Cycling Sydney with a headwind and a need for improvements

First off, a confession… I’ve been a little lazy the last few weeks. My bike has been sitting there, pinning for me to take him out to stretch his wheels. So yesterday I did, going out as usual, but something I’d read recently made me keep my eyes on the roads a little more.

The headwind was a killer! Every direction I went, it seemed to be in my face. And Sydney’s not a very flat place, so those hills suddenly seemed a lot worse!

The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran an article, Sydney needs to wake up to the benefits of pedal power.

In it, Sydney is compared to European cities and how the help and encourage cycling. While I was out I started noticing things like the drain covers running in the same direction as you’re cycling, making them into something akin to a cattle grid for bikes - something some car drivers would love I dare say. The potholes were still there, but seem to have gotten bigger. And suddenly I was so much more conscious of how I was having to swerve from the safety of the gutter into the traffic to avoid falling over. It was very disconcerting!

But then, the areas where there were cycle lanes, the cars were very good and stayed clear and didn’t pull across in front of you - or look like their indecision might see you eating metal and tarmac.

And then a curious thing that I’ve always wondered about in London is the coloured areas - the green area of road with a cycle symbol on. I only passed one, but I could visible see the cars a lot more aware of me. It was weird. Almost like I suddenly had a beacon on my head and was 20 times more visible.

I’m hoping given the number of bikes now sold, the number of people now cycling and the cost of petrol that they’ll fix the potholed and turn the grating covers. Paint some more cycle lanes and add in those magic green areas. Read that article, especially if you work for the transport department in Sydney! Please!