On Your Bike

One metre between life and death

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:23:59 GMT

Richard Pollett, a 25-year-old musician, was crushed under the wheels of a cement truck while cycling in Brisbane in September 2011.

The virtuoso violinist was due to perform with the ...

The cycling apps that can make you go faster

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:08:17 GMT

"Why would you exercise on a bicycle? It's the most energy-efficient form of transport there is. Trying to get fit on a bicycle is like trying to bulk up on lettuce."

This was one of the ...

Make sure you're covered before you ride

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:50:17 GMT

A lot of people tend to focus on the perceived dangers involved in cycling – especially if they are not cyclists themselves. After all, most news articles they read are likely to focus on ...

Do we need to 'de-Lycrafy' cycling?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:08:33 GMT

“I want to de-Lycrafy cycling.”

With these words, London’s flamboyant Mayor Boris Johnson last month announced a £913 million plan for new cycling infrastructure in ...

Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:28:04 GMT

My regular training partner for cycling is about half my weight, three quarters my height, on the other side of 50 to me, and probably one of the tougher cyclists you're likely to ...

The thrills and spills of mountain biking

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:43:38 GMT

One of my least favourite things? Falling off a bike. It's not just the bit where your body hits the ground, it's that quite often the bike turns on you, seeking revenge for all those hours of ...

Does being seen make you safer?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:33:03 GMT

The first racing bike I bought was jet black with white lettering.

It was a custom build by a Sydney manufacturer (due to my non-standard height), so I could choose any colour of the ...

The benefits of being a colourful cyclist

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:33:03 GMT

The first racing bike I bought was jet black with white lettering.

It was a custom build by a Sydney manufacturer (due to my non-standard height), so I could choose any colour of the ...

When cyclist and pedestrian worlds collide

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:33:24 GMT

It’s time to finally admit it. We are the most lawless users of the transport system - and the luckiest.

Expensive infrastructure is built for our use even though we don’t make ...

Is the internet killing bike shops?

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:12:31 GMT

I appear to be running out of local bicycle shops.

For years I was a regular customer at King of the Mountain cyclery in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, a few kilometres from my home. It got ...

The importance of having a great time

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 02:12:54 GMT

“Are you aiming to beat six hours?” asked the attractive woman on the schmick triathlon bicycle next to me as we rolled through the gorgeous countryside.

Well, no, I ...

Beginning of a beautiful friendship

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:20:10 GMT

They say you never forget your first, and I certainly remember mine. Standing there under the Christmas tree, black tyres, chrome handlebars, "banana" seat, three-speed shifter on the top ...

When bicycles pass on the left

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 04:59:21 GMT

One of the best things about riding a bike in heavy traffic is being able to overtake cars on the left hand side.

Most capital cities have arterial roads that turn into part-time car parks ...

Do you call yourself a cyclist?

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 04:19:13 GMT

What's your definition of "a cyclist"?

The dictionary explanation is easy, of course: "A person who rides a bicycle." But surely that's almost all of us, at some stage of life? Is there a ...

Why do some cyclists disregard red lights?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:11:59 GMT

"Why do cyclists run red lights?" a friend asked me recently.

It's a contentious issue in the so-called war between motorists and cyclists (most of whom, curiously, are also motorists) ...

Why do cyclists disregard red lights?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:11:59 GMT

"Why do cyclists run red lights?" a friend asked me recently.

It's a contentious issue in the so-called war between motorists and cyclists (most of whom, curiously, are also motorists) ...

The virtual cycling community

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 01:19:04 GMT

Back in 2009 I was facing a bit of a dilemma. I was about to leave on the holiday of a lifetime, a week-long “chasing the Tour” event in the French alps, as part of a month-long ...

Share bike schemes need to lose the lids

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:41:24 GMT

Bike share systems are flourishing around the world. There are more than a quarter of a million bicycles out there, right now, ready for someone to hop on and use for a short trip, at a low or ...

Cycling the continent

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 04:30:00 GMT

A visit to most western European countries is like a religious experience for an Australian cyclist.

I’ve just come back from a couple of weeks on the continent, including 10 days of ...

All about the bike

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 04:46:10 GMT

I was rather sceptical when a friend lent me her copy of It's All About the Bike by Robert Penn, and insisted I'd enjoy it.

The premise seemed to encapsulate the worst type of ...

Cyclists shudder as magpies swoop again

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:06:58 GMT

I read a Twitter message last week that made my heart sink like a stone. “First magpie swoop of the year – and it’s only July.”

Yes, it’s that season again, ...

When cycle lanes are dangerous

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The raucous horn sounded half a second before the ute skimmed past me, its side-view mirror just missing my handlebar. The driver’s voice bellowed through the open passenger window: ...

How I learned to love the Tour de France

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 03:01:41 GMT

Please forgive me, dear reader, for the following outburst: LA GRANDE BOUCLE! THE MEN OF JULY! VIVE LE TOUR DE FRANCE!!! Yes, it's that time of year again. Three weeks of drama, tension, glory, ...

Cyclists with video cameras

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 02:53:30 GMT

I’ve been thinking about buying a small video camera and mounting it on my helmet or my bike’s handlebars. At the risk of sounding macabre or fatalistic (or scaring my mum), if another ...

Why cyclists should never pay rego

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:56:03 GMT

“Pay yer rego!”

It's a cry I've heard many times while cycling, and it always confuses me.

For starters, I've already paid rego twice this year: for a car and a motor ...