Home EmailingsEmailing

Date: 3/19/2025
Subject: Bike North Newsletter - 19 March 2025
From: Bike North


19 march 2025	Your Bike North NewsLETTER

Car Driver held accountable

All of us know riders who have had accidents, some involving cars. It seems, however, that not all car drivers are held accountable for their bad driving which causes bike accidents.

Beloved Bike North members, Loretta and Karl, had an accident on Richmond Rd late last year in which they were each struck by the same car. Both were taken to hospital. The car and driver had been caught on video from a camera mounted on another rider in the group’s bike (Martin’s bike).

After some persistence from Karl and Loretta, the police followed up, the driver was found and she has been charged with three separate offences, including negligent driving. The offences carry substantial demerit points.

Although the driver was not charged with as serious an offence as one might think, the incident was nevertheless: investigated by police to determine who the driver was and the driver charged with significant offences.

The moral of the story: don’t be afraid to report any incident, keep pushing the police, and it helps if there are video cameras in your group.

It is good to know that drivers do sometimes get caught and are held accountable!!!!

David Thomson

Advocacy Co-ordinator

advocacy@bikenorth.org.au

Open House!

You are invited to join the Executive Committee at its next meeting on (no joke!) Tuesday 1st April 2025 from 7.15pm.

There will be wine, cheese and nibbles and the chance to meet and chat to Committee members before the meeting.

Stay for an hour and see what the Committee gets up to!

Zoom link available for those who cannot make it in person!

We would love to have you there.

Australians are known for their willingness to volunteer.

We encourage Bike North members to consider volunteering too!

We have many opportunities available, whether in communications, social, ride leading or just general assistance.Get in touch to find out more: president@bikenorth.org.au

Cycling Canberra’s Centenary Trail

Four of us recently rode most of Canberra’s 145km Centenary Trail (CCT): https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-park/canberra-centenary-trail. This project was a hasty Plan B “pivot”, after Cyclone Alfred spoiled our plan to ride a Ballina – Murwillumbah loop.

CCT is a cobbling together of numerous components to form an approximate narrow rectangle from ACT’s northern border with NSW to its southern suburbs.

The terrain varies enormously from sealed shared-paths for which Canberra is renowned, to fire trails, to rocky and rutted single-track. Some of the latter was steep and certainly challenged us fall-averse weaker three. We all had abrupt leg-out stops that would have been nasty falls if we’d been cleated.

Read Richard Kelly's full recount of this adventure here

Skills and Safety Matters

Wind & Rain

If the wind has picked up or rain has hit hard, first try looking for shelter. That could be under an awning, huddled against someone’s garage door, or under a tree. If there is lightning, look for the lowest shelter you can find; a tree is a dangerous option when there is lightning about!

If riding in these conditions, slow down, check your visibility (are your lights on, are you wearing flouro?) and consider how warm you are (do you have a jacket you could put on?).If you can, ride with others, that makes you more visible to traffic.

When the wind is buffeting, you need to take extra caution holding the front wheel steady. Again, slow down!

Wind will likely carry debris, including sticks and wet leaves - another hazard.

If the conditions are difficult like this, it is all the more important to call on all your skills and ride within your limits.

Note: Risks and hazards are an inherent part of cycling. These tips are intended to help reduce those risks. Please see the risk and health warning we publish on every ride.

Have you got a skills or safety tip or query? Send it to skills@bikenorth.au and it will automatically appear in our Skills and Safety Matters forum (see here).

Join the fun of the fair!

Whether or not you are cycling in the Bobbo Classic this year on 30 March, why not drop in at the Bike North stand and say hello?

We will have maps and information about cycling and will be able to help new members find the best-fit ride for them in our Bike North calendar.

Our near neighbour will be Bicycle NSW where you can learn about current campaigns, initiatives and wins. There you will also see the Pino tandems that Bike North members have been riding, as part of the Riding Together initiative.

If willing to help man / woman the BN stall, please contact David Thomson, Advocacy Co-ordinator at advocacy@bikenorth.org.au .

GROWING A POWERFUL CYCLING MOVEMENT

Bicycle NSW will be co-hosting an event with Roxanne De Beaux, CEO of Camcycle, the cycling advocacy charity for Britain’s cycling capital, Cambridge, at Sydney Town Hall on Friday 5th April.

Camcycle celebrates 30 years of “wins” for people on bikes: from slowing road speeds to empowering advocates, from improving existing infrastructure to shaping future city plans. How can we successfully advocate for cycling, and what does it take? Join in for an inspiring evening learning.

Tickets are FREE but you need to register on Humanatix:https://events.humanitix.com/lessons-from-camcycle-growing-a-powerful-cycling-movement

CHAIN REACTION ARTICLE DEADLINE

Bike North members are keen to hear about your rides and ideas. Send your article to editor@bikenorth.org.au by 1.00pm each Tuesday for publication in our weekly newsletter Chain Reaction or for your article to be added to our News library.
Before sending your ideas please read the Guidelines for Contributors.

Submit your article

BICYCLE NSW DISCOUNT

Did you know that membership of Bike North entitles you to a 15% discount on a membership to Bicycle NSW? Use code 15NORTH when you join or renew. Bicycle NSW members receive global, comprehensive (personal accident and public liability) rider insurance and a range of other benefits as well as advocacy and legal support.

Find out more

Return to Previous Page