Category — Cycling

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!

This blog is slightly off topic for me, but I’ve started riding to work, but those mountain bike tires were a little slow for my liking, so I decided to go with street tires. I knew it would make a difference, but I didn’t realise how much!

I went with Specialized Armadillo tires, which are apparently the choice of cycle couriers everywhere - I found that out afterwards btw.

But, it was a great choice! I don’t know if there’s better ones or not, but as my first street tires, I’m really happy. They felt much faster in a straight line, and cornering seemed more stable on the tarmac - mountain bike tires have a small contact when turning, these are based on motorbike tires, so corner really well, but I’m not going to push it!

And as for riding to work itself, it’s great! It takes me 25 minutes to get to work on the bike. It takes 40 on the train and an hour on foot. And, when I get to work, despite being a little hot, I find it much easier to get going and focus in the morning. I also feeling healthier after just a few weeks of riding. I just hope I can keep it up and it’s not just a new year fad. Oh, and the view crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge is awesome as ever!