. Of course, such random observations have no validity and my own exposure to seeing more cyclists could create my own delusions of progress. But then again, counting the number of people who cycle on one day in August every 5 years is a rather static and hardly rigorous methodology for measuring the levels of cycling in a society. Seeing a crowed park of cyclists, I am drawn to think more positive thoughts. While cycling numbers may slowly crawl out of that mystical and abstract 1%, small changes of which have been noted can be very significant in shifting things over time. Exposure, multiplication and mimesis all reveal the tautological truism that when more people cycle, more people cycle.
According to Don Watson indignation is a ‘tiring emotion’. For those who want to battle the 'forces of evil', Nietzsche once wrote that one has to be wary of becoming a monster when fighting a monster. As people who want to see Sydney become a better city for cyclists, sometimes its important just to take a broad perspective and enjoy the positive changes that are slowly unfolding around us.
This morning I went for a ride to Centennial Park which was packed with commuters and training cyclists. Cyclists were blooming like flowers coming out after winter. As I crossed back over Anzac Parade I saw panniers galore and a mini-peloton of cyclists had formed at the lights. I ride through Centennial at least twice a week and I see the park becoming busy with more people turning to bikes. Of course, such random observations have no validity and my own exposure to seeing more cyclists could create my own delusions of progress. But then again, counting the number of people who cycle on one day in August every 5 years is a rather static and hardly rigorous methodology for measuring the levels of cycling in a society. Seeing a crowed park of cyclists, I am drawn to think more positive thoughts. While cycling numbers may slowly crawl out of that mystical and abstract 1%, small changes of which have been noted can be very significant in shifting things over time. Exposure, multiplication and mimesis all reveal the tautological truism that when more people cycle, more people cycle.
According to Don Watson indignation is a ‘tiring emotion’. For those who want to battle the 'forces of evil', Nietzsche once wrote that one has to be wary of becoming a monster when fighting a monster. As people who want to see Sydney become a better city for cyclists, sometimes its important just to take a broad perspective and enjoy the positive changes that are slowly unfolding around us.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
"You think thats a Schwinn?"
I saw Burn After Reading lastnight at the incredible ripoff cinemas at Broadway. I completely enjoyed the film (like most Cohen bros films) although the use of Pitt and Clooney didn't really ad much. Not as good as Steve Buscemi or Javier Bardem. Being a bike geek it was difficult not to notice the many little bike jokes in the film. Chad Feldenheimer (played by Brad Pitt) is a dopey personal trainer who attempts extortion against a former CIA agent Ozzie Cox (played brilliantly by John Malkovich). Anyway, I won't spoil the jokes for you but there is even a strange product (dis)placement for Kryptonite locks.
Picnic Crawl
Today I went on a ride called the Picnic Crawl organised by Jacqui @ Transport Impacts with the UNSW Bike Club. On this perfect spring day, we went on rolling picnic from Centennial Park to the Botanical Gardens and finally onto Jubilee Park. It was a lot of fun as we gorged ourselves on food, played frisbie and I had a go at using juggling sticks. There was even an impromptu bike maintenance courses by Chris from the Nunnery. The only thing missing was a rug, but a picnic wouldn't be a picnic unless we forget something.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Weighty matters
I read in the paper this morning about a new Commonwealth Government intervention aimed at tackling obesity. I don’t watch TV so maybe its been around for a while. The program is called MeasureUp. Australia is the second fattest country in the world only beaten by the US. According to the website:
Obesity is such a simple thing to understand yet surprisingly it is one of the most difficult things to beat. To loose weight you just have to eat better (more fruit and vegies) and exercise more. The massive weight loss industry promotes personal motivation as the key to weight loss, however I’ve always believed that it is much more about structuring habits within daily life. If you work long hours, drive a lot, and are time poor, your opportunities for regular exercise radically diminish and you'll put on weight. Add personal stress with comfort eating and obesity will be knocking at the door. As a twenty-one year old, I bulked up to a massive 115kg before deciding on a path of drastic action. I joined a soccer team and started swimming at least 5km a week and totally cut out rich foods. I lost 35kg in a year and have never gone back although I can fluctuate at times. For the last few years, cycling has been my main way of incorporating exercise into my life. I love it because I don’t have to think about being physically active, its just part of how I get around.
One of the most fascinating dimensions of obesity is its relationship with transportation systems and cultures, yet few people are aware of this. Human beings have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years and for almost all of this time have been walking and physically active throughout their lives. It’s only been in the last 50 odd years that a large proportion of the population in some wealthy countries have spent their lives moving around in cars and behind PCs. Then we then wonder why there is an obesity epidemic. The relationship between levels of trasnport and obesity is so clear as this diagram points out:MeasureUp encourages people to measure their waistline, not check there overall weight because it focuses on measuring what is called intra-abdominal fat that is particularly problematic in terms of many preventable lifestyle diseases. The website even has a cutout tape measure which you can print on an A4 page if you are feeling very crafty.
In 2005, 7.4 million Australian adults or 1 in 2 was overweight or obese2, and, irrespective of your height or build, if your waistline is getting bigger it could mean you are at increased risk of developing a chronic disease such as some cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Obesity is such a simple thing to understand yet surprisingly it is one of the most difficult things to beat. To loose weight you just have to eat better (more fruit and vegies) and exercise more. The massive weight loss industry promotes personal motivation as the key to weight loss, however I’ve always believed that it is much more about structuring habits within daily life. If you work long hours, drive a lot, and are time poor, your opportunities for regular exercise radically diminish and you'll put on weight. Add personal stress with comfort eating and obesity will be knocking at the door. As a twenty-one year old, I bulked up to a massive 115kg before deciding on a path of drastic action. I joined a soccer team and started swimming at least 5km a week and totally cut out rich foods. I lost 35kg in a year and have never gone back although I can fluctuate at times. For the last few years, cycling has been my main way of incorporating exercise into my life. I love it because I don’t have to think about being physically active, its just part of how I get around.
(Source: Pucher & Dijkstra, 2003 taken from Vote For Cycling)The MeasureUp campaign may provoke a few people to take action, but is this really sustainable health promotion? As almost any cycling advocate will prostheletise, obesity can only be reduced by making broader cultural changes in ways most people get around and the urban forms and transport policies which make such movement viable. American's spend 35 billion dollars a year on diet products, yet they would appear to have very little to show for it.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Ride to Work Day at MQ
We had our second ride to work day breakfast at Macquarie Uni yesterday. The event seemed a bit smaller than last year that could have been due to the weather. I think Ride 2 Work is an important event but I'm starting to question how helpful it is in encouraging new cyclists. When I spoke to riders at the breakfast yesterday, almost everyone was already 'converted' to the cause. In this sense the event just served as a recognition or reward for continuing the activity. However, for critical perspectives on Ride to Work events, check out this article.My sense is that new and potential cyclists need a lot more social support to start riding with the development of basic skills and confidence. Many people experience cycling as difficult for the first few weeks and will walk up hills, have a sore backsides and ride on the footpath when intimidated by cars. Single events without preparation can just confirm a false perception of cycling as hard and/or dangerous. In regards to the whole BikeEd thing, I recently learned about a new program to develop bicycle education called AustCycle:
I love the concept of promoting 'cycle-craft'.Research carried out by AustCycle founders suggested that the Australian community was missing out on quality learning opportunities in cycling, other than in scattered pockets where committed trainers had worked very hard to meet a demand for cycling advice and experience.
As a result of limited opportunities, the level of ‘cycle-craft’ in society, that was once nearly universal, has narrowed such that cycling proficiency in 2008 is limited to a small proportion of the population.
Monday, October 13, 2008
You give me road rage
Road rage seems to be something of a perennial topic on Yellow Brick Road. Well yesterday was another incident for the record. I was riding along Ramsay St in Haberfield at around 6pm on my way home from Uni. As I was riding, a man in orange sports ute rego BCR18W cut me off at high speed with barely a foot or two between us. As he passed, the driver stuck his finger up at me, clearly enjoying this action. As is almost always the case, I caught up to him one minute later at the lights but I kept well away. Anyone who rides a lot knows that there are certain drivers that seem to be more likely to cause trouble than others and while it is prejudicial to judge a person by their car, this phenomena has been studied in the 2002 article Drivers’ perceptions of cyclists.
While it’s harsh of me to stereotype and pathologise anyone who drivers a ute as a potential cycle-hater, I do see a strong correlation between utes and a lot of cultural ideas about power and masculinity. One just has to think of the ads that are used to sell utes:
But then again, ads rarely live up to reality.
When the drivers were placed under test situations in a driving simulator, the researchers found a relationship between the size of the professional drivers vehicle and the amount of consideration they gave to cyclists.
When prompted, all the professional drivers, regardless of whether they were carrying goods or passengers, tended to be less accepting of cyclists’ presence on the roads they were using. They felt their livelihood was being interfered with – particularly if they were held up by a cycle, which was obviously slower than other vehicles, within their lane. It was reported that being caught behind a cyclist added further to the pressure on their work schedules. ... These respondents tended to be of the opinion that cyclists should not be on the road at all.
... professional drivers and some male domestic drivers tended to blame the cyclist for not knowing what he was meant to do, apparently through a lack of proper training and the absence of any obligatory cycling test. These groups also felt that cyclists were not responsible for the consequences of their actions, as they did not pay insurance and were generally free from enforcement, and so did not care about their behaviour.
Analysis by driver type reveals some subtle differences in driving behaviour. Professional drivers of larger vehicles were more likely than other drivers to say that they would act more cautiously (86% reported they would slow down and wait behind the cyclist). The responses of professional drivers of smaller vehicles, in contrast, indicated this group was slightly less likely than other drivers to act cautiously...In other words, while this would suggest that buses typically slow down, drivers of smaller vehicles such as utes, small vans and cabs are less likely to concede speed or give space to cyclists.
While it’s harsh of me to stereotype and pathologise anyone who drivers a ute as a potential cycle-hater, I do see a strong correlation between utes and a lot of cultural ideas about power and masculinity. One just has to think of the ads that are used to sell utes:
But then again, ads rarely live up to reality.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Talking up bikes
I went to the Ashfield Council's Carnival of Cultures this morning to help run ASHBUGs cycling promotions stall. It was one of those perfect days where we were swamped with interest. There was no spruking, just a lot people wanting genuine advice and cycling maps. The bike love is contagious.
On the topic of talking up bikes. Listen in to this great interview with Adam Spencer (mp3) on 2SER's Environment Show.
On the topic of talking up bikes. Listen in to this great interview with Adam Spencer (mp3) on 2SER's Environment Show.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Polopalooza
After spending the morning trying to weight up the pros and cons of TravelSmart workplace travel planning policies, I took a few hours off for a game of bicycle polo. It can be a rough game. I had quite a few collisions and my stem is pointing in a new direction, but I never hit the ground or got wacked by a polo stick. More than anything my legs are killing from pushing a 73 inche gear round a tinny basketball court for a few hours. Clearly the regulars have designed their bikes specifically for this sport.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
"Taking the lane": Law or Custom?
I recently had an experience of road rage on Wilson Street, Newtown. Details of the event are posted over at SydneyCyclist, including comments from many other cyclists who have experienced the same thing. In summary, I was riding in the middle of the lane of this narrow one way street to avoid car-doors and to stop cars forcefully over-taking me by crossing into the oncoming “counter-flow” cycle lane. I’ve ridden down this street hundreds of times in the last few years and rarely had any problem. However, on this occasion I caused the ire of one cab driver who honked his horn at me then dangerously speed past me.
“Taking the lane” is one of the key things many cyclist needs to learn to ride in traffic. Its a way of asserting your position on the road and riding in a predictable manner so don’t get cut off or driven into the gutter. Its about claiming a bit more space for your own safety. Sadly, “taking the lane” is also one of the hardest skills to teach new cyclists because it involves putting yourself in the line of moving cars. For an explanation of why cyclists “take the lane” check out this video.
This whole road rage event got me wondering where does the law stand when it comes to taking the lane?
Firstly, in the RTA Road Users Handbook it states that:
You must ride with traffic on the left side of the road. (Page 52):
Ok that seems fair enough, but on page 51 it says:
At times bicycle riders may need a full width lane to ride safely due to rough road edges and gravel. Be prepared to slow down and allow the rider to travel away from the kerb.
Hmm… so we can only take the lane but only when there is gravel or rough edges? That's not very helpful. But then again, the handbook also states on page 51:
Allow ample room in case a car door is opened
Hmmm… seems to me that the Road Users Handbook is pretty ambiguous on this issue.
I also checked out the NSW Road Rules 2008 and I couldn’t find anything. Next stop, I headed south to see what I could find and came across document called Share the Road (pdf):
Share the RoadBingo, cyclists can "take the lane" when necessary… however I couldn’t find it stipulated in the Victorian road rules. Why? Why not? Finally, I headed over the sea and found the New Zealand Road Code. Here is what it said:
Are cyclists allowed to occupy a whole traffic lane?
Yes, this may be necessary in narrow traffic lanes where there is not enough space for another vehicle to overtake a bicycle safely within the lane.
What cyclists would like drivers to know:Brilliant. Applause. Rapture.
Cyclists may ride away from the kerb or occupy a lane – not because they want to annoy drivers, but to:
* avoid drains, potholes or roadside rubbish
* be seen as they come up to intersections with side roads
* discourage drivers from squeezing past where it's too narrow.
"Taking the lane" is essentially like any other traffic signal. It is sending the driver a message that they should slow down if they want to pass safely because the cyclists should not be pushed into a marginal and dangerous position on the road. However, it seems to me, that this behaviour is generated mostly out of custom or courtesy. As is seen in the NSW Road User's handbook, the laws can be profoundly ambiguous and many drivers can be affronted by what they perceived as cyclists being "arrogant" "road hogs". Positioning oneself in the lane should not be question of psychological and spatial assertion, it should also be a matter of care and legal inclusion.
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