Love Your Ride
! e l c y C
Bicycle SA
The Members’ Magazine — No 158 May – July 2013 Bicycle SA — More South Australians cycling
Bicycle SA 111 Franklin Street Adelaide 5000 Tel (08) 8168 9999 Fax (08) 8168 9988 www.bikesa.asn.au
Naracoorte Easter Cycle—Easter Cycle Committee, Samantha Griffiths The Kidman Trail Adventure—Manfred Meidert Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine—Ian Fitzgerald and Rick Charlesworth
www.bikesa.asn.au
Cycle!
Bicycle SA Office
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111 Franklin Street Phone (08) 8168 9999 Fax (08) 8168 9988 Email office@bikesa.asn.au Web www.bikesa.asn.au The office is open seven days a week, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 8:00 am to 6:00 pm during Daylight Saving
Club News
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President’s notes
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This Issue…
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Around the office
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Personal Notes
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Boileau Velo-Adelaide: A chat with the sponsors
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Cycle!
Dennis Cox, 1922 – 2013: A Long Trek
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Cycle! is published quarterly
A Wheelie Good Feeling
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Women and Cycling: Closing the Gender Divide
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Charles Sturt is: cycling for free!
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The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Bicycle SA. Bicycle SA does not guarantee the accuracy of information published herein
Naracoorte Easter Cycle
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© 2013, Bicycle SA
The Easter Cycle Report: A 14 Year Old’s Impression
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The Kidman Trail Adventure
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UniSA Ride for Pain True King/Queen of the Mountain goes to...
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A chat with the new guy: Julian Ferguson
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Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine, Tasmania, December 2012
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New Members
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Disclaimer ‘Naracoorte Easter Cycle... — page 8
Original articles in Cycle! are copyrighted to Bicycle SA unless otherwise specified. Non-profit organisations may reproduce articles copyrighted to Bicycle SA, with only minor modification, without the permission of the authors, provided Bicycle SA is sent, as a courtesy and condition, a copy of the publications containing such reproduction. Articles copyrighted to their authors may not be reproduced without the express authorisation of their authors. Bicycle SA and the original authors reserve the right to take legal action for breach of copyright where these instructions are not complied with.
Tailwind 14 On the cover Cycling along the freeway during the 2013 Boileau Velo Adelaide.
Kidman Trail Adventure— page 9
Bicycle SA Executive
Pic by Epsom Road Studios.
President, Maureen Merrick maureen.merrick@bikesa.asn.au Vice President, Terry Ryan Treasurer, Tom Walker Secretary, Anne Lewis (Smith) Members John Bassett Chris Beauchamp Warwick Cooper Michael Killmier Des Murray Nathan Petrus
To purchase professional photos of the ride please visit: <https://secure.epsomrdstudios. com.au/browse.php?id=1654> Contributing to Cycle! Have you something you would like to contribute to Cycle!? If so we’d love to hear about it. Please contact the Bike SA office
Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine...— page 11
Government of South Australia Office for Recreation and Sport Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
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www.bikesa.asn.au
Love your ride Club News President’s notes Maureen Merrick National Volunteer Week: ‘Thanks a Million’ his year National Volunteer week is being held from 13 to 19 May and is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism. The week provides us all with an excellent opportunity to raise the awareness of volunteers within our community and acknowledge their enormous efforts. Volunteers are intrinsic to our society and countless charities and organisations would not be sustainable nor survive without the unfailing support of their extremely loyal volunteers. Australian volunteers make an enormous contribution to the social and economic fabric of the country. Their economic contribution to our society has been estimated at more than $200 billion, far greater than the mining, agriculture and retail sectors. (Dr L O’Dwyer School Social Sciences, University Adelaide, 2012) According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010b) there are over 6,000,000 people who volunteer on an annual basis. This represents 36% of our adult population. Volunteers give of their time freely each year within a very broad cross section of our community. This includes the emergency services, education, community health care, the arts, heritage, environment conservation, advocacy, social justice, and sport and recreation. Over 50% of those who volunteer do so because they believe that they are helping others. The dedication and commitment of
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Around the office Christian Haag From Velo-city to our Velo-election.
our volunteers is what makes Australia such a very special and unique part of the world. I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to all our wonderful, hard working volunteers for their enormous contribution and support of the organisation. Thank you for giving so much of your time throughout the year to our events, and various activities, which includes the rides programme. The demographic of our volunteer base is changing to include community groups and volunteers from interstate. Semi-retired and retired couples travelling round Australia are also prepared to spend some of their time in South Australia to be a part of our volunteer team. This provides the opportunity to make and meet new friends, share many years of life skills, experience and ideas, and also further diversify our great volunteer community.
up for the Velo-city conference in Vienna this June. Bicycle SA submitted its abstract titled ‘Is the niche market of Cycle Tourism appropriate for your community? Success stories from Australia’ and we’re pleased to say we have been accepted by the Velo-city programming committee. This will provide an ideal opportunity to put the case for Australia having some outstanding cycle tourism experiences, just awaiting consumption from those who like to ride a bike on their holidays. And with a potential 800 delegates descending on Adelaide in May 2014 for the Velo-city Global Conference, we hope that our local operators will have the chance to reap some rewards by doing what they do best. Certainly, provide some tailor-made tours that will welcome
Peter Carter
and showcase all that our state has to offer.
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Life’s better on a bike >>>
ell, the season is moving on, daylight saving has ended and things are certainly gearing
there is a wonderful opportunity for Bicycle SA to
This Issue… early mid-year, already... Does the earth turn faster than a bicycle wheel? Not if you’re a Bike SA member, especially if you participate in one of the many events on offer or ride one of the many trails and routes. And the wheels have been turning. From the organising committee and one of the younger participants we have reports of Easter at Naracoorte and Russel Miatke and Lorimer Moseley tell us about the interesting sounding UniSA Ride for Pain. Manfred Meidert and David Creagh have been riding the Kidman trail and describe their adventure and have some advice for others who might also want to ride that trail. Deloraine in Tasmania was the base for members of the Tuesday Traverse group to explore parts of the island state. Ian Fitzgerald and Rick Charlesworth give a day by day account of their travels. In ‘A Wheelie Good Feeling ‘ on page 6 Christian Haag has some thoughts on sharing the road: ‘A bad road user is a bad road user, regardless of whether they drive, ride or walk and they present a proportional risk to not only themselves but those around them as well.’
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It’s just twelve months to the next state election and by the end of May Bicycle SA will have commenced distribution of its policy positions across the health, transport, tourism, environment and of course recreation and sport portfolios. With cycling now firmly on the policy agenda, particularly in the transport and planning arena, the challenge for Bicycle SA is to encourage and inspire our members, partners and stakeholders to support and leverage our messages. We must see good policy being supported by strong funding Well put. In this issue we farewell a long-term member and welcome a new member of the staff. The farewell is to Dennis Cox, with a tribute on page 4. I had the pleasure of working with Dennis some years ago when we were both Bike-Ed instructors. Always an inspiration. The welcome is to Julian Ferguson, who no longer rides the bike in the pic on page 10. He it was who organised material for this, his first issue of Cycle!. Some smaller items round out this edition: lots of good reading.
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commitments. A consistent sixty percent of South Australians say they would ride a bike more if they felt it was safer to do so. The solutions are not costly but the rewards are significant: reduced congestion, improved community health and a better place for our children to grow up in. So share our journey as we work towards creating a better deal for all South Aussies who ride a bike.
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Cycle!
Personal Notes
Dennis Cox, 1922 – 2013: A Long Trek
The Vegan Velo, a new ride group, coordinated by Don Wilson, commences its weekly rides on Sunday 2 June and will leave at 9:00 am from the Bliss Café, Compton Street Adelaide. The rides of 50 km to 60 km, and 4B, will usually be up into the Adelaide Hills. Please contact Don on 0437 967 088 for further details.
We were very saddened by the recent death of one of our long standing members, Dennis Cox, who was a very active member and took a keen interest in the activities of the organisation. We offer our sincere condolences to the Cox family.
Erratum Our belated congratulations to Peter Gdodakis who successfully completed the Mini Slam series of five rides in 2011 and then again in 2012. A tremendous effort Peter and well done! (We sincerely apologise for inadvertently omitting Peter’s Mini Slam results in Cycle! 157.) We understand that Peter is looking to completing all five rides this year. With his determination, we are sure that he will.
Boileau Velo-Adelaide: A chat with the sponsors Angelique Boileau
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hile you may know them for sponsoring Velo-Adelaide, Boileau is a family business proudly serving the South Australian SME business sector for the past 20 years. Bike SA been using their services since 2005 and the goods and services they provide are outstanding. Bike SA had a chat to Angelique Boileau, CEO on her work with Boileau Velo-Adelaide. Q: Why did your company get behind Boileau VeloAdelaide? When evaluating a sponsorship proposal there are three major fits we look for: cultural fit, both the teams within both organisations and the wider participants, who benefits, and the environment. Bike SA ticked all the boxes. Supporting The Smith Family was indeed a worthy cause. Q: What did you think about this year’s event? The number of participants was down from the previous year however the Village location was wonderful, the weather was superb and the feedback from the participants was very positive. Next year will be much improved with the Velo City Conference being held in Adelaide which will give the event a huge profile. Q: Why do you want to see more people riding bikes in Adelaide? Bike riding is great for family togetherness, the environment and health. (Make sure you read the next edition of Cycle! for an in-depth event wrap-up.)
Dennis Cox Cathy Cox
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ennis Cox was an active member of Bicycle SA, The Bicycle Institute of SA and the Brighton Cycling for Pleasure group. Bikes were his main form of transport from an early age in the UK. He was born in an era when everyone in the village ran outside to look at any passing car. He recalled riding the 10 or so miles to work from the age of 14 in snow, rain or the infrequent sunshine of Lincolnshire; his first ‘proper’ bike a Raleigh Record, bought with the aid of a loan from his mother; the memorable club outing when he mistakenly joined the racing group and struggled up many vicious hills; fun events like ‘slow’ races; and the cafés which displayed a cycling club sign and gave discounts on afternoon tea. Dennis rode his bike from Brighton to the city almost every day to work before it became fashionable and without the aid of Lycra. His epic ride across the Nullarbor at age 63 was achieved without a support team, and he set a goal of 80 km on his 80th birthday. With friendly help from cycling mate Lil Ruffle and others, the final tally on this ride was about 120 km. Dennis greatly enjoyed the friendship and organisation of touring trips with Bicycle SA to
Sydney and other destinations near and far. He was pleased to take part in advocacy for better cycling facilities. Despite some major falls, nobody can recall that he had any broken bones. He always anticipated motorist error: ‘the price of safety is eternal vigilance’. A keen car-owner himself, he saw cycling as the optimum transport of the present and the future: clean, green, healthy and enjoyable. He greatly missed riding in his final years when he became too unwell, but was a cheery figure on his blue electric tricycle.
Boileau CEO, Angelique Boileau, and her team taking riding tips from racing legend Scott Sunderland
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Next Ride SuNday 2 JuNe, Mead owS
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A Wheelie Good Feeling Christian Haag
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bad road user is a bad road user, regardless of whether they drive, ride or walk. Each year, more and more of us are pulling the bike out of the shed or getting down to the local bike shop, eager to turn that first pedal. Whether for transport, fitness, catching up with friends, saving money, the environment or just because it’s so damn addictive: one in five South Australians ride their bike every week. In fact SA leads the nation with 57 per cent of children under the age of 10 riding weekly. In particular, commuting by bike is on the increase and it’s great to see more of us leaving the car at home and choosing to ride those trips that are more convenient by bike. This is of course a good thing. For the rider, it usually means getting to their destination sooner (and less stressed) than by car, saving money as well as getting a bit of exercise in an otherwise busy day, while for motorists, every bike on the road means one less car in that peak hour gridlock. Surely a win/win for all. And yet we know that a further 60 per cent of Australians say they would ride more if they felt that roads were ‘safer’. This is consistent with the fact that 52 per cent of households have a working bike and while we have a high degree of bike ownership, participation rates are lower. so the issue of ‘safety’ is both a real and perceived barrier that prevents many of us enjoying a more regular opportunity to ride. In my work, I see first hand that delivery of some targeted and simple education messaging can increase a person’s cycling confidence to a level where safety concerns are significantly diminished. But thereís always that nagging concern that an inattentive motorist will simply not look and send you straight over the handlebars. Stories of conflict between motorist and cyclist always elicit high response rates through online media channels. It’s a level of social engagement that, while always robust, will often lower itself to a series of banal comments and vacant threats. In reality, this conflict is more about ‘us v us’ rather than ‘us v them’, as the vast majority of riders are motorists. A bad road user is a bad road user, regardless of whether they drive, ride or walk and they present a proportional risk to not only themselves but those around them as well. Sobering figures recently released though show that 79 per cent of crashes/ incidents that caused a cyclist to be hospitalised were the direct result of driver inattention. In my public talks, when the stark reality of road safety statistics are shared with an audience, there is generally a community response of, ‘Well, cyclists go through red lights, so is it any wonder they get hit’, a narrative that is irrelevant to the quoted statistics. There is no ill feeling in such comments. It’s simply a fact that the majority of us inhabit a space of denial when it comes to taking responsibility
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for our own actions as road users. It’s a natural behaviour to judge others before we would think to judge ourselves. If you consider my view somewhat biased, take a poll: when you’re next with friends or at work, get a bunch of people together and ask for handsup from those who consider themselves to be inattentive drivers. You generally won’t see many (if any) hands but you will see a lot of head turning. Over recent years the largest take-up of cycling has, been in the 45-plus male demographic. Sadly, the old saying ‘its like riding a bike: you never forget’ is not useful if you haven’t ridden for 30 years. New and ‘rusty’ riders often put themselves at risk. It’s important to brush up on the road rules for cycling, make sure your bike is ride-ready and practise your cycle proficiency skills in a quiet back street. So why is any of this relevant? Because road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Cycling is now firmly on the social ladder. For an ever-growing
section of the community, ‘the bike I ride says as much about me as the music I listen to or the sporting code I support’. We see them every day: commuters racing past in peak-hour traffic, the weekend Lycra-clad road warriors, women on their step-through city bikes (more Lacroix than Lycra here) and the young urban set navigating the CBD laneways on a much loved fixie. Then there are the ones we don’t see that much of: the thousands of mountain bikers riding the many trails through the hills, children riding to school and families meandering along the quiet back streets to the local park. When you think about the sort of place you want to leave to your grandchildren, ask yourself if it will be better or worse with more people on bikes: and while you’re pondering, pull your bike out of the shed and go for a ride. Note: This article originally appeared in the April edition of SA Life, <www.salife.com.au>.
Women and Cycling: Closing the Gender Divide Michael Bridge
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ver wondered why Australia sees fewer women cycling than in other countries? The Age newspaper has recently run two great articles (tinyurl.com/womenbikes2 and tinyurl.com/ womenbikes) which you absolutely must read. According to a recent Australian poll, 60% of women would like to ride more but don’t feel safe. Here at Bike SA, we want to see more women cycling, so we’ve got a few programmes that can help you out. We run the Angels and Cherubs programme, matching new and inexperienced cyclists with women mentors, who get together when it suits for one-on-one support.
Bike SA also offers formal one-on-one coaching, teaching everything from the very basics — how to balance and ride a bike — to safe commuting. We also offer lots of courses on how to maintain and fix your bike if anything goes wrong. If you want to attend some events especially tailored to women, then pencil in the Gear Up Girl SA event on Sunday November 24. This event is Bike SA’s community ride exclusively for women and children and we’re offering a 15 km River Ride, a 35 km Beach Ride and a 50 km Hill Ride. Check out more of our programmes on our website, <www.bikesa.asn.au>.
Charles Sturt is: cycling for free! The City of Charles Sturt
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ith the support of Charles Sturt and OPAL, Adelaide City Bikes have expanded their FREE bike hire service to the community. Residents, visitors and workers can hire bikes from the locations listed below during open hours. Children’s bikes are available at selected locations: Civic Centre Library, Hindmarsh Library, Henley Beach Library, Westfield West Lakes and West Beach Surf Life Saving Club. There is a lot to see and do in Charles Sturt when you loan a bike for the day, such as visiting the many parks, places, playgrounds, cultural & historic sites/walks. You can also try geocaching, a high tech treasure hunt with a smart phone or GPS. Geocaching uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) device or smartphone coupled with online clues to find containers called caches that have been hidden all around the world. There are over 200 caches either in the City of Charles Sturt or surrounding suburbs.
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With children’s bikes and free GPSs available for loan from selected libraries, geocaching and the free bike hire makes it easier for families to get out there and have fun exploring their local neighbourhoods. Mayor Kirsten Alexander welcomed the bike hire service, saying it was another way residents could move around the City. “This free bike loan is a fantastic way to move around and be active in our City, and the best part is you don’t even need your own bike”, Mayor Alexander said. “We are so excited to have this program within Charles Sturt. Our OPAL team and Council have worked together to bring this great initiative to our residents. This is a fantastic way to see our City, particularly our coastline and Linear Park where residents and visitors can stop at a local café along the way. We can all enjoy what our City has to offer while staying fit and healthy as well.” For information about City Bikes visit: <www. bikesa.asn.au/AdelaideCityBikes>
www.bikesa.asn.au
Event updates on Twitter: #GearUpGirlSA and Facebook: fb.com/BicycleSA
GEAR UP GIRL SA A fun and fully supported bike ride just for women and children
Start/Finish Elder Park
15km
35km
50km
River Ride
Beach Ride
Hill Ride
Sunday 24 November For more information
8168 9999 or bikesa.asn.au Contents Celebrating 30 years
Cycle!
Naracoorte Easter Cycle Easter Cycle Committee
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aracoorte in the Limestone Coast was where this year’s Easter Cycle was based. There were over 130 in the group (including volunteers) who, over the weekend, explored the region on their bikes and also a few in their cars. There were at least 31 bitumen and unsealed road ride options and the distances varied from a few kilometres along the ‘Creek Walk’ to over 100 km for the Lucindale return trip. Rides to the world famous heritage Naracoorte Caves proved extremely popular, with over 70 cyclists visiting the area on Easter Saturday. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were full of praise for their guides who were so knowledgeable and obviously committed to their work at the Caves. Other locations visited included Frances, Apsley, Penola, and Bool Lagoon, which, except for a section in the north western end, was reasonably dry and in need of rain. There were a couple of birthday celebrations during the weekend, with one person (and her friends) entering into the spirit of the day/evening by drinking champagne out of her red shoe wine bottle holder. It surely was your day Rosemary! (And to a couple more of our Easter group, happy birthday). On Sunday morning Debbie Cerone and Sue Dobson organised and led the children out on the weekend’s traditional Easter egg hunt and it was great to see the older children sharing their find with the younger members of the group. Another fixture of the Easter weekend is the night ride. Before everyone left the Oval, all bikes were checked to ensure that they had fixed and adequately operating front and tail lights. Many of the bikes were so brightly lit with decorative lights and glow sticks that, at times, it was difficult to distinguish which were their front lights. Then over 70 riders, stretching for nearly a kilometre, rode the 5 km route organised by Chris Beauchamp, who was well supported by a number of ride marshals, with Steve Sandford riding at the tail end and Ray Merrick in the sag vehicle. Again, this year, the women’s award was won by Helen Stacey, ‘floodlit’ once more with numerous lights and glow sticks. Also, this year, the men’s award went to Isaac Watson. Someone was heard to say that Isaac’s bike was lit up like a ‘couple of Christmas trees’. Congratulations to Helen and Isaac. A number of other riders were also awarded prizes, including Stephen Afolayan. Well done Stephen. On Monday morning a number of riders went out on rides, the remainder of the group were making preparations for the journey home. Kerry and Peter Headlam of Naracoorte provided significant support in checking out the rides, making initial contact with the local community groups for the catering and also encouraging local cyclists to lead the various rides. We thank Kerry, Peter, Shane, Michael, David,
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‘Cookie’ and the rest of the local cyclists for riding with us during the weekend. We would like to thank the Naracoorte High School for making the school’s facilities available to us, the Naracoorte and Lucindale Council for their support and the staff of the Naracoorte Caves for arranging additional tours, price incentives and looking after the group so well. We also wish to thank the staff and volunteers who generously gave of their time in support of our Naracoorte Easter Cycle: Chris Beauchamp: ride marshal/leader/ maintenance/night ride Greg Brown: campsite/support on 100 km bitumen rides Debbie Cerone, Sue Dobson: children’s activities/ Easter egg hunt
Janet Dann, Susan Kotek, Barry O’Neil, Steve Sandford: catering Nigel Griffiths: deluxe tents/campsite support/ride leader Paul Hender: logistics/campsite support John Hurling, Mike Giffen, Judith Virgo, Ian Winn: ride marshals/leaders/route support Ray Merrick: rides programme coordinator/route support Russell Miatke: event administration/support A number of participants volunteered to lead rides. Thank you all for your efforts and hard work to make this another successful Easter. To all our participants, thank you for being a part of a fantastic Easter. Planning is under way for our 2014 Easter Cycle and we look forward to see you there.
The Easter Cycle Report: A 14 Year Old’s Impression Samantha Griffiths
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his year, over the Easter holiday, the Easter Cycle was held in Naracoorte. Instead of staying at the local sports club oval, like all the other Easter Cycles I’ve been on, this one was held at the high school. We did have a few problems, the main one being weather conditions, which were mostly drizzly and rainy over the weekend. I remember on one of my rides, I got so wet that I could feel it through my jacket! On the first night, we listened in as some locals gave us a talk about some of the main tourist attractions, such as the Naracoorte Caves. This year, I didn’t do as many rides as I usually do. On the Friday and Monday, I hung around the school instead of doing rides. The first ride I did was to Naracoorte Caves on the Saturday. It was quite a nice ride, with virtually no hills until we were almost there, where we were challenged with quite a steep hill. There were a lot of people who went on this ride, so the people at the caves managed a couple of tours just for us. There were two caves that were included in the tours, the Victoria Fossil Cave and the Alexandra Cave, which also gave you the chance to explore the Wet Cave and the Wonambi Fossil Centre. The food there, along with the shop, were quite nice as well. That night after dinner, a game of volleyball was held, where a lot of people joined in as we played with a very big soft ball which bounced pretty well. The game went on for probably just over an hour before everyone got sore feet or got thirsty and we went off to bed. The next day was Sunday. I woke up a bit late and almost missed the Easter Egg Hunt. The location was a playground located near the bike jumps and skate park. A lot of the older kids collected up to about 15 eggs before either relaxing or helping out other kids, who were under the age of 5. That part was a lot of fun. Thanks to Sue, Gus and Deb who made that ride possible. Thankyou also for taking us to have a look at the swimming lake, which looked quite convincing for some of us to come back. Once we got back from the ride, we all went off and did our own
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thing. Some of us went back to the swimming lake, others went off on a ride or signed up for one that wasn’t being held for a few hours. I think most of that time I spent in the gymnasium with some of the other kids. I can’t remember which ride I went on that day, but I’m fairly sure it included some of the tourist attractions. It was a really nice ride which I thoroughly enjoyed. During the day, a lot of people either secretly set up for the Night Ride, or left the gymnasium halfway during dinner before they got their desserts. There were a lot of remarkable lights that night. I have to thank Isaac, who helped me to see the road when there was a break between two groups, and I couldn’t quite see the road with my light. As usual, Helen and Isaac had the brightest lights of the night, along with Amy and Stephen. A lot of other people were awarded for trying. I had a very nice windmill light tied to the front of my handlebars which got a lot of likes, but unfortunately it ran out halfway through the ride, so it didn’t spin as much, and the colours were very dull. When Maureen came searching for the brightest lights, I showed her the windmill, and tried spinning it like I had many times before, and spun it the wrong way, which resulted in the stick holding it up breaking. The next day, I woke up about 20 minutes before one of the rides, the final ride that I would have gone on, left, so couldn’t make it like I planned. Instead, I helped my dad and his friend Sue pack up, as well as hanging around with other kids who didn’t ride that day. In conclusion, I would like to thank each and every person who made this Easter Cycle possible, from the volunteers to the people who served us dinner. And then of course, Maureen, who made this whole thing possible. Without her, there would be no 2013 Easter Cycle (and we’re very sorry if you had to go home with a sore throat from all the yelling you had to do across the gym). Thankyou all who were mentioned above and those who helped out in other ways, and of course all the cyclists who attended. Thankyou all so much!!
www.bikesa.asn.au
Love your ride The Kidman Trail Adventure Manfred Meidert
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wo (mad) KI BUG members, average age 61, cycled, pushed, The Kidman Trail in early Nov 2012. David, who never cycle toured before, on a Kona MTB and myself, who has about 40,000 touring km under my saddle, on a Bike Friday NWT (kitted as a touring bike) and of course the little one carried the pantry and stove! To the starting point: Kingscote KI to Willunga via Penneshaw, Cape Jervis, Myponga, cycled 23 km. We started by driving from Kingscote on KI to Penneshaw, left the car behind and pushed onto the ferry. At Cape Jervis, after a very rough and long crossing, we rolled our bikes, with all our gear on, into the luggage compartment of the waiting SeaLink bus. At Myponga we swapped the comfortable bus seat for our bike saddles. After a bit to eat we started our bike ride, cycling along Pages Flat Road to Willunga and the second passing car gave us the finger salute: welcome to Oz roads! It was fun going down Old Willunga Hill Road, with a great view over the fertile basin. At my friend’s place, on the edge of Willunga, we camped under the big old, verandah, used our tents as swags and watched the lightning display. Day 1: Willunga to Echunga, 55 km The next morning, after some grocery shopping, we cycled to the starting point of The Kidman Trail at the old Willunga railway station. Luckily, we started our ride just after a warm spell, so weatherwise we had some very pleasant days in front of us and the wind was mostly on our side too. Soon after starting we left the flat terrain and vineyards behind and pushed up Thomas Hill Road. Along beautiful Adams Gully Road/Track we met about 15 MTB riders, the only other people we encountered on the trail during our five days ride. Under big, shady trees we had our first lunch break in Kuitpo Forest, quite hilly but good tracks. From there to Juniper Creek was not too hard, but the last 10 km to Echunga were very hilly; rewarding us with beautiful views! We found a small, shady spot at the trailhead at Echunga, next to the golf course, to put up our tents. We were quite pleased with our achievements for the first day and slept very well. Day 2: Echunga to Nairne, 50 km The next morning, oh no! David`s MTB rear wheel had a broken spoke, of course on the cluster side. By the way, Bike Fridays don`t do broken spokes! Luckily, a fellow cyclist from KI gave me a small tool to remove the lock ring of Shimano cassettes (The Stein Mini Cassette Lock). Thanks Scott, we owe you a bottle of rouge. With the help of a spoke from the front wheel we were back on the track by 9:30 am. We filled our water bottles at the school and soon after climbing out of Echunga we cycled along beautiful Hack Range, Red Gum and Quarry Roads and stopped for our second breakfast at Macclesfield. We needed it, as from there on some sections of the trail got very hard to cycle or even push! Fortunately, I traced the route onto RAA maps of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide
Life’s better on a bike >>>
Hills and Barossa Valley. With that help, we started, towards the end of the day, to go around the sections where the trail was on stock routes. We were greeted with a few drops of rain when we arrived at the railhead a few kilometres east of Nairne, our overnight spot, again, no trouble sleeping! Day 3: Nairne to Mt Pleasant, 55 km The next day we cycled into the rain shadow district of the Mount Lofty Ranges, (undulating country with long downhill and uphill stretches) and crossed the mighty Bremer River. The lunch stop was at the old Rockleigh School, a very wellbuilt structure, but the foundation is no match for the movements of the soil! With new energy we pushed on a bit higher with good views to the flat Murray plain. Tungkillo came and went and soon afterwards we pitched our tents next to the young Torrens River in the caravan park at Mt Pleasant. We have reached the half way mark, and a shower, clean clothes, a pub meal and a few cold drinks were waiting for us. Day 4: Mt Pleasant to the Gnadenberg Church, 66 km In the morning we stocked up our pantry for the next two days, cycled through farmland, around Mt Pleasant (543 m), into the cool Mt Crawford forest. It was quite flat and good tracks inside the forest, but just before we got out we had to climb a very steep hill. The reward was a great view over the broad valley of the upper South Para River. It was good cycling from there on, through undulating farmland, past vineyards and huge dams to turn water into wine! We bypassed Rams Head Corner and pushed on in the cool of the late afternoon, with good tailwind, nice scenery and a good track. We ended up camping for the night behind the Church cemetery, a peaceful place with rainwater and clean toilets. Day 5: Gnadenberg Church to Kapunda, 47 km After a cold night we made an early start cycling through the North Para catchment to Stockwell, where we had a short rest. From there, we zigzagged our way to Kapunda, crossing the Light River and passing the old copper mine. The last few kilometres of the route is shared with the Heysen and Mawson Trails. It was pretty warm by the time we arrived at the caravan park, so we rested in the shade of a big gum tree for a long time before we put up our tents. Well rested and clean we walked to the Kidman hotel, found the cool beergarten, surrounded by the old stables, and had a nice meal and a good bottle of white. Return journey: Kapunda to Adelaide via Gawler, 53 km Back on the road early the next morning since a hot day was forecast. With the help of a northerly wind we cycled via Greenock (ice cream stop), Seppeltsfield, Rosedale (where we crossed the North Para) and Sandy Creek to the railway station at Gawler. From there we were treated to a very comfortable train ride to the city. After a relaxing lunch at the Elder Park café/kiosk, we did our final
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David Creagh in Kapunda bit of cycling, west along The Linear Park, I to Mile End and David a bit further on to Findon. Since it was so hot, I had to stop at my old watering hole, the Wheatsheaf Hotel, for a cold drink to switch off for a while. When I got to my friend’s place (just in time]), I was greeted with a surprise birthday party (60) for me! What a beautiful way to finish seven interesting days on a bike. Conclusion The Kidman Trail can be cycled unsupported, especially if you go around the short difficult sections where it is on stock routes. But for me, it was more important to get to the start and leave the end point by bike or public transport. The five Horse SA strip maps are very informative and a must to have. The trail is well marked, but be on the lookout where the markers are hidden behind tall grass. It is important to have the three RAA maps of the area you ride through. By having these maps you will know where you are in case something happens. We were lucky with the weather and surprised at how much shade the roadside vegetation provided. Our modified Kidman Trail was 273 km long and in total we cycled 350 km, or 50 km a day. What’s next? I believe we are ready to tackle the Mawson or Munda Biddi trail!
Manfred Meidert
May – July 2013
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UniSA Ride for Pain True King/Queen of the Mountain goes to...
Russel Miatke and Lorimer Moseley
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n Sunday 7 April, the second UniSA Ride for Pain saw a glorious day in the hills and along the Torrens, and some absolutely stellar riding. There was an option to participate in the first ever age and weight handicapped True King/Queen of the Mountain, on Corkscrew Road. Remember that cyclists had already covered 80 km and they scaled 2.4 km with an average gradient of 9%. After the event, all the data were entered into a statistical package to create the formula for determining the predicted time as a function of your age and weight. We then ranked every cyclist according to how far they deviated from their predicted time. We all know that, for climbing hills, the lighter the better, but, remarkably, this is the first time the relationship between hill climbing and age and weight has ever been investigated. For weight, there was a linear relationship so that the lighter you are the better. However, for age, the relationship was not that simple. In fact, performance peaked at age about 39 and then dropped off from there. The True King of Corkscrew This was very tight, with only 4 seconds separating first from third. The winner was 56 year old John Allison. John scaled the Corkscrew in 10:05, which was over 5 minutes quicker than his predicted time according to age and weight. He narrowly beat 41 year old Sam Drummond, who was clearly the fastest up Corkscrew at 8:20, but was 3 seconds slower than John on adjusted times. Coming in at third was Warren Foreman, another 56 year old, who got up the hill in 10:44, just one second slower than Sam on adjusted times. John is officially crowned the UniSA Ride for Pain True King of Corkscrew, and receives the great prize of a $200 voucher from JT cycles, a $50 Simply Coffee Experience and a $400 service voucher from Giant Cycling World. Congratulations John! Sam picks up a $100 voucher from Parade Cycles, and a $400 service voucher from Giant Cycling World. Warren picks up a $50 voucher at Bicycle Express and a $400 service voucher from Giant Cycling World. The True Prince/Princess of Corkscrew goes to Jack Allison, which caps off a pretty successful outing for the Allison family! Jack, at 17 years of age, got up Corkscrew in 11:39, 3 minutes less than his predicted time and only 30 seconds behind his dad on adjusted time. Jack picks up a $100 voucher from Bernie Jones Cycles and a $400 service voucher from Giant Cycling World. We decided to give the Challenge lucky entrant prizes to two cyclists who deserve special mention. First, a $50 Simply Coffee Experience, goes to Dave Nicholls who rated his confidence in getting up the Corkscrew at 0/10, yet did it in 12:08, 21st place overall. Great work Dave. Second, a $50 voucher at Bicycle Express goes to Jane Bowering who was the fastest of only four women who took on the Challenge, taking 12:43, 85 seconds faster than her predicted time and 20th over all. Well done indeed.
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Participants pedalling hard at UniSA’s Ride for Pain Other notable efforts include those from Ashleigh Moseley (12) and Jimmy Ashby (13), who rode the whole thing including Corkscrew; Cem Kibar, who was the most accurate predictor of their time, taking just 2 seconds longer than he thought he would; Chris Hooper who was the heaviest bike and rider to make it up the hill and did so 40 seconds quicker than his predicted time; Graham Hancox who took the heaviest bike up the hill; Joshua Bull who took the lightest; Peter Davis who, at 70, was the oldest cyclist to conquer the mountain, coming 36th overall; and Harrison Evans and Helen Gilpin, who were the last ones to get to the top.
The lucky entrant prize, a $400 voucher at Giant Cycling World and a $100 voucher at Glenelg Cycles, goes to Danielle Hale. Anyone who is interested in the final rankings, and adjusted times, you can find them by going to <www.bodyinmind.org> and clicking on ‘2013 Ride for Pain’. You’ll also find some pictures from the Corkscrew Challenge here. There are still a few UniSA Ride for Pain jerseys available. If you’d like to purchase one please contact Bike SA on 8168 9999 or office@bikesa. asn.au
A chat with the new guy: Julian Ferguson
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ike SA has a brand new Marketing and Communications Manager, Julian Ferguson, who used to work with the European Cyclists’ Federation. Freshly flown in from Brussels to Adelaide, we decided to ask him three quick questions. Q: So Julian, how long have you been riding your bike? I’ve been on my bike since as long as I can walk. I used to ride to kindergarten, primary school, and high school. And thankfully, I’ve managed to keep on cycling as I’ve gone on to work. Only a few months ago, I had my bike stolen: I felt so lost without it. Q: And at what age did you have your first bike? I was 3 years old when I had my first bicycle (see picture). My father at the time was working in Hiroshima, Japan, for Toyota. But even though he worked for a car company, he loved bikes and he loved riding, repairing them for the whole family to ride around. I still remember that amazing feeling of learning to ride for the first time. Q: What was the best part about riding your bike in Europe? I was living in Brussels, Belgium, and it was horribly congested. Cars weren’t able to travel more than 7 kilometres an hour during peak hour.
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Julian on his first bicyce in Hiroshima, Japan So my favourite part about cycling there was that I actually got to where I wanted to in time. It’s easily the quickest way to get around the city. I also love the fact you can ‘switch off’ when on your bike, and not have to think about work. It can be almost like meditation at times. Also, if you ever get the chance, take a trip to the Netherlands. That place is cycling paradise!
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Love your ride Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine, Tasmania, December 2012 Ian Fitzgerald and Rick Charlesworth
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ack in late February 2012 a proposal/thought was put to our group for a riding holiday in Tasmania, which would be based in Deloraine. Six ride ideas and routes were developed and put to paper by Ian, our ride leader. All were formulated around 50 to 60 km distance each day with the ability to adjust the rides depending on the weather and areas to be travelled. It is now Sunday 2 December about 2 pm, when eight members of the Tuesday Traverse group are beginning to arrive in Deloraine, Tasmania. Most will stay at the Drumreagh, one of the first farming properties started in Deloraine, in 1831, by Samuel Munce. The ‘Old Barn’ area is a self-contained bed and breakfast accommodation 2.5 km from town, with a few other members staying in the beautiful caravan park on the Meander River. They all meet for tea at the local pub and are excited and looking forward to the week and challenging rides ahead. Ride 1: Weather overcast, moderate winds and 18°C, distance 52 km The group assembled at the caravan park before heading off towards the Great Western Tiers along the A5 Lakes Highway heading for Meander. Along the early section of road just out of Deloraine we rode past the home of Malua a champion thoroughbred race horse who won six major races including the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap, Melbourne Stakes, Adelaide Cup and Melbourne Cupís in 1884 and the Australian Cup in 1889, all over varying distances. It was a certainly a beautiful property to grow up on. At this point our leader returned to the caravan park to pick up the haversack he had left behind and said he would catch us up. We rode further into the mountains and after a short break in Meander with our leader back in the group we headed towards Huntsman Lake with the occasional challenging hill along the way. We had lunch and a well earned rest at the dam wall. The lake was completed in 2008 and has a small 2 MW hydro power station at the base of the dam wall. After lunch we headed to the other end of the dam and a beautiful BBQ area has been built on the old Huntsman Dairy site. The area covered in water was once a very thriving timber mill area, which along with the dairy were purchased by the Tasmanian Government to build the dam. From here we travelled back to Meander, the head wind home became very cool and strong as we headed along Sandy Lane, Mountain Road and Montana Road. We were all hanging out for a coffee and still 10km to go. Ian stopped us at the entrance to a place called 41degrees South where he explained that it was a fish farm and that they made great coffee. With that the group were quickly down the hill in record time. We were greeted by the owners with samples of hot smoked salmon, salmon paste, ginseng and great coffee. Purchases were made. The well earned rest gave us the energy to take on the wind and the last 10 km home to a well earned hot shower. Barbeque for tea.
Life’s better on a bike >>>
Bensemanns Road on way to Brushy Lagoon Rest Day: Weather overcast, heavy rain, very cold winds and snow predicted to 700 metres, 6 to 10°C We agreed as a group not to ride today but to have a sightseeing day in the cars. We headed to the mountains to see The Great Lake . This lake stretches for over 30 km to the south and was a beautiful blue color, then off to Pine Lake and its fabulous board walk, with rare century old pencil pines (found only in Tasmania), and numerous other rare grasses and alpine plants (including the beautiful alpine waratah in flower). Everyone was wearing their warm wet weather gear but still felt bitterly cold. The most beautiful sight was to see snow gently falling from the sky only to melt before it hit the ground. Thermometers in the cars were showing 6°C. The road adjacent to Pine Lake is at its highest point in the highlands, 1,210 metres. From here we travelled to Liffy Falls in a World Heritage Area to visit the Triple Falls, Man Ferns and massive stringy bark trees which were 3.9 metres in diameter and 12 metres in circumference. On our walk we saw Pink Flame Robins, Trout, and Pink Breasted Parakeet! Or was it? Tasmanian Wedge tailed eagle, whip birds and three magnificently decked bikes with four panniers per bike that three Japanese lads were using. Wow, what a sight. Then off to the Marakoopa Caves for a tour which included cave glowworms. The temperature inside the caves was 9°C, temperature outside, a chilly 6°C. Back in the warm car and home for a warm shower and pizza for tea. Note: Angela could not eat much pizza; she had been to the Honey Farm at Chudleigh on the way home from the caves and was full from all the honey sampling. Ride 2: Weather overcast, moderate winds and 18°C, distance 52 km With one member sick with asthma and left
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to rest on doctor’s orders, the ride leader battling with a throat infection, the riders were very keen to get riding before the winds picked up. They headed off down River Road in a northerly direction through beautiful timbered country towards Porters Bridge Road. There was a slight delay when one member lost her sunglasses, so the group waited at the Meander River spotting birds and flowers until her return. Spotted while waiting were a Black Wombat, two furry echidnas and yellow tailed parrots. From this point the riders crossed busy Bass Highway and the railway line and headed east towards Exton then on toward Westbury. They travelled along the (B54) Bass Highway between many Hawthorn hedges passing many historic properties, including Westfield (Est 1825). Then into Historic Westbury Town. They then rode through a section of the town called ‘Pensioners Bush’, Village Green, Historic Oaks, Pin Oaks and Leg Stocks, through the ‘Common’ and past Historic Soldiers Houses. Then back to the (B54) Bass Highway until they reached the Meander Valley Highway into a strong 10 knot head wind all the way back to Deloraine a distance of 15k m. In the words of the riders ‘they were buggered’. Hot showers and a barbeque tea. Ride 3: Weather fine sunny skies, light to no wind and 18°C, distance 63 km We had very heavy steady rain overnight but the riders had decided to start at 8:00 am today. It was a beautiful sunny morning when the ‘Barn’ group headed off to meet the guys at the caravan park. They then headed west along the Mole Creek Road (B12) through some wonderful farming country. The soil was a rich chocolate color, fields of pyrethrum, opium poppies and potatoes dominated the hills. Along Lemana Road crossing the Western Railway Line several times to Bengea Road where it joins the very busy Bass Highway.
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Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine... Many trucks were speeding along the highway: it was a bit scary. Finally, a coffee break at Elizabeth Town. Everyone sat outside in the sun; the day was perfect. After coffee the riders walked their bikes down to Railton Road and rode to Moltema (B13), then a long downhill ride of some 300 metres fall over 8 km. Lunch was at Kimberly Warm Springs. Well, what goes down must go up! From 60 metres above sea level the road rose 300 metres over a distance of 1.8 km to Weegena. The group was hurried up the hill by a huge herd of Friesian dairy cows being transferred to an upper paddock followed by the riders’ assistance vehicle: (the occupants of this vehicle had taken a little detour after the coffee stop to check out the samples of chocolates at the House of Anvers and cheese samples at Ashgrove Cheese Factory; oh so delicious). The hill was very challenging and most had a walk, although Helen managed to ride the full hill; Queen of the Mountain. This hill consisted of a huge rise, a slight dip, another rise, large dip then a final long slow hill. A well earned rest, rehydration and a magnificent view greeted the riders at the top. Then a nice downhill run along Dunorlan Road, Bengeo Road and Mole Creek Road to the Red Restaurant in Deloraine for a long awaited coffee. For the first time, during the ride home we had a tail wind, and we saw heavy snow on the Western Tiers and ‘that’ haversack was left sitting in the coffee shop. It was a great day everyone, was a winner. Ride 4: Weather predicted 24°C and sunny, distance 63 km Looking out the barn kitchen window, the predicted sunny day was not looking good at 7 am. There was a very thick blanket of fog over the hills and surrounding paddocks. We had breakfast and waited for the riders from the caravan park to arrive. At 8:00am they arrived through the fog and up the gravel driveway to the back door of the barn. We were all ready and headed out at 8:10am along the River Road in a northerly direction. We had 10 km to travel when we would reach the gravel road. It was cool and very quiet as the fog lifted along the road. Dew drops fell from the leaves of the trees and the yellow tail parrots were active, flying low through the trees and screeching as they went. Suddenly we were on Bryans Road, the rocky dirt forest road, and then onto Bensemanns Road where we saw what we thought was a wombat. On closer investigation it was an echidna, hairy and spiny hiding behind a big rock. The yellow tailed parrots were having a great time. A number of the hills along this stretch were challenging and we stopped at the top of most of them to rest and rehydrate. By this time the fog had lifted and it was a beautiful warm sunny day riding through the magnificent Blue Gum forests. We came to a T junction and headed left down Priestleys Lane, a part bitumen road, past some fantastic well kept country cottages. The road changed from bitumen to gravel as we travelled some long downhill runs toward Brushy Lagoon. This lagoon is 2 km long and 800 metres
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Peter Roodhouse on a hill to match Willunga or Corkscrew wide stocked with Atlantic Salmon, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout. While we sat having lunch by the lake, bluebirds were playing games around us and a fisherman held up a 2.7 kg Salmon (one of seven) he had caught. Lunch was completed and we commenced our ride back to the barn. One member suffering from leg fatigue was assisted by our backup car to the top of the hill. Halfway back one of the bikes had a little gearing problem when it stuck in first gear, not good going up hills. Leader Ian persuaded it back into position with a belt; problem rectified. Everyone made it back to base in good time, all a little sun burnt and weary after an excellent workout. Once again our climb was to 280 meters above sea level and challenging. On this ride it took a total of 7 hours including
rests. Coffee was at the barn when all members arrived back. Then off for a shower and down to the Deloraine Hotel for a beautiful final tea and reminiscing of the week that was. The group noted that after riding a total of approx 1,500 km. We did not have any crashes, no punctures, no tyre problems, no major gear failures, no muscle problems and no injuries; a remarkable achievement. Congratulations to all the riders who participated, a great personal effort by all and great teamwork. We had more rides prepared but no time to do them. Thanks to Ian and Margaret for preparing the rides and for sharing their wonderful detailed knowledge of the areas we travelled, this certainly
Made it to the top: Jo, Ian, Angela and Helen
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Love your ride New Members Nicholas Aartsen Hugo Albrecht Andi Aldam Kate Alessia Steve Ambry Lexie Anderson Brett Armitstead Nick Askew Rhapsody Auckett Leanne Aust Sandra Austin Christophe Avdienko Joanne Bailey Craig Bainger David Baker Shaun Baker Kate Banwell Darren Barlow Emma Bartram Shasta Bell Matthew Belperio Mario Benedict David Birrell Paul Bitzer Deborah Blaess Alexander Bojko Mark Bollen Steven Bombardieri Stephen Booth Curt Bosnich Paul Botes Gerald Both Brendan Boyd Jason Branson Matthew Bray Peter Brennan Lena-Pearl Bridgland Iena Bridgland Greg Brown Andrew Buchanan Alistair Buchanan Thomas Buckle Fred Buono Charles Burfield Michael Butler Greg Butler Andrew Bydder Lindsay Caffin Marc Campbell Ben Campbell James Caracoussis Con Carellas
Graeme Casey Paul Catchpole Darren Cheek Andrew Chesson Robert Chilvers Tracy Chua Jarrod Clark Cliff Collett John Collins Mark Cooke Myles Cooper Wayne Copley Richard Crawshaw David Creagh John Crocker Ronaldo Cruz Peter Cundy Andrzej Czajka Tom Daly Robert Davidson Talmer De Gouvea Anthony DeSilva David Dobson Eve Dodds Phillip Donhardt Guy Draper Heide Dryburgh Marc Duncan Lyn Edwards David Eitzen Colin Endean John Evans David Evans Bernadette Foley Amanda Fong Patrick Foo Tiana Forrest Paul Freeman Brian Freeman James Fuller Laurel Garnaut Barry Gasson Paul Gent Brian Gepp Alex Gileff Ian Ginever David Glazbrook Craig Goldberg Leanne Gratton Rob Greenwood Anne Gripper Frank Grutzner
Alan Hale Alison Harding Debbie Harrison Carolyn Hart Milka Hauta-aho David Heaton Pat Heppner Lynette Hinds Alecia Hines Liz Hines Stuart Hollingworth James Holloway Graeme Holroyd John Holzer Lauren Hornby Vanessa Hughes Michael Hutchesson Christine Hygonnet David Ingleton Bradley Jachmann Ken James Karren James Alfons Jenish Michelle Jones Paul Jordan Greg Keegan Cem Kibar Kerry Kingma Sonya Kloeden Nicholas Knight Karla Kosonen Timea Kovacs Shaun Kowald Andrew Kranz James La Londe James Lally Adam Langley David Langley Andrew Larpent David Latty Jason Lentakis John Leopold David Letch Anthony Lewis Jennie Louise Darren Lowe Samuel Loy Daniel Lynch Duncan Maccallum Carlo Maio Ericson Malvar Helen Mares
Robert Martin Kym Martin Grant McAllister Trisha McAuley Gregory McConnell Simon McCormack Cindy Mcdonald Matthew McDonald Peter McFarlane Quentin McIntyre Stephanie McLennan Lois McMahon Nick McMahon Elise McMahon Trish McMillan Darren Mercieca Alex Michelmore Daniel Millar Gillian Miller Kym Miller Amanda Mitchell Kasandra Modra Mahmoud Mohamed Lise Moody Denise Moriarty Allen Morris-Yates Vasilios Mouhalos Natalie Mountstephen Brendan Moyse Ian Muirhead Brad Munro Heather Murchie Terry Murphy David Newnham Alison Nicholls Nelli Noakes Andrew Noble Peter Norman Joanna Oakeshott Alban O’Brien Cameron Olson Moira Oneil Tom Painter Lyndon Parry Ida Parwita Guy Paxton Jon Peterson Paddy Phillips Ian Pilkington Cory Pilmore Roydon Pye Claire Pym
Tuesday Traverse to Deloraine...
Volunteer with Bicycle SA
made the trip for us. We look forward to riding many more hills; they will be so much easier.
oin some of the most skilled, experienced, passionate, entertaining and hard-working volunteers in cycling. Whether you volunteer for a few hours, a whole day or even for a multi-day ride, your time is a much needed and valued resource. We can’t do it without you. We have several opportunities for volunteering throughout the year .Working on our single and multi-day events ranges from riding or being a traffic marshals, managing refreshment stations, providing logistics support, driving support vehicles or one of many other roles. Upcoming volunteer opportunities include: Kona Dirty Weekend Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2013
Days 6, 7 Now it is time for us all to rest and relax, unwind, sight see and continue our journey in this beautiful part of Tasmania, and none of us wanted to leave this fabulous quiet part of the world. Finally to our Hosts: Glenys and David, thanks for your caring nature; nothing was too much trouble. The fresh eggs and bacon each morning were yummy. We look forward to seeing you again. Take care and thank you. This is a trip we can highly recommend to all bicycle riders.
Life’s better on a bike >>>
J
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Mark Quintel Gary Ramsey Pasuqale Raschella Paul Rayner Alison Rayner Almina Reed Alex Reilly Graeme Rice Luke Richardson Jim Riley David Ritchie Christopher Roberts Narelle Robinson Trevor Robinson Juliette Robinson Fred Rochler Matthew Rodda Matthew Rodgers Keanu Rohrlach Christopher Rose Hazel Rose Greg Rosen Adam Rosser Shawn Rowle Helen Rowley Amanda Ruler Benjamin Russ Patrick Ryan Maheson Sabapathy Dean Sanders Zara Sato Carolyn Sawtell Elizabeth Schoen Paul Schofield Russell Schrale Peter Schulz David Scott Robin Seeley Andrew Sekay Chris Sheedy David Shepherd Juliet Sheppart Julie Short Emilia Silva Mark Slee Ed Smart Maria Smith Mark Spencer Arthur Starsky Helen Statham Matthew Steele Jiri Stejskal
Peter Stephens Alexander Stretton Axel Suckow Totok Sudibyo Peter Sulicich David Swain Laurine Symington Bernard Szantyr Dennyson Taylor Arnie Teakle Caleb Thompson Benjamin Turley Christopher Turnadge George Turner Rosemary Underhill Hugo van Roermund Sheryl van Roermund Murray Vance Tony Vaughan Lee Wakeling Gary Walker William Wallace David Wallace Geoff Watson Kate Watson Paul Watts Thomas Webb Katrina Whetstone Lisa White Dianne White Clytie Wickstead David Williams Scott Wilson Barbara Wimmer Matthew WingrovePryce Georgina Wire James Wishart Liz Withers Adam Witkowski Charles Wong Peter Wright Trish Wyeth Andrea Yool Qia Zhu Andrew Zoerner Scott Zrna
Welcome all
24 hour Mountain Bike enduro Cuddlee Creek Forest, Lobethal Grand Slam Challenger Series Sunday 2 June The Grand Slam Challenge is a series of recreational rides catering to cyclists of differing abilities looking to share the experience with hundreds of like-minded riders. The next ride is in Meadows. Amy’s Ride Sunday 3 November. A mass ride to support the Amy Gillet Foundation and Bike SA’s road safety campaigns in SA. For more information please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Maureen Merrick, 8168 9999 or <maureen.merrick@bikesa.asn.au>.
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Tailwind
There are people who do not understand cycling. Take the case of New Zealander David Ware who was recently on record as describing cyclists as “road vermin”, “roadkill”, and “weasels in Lycra” He was put in his place by science writer and cyclist Allison Campbell: <sciblogs.co.nz/ bioblog/2013/02/19/cyclists-road-vermin-quit-thehyperbole-mr-ware>. Then there was the case of a US politician: ‘Days after angering cyclists with his contention that people who ride bikes don’t help pay for roads — and stating that “the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider,” Washington State Rep. Ed Orcutt has apologized for his words, and any confusion they created.’ Read more about that at <www.npr.org/blogs/ thetwo-way/2013/03/05/173523998/cyclists-dono-emit-more-carbon-than-cars-state-legislatoradmits>.
UK GPS-device maker Navevo has announced that its latest device, intended for HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers will alert them as they approach intersections and other areas where cyclists are likely to be. According to their media release: ‘“A navigation system is something a driver is likely to be listening to as they approach a junction and so it makes perfect sense to also alert the driver of the risk of cyclists, reminding them to be observant and drive safely,” says Navevo CEO, Nick Caesari. “The safety of drivers, cyclists and other users of the road is a concern for everybody and we are proud to lead the navigation industry by launching this “world first” safety feature, which we believe could significantly contribute in improving road safety and reducing the number of incidents involving HGVs and cyclists.”’ Details at <www.navevo.com/press_2013_4.html>.
Helmet testing has come some way since then: WT Warren in 1912
Closer to home, SBS recently had an item about cyclists running red lights: ‘Riding through red lights is arguably the most hated cyclist behaviour — but why does it happen? Are cyclists just recalcitrant law breakers? Is the answer to fine every cyclist who rides through every red light? Or is there a bigger picture?’ Marilyn Johnson of Monash University considers the issue at <www.sbs.com.au/ cyclingcentral/news/42956/seeing-red-whycyclists-ride-through-traffic-lights>. This is the Hyundai E4U personal mobility device, about which you can read at <blogs.scientificamerican.com/pluggedin/2013/04/03/hyundais-egg-mobile-is-thisthe-future-of-personal-mobility> and other places. The headgear comes with it. Another such device is by Honda, its UniCub, a mono-wheel machine without the outriggers of the E4U. Tailwind doubts that the E4U is the future of personal mobility.
How steep a hill can you climb? That was the question asked after a stage of Tirreno-Adriatic when riders walked. It prompted Rhett Allain, an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University, to do some maths. We won’t put the formulae here, but you can read about it at <www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/whatsthe-steepest-gradient-for-a-road-bike>.
Walking? (Pic from VeloVews.com) ‘A young girl sits atop an aviation machine invented by Francois Baudot (standing, left), France, 1915. The machine was intended to fly after the bicycle reached a speed of thirty-five miles per hour’
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Love your ride Support the stores that support us Aldgate Bike Shop Avanti Plus Salisbury
120 Mt Barker Rd Stirling 8339 5954 3/1760 Main North Rd Salisbury Plain 8258 8885 The Battery Bar Shop 21, Adelaide Arcade Adelaide 8223 6566 Bernie Jones Cycles 239 Diagonal Rd Warradale 8296 9652 Bicycle Express 124 Halifax St Adelaide 8232 7277 Bike About 2/80 Onkaparinga Valley Road Woodside 8389 7681 Bike Lane 69 The Golden Way Golden Grove 8288 7766 The Bike Station 352 Brighton Road Hove 8296 6011 Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs 260 Waymouth Street, Adelaide 8410 9499 Brooks Cycle Depot 63 Bridge Street Murray Bridge 8532 2868 8 Tyler Street Port Lincoln 8682 3468 Challinger’s Cycles The Classic Bicycle Shop 254 Pulteney Street Adelaide 8232 3330 Clark’s Cycles 354 Magill Rd Kensington Park 8332 3083 Complete Cycle 45 Cliff St Port Noarlunga 8327 0200 Corsa Cycles 182 Gouger Street Adelaide 8221 5068 Cumberland Cycles 468 Goodwood Rd Cumberland Park 8271 6550 2/19 Albyn Terrace Strathalbyn 8536 3211 Cycle On Cycleworx 106 Semaphore Rd Semaphore 8449 8199 820 Port Rd Woodville 5011 8268 6404 122 Unley Rd, Unley 8271 8001 Euride 1a Pattinson Road Newton 8336 9958 102 King William Rd Hyde Park 8272 0422 262 Main Road Blackwood 8278 7970 197 Rundle Street Adelaide 8223 3315 Flinders Active Lifestyle Lindes Lane, Rear 93 Rundle Mall Adelaide 8223 1913 1 Hospital Rd Port Augusta Flinders Cycles Outdoors & Leisure 8641 0269 G&D Cycles 52 Commercial St East Mt Gambier 8725 6002 Gawler Cycles 63 Murray Street Gawler 8522 2343 Giant Adelaide 2 –3 53/67 Hindmarsh Square Adelaide 8223 5978 Glenelg Cycles 754 Anzac Highway Glenelg 8294 4741 International Cycles 70 Payneham Rd Stepney 8362 2609 JT Cycles 266 Pulteney St Adelaide 8359 2755 650 North East Rd Holden Hill 8369 0550 1 Phillip Highway Elizabeth 8250 7100 391 Brighton Road Hove 8358 1500 394 Main North Road Blair Athol 8262 5449 100 Anzac Highway Everard Park LifeCycle Bicycles 45 Kensington Rd Norwood 8331 3255
Mawson Lakes Cycles 22/26 Goodall Parade Mawson Lakes 8260 7167 Mike Turtur Cycles 55 Main North Rd Medindie 8342 1882 Mitcham Cycles 21 – 23 Belair Road Kingswood 8271 0692 Moonta Cycle & Sports 49 George Street Moonta 8825 3222 North Adelaide Cycles 91 Melbourne Street North Adelaide 8267 4778 Norwood Parade Cycles 216 The Parade Norwood 8332 1889 Over the Edge Sports 6 Stuart Street Melrose 8666 2222 Oxygen Cycles 143 Main Road McLaren Vale 8323 7345 Paddy Pallin 228 Rundle St Adelaide 1800 039 343 Pedal and Thread 232 Grenfell St Adelaide 8842 2004 The Penny Farthing Bike Shop Avanti Plus Port Augusta 52 Victoria Parade Port Augusta 8641 1128 Plympton Cycles 428b Marion Rd Plympton 8297 0312 Ray’s Outdoors 61–69 West Tce Adelaide 8231 3633 399 – 403 Main North Rd Enfield 8359 5866 721 Tapleys Hill Rd Adelaide Airport 8355 4333 1 Phillip Hwy Elizabeth 8252 0166 Road Rage Cycles 199 Payneham Road St Peters 8363 1003 Roof Rack City 37 Gilbert Street Adelaide 8211 7600 SA Camping 109 Jetty Rd Glenelg 8376 1330 SA Remedial Therapy Clinic 55 Gawler Place Adelaide 8221 6262 Scout Outdoor Centre 192 Rundle St Adelaide 8223 5544 Snowy’s Outdoors 92 Richmond Rd Keswick 8351 2111 South Coast Cycles 125 Beach Rd Christies Beach 8326 1664 Standish Cycles 290 Unley Road Unley 8271 9733 Shop 12 Tea Tree Plaza, 976 Main North Rd Modbury 8264 6001 348 North East Rd Klemzig 8261 1696 26 Park Tce Salisbury 8285 1144 Marion Shopping Centre Marion 8377 1752 170 Main South Rd Morphett Vale 8384 4704 West Lakes Mall West Lakes 8356 5492 195 Henley Beach Rd Mile End 8443 5435 Star Cycles 5 Barfield Crescent Elizabeth West 8255 1979 Super Elliotts 200 Rundle St Adelaide 8223 3946 Tailwind Cycles 40 – 44 Blackburn St Reynella 8322 6714 Trak Cycles 138 The Parade Norwood 5067 8431 5711 Treadly 4–10 Ebenezer Place Adelaide 8232 0158 Upfront Bikes 47–67 Main South Road O’Halloran Hill 8381 9069 Victor Harbor Cycle & Skate 73 Victoria St Victor Harbor 8552 1417
It’s unlikely that a Gear Up Girl event will be held in Riyadh in the near future, despite a recent announcement. Maryam Namazie writes, at <freethoughtblogs.com/ maryamnamazie/2013/04/05/yaay-saudi-arabialifts-ban-on-female-cyclists>: “There are reports that Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on female cyclists! “A Saudi daily cited an unnamed official as saying women can now ride bikes in parks and recreational areas but must wear a full-body abaya, be accompanied by a male relative, and stay within certain areas. They are allowed to bike for recreational purposes only, not as a primary mode of transportation. “So no, not really… Unless of course you want to go out like this:” (The graphic is by by Mohammad Sharaf )
Life’s better on a bike >>>
Seen in Taupo New Zealand (Hat tip: Don Hatcher)
Contents
May – July 2013
>>>> 15
2013 Get timed along the SOUTHERN EXPRESSWAY Closed to cars! Open to bikes!
2013
Amy’s Ride SA
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120km
• 65km • 30km • 25km • 18km
SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER
• Ride the time of your life and support the Amy Gillet Foundation and Bike SA’s road safety campaigns in SA • Meet your personal challenge • Ride the Southern Expressway with your family and friends! • Family-friendly and fully supported bike ride EVENT UPDATES Twitter Facebook # AmysRideSA fb.com/BicycleSA
R E GI S TER AT
• 100km
bikesa.asn.au
“The best cycling event I have ever been part of!” Anna, Participant