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Bike chain mail orth inc Chain Mail No. 36 October 2004 http://www.bikenorth.org.au/ [email protected] Contents Poor Planning Makes a Cycleway Nightmare Poor Planning Makes a Carolyn New Cycleway Nightmare 1 Efforts to ensure a quality cycleway alongside the Gore Hill Freeway as part of the Lane Cove spoke-n 2 Tunnel and freeway widening project over the last few months have been trying to say the least. Dirt For Beginners: A Newbie’s Tale 2 While a cycleway is mandated as part of the project, decisions taken by the consortium have Gear up for Magpie Season 2 often resulted in issue laden proposals. As this cycleway will replace the existing direct, reasonably Real Melbourne Bike Tour 2 level bike lane that is already available and used both by commuter and local cyclists, we believe this cycleway should not compromise on these criteria for equity reasons alone. Diary Dates 3 At the same time, this cycleway will form part of a proposed regional bicycle route between the What’s Happening Locally 4 Sydney Harbour Bridge and both Chatswood and North Ryde. As such this facility will cater for a far broader and growing group of cyclists due to its separation from the road environment. Making Cycling Better 4 Confl ict issues with pedestrians and other cyclists will arise unless the quality is top notch. Updates and Opportunities 5 Issues abound in the Naremburn area due to geography, previous Gore Hill Freeway works, The Newly Elected Bike North existing bicycle and pedestrian routes and a fairly vocal and organised group of residents who Executive 6 were never happy about the original Gore Hill Freeway and now fear once again for their loss of privacy. Several Bike North members are also part of that community and maintain a tense truce President’s Annual Report 8 as we try to work together for win-win solutions. The recent discovery that the consortium has 2004 Summary Financial Statements 9 plans for a worksite at Willoughby Road for cycleway construction, with the intention to take out scarce parking facilities during construction at a vulnerable local shopping centre, has placed Member profi le 10 that truce under intense pressure but once again we are attempting to work together for our The Houghton Family’s common objectives. 100km Century Challenge 10 To date, plans for the cycleway in that area are poorly thought out and we have made suggestions for improvement. We then experience great frustration when the consortium presents solutions Rides Calendar 11 under the guise of consultation and say it is too late to make changes now, when we have been asking for on-site meetings for months to discuss alternatives to no avail. The Editor ALTERNATIVE ROUTES PO Box 719 Gladesville NSW 1675 Alternative routes have been devised and signposted through the Artarmon Industrial Area, Lane Cove and Artarmon Residential areas in place of the existing bike lanes which are now unusable Editor: Catherine Stuart due to construction activity. Design: Keith Griffi n These alternatives are not good as both routes are quite hilly and the westward route necessitates mixing with feral motor activity in the Industrial Area. The views expressed in Chain Mail We have lobbied extensively to use these routes for a short time only, but to date with little articles are those of the authors success. It is simply easier to push cyclists out of the way, sight unseen, for the whole project only and do not necessarily period rather than attempt to properly manage our use of the routes, minimising inconvenience as happens with the motorist. represent either the common views Hopefully by the time you read this, the consortium will have agreed to bicycle use continuing shared by a majority of Bike North on the eastern end where works are not scheduled to start until late 2005. More diffi cult will be members or Bike North policy managing an early return to the completed shared pathway. as formulated by the Bike North If you fi nd the alternatives unpleasant we urge you to complain either by ringing 1800 009 280 Executive Committee. or emailing [email protected] . These complaints are registered and if there are many perhaps they may start to take this issue seriously. Chain Mail spoke-n Spoke-n Dirt For Beginners: mountain biker were shifting your weight deterrent, because the birds are less over the back of your saddle when making a likely to attack someone who’s looking A Newbie’s Tale controlled descent, and the art of choosing at them. Kerry Tipton a path when all you can see are loose rocks Remember, magpies are a protected species and tree roots. One of the best parts of When I fi rst saw the advert for “Dirt for and harming them can attract a fi ne of the lesson was when we rode a nice piece Beginners” in the June issue of Chain Mail, I $3,000 and/or six months imprisonment. of single track next to Castle Hill Creek. was inspired to resurrect my old mountain In spite of the proximity to the creek Magpie swooping areas reported by Bike bike. My conscience was already twinging and a path that was about as straight as a North members so far include: when I thought of how long it was since my politician’s promise, we came out laughing • Sydney Road, Willoughby - near Bales spare bike had been put to the use man on the other end. Park intended it. As I cycled home that day, mud splattered • The top of Stubs Street, Auburn After a couple of trips to the bike shop and and thoroughly soaked, I felt the satisfaction a good oil change, my bike was ready and I Over the next few weeks, send Suzy Jackson of having broadened my cycling skills and of eagerly awaited the Saturday, when I would ([email protected]) info about known having made it through in one piece - aside meet the dirt riding guru, Kin-Yat Lo, and magpie swooping areas so that she can from the imprints my fi ngernails left in my fellow mountain biking newbies at the Fred include it in the Bike North Weekly news. palms. Caterson’s Reserve. Got something to say about cycling? Send Real Melbourne Bike Tour Of course, after about 2 months without a letter or article (500 words or less) to rain, it would be that Saturday that the Robin Shoppee [email protected] drought broke. I had been through too In Melbourne recently, the end of a wonderful much preparing for this day to back out, so Gear up for Magpie Season two weeks of riding and motoring around I rode to the meeting spot, thinking if I was Victoria, we decided to “do Melbourne” going to be a mountain biker I would have Maria Theoharous with the Real Melbourne Bike Tour company to toughen up to rain and mud. As it was, Be prepared! As Spring approaches birds as the peace de resistance. This tour was the rain was a mixed blessing - although such as magpies protect their nesting sites featured by the Great Outdoors Channel it is not very comfortable to ride wet, it from threat. Yes, riding past a nesting site 7 show some months ago and we decided hardened the dusty dirt trails in the Reserve during this six to eight week period is seen to put the show’s recommendations to the and kept the number of walkers and bikers as a threat by magpies. test. Real Melbourne Bike Tours are run by we encountered to a minimum. It also kept Murray Johnson who in fact, was our tour the numbers of our group down - there According to NPWS Central Coast Hunter guide for the day. Murray is a free lance was Kin-Yat and Andrew Elliston, both MB Range Regional Manager, Tom Bagnat, a journalist, accomplished photographer and pros, and myself and John McGregor, the MB few simple precautions can help you avoid long term resident of Melbourne - well disciples, affording John and I the benefi t of swooping attacks from nesting magpies. qualifi ed to show a couple of New South their personal attention. • Magpies are less likely to attack people Welshman exactly what Victorians are so After launching myself down the fi rst who take a wide berth around nesting defensive about. trees, so it’s a good idea to keep 30 dirt trail, I was pretty happy with myself The tour lasted 6 hours, not all of which was metres away from known magpie for staying upright on this untrustworthy spent on the saddle, and together with two territory, or, if possible keep away surface, yet instead of applause I was Kiwi’s who were in Melbourne for a little altogether. censored for being “too rigid” - apparently retail therapy, we came away feeling much you are not supposed to clench the grips so • Try and be confi dent, as this will often better informed about Melbourne and tightly that your knuckles turn white. As the encourage them to stay in their trees actually managed to identify what Victorians ride progressed I began to relax more and and observe until you pass by. are so passionate about. trust my bike. • Consider waving your arm above your Starting in Collingwood, one of Melbourne’s head just in case, but don’t swing it at Kin-Yat and Andrew were hard taskmasters, inner industrial areas and progressing a magpie. Provoking it will only make it making John and I retrace our tracks 4 times to Brunswick Road to view the endless more aggressive.