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Now you know what a bike bus is, if you live in Sydney you can join one, check out the details at http://www.bikebus.org.au/I don’t know of any operating in Adelaide, though with the smaller volume of traffic, and generally better conditions for cyclists there may be less demand, though I expect that it’s only a matter of time before they get going here.
Via Pedaller.

Update: Not a bike bus, but there is something happening in Adelaide that’s worth mentioning, a Bicycle Users Group (BUG) is being established for the Western Suburbs, read about it at the What’s On in Adelaide blog. Not my area, but there has also recently been established a BUG for people like myself who work in the North Terrace precinct (ie the Universities, RAH etc). You can sign up to the mailing list here if that sounds like you.

Recently I’ve had a couple of discussion with friends about riding bikes on the road, I thought I might set out some of my ideas in a post. I use a bike to go pretty much everywhere, so I’m out on the roads every day, but I only started riding regularly about 4 years ago, so I can still remember what it is like to be a bit intimidated by the idea of riding on busy roads. All of my riding has been in Adelaide so there’ll be a fair bit of Adelaide-specific comments, but much of it should be generally applicable.

First, you have to know the rules. About the easiest way to sum those up is that they are the same as for cars. There are a few bike specific rules, but if you know the road rules then you pretty much know all you need to know. So if you’re not a motorist then a good starting point before taking to the road is to real the road rules – not just for yourself but also so you know what to expect from other road users. You can read more at Transport SA.
Next you need to be confidant with your riding and have good control over your bike. If you’re pretty new to cycling altogether then it would be a good idea to get a bit of experience on recreational bike paths and quiet suburban streets before taking to the main roads. If you still have to concentrate on the act of riding itself, then you won’t be sufficiently aware of what’s going on around you on the road. You should be able to maintain your course while checking back over your shoulder, and when there are distractions around. You should have the confidence to ride close to others, or through fairly narrow spaces while keeping steady.

OK, so now you’re ready to start commuting. When you’re new to it a good idea is to plan your trips first, some of the major roads (eg South Rd, Main North Rd, North East Rd) aren’t much fun, and even experienced cyclists may like to avoid them. The best thing to do if you’re in Adelaide is to check out the Bike Direct maps provided by Transport SA. These show good routes for cyclists which can get you anywhere around Adelaide. They distinguish between off road bike paths, main roads with bike lanes, smaller roads with bike lanes, and smaller roads which are suitable for cyclists. Using these you should be able to get wherever you are going without encountering too many traffic problems.
Some tips for once you get going:

1. Don’t ride on footpaths. For a start it is illegal unless you are a kid. Secondly I don’t think it is safer than the road, riding across driveways and cross streets as you go along a footpath is potentially dangerous. Of course, if there are any pedestrians about you are a danger to them as well.
2. Be aware of your rights as a road user and assert them. This means that you don’t need to go along hugging the curb -in fact this is often dangerous, especially if you ride close to parked cars which might have doors opening. You are entitled to take up a lane and should do so if necessary for safety. Of course, you should also be considerate to other road users and move aside when it is reasonable to do so. Also, you should also be aware that many motorists may not be aware of your rights, so be prepared for this and exercise caution.
3. Wear bright colours, I would recommend a reflective vest or jacket. This is particularly important at night, but I tend to wear one all the time for better visibility.
4. If you ride on shared paths then respect the rights of pedestrians. Make sure you have a bell to warn them of your approach.
5. Right turns at intersections can be a bit daunting. You are entitled to move across into the right lane to turn right just as cars do, but this can be difficult on a busy road, and if you are a beginner you might not feel confident about moving right out onto the road. There is an easy solution, you can do a two stage “hook turn”. This means you cross the intersection as if you are going straight ahead, and then pull over at the other side of the cross road, then turn your bike to face right and wait for the lights to change the other way. This way you stay on the left of the traffic the whole time.
6. You can move up past traffic waiting at intersections, but you can’t overtake someone on the left if they are turning left – which should just be common sense but I see it happen a lot. You’ll find that you’ll get used to certain intersections which you use regularly and will be able to judge when it is safe to move through the front of the traffic by knowing the order of the light changes and so on. If you are not particularly familiar with a major intersection then you should exercise caution.
7. (Added 10/4) You should make sure you have the correct equipment. Apart from a helmet, if you want to use a bike for commuting then you’ll want to leave it without it being stolen so a lock will be necessary. A D-Lock is the best, though how much you want to pay for a lock will depend on how much your bike is worth. My first bike I used for commuting cost less than a D-Lock so I didn’t bother getting one! The bike didn’t get stolen, but it wasn’t too long before I wanted an upgrade. If you are going to ride at night – and while you might not when you get started pretty soon you will want to – then you will need lights. A white one for the front and red one for the back. I’m always impressed every time I go to buy a new light because they get better all the time. Now it is quite easy to get compact lights that run on common types of batteries which are very bright, and they are quite inexpensive. Even so, you may want to remove them and keep them with you when you lock up the bike.
   As mentioned in comments by The Don you will also need equipment for repairing punctures, though I tend not to take that stuff everywhere I go – I have the convenience of keeping repair kits at home, and in my office in the city, so for most of my commuting I’m not too far away from either of these.

That’s about all I can think of for now, I may add more later if anything else comes to mind. (Note – I did add an extra point)
Please contribute additions, differing opinions, questions etc to comments.

As a final point, I’d just like to add that once you get it in to it you very quickly get used to riding in traffic. While it is appropriate for people to be cautious, I’m disappointed at how many people seem to be put off commuting by bike because of concern for their safety on roads. Any road use can be dangerous – as a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian – but if you are sensible about it then it can be a safe way to get around that is environmentally friendly, much cheaper than driving, more convenient than public transport, good exercise and lots of fun. And the more people that get out on bikes then the safer it is as motorists become more accustomed to sharing the road with bikes.

Yesterday I had another go at Mt Lofty on my bike and this time I made it to the summit. Sure, people ride up there all the time, but I’m hardly known for my physical feats so I thought it was a good achievement. A few things I learnt were

• I need a headband to keep sweat (and sunscreen) out of my eyes
• It might be because I’m not used to using the low gears but I had the chain come off a few times so a rag to help put it back on without getting grease all over my hands would be good.
• I need a second water bottle. By the time I got to the top of Eagle on the Hill I was out of water and really needed more. In fact, I may have turned back at that point, but I figured that Crafers was the nearest place where I’d find a drink.

• Assuming that I have my second water bottle then I shoud bypass Crafers. From there the climb up the summit road to the entrance to the Botanic Gardens is pretty nasty, it just goes on & on. Also there is no bike lane. Actually there’s something that looks like a bike lane, but the surface is too rough to be useful for cycling. There’s a bit of traffic and the limit is 80km/h so it’s not the best way for cycling. Apparently, back before entering Crafers you can take a back way avoiding the main road, and which also breaks up the climb a bit.

After my next ride, when I’ve found the best way and know the route a bit better I’ll give a detailed description of the route (and maybe I’ll have a go at Bikely) for anyone else who is new to riding in the hills and wants to give it a try.

Adelaide cyclists might be interested in the Coast to Coast ride from Glenelg to Victor Harbor which is coming up in a couple of weeks. I’m considering it but I don’t know that I’m sufficiently prepared – after being sick last week, and then with hot weather this weekend, I haven’t been out riding much, and I haven’t done a ride of that length before, and haven’t done riding in the hills … but I should start on that this week at least. So anyway, Coast to Coast is looking unlikely for me but I’ll report back when I’ve conquered Mt Lofty by bike!

Update: The forecast is for 40 degrees! I’m glad I decided not to go. Good luck to my almost-teammates: The Don, Beetroot & Scares.

Update II: Sensibly the event has been cancelled due to the extreme weather.

Today it all comes to what should be an exciting conclusion with Elmiger just 1 second ahead of Menzies, and a number of other riders within seconds of the lead as well.

There is more wind & rain in Adelaide today, and I left my bike on the other side of town, so it looks like I’ll be reporting back from in front of the TV rather than from the race. Well done to 10 for showing the final stage live, next time a nightly highlights package would be great as well though.

UPDATE 13:45 CST – The race is underway, looks like plenty of people weren’t put off by the weather and have gone out to see it. On the TV coverage Phil Liggett was commenting on the uncharacteristic Adelaide weather and suggested, as the riders went alongside the Torrens, that in normal conditions here everyone would be wanting to jump in for a swim! He obviously hasn’t seen it up close then.

UPDATE 14:12 CST – Getting close to the first sprint, just over a lap. The UniSA team are all up front and aren’t letting anyone get away, so they can get their man Karl Menzies a time bonus to put him back in front of the GC. Current GC leader Elmiger isn’t far off the front.

14:23 CST – Elmiger won the sprint! His AG2R team attacked the UniSA riders on Montifiore hill and from there Elmiger sat on Menzies’ back wheel down to the sprint, while there was a bit of confusion at the UniSA riders tried to ensure that Menzies would get the points, Elmiger made a move up the outside around McEwen who was also in there. Unfortunately for Menzies his teammate Allan Davis looks to have crossed second (despite a desperate last minute attempt to pull his bike back), so Elmiger should have extended his lead by a couple of seconds. The next sprint will be on lap 12, the UniSA boys are going to need a big effort to keep Menzies in it.

14:46 CST – Brochard won the second sprint to give him a good lead in the points classification (which appears to be a blue, rather than green, jersey). He was part of a 12 man breakaway which didn’t include anyone from the head of the GC. There was also a KOM but it wasn’t really contested and didn’t involve anyone who could threaten current KOM leader Dumoulin .

Now the field are all back together.

15:22 CST – McEwen won the final sprint but there is a chance of a protest, so it’s not official yet. There is no doubt, however, that Martin Elmiger is the overall winner with a lead of 3 seconds over Karl Menzies, thanks to his fantastic sprint on the eighth lap, and also his third place finish yesterday.

FINAL RESULTS (almost) – it’s official, Robbie McEwen is the stage 5 winner. Laurent Brochard was the best sprinter, Simon Clarke the best you rider, and SouthAustralia.com/AIS were the best team. I’m not sure whether Serge Pauwels or Samuel Dumoulin is the King of the Mountains – it is all a bit confusing because there was a sprint for it on the wrong lap.

UPDATE: I can confirm that Pauwels did win KOM.