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The Forum > Article Comments > Cycling is a healthy transport solution > Comments

Cycling is a healthy transport solution : Comments

By Chris Rissel, published 5/6/2008

Riding a bicycle to work could be a solution to concerns about rising petrol prices and expanding waistlines.

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I agree with most of what has been posted. It's all very well to talk idealistically about the virtues of physical activity etc, but the fact that, as a bike rider, you are sharing the road with a hunk of steel that has much more power and speed than you is a distinct danger to one's health. A friend of mine I rented with in the '80s used to ride up Punt Road hill in Melbourne. I look back now and wonder how he wasn't hit or killed. Like a lot of impressionable and "bulletproof" young people, he believed the biking-is-good-for-you spin. Time to debunk that myth: cycling is dangerous when you are mixing it with cars.
Posted by RobP, Thursday, 5 June 2008 12:31:11 PM
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http://iainhall.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/ten-loonies-in-lycra/

This is a rather sarcastic take on just how annoying bicycle riders can be.
I shop once a week for the family and I have to drive 35 km there and back a dozen green shopping bags means that peddle power is out of the question, this is of course the problem Bikes just are not the answer for most people.

A real solution lies in making cars that weigh far less than the models currently available so that they can be far more fuel efficient.
Posted by Iain, Thursday, 5 June 2008 12:33:02 PM
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Cycling can be wonderful, if there are cycleways. Far too many cyclists flout the road rules, and why is it, that whenever cycling is pushed as "environmentally responsible", that motorists and taxpayers generally are supposed to bear the cost of the infrastructure? Is there any reason why bicycles can't be registered like cars and motorcycles? The concept of "user pays" has never been applied to bicycles.

I also wonder why it is, in this age of invention, that bicycle seats are still 19th century torture devices.
Posted by viking13, Thursday, 5 June 2008 1:06:52 PM
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Rather than build cycle paths local councils in Melbourne and the tram company are narrowing arterial roads making cars merge into a single lane, this makes drivers angry and makes cycling much more dangerous.

I am surprised that 50% of journeys are less than 5 km. Is that because after commuting for a hour or so you are just too exhausted to venture out of the house again so you run your chores on the homeward trip.
Posted by billie, Thursday, 5 June 2008 1:36:42 PM
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Commenting as someone who cycles to work, my chief antagonist is the weather. Riding in the winter rain is downright unpleasant, and being caught riding in 40 C heat in summer is enough to make you want to give it up for good. Skipping the weather by taking your bike on public transport would help if there was good public transport available - but it isn't for me.

Another issue is facilities - you arrive at work hot and sweaty (or if its raining - wet and miserable), and you need to shower and change. I have been lucky here - but most people I know aren't.

Cycling is perceived to be dangerous, but I think the issue is overblown. I have been hit twice in my decades of riding - both times I lost some skin. Loss of skin isn't that serious. Being hit at the lights by a car doing 80 km/h is deadly, but that doesn't happen in peak hour traffic - the cars are moving slowly and the drivers seem to be alert. Riding in those conditions is harrowing, but relatively safe.

The final issue is the effort it takes. It can get too much, particularly if you are older or live a long way (say 30 km) from work. But there is a solution, available now - electronic motors.

There are two types. The most common type turns the bike into an electronic vehicle. It does the work for you - press the throttle and it goes. But they have low range, and besides the effort is the point, isn't it? The alternative is electronic assist. Its multiplies the effort you put into peddling by some (usually adjustable) level. It makes you feel like a kid again - daddy is giving you a push. Hills become a non-issue.

Electronic assist means the effort is never too much - even on a day you just don't feel like riding. Just about every single occupant car driver could ride to work with electronic assist, if they wanted to. I suspect most just don't want to.
Posted by rstuart, Thursday, 5 June 2008 2:26:10 PM
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Thanks for a great article, Chris. I'd just like to make a few more points about electric bikes.

The problem with electric bikes here in Australia is that while the concept is fantastic and they are reasonably priced, the electric components could be greatly improved on a lot of them. The main problem is the battery (a lithium-ion battery on most) because it has a relatively short range (around 30-50kms) and tends to have a lifespan that can vary from 6 months to a few years depending on how its charged and how its used. There aren't many alternative electric systems available as they all seem to be imported from the same Chinese factory.

In the USA, its a different story with really nice machines like this http://schwinnbike.com/products/bikes_detail.php?id=887 being readily available. Unfortunately, nobody is importing these because they slightly exceed the 200 watt power limit imposed on Australian electric bicycles (I think these are about 250 watts).

What I'd love to see is 1) some govt assistance for R&D of better electric systems for the companies already selling/designing electric bikes here in Australia and to encourage others to become part of the industry and 2) raise the legal power restrictions on electric bikes so we could also import some bikes like the Schwinn from the USA and a few others I've seen used in the UK.

Coupled with Chris' suggestions about education and bicycle infrastructure, I think this mix would create a better quality range of electric bikes and a healthy, competitive market which would see more of us cycling.

Despite some problems, electric bikes are currently still a good mode of transport so don't let me put you off if you are thinking about one. The key is to do your research, take careful note of charging and maintenance instructions for the batteries and stay away from the real cheapies offered on eBay and the like.
Posted by GBak, Thursday, 5 June 2008 5:15:44 PM
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