Archive news... June 2003 - June 2007

Written by Steve and Dan, two ordinary guys with the extraordinary ambition of cycling around Tasmania as close to the coast as possible on touring bikes, Circumcyclogation will touch on gear, routes, training, planning, advocacy and even cooking! (Could be an ABC TV show, Cooking on a Trangia. ;-) The blog is open to public comment and Bike Tas members (and cyclists generally) are welcome to drop by and give their advice or ask questions.

Circumcyclogation is called such because it's a journey around Tasmania by bike, not by boat ;-)

Steve Jay,
Circumcyclogator

US car & light truck fuel efficiency: in 1988 the average was 22.1 miles per gallon. Today the average is 20.8 mpg. The Model T Ford in 1908 managed 25 mpg. The Ford Expedition, one of the best-selling lines today, achieves 15.5 mpg. We don't need a technology breakthrough to achieve radically better fuel economy - we need to slow down and build lighter weight vehicles, or something even more radical (for some) - leave the car at home and get on your bike - it's easier than you think.

If you have never contemplated cycle commuting or have already swapped your car for a bicycle for a few of your work related journeys, the free booklet "It’s Easier Than You Think" will increase your knowledge of cycling.

“My message is to tell the world that living with Cystic Fibrosis is not only possible, but that thanks to international research, people with Cystic Fibrosis are able to achieve feats just like any other healthy person,” explains Walter.

SPOKE is Bike Tasmania's FREE bi-monthly publication.
SPOKE is mailed or emailed for free to members two months before it appears on this website.
All the SPOKE back issues can be found here.

Where: Princes Wharf Shed
Pit Lane set-up from 6:30 am | Practice from 7:30 am | Celebrity Race at 9:15 am

For more info, contact Gary Adderton at Rosny College 62 449 200.

• the ABC online survey of current cycling infrastructure and level of priority (responses due by 17 April)
• the ALGA Community Infrastructure Ideas Register
• the Australian Sports Commission survey on unmet demand for sporting facilities (due 18 April)

• HOBART CYCLING FESTIVAL SUNDAY 18 MARCH
  • A family fun day including face painting and games
  • Teaching toddlers to ride session
  • Five Alive obstacle course for 6-12 year olds
  • Bicycle polo
• CYCLING FESTIVAL RIDES SUNDAY 18 MARCH
  • Century Ride (100km)
  • Half Century Ride (50km)
  • Round the River Fun Ride (25km)
• FREE COMMUNITY RIDES THIS WEEKEND
  • Woodbridge Ride (3km or 7km) Saturday 17 March
  • Glenorchy Ride (8km) Sunday 18 March
  • Cygnet Family Ride (10km) Sunday 18 March
  • Cygnet Coast Road Loop (35km) Sunday 18 March
• COME-AND-TRY SESSIONS / COURSES
  • Indoor Cycling Studio at Endorphin Gym Thursday 15 March
  • Bicycle maintenance course Thursday 15 March
  • Mountain Bike Come-and-Try Day Saturday 17 March

• 8am registration, 9am start from Cenotaph end of Intercity Cycleway
• Includes riding over the Tasman Bridge roadway with police escort
• 50km and 100km options
• not suitable for U/14s
• includes lunch
• free to members, $20 to non-members

• A report has been prepared and has been "submitted for determination" (by the police or the crown prosecutor?) as to whether any charges are to be laid against the driver.
• This determination is expected in the near (indeterminate) future.

Stand by for another State Bike Week! The best most varied week of cycling in Tasmania, there is truly an event for every one from toddlers to those who want a challenge in riding over 100km in a day. A new event this year is the Half Century Ride for those who wish to experience riding over the Tasman Bridge with well over a hundred other cyclists but do not wish to ride the complete Century route. There are a number of regular and new events that are either free or heavily discounted for Bicycle Tasmania members, these include:

• One day Adult Rider Course reduced from $65 to $10, Saturday 10th
• Kate Tamayo Tour de Femme Free, Sunday 11th
• Ranelagh Family Ride including BBQ Free, Monday 12th
• Century Ride inc. lunch Free, Sunday 18th
• Half Century Ride inc. lunch Free, Sunday 18th

Stops can be requested in South Hobart, top of Strickland Avenue, Chimney Pot Hill Road and Fern Tree. The bikes are carried in an enclosed trailer behind a mini-bus and both front and rear wheels are secure, so the risk of scratches or damage is minimised.

If you live in Tasmania, but are a member of a mainland cycling organisation, isn't it time you supported the state-based advocacy group that supports YOU?

We have also set up a PayPal account so that common credit and debit cards can be accepted for payment online. This is in addition to our existing Direct Deposit facilities.

Sign up a friend who is not already a member and you are eligible for a extra $5 discount.

Here are all the reasons you should join us, including details of the new insurance.
Here are the steps to become a member.

• Bicycle Tasmania is Tasmania's peak cycling user group.
  
• Joining an interstate cycling user group does NOTHING to support Tasmanian advocacy.
  
• Support the organisation that supports all Tasmanian cyclists.

Mr Whitehead (injured cyclist) said if the State Government could afford a $15 million package involving Hawthorn Football Club it could afford improvements to the shared bike and pedestrian paths on the bridge. Suzie Jacobson, spokeswoman for the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, said the bridge was not a cycleway and other people's needs could not be disregarded.

Kate was

• Bicycle Tasmania treasurer for 6 years
• instigator of the very popular BikeWeek Tour de Femme event
• RACT board member
• Assistant Director, Budget Management Branch, Department of Treasury and Finance
• president and Public Officer for WomensSport Tasmania
• a tireless advocate for improved cycling conditions, and encouraging more women to get cycling in Tasmania
• member Sandy Bay Hash Harriers Club

Tim Stredwick has placed a bike painted white on the side of the road where Kate was killed as a permanent memorial.

• 1,342 car drivers/passengers are killed on the road each year
• the number of people who drowned between 1992 and 1995 were 2,199
• 10 people every year are struck and killed by lightning playing golf
• obesity is estimated to kill 5,600 people each year and smoking kills 19,429
• 10 people every year are killed by animal bites or stings
• food allergies claim a further 20 victims each year

You may be interested in the research detailed below that show the more cyclists there are on the road the safer it is.

• Safety in Numbers: More Walkers and Bicyclists, Safer Walking and Bicycling". P L Jacobsen, 2003, 9, 205-9
• Leading Australian cycling safety researcher, Dorre Robinson reviews the evidence on safety in numbers from an Australian perspective

Read more about the Adelaide based Wheels Of Justice - formed after the deaths of three innocent cyclists. ...If you are as concerned as we are that a cyclist's life is not worth much, and you would like to make a difference, then join us! Bring water bottles for self and friends to leave your messages for "Justice". - get on your bikes and join us at Victoria Square, Adelaide at 9:30 on Saturday 7th May 2005.

"A recent motor vehicle accident in which a Bicycle Queensland member was injured reinforces the need for cyclists to have properly functioning rear-facing flashing lights to prevent road accidents with cars and also to ensure full compensation in the case of negligence.

Tasmania's fine for not having a rear-flashing lamp is 5 penalty units $375.00 - see the Tasmanian law here. In summary:

• (a) a flashing or steady white light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the front of the bicycle;
• (b) a flashing or steady red light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the rear of the bicycle; and
• (c) a red reflector that is clearly visible for at least 50 metres from the rear of the bicycle when light is projected onto it by a vehicle’s headlight on low-beam

The earlier we show our children that cycling is not only a lot of fun, but incorporating it into life on a regular basis provides a solution to many environmental, community problems. Teaching and encouraging your children to cycle is the best sort of activity, suiting the "THINK globally, ACT locally" concept perfectly.

"It’s Easier Than You Think" aims to dispel the myths, provide encouragement and information that will go a long way to ensure a smooth transition in the way you travel to work. If you have never contemplated cycle commuting or have already swapped your car for a bicycle for a few of your work related journeys "It’s Easier Than You Think" will increase your knowledge of cycling.

Read the full ABC Radio National transcript of The Cars that ate Cities.

Four wheel drives are an unstoppable phenomenon, protected by governments, they are the fastest growing class of passenger vehicle. Useful in the bush, they appeal to city dwellers who like the sense of power - and ignore fuel costs, pollution and safety concerns.

Who drives a 4 Wheel Drive? - "...They tend to be people who are insecure and vain, they're frequently nervous about their marriages, and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills. Above all, they're apt to be self-centred and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbours or communities. No, that's not a cynic talking, that's the auto industrys own market researchers and executives..." - taken from the book "High and Mighty" by Keith Bradsher.