Amy's ride team entry final call

Those wanting to join our team entry for Amy's ride http://www.bikesa.asn.au/page.php?section=39&mId=42 need to let me know so we can all register before the 24th of October. Teams of 6 get 10% off entry fee, teams of 10+ 15% off. You might consider donating that saved money to the Amy Gillet Foundation.

Ride2Work wrap up

Thank you for all making Ride2Work day 2008 such a success.

We had a wonderful Breakfast with sweet and savoury rolls provided by Baker’s Delight Frewville, fruit, juice and coffee from SARDI, eggs and bacon from ACPFG and dried fruit from David Ellis.

Thanks to all our sponsors and helpers.

The final tally was as follows
SARDI: 23
CSIRO:21
ACPFG: 15
AWRI:11

Hope to see you all next year, safe riding.
Liz and Ryan

Ride2Work - 4 weeks to go

The breakfast details are still being worked out, but it is time to register for Ride2Work day. Go to www.ride2work.com.au and enter your details. Register by 30th September for the chance to win some fabulous prizes

Team Codes
CSIRO Urrbrae - 313933 (Ryan Farquharson)
CSIRO CBD - 222243 (Rebecca Dunn)
ACPFG / Ag and Wine - 322434 (Gwenda Mayo)
SARDI - 584998 (Liz Drew)
DWLBC - 680091 (Sarah Lewis)
AWRI - 470268 (Marcel Essling)

Amy's ride - November 2

Amy's ride is in aid of the Amy Gillet Foundation. Set up in honour of Amy Gillet, tragically killed in a road accident in Germany, the foundation aims to increase cycling safety - something important to all cyclists.

Amy's ride is on Sunday the 2nd of November. Participants have the chance to ride up the southern expressway. Choose from 60km, or 100km which includes the infamous Willunga Hill.

Follow this link for more info and route maps:
http://www.bikesa.asn.au/page.php?section=39&mId=42

Team entries attract an entry fee discount. The more the bigger the discount, money that you might consider donating to the Foundation. Entry fees range from $70 to $46.75 depending on the number in the team and whether you are a BikeSA member. Entry includes lunch at the finish at McLaren Vale. Coach transfers back to Adelaide are available, but some of us will attempt the ride home too, and there is always the train from Noarlunga.

If you wish to join the WaiteBUG team, please let me know so I can finalise numbers and tell you which team category to enter.

Ride of Silence, Saturday 24th May

Ride of Silence 2008- please RSVP to chair@bisa.asn.au

www.rideofsilence.org

One of over 200 world wide rides in 2008

Dear Friends of Cycling,
The Bicycle Institute of S.A invites you & your fellow bicycle users, as well as all of your club or association members, to the Adelaide Ride of Silence, 2008.

This will be the 2nd Ride of Silence event organised by BISA. The 2007 Ride of Silence, drew around 150 participants and was judged a success by all involved.

This event is planned to draw the community's attention to the need to Share the Road and look out for more vulnerable road users.

At the time BISA was formed, 1976, safety for cyclists was a major issue. An average of 12 cyclists were killed each year in the 1960's and 1970's.

Today the roads are much safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

More can be done however and your presence will ensure that cyclists remain visible and ensure we are given higher priority at budget time.

When: Saturday morning, May 24th.
Where: It will start from Victoria Square in the city (assemble at 9am, depart 9.30 SHARP)
To: We will ride approx. 8-10km to Wigley Reserve, Glenelg along Anzac Highway (same route as last year).
Time: Approx. 30-40 mins.
Please note:
- that we'll try to keep the speed down this year to around 16kmh!
- the ride will be escorted by SAPOL and as we know this often means green lights all the way!!!

The Adelaide ride of silence is for everyone interested in community bicycle use, whether it be for everyday transport, recreation, fitness or competition. Whatever form our interest in cycling takes, from time to time we all face the same challenges on our roads - lack of supportive infrastructure as well as other road users who sometimes forget to Share the Road as they should!
The Adelaide Ride of Silence is a positive road safety initiative! Each year it sets out to provide the community with a highly visible reminder that cycling is a wonderful and extremely valuable activity, that safe bicycle use is everyone's right and responsibility, and that bicycle users are not going away!

More information on the Ride of Silence Movement is available here:
Ride of Silence International:
www.rideofsilence.org
Ride of Silence Australia:
www.woj.com.au/category/ride-of-silence
Bicycle Institute of S.A:
www.bisa.asn.au

If you are coming please let us know (if you can) atchair@bisa.asn.au or
secretary@bisa.asn.au

We look forward to seeing you on the day and to a successful Adelaide Ride of Silence - 2008!
Ride Safely,
Sam Powrie,
Vice Chairperson, BISA.

Coast to Coast team entry

We are putting together team entry for the Coast to Coast ride on Sunday the 2nd of March. you have the choice of 100km from Eagle on the Hill, or 120km from Glenelg, and there are buses back from Victor Harbour to the start.

A team of 4 gets 5% off, 6 gets 10% off and 10 or more gets 15% off the entry fee.

Let me know if you would be interested in doing the ride and I’ll get back to you with a team name and captain to register under (ideas / nominations welcome). SARDI/PIRSA people should get in touch with Greg Naglis as he is putting together a team, though we might amalgamate if the numbers don’t work out.

We welcome anyone you know including family and friends to join the team and take advantage of the group discount.

See http://www.bikesa.asn.au/ for a route map and entry form.

Cycling in the media

Greetings all. Out of personal interest, I have been collecting news items and other tidbits related to cycling. Please send in anything that you find. One day I'll get around to posting it all somewhere.

Of greatest concern to any cyclist is safety. Below is a link to an article regarding cycling fatalities and the stats. Makes for interesting reading.

http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=2822

The latest from the Advertiser suggests that cycle commuting in Adelaide is increasing, and with all the TDU hoohah I suspect cycling will get a bigger profile and we can expect big improvements in the coming years. Of course we have the usual bureaucracy to get around (state versus local gov responsibility) and there is cultural inertia in this car-loving city that will take time to change, but I can assure you it is happening.

Remember that the best way to improve cyclist safety is to increase numbers of cyclists on the road. That's something each and every one of us can do.

Good luck on the Tour

To everyone participating in the Challenge Ride on Friday - Good Luck!

The weather this year isn't looking to unkind, so long as the lightning steers clear.
Hope to see you on the road.

R.

Upcoming TDU training rides

Tuesday (yes today) - slow ride to Crafers via Eagle on the Hill - meet outside PRC at 5:30pm

Thursday - faster ride to Crafers and beyond. Contact the BUG or Ryan for details

Saturday - MegaBike ride 7:30am 102 King William Rd

Sunday - possible ride to Willunga - watch this space for details

Happy new year

Check out the new BikeDirect maps online. Use the BikeDirect link to the right.

The BUG now has a small toolkit including a floor pump and spare patches for emergency repairs. If you get caught out, or just want to check your tyre pressure, contact Ryan to get access to the stash.

Part of Brownhill Ck road has been resurfaced and is currently a bit ugly for roadies. Will keep monitoring the situation and recommence our picnic ride in due course.

The Tour Down Under will soon roll into town. Check out the link to see whats going on. It's a great time of year for cyclists in Adelaide so be sure to get out there on two wheels rather than four. Good luck to all of those participating in the BreakAway ride. Just 2 more weeks to get that last minute training done. Should be a great ride.

Happy cycling

Waite Rd traffic management plan

Mitcham Council has released a draft traffic management plan for Waite Rd. The BUG has been involved in trying to get improvements for the Cross/Waite Rd intersection. This plan proposes some solutions to the problem and may be of interest to BUG members. It suggests the provision of bicycle lanes and slowing down traffic, which would be positive outcomes for cyclists and pedestrians.

You can view the plan from the Mitcham Council website http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Waite_Road-TMP.pdf

Spring Fling 07

Spring Fling '07 is about raising awareness of environmental issues. Smart personal transport choices can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Active transport also saves you money, simultaneously gives you your daily exercise, and is a low impact mode of transport.

If this is your first time here, take a look, explore the links, but most importantly, do something positive.

Join the BUG - we're a community of cyclists and sympathisers. We recognise that safety is one of the biggest impediments to getting more people onto bikes. The best way to improve safety for all cyclists is to leave your car at home and cycle instead. We also want to make cycling easier, especially for new comers, and we have a lot of fun along the way.

Regular cyclists wanted

Harrison Research is carrying out some focus groups on behalf of the Motor Accident Commission about interactions between motorists and cyclists. We are seeking people who are regular cyclists who ride in heavy traffic, including some who ride in the hills or on narrow roads. The group is being held on Wednesday 14 November in Kent Town. It will take about 1.5 hours and there is a $50 honorarium. If you meet the criteria and are interested or know someone who might be please contact Frances, Tab or Michelle on 84904200.

Challenge Tour - TEAM SARDISTIC

Thinking of riding the Challenge Tour?

Ride 75km or 134km to Strathalbyn on the stage 4 Tour Down Under route before the pros. http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2008/?q=Stage+4+Map

Register online http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2008/ or on paper http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2008/files/MCCT%20Entry%20Form.pdf

Register before the 23rd of November and join TEAM SARDISTIC for a special team jersey.

Ride2Work success

With over 80 participants from various campus organisations, it was an impressive sight indeed as the cyclists rolled up for the free breakfast. This year was very much a team effort with workplace coordinators for each organisation, and lots of help on the day. It all made for a smooth and enjoyable morning in the sunshine. A southerly provided a nice tailwind for some, a headwind for others and a fairly brisk ride in for all.

Baker’s Delight chipped in loaves of bread, walnut and apple scrolls, and date scones. We fired up the barbie and made some delectable French toast and cheese toasties which went down a treat, along with juice, tea and coffee and fresh fruit. After last year’s extravaganza we simplified the menu somewhat, but the punters were no less satisfied and we cut down considerably on the organisation, time required and waste, whilst catering for 2-3 times last year’s numbers.

There were a few new cyclists, lots of regulars, but with the campus wide approach there were plenty of people to meet and some new members for the WaiteBUG which now numbers 85. Spirits were high, there was a noticeable increase in cyclists on Adelaide’s roads and many pledged to ride to work more often.

Congrats to all who participated!

Bike Friday - August

Meet at gate 5 (top of Claremont Ave) at midday for a lunch time ride.

Bring a packed lunch.

Darwin2Adelaide for the fun of it

BUG member David Ellis is riding from Darwin to Adelaide to raise money for Camp Quality. We wish him all the best.

Keep tabs on his journey using the Darwin2Adelaide link.

You can also make a donation to this very worthy cause.

Parking fees coming to Waite

There would be a number of disgruntled car commuters on site, with the recent State of the Waite meeting revealing that paid parking is likely to be introduced in the not too distant future.

The silver lining should be an increase in the number of people walking, cycling, taking public transport and car pooling. Surely this is a good thing?

It has to be remembered that most campuses have parking fees, and one could have seen it coming to Waite for a long time now. It is a growing campus, and we have been spoiled for a long time.

I've made this argument before: on the back of an envelope, calculate how much space a car park takes, multiply that by the going rate for Urrbrae real estate, take a modest 5% pa return on investment and you soon realise that motorists on site are subsidised something like $10 per week. Now wouldn't it be nice if cyclists and pedestrians and car poolers saw an extra $10 per week in their pay packets? Parking is not a right, it has been a privilege, and it incurs expenses that will have to be recouped.

Perhaps motorists should be a bit more constructive and lobby for better public transport, bike facilities and dedicated spaces for car-poolers. Only then will the pressure on parking be reduced, and they themselves might even be liberated from car dependence. Perhaps some of the revenue raised from parking fees can be used to subsidise public transport tickets, set up an on-line car pooling service and provide secure parking for bicycles.

What are your thoughts?

At the end of the day, paid parking provides yet another reason to get on your bikes. It's a very good wake up call, and just a little taste of things to come as the realities of climate change, lifestyle diseases, oil depletion and so on start to rear their ugly heads.

Happy cycling.

Bike Friday this week

I will be away this Friday.

Please get in touch if you would like to coordinate a BikeFriday event.

It should be a lovely day for a ride.

R.

Ride of Silence - apologies

Dear BUGers,

Having seen Saturday's Ride of Silence in the news coverage, I arrived at work this morning to find an email from BikeSA about it. It arrived at 6.28pm on Friday, long after most of us would have gone home, and too late to disseminate to you.

Like many of you, I would have liked to have participated in this event, and if I had monitored BISA a bit better I could have let you know a day or so earlier. The Ride of Silence respects those who have been killed in accidents, and as such is not publicised in brochures. But I do think it is important that safety awareness is raised and that there is a lack of coordination and dissemination of information amongst our cycling organisations. I have informed the relevant people.

R.