Key Things to Do if You are Involved in a Bike/Car Crash

Collisions involving a motor vehicle are one of the unfortunate possibilities of riding your bike on public roadways. In my own case, I had ridden tens of thousands of miles over the past decade without incident.  However that all changed last month when I was struck by a car as I rode home from work. When you are involved in a collision, there are key things that you should know and do to protect yourself and ensure that financial responsibility for damage to you or your bike is covered appropriately. 

1.  Stay Down and In Place after the Crash

Our natural human reaction in the event of a crash is to immediately jump right back up.  Adrenaline kicks in, the heart is pounding and our bodies drive us to pop up as if everything is okay. However, presuming you are in no further immediate danger by staying in your present location, what you need to do if you have been knocked off your bike is to stay down and in place until medical help arrives, or at least for a minute or two to take stock of your physical condition and to give yourself or others time to assess for injuries. Should you have broken bones or injuries to your head or spine, getting up and walking around may complicate these injuries and actually make things worse.  

2.  Seek Medical Treatment

Because of that adrenaline rush and our own human tendency to want to avoid attention and embarrassment, another immediate response when a crash occurs is to brush things off.  "I'm okay," we want to say to ourselves and others.  However, the cyclist who has been hit by a car or otherwise involved in a crash is not in a position to adequately gauge this.When I was hit, I knew my ankle hurt, but it took x-rays and a full diagnosis by a doctor to show that it was in fact a leg broken in two places. Please allow medical aid to be summoned. You don't have to go on an ambulance ride to the hospital if it is not needed, but at the very least you should be checked out by competent medical personnel.  

Another reason for seeking medical care is that sometimes injuries are hidden and may not manifest themselves until later. That means if you say on the scene of the accident, "no, no, I'm okay" and then go home without being looked at, you'll have a much more difficult time being reimbursed for the costs to treat those significant head or back problems that may not fully appear until 24 or 36 hours later. 

3.  Involve the Police

In addition to medical care, you will want to involve the police in the event of any significant contact between you the cyclist and a motor vehicle. Whether you are injured or not, the police should be aware of any collision involving a bike, if nothing else for the sheer value of noting the cyclist's presence in their jurisdiction via a police report and the fact that a collision with a car or truck has occurred.

Additionally, be aware that when a violation of the traffic laws has taken place, it is the officer's duty to note this via a traffic citation.If you believe the motorist to be at fault, it is certainly your right (and in your interest, too) to ask the responding officer if the motorist is being cited. In some collisions, of course, it is the cyclist who is at fault, so it is entirely possible that you may receive a ticket too. 

Philosophically I believe it is also important that appropriate traffic citations are given in order to pin fault and responsibility for where it lies. The motorist who struck me -- a guy coming from the opposite direction who made a left turn straight into me -- was cited by the local PD for "failure to yield the right of way" which I lawfully had as a cyclist travelling on a public roadway. Not only was I satisfied that he was identified as the party at fault in this matter, but such a ticket given to him by the cops will be essential for assigning responsibility in case there is some later dispute or question of who should be covering my medical bills and reimbursing me for my damaged bike. 

4.  Get Witness Information and Document the Scene

In addition to getting complete contact information for the other driver, including phone number, physical address and insurance policy number, you should be proactive at capturing as many other details of the incident as you can.

In many cases there will be witnesses to the collision. If you are able, get contact information from these people.  A name and phone number is sufficient at this time. If you have others riding who were with you, they can help you with this task of gathering witness information in addition to being counted as witnesses themselves.

If you are injured to the extent you are physically unable to do this, the cops and medical people will in all likelihood be involved and on the scene, and it will be the job of the police to get this information to include in their report.

Also, if you are able, either document the scene or have someone do this for you. Using the camera from a mobile phone to take as many photos of the situation as possible is the best way to do this.

What to take photos of:

• your bike, in place where it ended up if separate from you after the collision
• where you also ended up after the incident if knocked from your bike, and again, showing you in place as you ended up after the collision if there is another person who can help you document this
• the other vehicle, in particular focusing on any damage to the vehicle as a result of the collision 
• specific photos of any injuries you suffered
• specific photos of any damage caused to your bike
• broad photos of the scene of the incident that convey the nature and type of road where this occurred plus capturing weather and daylight conditions 
• any skid marks or other possible indications on the road surface of sudden braking, sharp turns, acceleration or other avoidance manuevers.
• anything else that may tell the story of what happened in this incident that might be helpful later to recreating the situation and help assign responsibility in event of a dispute.

5.  After the Incident

In the days and weeks after the incident -- particularly if there were serious injuries as a result and incurred significant medical bills -- it is very important that you keep good records of all interactions related to this matter.

First thing to do is to get a copy of the police report and ensure that it is accurate. Next, get the insurance claim number that has been assigned to the case. It may take some time, a week or more, for this part to get started so even if this doesn't happen immediately, that is generally not a cause for concern. Naturally, keep copies of all bills received and expenses incurred as a result.

If your case is serious enough to involve police, lawyers, medical professoinal and one or more insurance companies, your record keeping will also include taking good notes of every conversation that takes place around this. Jot down the time, date, who you talked to, what they said, etc. Hopefully these will not be needed but in the event of a protracted dispute, these sorts of detailed records will be very helpful. Again, the intent is simply to ensure that if you have been negatively affected by the behavior of others in a way that they should be held responsible for damages to you or your property, that these are in fact covered in the proper manner.

post from sitemap

BLOG: While Sleeping Dogs Lie

My legs are sore, uncomfortably sore in fact. It’s not the sharp pain of recent injury but rather the deep throb of unfitness. Earlier this evening I bent to pick up a dropped set of keys. About halfway down my hammies went into mild spasm and I was drawn to the painful realization that there was no going back, well at least not the way I had come. I crab shuffled across my room ‘downward-dog‘ style and used the leg of my desk to leverage myself vertically inch-by-inch. Apparently this is the price of the ‘off season.’ My off season has evolved into the time period between adventures, the last one of which was way back in November which I guess makes kick-starting the pins that much more interesting.

Thankfully though, blowing out the muscular cobwebs is not all sore muscles and slow rides. It’s strange how regularly I forget that there is nothing that makes me smile as often and as genuinely as being back on the bike, be it that I’ve had to adjust to my training schedule to include the notoriously poor hours of a candidate attorney. Gone are the inter-lecture mid-morning rides, replaced instead by a high percentage of late night and extraordinarily early morning rides. Fortunately the roads are quiet and though I hate to brag, for a sizable city Cape Town has an impressive array of visible stars to lose one’s thoughts amongst.

So, why the need for late nights and stiff legs? The answer lies in the title; because we (the super ballie and I) just could not let sleeping dogs lie. With the Freedom Challenge and Tour Divide complaint boxes ticked one might have thought that we would be content to return to the shorter more intense format of racing. That, however, would be like asking a heroine addict to quit and start smoking cigarettes. I’ve spoken at length previously about the addictive nature of cycling, and specifically, of challenging oneself to go further and at greater speed. The time for denial is long past, I’ve drifted through anger, bargaining, guilt, depression, and have come to accept that I am addicted to ultra endurance racing.

This year we’re choosing to sate our addiction by entering the The Transcontinental Race. In my opinion the format and organisation of the Transcontinental is such that it will soon surpass The Tour Divide as the benchmark for self supported ultra-endurance racing. In only its third edition the 220 (180 single and 25 or so pairs) entries were sold out in days, although if my information is correct, we will be the first Africans to compete.

This 4300km journey will take us from a mid-night start on the Muur Van Geraardsbergen (oh ye of Tour of Flanders infamy) in Belgium, zig-zagging across Europe to the very borders of Asia on the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul. The race differs from our previous experience in that it will be completed on road bikes – although not all on tar roads – and the route will be planned entirely by ourselves. The rules are simple; no support, no riding on roads that would normally be illegal to cycle on, no thumbing lifts, taking trains or ferries, and you have 16 days to reach the finish (working out to around 300km a day) ticking off four checkpoints en route to the finish, namely; Mount Ventoux in France, the Strada Del Assietta in Italy, Vukovar in Croatia, and Mount Lovcen in Montenegro.

Follow me as I update both interested and uninterested parties on my progress and the art of bike-packing as we gear up for a winter of training, racing, and general admin preparation ahead of our biggest adventure yet.

Next time I talk bikes and how to choose the perfect bike-packing steed.

Bruce

post from sitemap

Winter celebration: Member tune ups

Bicycle Network: Latest News (176)

As part of our six week long Winter Riding Celebration, we're offering Bicycle Network members free bike tune ups in Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania. 

The Rolling Fix

Sydney:

When:	7:30am - 9am Monday 25 May Wednesday 27 May
Where:	Bicycle Network's Sydney office 34 Crown St., Sydney, NSW 2010

Melbourne:

When:	7:30am - 9am Monday 15 June Wednesday 17 June Friday 19 June
Where:	Queensbridge Square Southbank, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Hobart:

AvantiPlus will be offering tune ups for Bicycle Network members in Hobart.

When:	Times to be confirmed Wednesday 3 June Sunday 24 June
Where:	AvantiPlus 129 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay TAS 7005

post from sitemap

BUY NO RHINO: Time-out in Hanain

After cycling hard for 10 days with only one rest day in between, our legs were feeling tired and heavy. We deserved some serious relaxing. We were heading for the tropical, Hawaiian-style island of Hainan, a well-known vacation destination in China. Two days of no riding were on the program – what bliss! But first we had to get there…

Taking a huge ferry along side many fully loaded trucks, we crossed over to the island. Here rain awaited us. When the drizzle turned into a thunderstorm we followed the example of the scooters whizzing around us and took shelter under a highway bridge. Sometimes the only thing you can do is wait until the storm passes.

About half an hour later the worst seemed over and we headed off into the light rain. Then our bikes started getting problematic. We had both noticed that switching gears had become more difficult, always being accompanied by grating noises. This was becoming worse. Adding to this came a new loud . With the rain in our faces, this squeaking did not really improve our moods.

We discovered that our racks had slid down the frame, now resting on the derailler and the rack deck was scraping the tyres. The culprit was the protective tape between frame and rack, which was supposed to prevent the frame from getting scratched. Due to the dislodged tape, the rack’s grip wasn´t firm anymore. The rain had probably done the rest. This definitely needed some adjustment!

Once at the hostel we addressed the issue. It took us two hours just to remove all the goey glue! With the racks back in their original position, we felt a lot better.

Up to now our Pyga bikes have been performing superbly, even when the roads were giving us the full off-road experience. The tyre linings are a great bonus and we´ve not had one puncture! Hope we can keep that up.

Next morning, we said good-bye to our bikes for two days and went in search for that beautiful tropical beach – not knowing that we would need half a day to reach it. Taxi, 2h train ride, bus, taxi again…in between lots of gesticulations…what a journey! Finally we made it to the little, traditional village Houhai with narrow streets and – whoe behold! – a beach! Time to put our legs up.

There was even a surfer´s hostel with an open-air bar, infinity pool, a hammock and palms. Sounds romantic? Well… Chinese-style marine vessels and old, rusting ships lay in the small bay. On the other side there was an active stone quarry – the occasional explosion shattering our relaxed dozing. In addition to that half the beach was inaccessible as the Chinese Navy was doing some kind of swimming exercises.

Needless to say we still had a wonderful time, our muscles and bums recovering. In the evening we treated ourselves to a Gin & Tonic – the first alcohol in a long time! Ness is missing the occasional glass of red wine; I´m missing coffee.

The people we meet on the way have been really supportive and friendly, at times surprising us with snacks for the road. Once a restaurant manager even invited us to a delicious Sunday breakfast. If they can speak English, they often approach us and ask about our travels. Ok, I must admit – not many do speak English.

Oh, and of course the Chinese are always keen to get a snapshot of us! I don´t wanna know how many pics there are of us all sweaty and dust-covered… We then hand out our “Buy No Rhino” bumper stickers and try to spread our message.

Ferries are always an adventure. On the big ones we are squeezed tightly in between some 50 humongous trucks – a slight feeling of claustrophobia included. For the small ferries we sometimes can´t even find the jetty. Yesterday we searched high and low. When we finally found something like a boathouse, the wind was howling and the water so choppy no one dared to go out. Two hours later this mini ferry took us over to the other side. There wasn´t even a ramp and it felt like the boat was just above water level. Wow, was I happy to arrive on the other side and have land under my feet again! We had planned a short day of 60 km. With searching for the ferry and a hotel in the evening, we ended up doing an unexpected 100 km. Take it as it comes.

Here in China we definitely have to be flexible – with food, communication and especially with traffic. Scooters, trucks and buses come from all sides. Going in the wrong direction is common practice. Rule No. 1: Stay in the flow. Don´t stop. Just trust that the others will move around you. We’ve happily survived so far!

Click here to read all the blogs from the Buy No Rhino Expedition

---

post from sitemap

Thank you to our amazing volunteers

Bicycle Network: Latest News (176)

Without the support of our volunteers, the work we do just wouldn't be possible. So, to celebrate National Volunteer week, we wanted to say a special thanks:

Each year more than 1,000 volunteers give us more than 45,000 hours of their time to help us make bike riding easier for everyone. Here's a snapshot of the stats from 2014:

• 1,000 volunteers across our events
• 54 volunteer team leaders shared their expertise and helped lead the way
• 20 workshop regulars who maintain and keep our gear in check
• 1,000 bike counters providing data to local councils
• 300 Happiness Cycle helpers providing more than 5,000 bikes to teens

To learn more about volunteering or to join us, check out our website.

post from sitemap

Results are in: Victorian councils need to Budget for Bikes

Bicycle Network: Latest News (176)

After hearing from 6000 bike riders across Victoria the message is clear: Victorian councils need to allocate significant funding for bike infrastructure.

finalisingcouncillorscouncillorsneighbours

post from sitemap

BLOG: Fear Of The Fall – Learning From The Best

I confess, I haven’t ridden my MTB on a ‘proper’ trail in a long time. In my defence, I’m a full-time working mom of two so getting a morning off to hit the trails is a rare occurrence. On Sunday, being Mother’s Day and all, I took the opportunity to claim the day. We packed the car with 1 x MTB for me, 1 X bike for the 4-year-old and 1 x pram for the baby, along with countless snacks to keep hubby and kids happy while mom enjoyed putting tyre to trail.
.
.

The new-ish Lower Bloemendal trail in Durbanville was the destination of choice. I’d heard loads about it from the night rides there every Thursday so thought I’d give it a bash. There’s also a mini 400m trail for kids (aptly named ‘The Incubator’) which my lightie was hankering to tear up. I waved goodbye to the troops and pointed my wheel in the direction of the trail’s green start arrow. Just me, my MTB and the wind through the vents in my helmet.

Bliss.

Until I hit the first drop-off. I came to a sudden halt, back brake firmly clasped and to my bewilderment, I realised what had brought me to this sudden stop. I was nervous. What if I mis-judged the exit and careened into the bushes? What if I pulled the wrong brake and tumbled head-first over the bars? What if I couldn’t control the steering and pitched into a tree?

The trail starts out with a pump track and, if you’re ‘out of the zone’ like I was, can be rather tricky. But it’s a great opportunity to hone those skills, which in my case, were clearly severely lacking.  I continued along the trail but the same pattern prevailed; I would pull on the brakes far too often, and so momentum was definitely not my friend. My “flow” was erratic at best.

At one point, I stopped to watch a father and son tackling the trail behind me. What an eye-opener. The kid was going balls-to-the-walls , flying over the jumps, and tearing around the berms. Sure, he face-planted a few times but the thing is, he had absolutely no fear. At every fall, he would pick himself up, dust himself off and set off again. I realised I could learn a lot from this kid – who was probably around nine.

So I decided to shove that nonsensical “fear of falling” to the back crevices of my brain and just let myself go. It was ride-changing. It didn’t take long before I began to find my groove again; I dropped, swooped, pumped, hopped, and whatever other verbs you can use when it comes to describing mountain biking – it was exhilarating!

The ride was over all too soon and I can report the trail is in excellent nick. Offering a bit of everything for beginners to the more experienced, it’s well-maintained with superb views at every turn. The restaurant, “incubator” trail, playground and bike shop for those last minute supplies (and post-ride recovery drinks) makes it your one-stop MTB destination for the entire family.

Bad news for husband, I’m booking him for babysitting a lot more often from now on!

Kirsten is Bicycling’s Online Editor and spends her time juggling work, being a mom and finding the time to ride her bike.

post from sitemap

BUY NO RHINO: Nihau, Kicking Off In China

Whenever we told anybody before our trip we would ride through China, people were really shocked. “What, two girls by yourself? Isn’t that dangerous?” “China, oh no!” So it went on. Needless to say, we were a little nervous and intimidated about number one, getting into this country, and number two, cycling through it.

But, so far, so good! We were positively surprised crossing the border from Macau into China Mainland; it was no problem at all. We even wore all our Buy No Rhino branded kit. Nobody even bothered. (So no, we did not get thrown behind bars, like some friends predicted. At least not until now… J.)

The first week of our journey we spent in Hong Kong where we assembled our bikes and visited four schools, educating the kids on what is happening in South Africa to our rhinos and informing them about the Rhino Art project which they can take part in. The children’s responses were amazing; they were so enthusiastic and inquisitive about our trip, loved seeing our bikes and some finished their rhino art paintings by the very next day.

After getting our last minute shopping list done, we took a ferry from Hong Kong to Macau, which seems to be the Las Vegas of China. Glitzy, opulent gambling hotels everywhere. From there we cycled across into China. Today, only after our 4th day on our bikes our routine has adjusted. Our new clock is the kilometres showing on our speedometers.

The day starts with finding breakfast, which in China is generally the same as lunch and dinner, namely noodles with prawns, chicken or pork; slightly less spicy for the morning meal. We then pack our bags and set off for the day. After the first 20km we have a little snack, 10-15km further we stop for lunch. In the late afternoon, clocking in about another 20km we look for a hotel. So far we are averaging 15km/hr, covering between 50-60km a day. Once our bodies have adjusted to riding everyday we can push the kilometres a little harder.

The roads in China have been really great. The drivers have also been super considerate, most of them hooting once or twice when they approach us from the back, then generally doing a large swerve around us (even on the highway where we passed large signs saying “No bikes”…). Obviously every once in a while you get some idiot that comes screaming past you with only a few centimetres to spare. In this case holding your line is key – just don’t start a speed wobble. And if all fails, pull into the bushes.

I still have to get used to the sound of these huge buses and trucks approaching me. It sounds like they will steam roll right over me. At the beginning I would get so scared that I just wanted to throw myself into the side ditch. But I am learning that generally there is ample space between us. It is just a matter of getting used to cycling on busy Chinese highways. This is where our brilliant little side mirror comes in handy. I can really recommend this to others wanting to do some touring, as you can see exactly what is approaching.

People have been really great too. Everyone is super friendly. Most cannot speak any English, but Vicky brought a great picture book, which comes in handy. For example for our dinners we point to all the veggies and any foods that are green in the book and hope for the best. Please no more rice and weird animals! The people get very excited when we enjoy their food and their faces light up when we give them our thumbs up.

Click here to read all the blogs from the Buy No Rhino Expedition

---

post from sitemap

Wheely great news in Victoria's budget

Bicycle Network: Latest News (176)

Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program will be expanded to include secondary schools and encourage more students across Victoria to be active and healthy.

The news follows the release of the Victorian State Budget today and the announcement that the program has been re-funded over the next four years as part of the Government’s Active Communities Package.

Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said the Ride2School Program, which started in 2007, has seen more than 50% of Victorian students (at schools participating in the program) actively travelling to school each month – by riding, walking, scooting or skating.

By comparison, only 20% of students at schools who are not part of the program actively travel.

There are now more than 1,500 Victorian schools registered with the Ride2School program.

“We’re absolutely thrilled Ride2School will expand and continue to encourage students, parents and communities to get active,” Mr Richards said.

“Especially because we know that two-thirds of all Victorians – children and adults - aren’t active enough in their day to maintain their health.

“Programs like Ride2School are so important because they encourage students to adopt healthy habits early and continue a lifelong journey of being active,” he said.

Mr Richards said Bicycle Network will continue to work with the Victorian Government on a range of funding initiatives for bikes outlined in today’s budget.

Stay tuned for more updates here over the coming week.

post from sitemap

J2C Day 7: Pre-Ride Preggy Prep

This time last year on the Old Mutual joBerg2c I remember being shattered. Seven days of early starts, packing, riding, finishing, unpacking, finding the tent, finding clean clothes, looking for the showers in a new race village and so on is exhausting. I’m happy to report that nothing’s changed.

One of the side effects of a stage race that’s nine days long is stage race brain, also known as pregnancy brain. Basically, it’s when you go through a normal routine of showering, brushing your teeth and perhaps putting on some socks, and then 10 seconds later looking for some socks to put on and rummaging in your bag for some toothpaste so you can brush your teeth.

Getting dressed is an ordeal, while trying to remember where you were going while standing in the middle of the race village is virtually impossible. Your life becomes a life lived through a fog of confusion, your brain operating at the pace of a snail riding a sloth walking through quicksand into a howling Cape south easter.

That being said, I’m not complaining. This event has to be one of the greatest experiences a lover of the outdoors can put themselves through. The different race villages, the local communities involved, the daily scenery changes, the characters you meet along the route all add up to make the joBerg a special nine days. Just two metres away from me Sibusiso Vilane, who is riding this year, is setting up to give a talk on his climbing experiences.

But it’s tough, and certainly not one to be underestimated. The organisers don’t sell the event on its toughness, but some experienced riders admit that they find the challenge comparable to the Absa Cape Epic – not quite as draining, but certainly up there.

Thankfully today, day 7, wasn’t one of those days. A relatively short 79km let riders “rest” their legs ahead of the descent and climb in and out of the Umkomaas Valley tomorrow, another 100km day.

Day 7 is pure riding fun. Fast district road was followed by flowing singletrack all the way from Glencairn to MacKenzie Club in Ixopo. The trails are in excellent condition and not too technical. You can really let yourself go on the descents and trust the line and the flow. Even the floating bridge over Moss Bank is the sturdiest of the entire race.

The only problem with the shorter distance and the easier terrain is that I finished just after 12 noon. That’s a lot of time left to drink beer before getting to grips with the reality of tomorrow’s challenge.

post from sitemap

J2C Day 8 & 9: Out Of The Valley And To The Sea

There was no resting on the seventh day, and there was no resting on the eighth day. Even on the ninth day you only get to rest after completing the final 84km at the Old Mutual joBerg2c.

Day 8 is probably the day that most people look forward to and dread in equal measure. After the zippy fun of a short day 7, the task of tackling the climb out of the Umkomaas Valley on the penultimate day looms large.

But what goes up must first go down somewhere. And boy do you go down into the valley. I’m not sure of the exact distance, but the drop into the Umko features something like 16km of hand-crafted, blissful, near perfect singletrack.

The surface is compact, the switchbacks are friendly, the rocks are unobtrusive and the path is wide enough that you don’t feel like you’re about to plummet to an untimely end – though I did pass two people who veered a little close to the edge; one gentleman imploring a young onlooker to see if he could spot a bike somewhere in the shrubbery just below the path.

Day 8 of the joBerg2c is probably my favourite 99km of riding. I enjoyed it in 2014, and I loved it in 2015. The drop down sections called “Wow” and “Yankee Doodle” gets you in the right frame of mind for the valley crossing.

Once at the bottom, there are wooden bridges to be navigated, veld to be admired and abandoned farms (ironically, the shiniest parts of these derelict farms are the gleaming signs announcing them as government land reform projects) to be crossed, all which culminates in a gees-sapping climb on a blistering district road towards the second water point of the day.

After the waterpoint, it’s on to “Push of a climb”, a steep, rocky ascent that Strava tells me I went up quicker this year than I did in 2014. Well done, me. (Ridden twice, pushed never. The Plum Pudding Effect at work).

Everything you could ever hope to experience on a mountain bike happens on day 8 at the joBerg2c, including some occurrences that are, possibly, quite unique to this event – the village kids serenading you with the national anthem as you whizz past, for one.

Glen Haw has also revamped the race village in Jolivet, the last stop before day 9. A huge open air barn lends itself to the festival atmosphere and semi-euphoria of having just one day to go. After dinner I noticed that every table in the barn was littered with empty wine and beer bottles. With only 84km to Scottburgh, the first few kilometres of the last day could afford to be slightly bleary-eyed.

And so on to day 9, which is a fast ride to Scottburgh with thoughts of the previous eight days running through the mind – what was the best, what was the hardest, favourite stop, favourite route, and all that jazz.

The final day course is fast with a few bumps until you reach the second water point. From there its 25km to go and you can really hammer it on the smooth singletrack trails that the Scottburgh Mountain Bike Club has built. It’s a fine finish to a fantastic event.

This race is the ultimate stress reliever. When you’re away from home for more than nine days, and traveling through some pretty remote areas, all you can think about is mountain biking.

You wake up thinking about cycling, you cycle thinking about cycling, you eat and go to sleep thinking about cycling. Nothing else has a chance to enter your mind. Bills, school fees, work stress, the daily grind of life and the flood of bad news around the world all comes a very distant 10th as the first nine slots in your brain are flooded with cycling thoughts.

If you ever want to put your body through the mill, yet emerge utterly rejuvenated, then the Old Mutual joBerg2c is the ride for you.

With 10km to go on the final day, I thought I’d had enough. But as I roared onto the floating bridge I immediately started plotting ways to get back in 2016. It’s long and tough, tiring and testing, but also the most enjoyable test of character you’ll find in South Africa.

Read all Dave’s J2C blogs

post from sitemap

Less than a quarter of Australia's bike riders are women

Bicycle Network: Latest News

Less than a quarter of Australia’s bike riding population are women according to the results of Bicycle Network’s annual count of bike commuters, Super Tuesday 2015.

Despite a 3% increase in the total number of bike commuters across Australia, of the 149,145 bike trips counted on Tuesday 3 March, women made up just 23%.

Women had a higher than average representation in Victoria (25%), the Australian Capital Territory (30%) and South Australia (25%). However, New South Wales fared poorly, with female riders making up only 17% of the state’s bike riding population.

(Click the image above for results)

With health problems and congestion costing the economy more than $30 billion each year, Bicycle Network’s General Manager of Government and External Relations, Chris Carpenter, said low numbers of female riders was concerning.

“In the top international cycling cities, where bike riding is established as an easy and popular mode of transport, women make up half of all bike riders,” Mr. Carpenter said.

“We know that better bike infrastructure will contribute to a healthier riding environment which will see more women commute by bike.”

As Federal, State and Local Governments start to draft their budgets for 2015-2016, Bicycle Network believes it’s critical that serious investment is made into long-term bike infrastructure.

“Investment in increasing active travel rates is the most efficient way for governments to improve the health of the population and reduce the gridlock across our cities,” Mr. Carpenter said.

“Governments must draw a line in the sand when drafting budgets and ask themselves, do we take the health of our population seriously or are we stuck in the past?”

post from sitemap

It's budget season in Victoria

Bicycle Network: Latest News

What can your council do to make bike riding easier?

It's budget season for local councils in Victoria and they need to hear from bike riders.

We're running a short survey to understand bike riding in your local area. We need your help to inform our advocacy at this critical time.

Some councils have already released their draft budgets for 2015-16 and we will work with these councils over coming weeks to make sure they make the smart decision to invest in bike riding.

Bike riding gets the heart and lungs pumping and keeps disease at bay for little cost to the public purse.

Victoria leads the way in Australia with investment for bikes, but too many municipalities are dragging the chain, and leaving it up to others to do the running…and riding.

Take our survey today to make sure your local council knows that bike riding is important to its residents.

post from sitemap

Strahan PS pilot new initiative for Tasmania

Bicycle Network: Latest News

A pilot Ride2School initiative aimed at encouraging students to actively travel to school was launched on Thursday in Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast.

The initiative is a partnership between Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program, the RACT and Strahan Primary School and aims to encourage students to ride their bikes to school, help get their recommended dose of daily physical activity, and to educate school communities on road safety for bike riders.

As part of the initiative, Ride2School’s ACTIVEmaps and footpath markers are being used to show the most direct way to Strahan Primary School.

Workshops will also be held to educate students (and their parents) on bike awareness and road safety.

RACT community engagement and education manager Kathy Stocks said the RACT had been working with the Bicycle Network to develop and deliver the program for primary schools around Tasmania.

“Delivering messages to primary school aged children is a big priority for the RACT and it helps ensure our roads are a safe environment for children and motorists alike,” Ms Stocks said.

“We use footpath signage to help students and families use the maps, showing them the best places to cross the road and providing helpful hints on how to do this safely,” she said. 

Bicycle Network’s General Manager of Behaviour Change Gemma McCrohan said encouraging students to actively travel to school boosts independence in a supportive environment and is a crucial part of their development.

“Students who ride or walk to school arrive energised, alert and more ready to learn than those who don’t,” Ms McCrohan said.

Strahan Primary School Principal Monicka Lee said students were excited about being the first school to be part of the Ride2School initiative.

“The students at Strahan Primary School are really excited to be working with the Ride2School team and are privileged to have the support of RACT and the West Coast Council on this fantastic initiative,” Ms Lee said.

The Ride2School initiative also has the support of West Coast Council. Mayor Phil Vickers said the pilot project was a “great idea.”

“To encourage students to ride or walk to school and to do it safely by following placed markers is great for bicycle safety and healthy for the children. The council at its last meeting resolved that the General Manager liaise with both parties to implement the program,” Mr Vickers said.

For more information about Ride2School and its active initiatives, visit ride2school.com.au

post from sitemap

J2C Day 6: The Midlands Massacre

The day started in a blood splattered mess and ended with riders looking to spill some blood of their own.

After leaving Clifton school in Nottingham Road, we cycled along 20km of tar in thick mist – this forced the race organisers to start the race proper in the middle of nowhere only once the mist had lifted.
Riding at the back of the middle, or the front of the back, this is of no concern to me. What was concerning, however, was the black tar painted red with the blood of what appeared to be a thousand squished porcupines.

The grisly theme continued on the dirt road to Snow Top Mountain, the highest point on the race. This time it wasn’t porcupines, but rather those little prickly caterpillars; seemingly millions were determined to cross the road while cyclists attempted to power their way up the daunting 4km climb. Dodging the furry little guys definitely added an element of entertainment to the monotonous uphill slog.
And then right at the end, riders were (jokingly) baying for blood when a detour right next to the finish added almost 5km to the supposedly 97km route.

Overall, though, it was a good, hard day of mountain biking at the Old Mutual joBerg2c. Snow Top Mountain provided the first real challenge of the day, and Death Valley lived up to it’s name as the climb was done in searing heat. Every turn promised to take you to the top, but in reality it was just another short climb to another short climb.

Without my climbing partner, Jonathan, who coaxed me up every climb at last year’s event, I was nervous ahead of the challenge. But something kicked into gear at the foot of the climb and I raced (that is, doddled) to the summit. Climbing is no bother for someone with daily jaunts up Plum Pudding in his legs.
Today was my first real day of riding solo, my makeshift partner from yesterday declaring in the morning that I had “broken him” during day 5 and therefore opting out of our blossoming team.

101km is tough enough. Riding all that way alone with five days in the legs and on, what I feel is the toughest day of the race, just takes the challenge to a new level.

I was going along happily for about 50km, but around the 60km mark I realised I’d been talking to myself non stop, at first my inner voice imploring me to ration the water and then my contrary inner voice telling the first inner voice that “no, the Russians aren’t coming”. In the end, the water was rationed and shared with no Russians.

I believe for about 5km I also sang the greatest hits of the Lion King, including an uplifting version of Hakuna Matata. This, at least, is what my new imaginary friend Jim is telling me right now. What’s that, Jim? The toy cowboy is talking to you? Don’t be crazy man. Toys don’t talk.

Deliriums aside, the last 20km was tough with a rewarding finish on race organiser Glen Haw’s new farm that Sani2c riders will experience in a few weeks.

This is being typed under the stars with crickets cricking, frogs croaking, and mountain bikers clanging glasses of red wine together. That’s because day 7 is something of a rest day – two days before the end, mind – with just 79km to conquer and the promise of smooth flowing singletrack to come. Hoorah.

Read all Dave’s J2C blogs

post from sitemap

Understanding Lens Features in Cycling Sport Sunglasses

In addition to four things you should know when selecting sunglasses for cycling or other action sports, there are several aspects of the lenses themselves that will affect their performance and your satisfaction with them. Here's what you should understand about the different features typically available in lenses on sport sunglasses.

1. Lens grade or darkness

Sports sunglasses have a grading scale that measures the lens' ability to screen out visible light.The scale is basically 0 to 5 going from light to dark, where a a grade 0 lens is completely clear and grade 5 is very dark, as in the level of the lens used in welding goggles.

Most cyclists who ride during the day need lens grades between 2 to 3.5. For morning rides it's nice to have low light lenses which start at about grade 0.5.

Because cyclists are exposed to a lot of direct sunlight as well as light reflected from surfaces, you generally need a darker lens. I would go for a medium to dark lens grade between 2 to 3. If you're in very bright environments with no cover, or very little cloud, then you may go for an even darker lens, such as a level 4. I recently went to Australia and in that country due to its very bright and direct sunshine you need a 3.5 to a 4. In the UK and the US a grade 2.5 to a 3 will probably be sufficient.

In the early morning wear a clear lens (grade 0) or a low light lens, such as a grade 0.5 to 1.

Sometimes for convenience a cyclist may turn to a photochromic lens, which automatically adjusts to make itself darker when exposed to UV light. There is a downside with photochromic lenses however, in that they can only adjust up to about 2 grades points.

That means they may not go dark enough in bright sun. So if you buy a nice, lightly tinted base 0.5 photochromic lenses then as it gets brighter, it will only go as dark as 2.5. This may be okay for the UK, but not the Australian outback!

2. Lens Quality

At a minimum, when seeking out cycling sunglasses you should insist on polycarbonate lenses which is the most commonly used impact-resistant lens material available.

And despite what you may hear in the marketing hype from the popular sports sunglasses companies that tries to make their lenses seem different and special, most of the polycarbonate lens materials used by sports sunglasses companies are actually just the same. For example, AMO sunglasses, my company, buys its lenses from the same manufacturer as Rudy Project.

Many sunglasses companies will give you the impression they have a special technology by using clever marketing and unique names for their lens materials. The reality is that the names are really all is that unique, since the lens material largely originates from the same handful of manufacturing companies.

To be sure there are some very good polycarbonate lenses out there, largely as as a result of better quality control of the manufacturing process and more pure raw material. But it is rather difficult to tell run-of-the-mill lenses from truly excellent ones with the naked eye so sticking with a reputable manufacturer is the best way to ensure you are getting the quality and value you seek.

The best quality lenses that are generally available are NXT lenses which do have a proprietary technology based on a different manufacturing process. This is a level up from polycarbonate, and NXT lenses offer superior impact resistance and excellent optical clarity.  Additionally, they are flexible and ultra-lightweight (about 10% lighter than polycarbonate) and block 100 percent of UV rays without needing a special coating.

3. Should I go for Optional Extras or Upgrading?

The last bike I bought came with standard components, but I upgraded the gearing and the wheels. It's the same with cycling sunglasses. You get the basic solid features with your desired model and then you can see if there are any "nice to have" upgrades.

For cycling sunglasses these upgrades are typically lens coatings such as a hydrophobic coating, which repels water (useful in a hot climate),or a anti-fog coating useful in a temperate climate or in the cool morning. Where I live it's hot so I go with a hydrophobic coating. The choice is yours and with a good cycling sunglass you can have these options to make your sunglasses perform ideally under the conditions you most commonly encounter. Another upgrade is to an NXT lens as mentioned above.

Polarized lenses can be very comfortable in very bright conditions and will cut reflected glare when sunlight bounces off smooth surfaces like pavement or road.

A nice to have is a photochromic lens which that automatically darkens in bright light and becomes lighter in low light. Great for early morning rides. But beware the limitations of these, in that they might not be able to become as fully dark as you need, depending on where you live and ride.

Though these will cost you more, in the end it is worth it if it allows you to wear your glasses more often, more comfortably.

---

Author Tim Hallworth is a triathlete, adventure racer and ultra marathon runner and with his wife is co- founder of AMO sunglasses.

As a special premium for readers of About.com's Bicycling site Tim is offering you an additional 10% discount on the purchase a new pair of AMO sports sunglasses. Just enter discount code "BLOG10" at the AMO Shop.

post from sitemap

J2C Day 4 & 5: Dusty Downhills, Descending Dave

“The descent must be one of the best in the world. Flowing trail, switchbacks tight enough to induce some squeaky bum time – but not so tight that your bum squeaks with nervousness – and glorious bumps and jumps make the section fly by.”

Day 4 at the Old Mutual joBerg2c, Sterkfontein Dam to Winterton, is the stuff of mountain biking dreams

The flat Free State is left behind as you drop off the escarpment and into KwaZulu-Natal. Last year I started Day 4 poorly thanks to a stomach bug that had ripped through the race village. This year I felt much better but ended with a bang after flying down an embankment on what is a bloody good piece of singletrack that runs down Spionkop.

Before Spionkop, though, you climb up from Sterkfontein Dam – after eating some amazing potjie the night before – and ride along the escarpment on a section called Great Wall My China. You only realise what a Great Wall it is when watching the TV highlights in the evening – it’s here that you really get the feeling of being on the edge of the world, and that one poorly timed over taking maneuver might see you plummet off that edge.

What goes up must come down, and to get down you hammer a sweet piece of singletrack called Solly’s Folly – though I noticed some route signs called him Solly and Sollie, so I’m not too sure if there are two Sollys, or if someone got confused.

Anyway, the descent must be one of the best in the world. Flowing trail, switchbacks tight enough to induce some squeaky bum time – but not so tight that your bum squeaks with nervousness – and glorious bumps and jumps make the section fly by.

Before you know it, you’re in KZN and flying down Bezuidenhout’s Pass, which this year was so dusty I was forced to pull over and wait for the dust cloud to settle before riding on.

My partner Andrew was chasing the clock for a flight back home. As soon as we agreed to part ways, I fell off the mountain, which is a really stupid thing to do when I’m here to ride mountains rather than fall from them.

After a minor scare from the doctor, I was declared fit for day 5, a ride from Winterton to Clifton School in Nottingham Road. With 112km and 2200m it’s one of the more demanding days of the race. Partnerless, and battered, bruised and jolly sore from my fall, I set my sights on a long day of lonely riding. Luckily, though, one of the highlights of this event is the friendliness of almost every rider taking part. This is a tour of the country, and most people treat it like a damn fine day of sightseeing. I was able to tag along with different groups for much of the day, cruising home much quicker than expected.

The beast of the day was an arduous three-layered climb that went up, then up, and then just for good measure, went up some more. A drop, then a steep climb towards Mooi River, then a few more drops and gentle climbs took us home to Clifton with the school bagpipers, rather fittingly, wailing out The Flower of Scotland.

Day 6 is probably the hardest day of the event – I say this only because we have to climb out of something the organisers call the Valley of Death. Never a good sign.

Read all Dave’s J2C blogs

post from sitemap

4 Fast Facts You Should Know About Sunglasses for Cyclists

Author Tim Hallworth is a triathlete, adventure racer and ultra marathon runner and with his wife is co- founder of AMO sunglasses.

--

Not all bikes are the same You know that well. Some are better than others, and sometimes it's for very subtle reasons. It's the same with your cycling sunglasses. As a bicyclist you probably know more about your bike than your eyewear, but there are a number of important features about your cycling sunglasses that affect both performance and price and to get the best value for your money it's a good idea to understand these.

Here are the key facts that cyclists should keep in mind when shopping for sunglasses specifically for use while bike riding:

1. Sunglasses Provide Safety and Protection for Your Eyes

If you're a cop and don't wear a bullet-proof vest, most people will think you're a dope. Why pass on this easy-to-use layer of safety? The same applies to cycling sunglasses. They offer protection from the rocks and debris that can be flicked up from the, road or from the cyclist in front of you, dust from vehicles and insects. This is the same reason you see shop workers, lawn care people, etc., wearing protective eyewear.

Because of this protective function, you should wear cycling sunglasses in any weather and in any light, not just as factor of the sun's brightness alone. If it's dark choose a clear or low light lens.

While all sunglasses must meet minimum impact standards, however, plastic lenses are less likely to shatter upon impact than glass lenses.

Fashion sunglasses or lifestyle sunglasses like Ray-Ban, offer very little protection as the lenses are thin and may not be made from polycarbonate.

Top cycling sunglasses have thicker lenses (usually about 2mm thick) and are made from NXT or polycarbonate lenses, which offer better impact resistance than regular plastic.

If you're really serious about safety impact resistance, look for glasses that comply with ANSIZ87.1, which is the American National Safety Institute standard and will protect your eyes from a 1/4 inch ball bearing travelling at 150ff/sec. This is a high standard for both frames and lenses and only a few sports sunglasses can reach this standard. For comparison, a BB shot with a velocity of 45 m/s (150 ft/s) has skin piercing capability, and a velocity reaching 60 m/s (200 ft/s) can fracture bone. And BBs are much smaller and lighter than the 1/4 ball bearing referenced above.

2. Sunglasses provide UV protection from the Sun's Harmful Rays

Most sunglasses will block UV light. You know that. It's a low standard. These days UV protection can be achieved even by the cheap knock-offs from China or the sunglasses you buy in your local gas station, and does not depend on the price.

Sports sunglasses which have NXT or polycarbonate lenses naturally absorb some UV light. UV absorption is improved by adding chemicals to the lens material during manufacturing or by applying special lens coatings.

But to certain that the cycling sunglasses you are considering will give you 100% UV protection. You need that. Always choose cycling sunglasses that are labeled as blocking 99-100% of UV rays or look for a label which says "UV absorption up to 400nm." This is the same thing as 100% UV absorption.

3. Wraparound sunglasses are not just to look good

Wrap-around cycling sunglasses have been around for a long time. It is not just a marketing gimmick or current fashion trend. You need cycling sunglasses with more curved lens and that wrap around the side of your face. They cover more area than simple frontal-only facing sunglasses.

If you do not wear wraparounds it's like having a slow leak in one of your bike tires.  Sure, it'll hold air but it will still go flat over time.  It's the same way with non-wrapping eyewear as the sun’s rays and UV light will enter around the frames to reduce the protective benefits of your sports sunglasses.This wrapping around design prevents the sun’s rays from entering your eyes from the sides.

4. Adjustable Fit is Key

Bike design allows you to adjust your bike for your specific body measurements. Now there is a whole bike fitting industry built around this. It's because people -- even those who are the same height -- are not all the same size. Different length arms, legs and torsos make this adjustment necessary for more perfect bike fit.

Some, so called cycling sunglasses allow zero adjustment. Would you buy a bike where you could not adjust the seat?You need cycling sunglasses that will fit on your head. You do not want sunglasses that move around or slide down your nose.

Really good cycling sunglasses will have adjustable nose pads and temple arms, so you can mold them to fit your face.

------

As a special premium for readers of About.com's Bicycling site Tim Hallworth, owner of AMO Sports Sunglasses and the author of this piece, is offering you an additional 10% discount on the purchase a new pair of AMO sports sunglasses. Just enter discount code "BLOG10" at the AMO Shop.

post from sitemap

J2C Day 1: How Much Mud Is Enough?

In the race packs for the Old Mutual joBerg2c every rider found a fantastic event jersey, the usual race fuels and a book titled How Much Is Enough. It’s written by one of the riders at the event and by all accounts is flying off the shelves. It was a fitting question on day one of the nine-day ride from Joburg to Scottburgh when riders were faced with long stretches of deep, gooey mud. It was bad in the beginning, but got worse once the course crossed the Vaal River.

In 2014 frustrated riders cried out to chirpier partners “don’t mention the sand!”. This year, the sand was wet after a massive thunderstorm the night before day one kicked off at Karan Beef farm in Heidelberg. It made for an energy sapping ride on an otherwise uneventful 116km of mountain biking.

By all accounts, day one is something of a slog; a neutral day for riders to fiddle with their GPS units (there are no route markings at joBerg2c) and fret for about 60km over the rickety bridge constructed at the Vaal crossing.
Last year, the middle section of the bridge started sinking as riders made their way across. This year, the bridge was split into three sections with some land crossings in between.

Riders were far happier, apart from one plucky gentleman who cycled straight off the first section in front a large crowd that had gathered to cross. Cheers went up as Mr Splashy went down. Luckily for him, he chose to take the plunge where the river was only one foot deep. He was just missing fish and loaves to complete the look as he walked off.

On a personal note, the event could not have started better. Arriving at my hotel in Rosebank – the Crowne Plaza – the day of registration, I was greeted with singing, dancing, cheering, Moët and an upgrade to the executive suite – I was the 25 000th guest for 2015.

Unfortunately, being a conscientious racer, I couldn’t drink the entire 1.5L of red wine left in my room. It’s been sent packing to Scottburgh for a celebratory red if the next 8 days go according to plan (that is, water point to water point; two beers in the evening – though I’ve had four now, so tomorrow I’ll have to have none – and eat as many marshmallows in condensed milk as possible).

post from sitemap

J2C 2&3: The Ride Stuff

The first three days of the Old Mutual joBerg2c are long, flat and arduous if you’re not in the right frame of mind for that kind of riding. Being a LOPPer, a Legend of Plum Pudding (self-proclaimed, of course, by the eight of us who ride up and down the steep Plum Pudding jeep track behind UCT in Cape Town), I’m not used to flat stretches of speedy riding.

In Cape Town we go up and down. At the joBerg2c you do too – eventually – but first you have to get out of the Eastern Free State. To do that, you cycle first from Frankfort to Reitz (day 2) and then from Reitz to the massive Sterkfontein Dam (day 3). Monday’s day 4 is a 114km trek from the dam to Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal.

Day 2 was fairly unremarkable; made up mostly of district road. Day 3, apart from some smashing singletrack down Mt Paul, is much of the same.

To get through the long days you need to set goals – mine was simply to get from water point to water point. To do that you need to jump on the fast moving buses of focused mountain bikers. Unfortunately, like the classic London Bus joke, there’s never one around when you need one, and then when you don’t (like when you’re sitting at a water point chomping on some serious boerewors), two come flying past.

The highlights of day 2 and 3 are definitely the water points. The local farmers go all out to provide riders with as much nosh as humanely possible. Because of that, it’s almost impossible to leave the festive tables to jump on another bus. On day 2 you also pass a wolf sanctuary where abused and abandoned wolves are cared for. If you’re lucky, they start howling as you go past.

Each day of the joBerg2c gets better as the ride goes on. Today the singletrack tasters were just a warm up for what comes on day 4 – a drop off the escarpment after riding along the top on a section called Great Wall My China. From there it’s some literal ups and downs interspersed with some of the most incredible riding in the country.

My partner, Andrew, has been strong so far and he’s basically pulled me from Heidleberg to Sterkfontein. He very generously asks if I want to go in front on the singletrack, erroneously believing I’m ready to bomb down when all I want to do is catch my breath.

The goal for tomorrow is as ever, water point to water point. Though it comes with a small caveat. Andrew has to leave the event for his daughter’s 21st – (thanks, Chloe!), so we need to be in Winterton by 1:30pm. It’s either going to be the ride of my life, or the most spectacular blow out since the Hindenburg.

Read all Dave’s J2C blogs

post from sitemap

Bicycle Collective

Are you or is someone you know a savvy bike mechanic who enjoys helping people discover the awesomeness of bikes?! We can use you! We're hiring a p/t mechanic to help refurbish bikes for sale in the shop and to help customers during DIY nights. Check out the attached description for more info.

If interested, bring a resume to the shop during DIY or volunteer nights or email one to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

post from sitemap

NEW BLOG: An Epic Riding Adventure To Save Our Rhinos

For certain things the time is never right. But sometimes one has to grasp the opportunity and just make the time right. We have always dreamed of doing an overland cycling tour. Finally we are making it happen and embarking on our adventure, riding from Hong Kong to Singapore. But apart from traveling experiences, we would like to make a difference. The aim of our ‘Buy No Rhino’ Tour is to create awareness about rhino poaching in the countries we will be passing through.

On April 20th we will start our 6000km journey which will take us through the length of South East Asia, from Hong Kong to China mainland, crossing into Vietnam, continuing through Laos, back to the coast line of Vietnam, then covering Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and finally finishing in Singapore. We have always been avid cyclists, big fans of fun rides such as the Argus Cycle Tour, but have never been loaded down by a heavily packed touring bike. The plan is to start the ride with short daily distances, allowing our bodies to adjust to this new routine, then increasing to 80-100km per day.

Vicky (35), a financial controller based in beer-loving Bavaria, Germany has taken a sabbatical and myself, Ness (30) resigned from my job as a fashion buyer in Cape Town. We conceived and planned our trip through numerous and lengthy Skype sessions. A non-negotiable was what bike we were gonna ride as my hubby is co-incidentally manufacturing Pyga bikes. Many guys opt for a steel touring bike, but since we are both lightweights we are going for an ali hard tail.

The next essential question was how to transport our belongings? After careful consideration we chose the popular, super sturdy, waterproof Ortlieb panniers and the lightweight Thule racks.

Every gram matters when pedaling thousands of kilometres. Weight and quality were essential for the choice of all gear; our 2-man tent only weighing 1,4kg, self-inflating matrasses 700g, and sleeping bags 700g. The toughest challenge will be the weight of all our must-have electronic goodies; from e-book reader, iphone, Mac, Garmin to GoPro and camera… never mind the tangled, chaotic pile of cables to charge all these devices. The continuous thought lurking at the back of our minds, what will the final weight of our bikes really be?

For the last two weeks before our departure we have been running around between bike shops to camping and adventure stores to last minute injections against some unpronounceable, rare but possibly fatal diseases like meningococcal meningitis. In between all the logistics, we got in some pedaling time. Hurting wrists and paining butts were a clear indication that our bikes needed to be set up specifically for us. After a quick trip to the boys at Revolution Cycles, our new adjustments and wider saddles are already making a massive difference.

Along our way we are hoping to inform people and create awareness about the rhino plight, specifically in Vietnam, China and Thailand, which are the key consumer markets of rhino horn. Our vision is to inspire people to make their dreams happen, as well as realize that everyone can make a difference and that they have the power to change their surroundings. Even if we cannot change a whole culture, we will sow a seed of change.

The plan is to submit a blog every few weeks, but bare with us – we’re not sure what connectivity will be like. If you have any advice for us along the way, please don’t hesitate to send it our way by commenting below!

---

post from sitemap

Hundreds ride in Mildura

Bicycle Network: Latest News

Under clear skies, more than 200 riders rolled out for Powercor Australia's Tour de Depot in Mildura.

The Mildura event included two rides - a competitive 20km time trial and 10km family ride and was held alongside a free community festival at Jaycee Park. 

30 competitors took part in the timed-event, with 17 year old Tyler Beruldsen taking out top honours with a time of 29 minutes and 21 seconds.

The event raised $75,000 for The Lucas Foundation, allowing them to provide even greater support and assistance to local families in need.

For highlights from the day, check out this video:

Image credit: Sunraisya Daily

post from sitemap

Bicycle Collective

Glendale Location

The Bicycle Collective is excited to announce we’re working with Sorenson Unity Center to create a stand-alone youth-specific Community Bike Shop location in Glendale, at the Unity Center. We need someone to run the inital bike program!

 

This job would be great for a supporter of the Collective who wants to be a key part of starting something. The Sorenson Unity Center Bike Collective Project Manager will be responsible for developing and maintaining a youth-oriented bicycle program at the Sorenson Unity Center, based off the successful model demonstrated by the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. This position will begin with building a volunteer base, teaching community youth basic bike mechanics while giving them the opportunity to earn bikes, running a weekly kids bike fix-up session with the help of volunteers, and leading a weekly community bike ride to build ridership, volunteer base, and provide a fun activity for local youth.

 

Apply here!

 

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for youth bike shop

  • Tool inventory

  • Shop organization

  • Shop maintenance

  • Inventory of new parts

  • Ordering new parts

  • Opening/closing programs

  • Maintain accuracy of bike and part pricing

  • Register

    • Donations

    • Inventory

• Responsible for youth education

  • Communicating and scheduling youth drop-in education groups.

  • Establishing and maintaining relationships with different youth programs (YouthCity, YWCA, Boys & Girls Club, Rec Centers, etc.,...)

  • Reporting and keeping statistics on youth program attendance for Annual Report / Grants.

  • Preparing youth bikes for the students with assistance from volunteers

  • Developing and modifying existing youth bike curriculum

• Responsible for Bike Refurbishing Process

  • Donation Life Cycle

  • Providing and Using Appropriate Tags

  • Quality Control

• Responsible for Volunteers in Shop

  • Overall volunteer management

  • Placement and coordination between volunteers and prospective opportunities

  • Communicate with and schedule volunteers (phone and drop-in)

  • Supervision

  • Quality Control

  • organize tasks, coordinate available times, connect volunteers with external opportunities (SLCBC), train volunteers in task completion where needed.

• Responsible for weekly youth ride

  • Communicate and publicize ride in community

  • plan routes according to accessibility and fun

  • Maintain safety and order on the rides

• Responsible for Answering Phones

• Responsible for Answering Emails

Apply here! 

post from sitemap

Looking for "great" stories

Bicycle Network: Latest News

The excitement is already building for this year's RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride which set to kick off in late November. The route, between Ballarat and Bendigo,takes in the historic Goldfields region with a 520km route retracing the steps of those in search of their fortunes during Australia's gold rush of the 1850s.

To celebrate riders being able to "Rediscover the Goldfields" Bicycle Network is looking to rediscover some of the stories which make the ride such a memorable experience for so many people. 

Stories including:

• Riders who met the love of their life on the ride;
• Those who are planning to take on the ride for the first time this year;
• Young friends who use the RACV Great Vic as a "great" holiday;
• Any other memorable tales from time on the ride.

Bicycle Network's General Manager of Events Darren Allen encouraged riders with a great story to get in touch and share it. 

"We're really excited about this year's event," Mr Allen said.

"We know there's some great stories to tell and we want to hear about them," he said.

Riders wanting to share their stories should email Bicycle Network's General Manager of Communications Melissa Heagney on melissah@bicyclenetwork.com.au or phone (03) 8376 8829.

post from sitemap

Bicycle Collective

Mark you calendars and get your bike racks ready! On Saturday, May 2nd we're hosting our 5th annual bike swap at the Ogden Bike Collective's new shop at 936 28th St in Ogden. The swap is the largest of its kind in the Weber Valley and every year we're stocked to the brim with killer bikes, components, accessories and other goodies. As you may or may not know, Ogden is home to many big names in the cycling industry including Scott, Envy, TRP, QBP and others, so LOADS of gear trades hands around here every year so much that it's not surprising to find incredible deals on top of the line bikes and components.

It's also a great way to sell your own bike! If you've got an oldie but goodie or a pile of components you're not going to get around to using, or just need some walkin' around money, bring it up and let someone new put it to use, all while supporting a great cause. 15% of sales will benefit the Ogden Bike Collective as we get off the ground in our new building.

If you have a bike to sell, fill out the attached registration form (one each per bike, or multiple components per sheet) and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Then bring them up, check out the deals, and check out our new shop.

The schedule:

April 15th-May 2nd: Registration. Email registration sheets to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

May 2nd

• 7-8am: registration checkin (Try to be here before 8 if you're selling a bike.)
• 8am-1pm: Bike Swap.
• 1-2pm: Close out. Finalize all sales, wrap up, tear down.

post from sitemap

Are You in the Mood to Kick Some Ass?

Good news: You can train your brain to put yourself in a better mood on race day.

A funny thing happened Saturday morning as I stood on the line under heavy leaden-gray skies with nearly 500 other shivering racers awaiting the start of the much anticipated Rasputitsa Spring Classic in East Burke, Vermont. I felt happy.

True story. Though I had the usual kaleidoscope of butterflies flapping around inside, I didn’t have a single ounce of pre-race misery. No feelings of impending doom. I hadn’t spent the morning muttering to myself about why I put myself through this anyway. I was, dare I say it, stoked.

And because I have worked for years (decades?) to attain the mental state of pre-competition stoke, I was really freaking stoked to be stoked. Even better, not only was I stoked, I was confident and comfortable in my heart that no matter what the outcome (barring of course, true catastrophe, not the self-fabricated variety), I’d have a good day.

Moods and mental states are often an overlooked and underappreciated element of recreational competition. We’re not making a living at this stuff, so we shouldn’t get all worked up about it, right? Yeah. Right.

We are human. And with humanity comes emotions. We can’t pretend we’re just a floating head on a bike that is powered solely by lungs and legs. We train and race with both our actual and emotional heart. We invest time and money and hopes and dreams into training and preparing for challenging events and races. On a physiological level, all that training and racing stirs up hormones that can profoundly impact—in fact sometimes overwhelm—our moods and emotional state.

     RELATED: Your Brain on Bicycling

I know I’ve nearly packed it in numerous times because I was sick of the misery-inducing nerves. I know racers who have. But as I tell my pre-teen daughter, you can’t control how you feel, but you can control what you do about it. And actually, that’s only half correct. In the realm of bike riding and racing, sometimes you can even control both. Not surprisingly, you’ll also likely perform better if you do.

Case in point, two recent studies. The first examined the moods of a group of cyclists before and after a multi-day road race. In a nutshell, those who performed best maintained a better mood start to finish than those who performed the worst, who saw their moods go south from the beginning to the end and finished with significantly lower moods than they began with.

Yeah, I know. No kidding right. When you don’t do well, you’re not so happy. But there’s a chicken/egg question here. The second study on cyclists competing in a 161km race found that hydration has a pointed impact on your mood and that even mild dehydration sours mood, makes exercise feel harder, and amplifies fatigue and pain. That’ll make anyone get grouchy over the course of one day, let alone several in a row. It’s also well established that poor recovery leads to poor moods and, you guessed it, poor performance.

In short, we have a lot of control over how we feel from start to finish. It just takes a little know-how and practice. So I called up AASP-certified sport psychology consultant and associate professor at West Virginia University, Kristen Dieffenbach, PhD, for some expert advice.

“People like to separate their moods from their physical self. You can’t. But you also don’t want to give them too much power and control over you,” says Dieffenbach. “Instead, you should tune into them and use them to improve your performance and overall experience.” Here’s what she recommends along with some personal observations of my own.

     RELATED: It’s All in Your Head

Walk the Line:
When you’re training really hard, you disrupt your hormones and can get a bit testy. I call it dancing around the volcano. “The key is getting the volcano to rumble without making it blow,” says Dieffenbach. “That’s the point of overreaching where you make gains when you step back and recover.” The key is that recovery. It’s expected to be cranky for a few days, not weeks. Sustained bad mood is a symptom of overtraining, which means you’re stretching yourself too thin and need recovery pronto.

Be Honest About Expectations: You’ve told all your friends you just want to go out on race day and have fun. Is that really true or just the public face you’re putting on to hide your real agenda that’s terrifying you? Your hidden goals have untold power to make you miserable, says Dieffenbach. “This happens all the time. People don’t own up to their real hopes and expectations and it has a huge potential to create underlying anxiety and amplify negative emotions. It can really creep up on you.” Instead be honest. “I’d love to get top 10.” Or “I’d love to set a PR.” But be careful to not make the overall outcome your sole expectation (see next step...).

Redirect Your Focus:
So you’re all nervous because you want to do well. And you’re angsty because you’re nervous. Here’s where you need to stop worrying about your current mood and focus on what you can control, which is the process, not the outcome. So, I can’t control who else shows up to a race or ultimately how I’ll do. But I can be sure I hit all the high notes in my preparation, including getting my bike set up, doing my intervals, and developing a race plan that includes small goals like where to line up at the start and how to fuel myself along the way. “When you’re done, you can honestly say, ‘These are the things I want to accomplish in this race and winning or beating a certain time is the icing on the cake,’” says Dieffenbach.

Reframe the Feelings:
You’re going to feel nervous. If you don’t, you don’t care and what’s the point of that? But there are different ways to interpret the fluttering stomach and jangling nerves. You can think, “I’m so nervous. This is terrible. I’m doomed.” Or you can think, “I’m really excited today. It’s a good day to race.” You might have to fake it at first. I know I did. But then at some point I realized I actually was really excited to race. And that was a good thing.

Feed the Beast:
A Snickers may or may not be the solution, but the “hangry” problem is real, says Dieffenbach. “We tend to forget that our brain fuels and feeds like our muscles. When you are low on fuel, your brain function is off just like the rest of you. It’s going to make you cranky and possibly defeat you,” she says. “From a bio-physical standpoint it’s essential to pay a lot of attention to nutrition. Once you set off the biochemical spiral of bonking, no amount of self talk will bring you back.” Be sure to practice eating on training rides just as you would races so your body and brain are finely tuned to respond to being fed and performing. Personally, I know when the negative voices start creeping in, I need calories to quiet them. The same is true for hydration.

Respect Your Recovery:
Restock those muscle (and brain) stores. Get good sleep. Treat yourself to a massage. All those things that bring your body back also keep your moods from sailing south (though a little dip is natural) after a big event.

So, using this advice myself, I can say it makes a big difference. Rasputitsa went swimmingly well despite some mishaps like shelling a bottle 6 miles in (I reframed that one as ‘Well now I’m a pound lighter for the climbs’ and grabbed a handup at the next aid station) and having to run 2.8 miles on a still snow-covered, no-winter-service road (I just laughed at that one and reminded myself I used to run much further by choice; I’d survive…and I did).

I ended up with a win on the day, which of course is a happy thing. But what made me happier is that every step along the way I was in tune with and in control of how I dealt with how I was feeling at any given moment. It made me calm and content to know that no matter how the day ended up, I had succeeded in all the ways that in the end and in life at large are what really matter.

---

post from sitemap

Meet the Controversial Cyclist Fighting for Safer Streets

At 6-foot-8, Don Ward is an imposing figure in L.A.'s bike scene. He's the creator of outlaw rides and a powerful voice in the fight for more bike lanes.

BICYCLING: You once organized a race between cyclists and a commercial jet. Seriously?
Don Ward: Los Angeles shut down a section of Interstate 405 in 2011 to remove a bridge, and the city was up in arms. People called it "Carmageddon." Jet Blue created a promotional flight between Burbank and Long Beach. A friend suggested the race. We won by 77 minutes.

What did that show about promoting cycling events?
It's the same thing I learned working for an automative ad agency: Sexy and fast captures people's attention.

Does that explain the appeal of Midnight Ridazz?
Yeah. The ride grew to more than 2,000 people each month. It was a two-wheeled party. It was diverse, welcoming, and beautiful. Everyone who might have been rejected in high school as a nerd or an outcast was enjoying themselves. It was radical inclusion. That's the term Burning Man uses. But it got too big.

It attracted scofflaws.
Graffiti writers and troublemakers discovered the ride. They went into liquor stores, stealing beers, tagging. They weren't bad kids; they just did stupid stuff.

So you and your co-organizers dismantled it?
It was no longer an adventure, it was a mob. It became more trouble than fun to manage. So I put up a website where others could post their own rides. My goal was to get four a month, but now there are three or four every night in Los Angeles. More than 10,000 rides have been posted since 2006.

The Wolfpack Hustle is smaller, more like a race. But it has a similar outlaw vibe.
It's not a race; it's a fast-paced blast through the city. Hustle means negotiation: You're negotiating with traffic; you're negotiating with your friends. It's a cooperative competition. Even though we're going all-out and competing against each other, we're also inspiring each other.

You run a race team, also called the Wolfpack Hustle. Some of your riders are the same kids who caused trouble on the Midnight Ridazz rides. Cycling gave them direction?
Absolutely. They are from Koreatown and South Central. They were following the graffiti scene and fell into the bike scene. Then they started showing up to Wolfpack Hustle rides on fixed-gear bikes. A lot of them got their shit together, have sponsors, and are into racing in spandex.

Still, many of your rides are controversial. They anger drivers. What are you trying to accomplish?
To be able to ride safely in Los Angeles.

How do the rides help?
It's what we need to be effective. The camaraderie built on the rides has morphed into a sophisticated political lobby. We can dispatch volunteers to help with campaigns, phone banking, and canvasing. Candidates are beginning to seek approval from the bike lobby in Los Angeles.

So why aren't there more bike lanes?
It's a block-by-block fight. On the totem pole of importance, bicyclists are still somewhere between homeless people and parolees. Don't bother getting signatures from bike riders; you need bike riders to get signatures from home owners, developers, and business owners. That's who politicians listen to.

Sounds like you're playing the long game. How do you judge your effectiveness?
There's definitely progress. [Former] Mayor Villaraigosa took up the cause. He installed the right person in LA's Department of Transportation, Jaime de la Vega, who pushed to install more bike lanes. He's no longer there, and it's time that politicians start listening to us again. We're not going anywhere. I'm not going to drive my car more often. I want to ride my bike more and so do thousands of other people.

That's great, but how do you get politicians to listen without a deep-pocketed lobby behind you?
I just printed 200 flyers on my Brother printer, and we got 200 signatures to make a local bridge safe for cyclists. More than money, we have passion and righteousness.

---

post from sitemap

Is Coke a Good Recovery Drink?

The restorative power of Coca Cola has long been cemented in cycling lore.

There's no question that an icy cold Coca-Cola can feel like an elixir from the gods after a long day of suffering. And the 140 calories in a 12-ounce can aren't going to make or break your diet, especially if you're racking up miles. But it's not the best recovery drink.

     RELATED: Save Your Ride With a Coke Can

"Coke contains mostly high-fructose corn syrup, which is about 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose," explains Nanna Meyer, PhD, RD, an associate professor in the department of health sciences at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Though it will give you a quick boost of energy, the soft drink, says Meyer, does not have enough sodium, fluid, or protein to adequately rehydrate you, rebuild energy stores in your muscles, or repair tissue.

If you crave a Coke after a hard ride, go ahead and have one, but pair it with a snack that contains protein and sodium, along with extra water. 

---

post from sitemap

ED’s BLOG: Open Season

The first race of the season is always a nerve wracking one. After months of hard work in the off-season its the day that will answer the big question that’s been rolling around your head for the last couple weeks: how fit am I? The Tour d’ Ardeche was that race for me and the answer was yes. I was fit but far from relieved. The results were not what I wanted. The months of solitary winter training had left me badly positioned and nervous in the peloton. To make matters worse, the freezing temperatures and pouring rain amplified my short-comings. I headed home with answers to questions I had forgotten to ask.

Take a look at my video blog below:

Despite a dismal start, I am now a couple weeks into the season and things are starting to look up. The tough days aren’t behind me but I am glad the winter ones are.

À la prochaine

Ed

Read All Ed’s Blogs

---

post from sitemap

Bicycle Collective

Are you or someone you know a fast and hard-working bike mechanic looking for a summer gig that could turn into more? We can use you! We're hiring a p/t mechanic to help refurbish bikes for sale in the shop and to help customers during DIY nights in the shop. The position starts at $10-12/hr, 10-15 hours/week. Check out the posting for more info.

If interested, bring a resume to the shop during DIY or volunteer nights or email one to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

post from sitemap