YarraBUG August News
Cycling on Census Day
Next YarraBUG Meeting
Ride Poll Results
Yarra Council Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
City of Yarra - information evening about Peak Oil
Gipps Street Steps
Burnley Wharf
Bicycling Australia Show
Bicycling Achievement Awards
Engineering Heritage Bicycle Tour - Capital City Trail
L’Eroica 2006
Cycling in the News
Cycling on Census Day
This Tuesday 8th August is Census Day and one of the questions asked is how you got to work on that day, so remember to fill that question in. By the way, the weather looks good for cycling on Tuesday! Tuesday: Fine. Sunny day. Min: 6 Max: 18. So please feel free to pass this message on to your friends and family.
Next YarraBUG Meeting
Our next YarraBUG meeting will be on 15 August. Our meetings are held 7.30pm every 3rd Tuesday, at Suede Bar, 284 Smith Street, Collingwood. All welcome for a friendly chat, meal and beverage. Last meeting we discussed opinions for incorporation and decided to organise membership first. The proposed Bike Bus will be an ongoing project, and rides will be an outcome when we have incorporated the BUG and obtain ride insurance. This meeting we will be discussing YarraBUG membership and our planned shared BUG stall at the Bicycling Australia Show.
Ride Poll Results - What kind of rides do you want?
You may of noticed the Ride Poll in the righthand margin of our website. So far the results are:
Beginner rides to increase my skills (7) 18%
Bicycle path rides (2) 5%
Longer road rides for training (15) 38%
Weekly training rides (6) 15%
Rides with existing BUG’s & Clubs (1) 2%
Off road MTB singletracking (1) 2%
Organised rides to events and pubs (3) 8%
Fun local rides to cafes & restaurants (5) 12%
Total Votes: 40
Yarra Council Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
The next Yarra BAC meeting will be 6.30pm Wednesday 16th August, at Richmond Town Hall. All most welcome to attend. If you want to suggest agenda items, please contact Richard Smithers, Transport Coordinator, City of Yarra. Ph: 9205-5739, Email: smitherr@yarracity.vic.gov.au
City of Yarra - information evening about Peak Oil
Ever wondered why petrol prices keep going up? Ever thought what can be done about it? Ever thought what you can do about it? The City of Yarra invites you to attend a FREE information evening about Peak Oil and its implications for you. 28 August 2006, 6pm - 8pm, Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road, Richmond. Please RSVP to Kate Simnett: simnettk@yarracity.vic.gov.au Ph: 9205 5057
The City of Yarra will be hosting presentations by Chris Skrebowski and Phil Hart. This will be followed by a Q&A session with panel members Chris Skrebowski, Phil Hart and Elliot Fishman.
Gipps Street Steps
Recall that recent “criticism” about the Gipps Street steps funding? Paul Prentice answers the critics!
Step up and be heard (The Melbourne Times, 2 August 2006)
Typical, some knockers whingeing about a measly $1.5 million to take out the vicious Gipps Street steps on the Main Yarra Trail in Abbotsford, when it’s so-called “free” ways that are pouring megabucks down the drain, even as petrol goes through the sunroof and cash-strapped commuters “make the switch” to social conveyances.
Pedallers and pram travellers, wheelchair rollers and senior strollers sure got a raw deal from some car-fixated pen-pusher 20 years ago. Time for the single biggest foul-up on our wheeled wide web to be scrubbed.
Paul D. Prentice, North Fitzroy.
Burnley Wharf
The issue of the ramps at Burnley wharf on the Main Yarra Trail has been raised again. Parks Victoria staff have been attending the area on icy mornings, placing sand on the ramps and informing cyclists of the dangers. Here’s a map of the area in question. If you have further suggestions, or want to have input, please either contact us or contact Yarra Council directly: Ph: 9205 5555, Email: info@yarracity.vic.gov.au
From Bicycle Victoria: Floating Path Issues: MacRobertson Bridge to Northbank (Parks Victoria)
With any emails/correspondence, remember to include photographs of the existing conditions to illustrate the problem. If you want, we could make a time for a group visit to the area.
Bicycling Australia Show
We’ve booked two stalls under Yarra Bicycle Users Group for the Bicycling Australia Show, in the gallery level. Details: Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th October 2006. Opening Times: 10am - 5pm. Where: The Royal Exhibition Building. Cost: $15 adults / $10 concession (children under 10 free)
The organisers are fine with several BUG’s using the stall area, so more the merrier! Costs for two stalls is $140. That gets us 4 meters of potential table space, and 4 meters of equal wall space. That’s plenty of room for us to organise a excellent display. We have to organise our own tables and presentation, so let me know if you’ve got access to trestle tables etc. YarraBUG used a 2m fold up table + chairs in 2004 and that worked out fine.
So far BrunsBUG, MitchellBUG, BanyuleBUG, NillumBUG, BoroondaraBUG and possibly DarebinBUG have expressed interest. That makes seven. Quick math makes that $20 each per BUG, although if your BUG wants to attend, but can’t afford it, please still contact us if you want your leaflets/flyers on the stall. Maybe you could help out by volunteering a few hours on the stall over the weekend?
Cycling Promotion Fund: 2006 Bicycling Achievement Awards
From Kathy at CPF: The nomination form for the 2006 Bicycling Achievement Awards can be downloaded from here. In case you haven’t seen it, the booklet from last years Awards can be downloaded from here.
Please consider putting in a nomination. It needn’t be long or fancy - one of last year’s successful nominations was handwritten on a few pieces of paper while the nominator was on the Cycle Queensland event. The Awards are used to acknowledge the good work done by those working to create a bicycle-friendly Australia and to share information. Someone interstate may pick up some great ideas from your nomination, that they can use themselves.
We have Award categories for bicycle friendly individuals, politicians, businesses, schools, bicycle retailers, local governments and organisations (including BUGs) The winners will be announced at the Bicycling Australia Show Dinner on 14 October. Those shortlisted will receive an invitation to the dinner. Looking forward to receiving your nominations (which close on Sunday 27 August). Let me know if you need any more information or some help to get started.
Engineering Heritage Bicycle Tour - Capital City Trail
Bridges and Engineering Heritage of the Yarra River, Lower Merri Creek,Inner Circle Railway and Moonee Ponds Creek. Sunday, 20 August 2006. Meeting Place: Yarra Boulevard, near the Hawthorn Railway Bridge, Richmond. (Melway Map 2H Ref J10) Time: 9:30 am. Bring your family, your bicycles, picnic lunch and drinks. Students, campus groups, and family groups particularly welcome.
L’Eroica 2006 - Inaugural Event - Celebrating the heroic times of bicycle racing
Experience the heroic times of bicycle racing, timed competitive handicap stages, for riders of historic and classic racing bicycles held mainly on gravel roads, ride in the wonderful scenic Tuscan hills of Nord - East Victoria, relive a time when racers were truly heroes and roads were unmade gravel.
Celebrate La Dolce Vita enjoy Italian cuisine and wines, from Italian varieties with dinner at Wardens of Beechworth and lunch at Chrismont La Zona Vineyard, Cheshunt, accept the challenge; dust or mud, demanding roads, the ability to suffer. 30 September - 1 October: Saturday 30km Sunday 45km, an event of the Vintage Cycle Club of Victoria Inc. with the support of Wardens of Beechworth, Chrismont La Zona Vineyard and Brooks England. Entry: $115.00, for more details: John Hennessy 0418 206 079 (03) 5728 2747 email: offhandmanor@bigpond.com. Click here for L’Eroica flyer and the entry form.
Cycling in the News
More good news about cyclist commuters from Adelaide, see below. For more great stories about cycling, peruse the Positive Spin category from Wheels of Justice.
Adelaide Advertiser: The great race
Cyclist commuting to work in the city during morning peak hour have a distinct advantage over motorists when it comes to travel times, an Advertiser trial has found. Yesterday, eight staff from The Advertiser raced from their doors to their desks - half on bicycles and the rest in cars - and the bike riders won hands down.But Transport Minister Patrick Conlon yesterday indicated he was unlikely to be seen riding to work along Adelaide’s failing major transport corridors. “I’m not sure if I could beat a car on my bike,” he said. One of the Advertiser cyclists beat his driving counterpart by 14 minutes.