Another *positive* cycling article, this time via SMH's "Business" section. Cripes, just what have these journo's been drinking? 
******
On yer bike
http://www.smh.com.au/news/planning...1161455662693.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
By Margot Date. October 25, 2006
Pic: Paul McGaw has the ideal cyclist's life.
On a recent weekend in the picturesque Kowen Forest near Canberra, 3031 gung-ho mountain bikers participated in the world's largest event of its kind - a gruelling 24-hour race on a specially designated track among the pine trees.
Organisers say the riders rode 11,867 laps, covering 241,000 kilometres - six laps of the earth. The race is not only for professionals - anyone with a passion for speed and endurance is encouraged to have a go, either as an individual or in a team of two, three, four or six.
Most riders would have spent at least $1000 on a bike and $500 on equipment including shoes, helmet, tyres and clothing. Then there is the added cost of regular servicing, as mountain bikes cop a pounding.
A premium mountain bike can cost between $5000 and $8000 but a road bike made from carbon fibre can cost even more. Take the Colnago road bikes that were in the Around the Bay ride, a 250-kilometre spin around Port Phillip Bay in Victoria the following week (October 15). The Italian bikes are favoured by those who want speed but also like the pose factor.
Kevin Ford, who is a Victorian agent for bicycle wholesalers and runs cycling tours in Europe for Cousins Tours and Travel, says the Colnago is "the Rolls-Royce of bikes in terms of desire. It's Italian, it's got history."
Having a great brand name makes it hard for independent mountain bike builders like Peter Guenther to compete in the market. His Ethos Bicycles have an enviable reputation for excellence, but he's found numerous obstacles turning that into a bigger business because people love names such as Cannondale, Kona and Scott.
Since the early 1990s, the industrial design graduate has been making dual suspension bikes that don't "bob" up and down - he uses a US- and Australian-patented rear suspension - priced on par with the mainstream boutique brands.
"People have misgivings about spending that much money for something they cannot identify with," Guenther says.
"It's a very fast-moving consumer market. If you can't develop new products in a three-year turnaround, you don't have the new cool factor."
Ford says brand names are important to those who like the show-off factor. "Alongside all that there is the social element, you talk, have coffee, it's got that European element. There is the testosterone element."
Anyone who has spent any time on a bike will know that the more comfort there is between you and the seat, the better. A good pair of cycling shorts from a brand like the Swiss-made Assos can cost $400. And then you must have multiples. Of everything. From shirts to shoes to bikes. Every person interviewed for this story had more than one bike - some had five. Some are reluctant to say how much they spend on bikes, because they have already copped an earful from their spouse. Others say they have had bikes stolen.
Then there are the health benefits. Ford has ridden with men who have lost 20 kilograms. David Levin started Wigs on Wheels, the Victorian Bench and Bar Bicycle Users Group, in 2003, with health in mind. There are 118 members, including 12 judges and court administration staff.
"I had a crazy idea that I wanted to encourage people working in a sedentary profession to broaden their horizons, improve their health and fight off the diseases of affluence, such as diabetes, stroke and heart attack," he says.
Levin commutes from Clifton Hill, along the Yarra River, to Melbourne's CBD, a round-trip of at least 35 kilometres every day. Up to 20 other members of the Bar commute.
He uses the time to think about his work and to experience first-hand the bike paths in Melbourne. He is also an elected member of the board of Bicycle Victoria - which, he says, allows him to do something about improving the lot of all cyclists in Victoria.
Cyclists will always find each other, whether it's by joining a club or forming a group to ride socially once a week.
Sheelagh Callaghan commutes from Newtown to the CBD and rides with the Sydney Cycling Club. She had not been on a bike since a bad accident 20 years ago, when she ran into the back of a truck. "One day I thought I would walk into a bike shop and ended up walking out with [a bike]."
She now has two, one for commuting and one for club rides. She joined a club because it involves discipline. "I wanted to learn how to cycle with a group and improve my speed. Joining a club forces me to go harder."
One of the oldest clubs is the Randwick Botany Cycle Club, which was formed in 1903. President John Buckton says the club has never has so many members. There are CEOs and Catholic priests, but not enough women.
Lance Armstrong winning seven Tours de France in a row lifted the profile of cycling, but so have a very talented bunch of Australian riders who have achieved great results in that race and others, including Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans.
The Randwick Botany club grew in size by welcoming all-comers, not just racers who compete at Heffron Park on Saturdays. "We diversified. There were people out there who wanted to be fit, they wanted to train, they were looking for the social aspects of cycling," Buckton says.
There are 30- to 70-kilometre training rides every morning and track training some evenings. There can be up to 60 people on Friday morning's Tour De Cafe Latte.
Buckton says people like cycling in groups as it is dangerous to cycle alone. He adds that motorists hate the bunch but he would like to see an education campaign to tell motorists of the rules.
"It is a very social sport. You can get fit and talk to a lot of people. You can't do that swimming laps of the pool." Buckton combines cycling (about 350 kilometres a week) and his president's duties with running a cycle accessories company and designing websites.
The new bushwalking
As Paul McGaw (pictured) sees it, he has the ideal cyclist's life. An engineer, he lives within minutes of the Royal National Park and can hop on a ferry from his Bundeena home to Cronulla, then cycle in to work at Pyrmont in an hour and a quarter.
"Being time-poor, it's a great way to get a bit of exercise," he says.
He grew up on the Channel Island of Jersey, where everyone rode a bike. When he moved to Bundeena 10 years ago, he was looking for some exercise that "was not sitting inside a gym". Now the whole family rides.
"Being able to ride a mountain bike with slick tyres means I can use more cycle tracks. The traffic is too terrifying," McGaw says.
It's the "caffeine- and nicotine-addicted psychopaths" who have been sitting in traffic that worry him the most, especially through the Sydney Airport Tunnel.
When he is in the national park, it's a completely different story. "It's great to ride in the morning. It's great to ride at night. It's great to ride down hills, to see monitor lizards, black snakes and wallabies.
"There's a lot more mountain bikes now. It is the new bushwalking. It is the bushwalking for this generation. People were happy to walk for nine hours to see a waterfall. On a mountain bike you can cover the same amount of distance, see the view, ride single track and get home."
Togetherness
As a triathlete, Marguerite Young found she enjoyed the cycling leg better than running and swimming.
"I still run, but I am a bit of a chicken in the water," she says.
Young has three jobs. One is with an animal welfare organisation, another is reviewing NGO projects with AusAid and the third is at Sydney Community College. Joining the Sydney Cycling Club meant she was getting exercise and socialising, before starting work from her home at Annandale.
"You are up early, you are out in the fresh air. In winter the sun comes up as you go down the road to Bondi Beach."
She says people like to buy a decent bike because they want a machine on which to exercise. She's on to her second as it has better components and is lighter than the first.
"I wear the Lycra and I always wear the club gear because it is comfortable and it is made for the purpose of cycling."
Young says she spends money on shoes and clips, but is using cheaper lights because they work just as well.
"In the club you never know who you are going to be next to," she says - it could be a postman, a barrister, a car repairer or a surgeon.
Because she rides with the slowest group, there is an ever-changing parade of people. Some travel for work so may have been off the bike for a while, others may have been injured, some may be new to the club.
When she met her partner, Young says she downplayed her sporting activities. One day he suggested they go for a bike ride. She showed up in all her gear.
"He actually liked it, because I belonged to a club. That is something we do together. He joined the club."
******
On yer bike
http://www.smh.com.au/news/planning...1161455662693.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
By Margot Date. October 25, 2006
Pic: Paul McGaw has the ideal cyclist's life.
On a recent weekend in the picturesque Kowen Forest near Canberra, 3031 gung-ho mountain bikers participated in the world's largest event of its kind - a gruelling 24-hour race on a specially designated track among the pine trees.
Organisers say the riders rode 11,867 laps, covering 241,000 kilometres - six laps of the earth. The race is not only for professionals - anyone with a passion for speed and endurance is encouraged to have a go, either as an individual or in a team of two, three, four or six.
Most riders would have spent at least $1000 on a bike and $500 on equipment including shoes, helmet, tyres and clothing. Then there is the added cost of regular servicing, as mountain bikes cop a pounding.
A premium mountain bike can cost between $5000 and $8000 but a road bike made from carbon fibre can cost even more. Take the Colnago road bikes that were in the Around the Bay ride, a 250-kilometre spin around Port Phillip Bay in Victoria the following week (October 15). The Italian bikes are favoured by those who want speed but also like the pose factor.
Kevin Ford, who is a Victorian agent for bicycle wholesalers and runs cycling tours in Europe for Cousins Tours and Travel, says the Colnago is "the Rolls-Royce of bikes in terms of desire. It's Italian, it's got history."
Having a great brand name makes it hard for independent mountain bike builders like Peter Guenther to compete in the market. His Ethos Bicycles have an enviable reputation for excellence, but he's found numerous obstacles turning that into a bigger business because people love names such as Cannondale, Kona and Scott.
Since the early 1990s, the industrial design graduate has been making dual suspension bikes that don't "bob" up and down - he uses a US- and Australian-patented rear suspension - priced on par with the mainstream boutique brands.
"People have misgivings about spending that much money for something they cannot identify with," Guenther says.
"It's a very fast-moving consumer market. If you can't develop new products in a three-year turnaround, you don't have the new cool factor."
Ford says brand names are important to those who like the show-off factor. "Alongside all that there is the social element, you talk, have coffee, it's got that European element. There is the testosterone element."
Anyone who has spent any time on a bike will know that the more comfort there is between you and the seat, the better. A good pair of cycling shorts from a brand like the Swiss-made Assos can cost $400. And then you must have multiples. Of everything. From shirts to shoes to bikes. Every person interviewed for this story had more than one bike - some had five. Some are reluctant to say how much they spend on bikes, because they have already copped an earful from their spouse. Others say they have had bikes stolen.
Then there are the health benefits. Ford has ridden with men who have lost 20 kilograms. David Levin started Wigs on Wheels, the Victorian Bench and Bar Bicycle Users Group, in 2003, with health in mind. There are 118 members, including 12 judges and court administration staff.
"I had a crazy idea that I wanted to encourage people working in a sedentary profession to broaden their horizons, improve their health and fight off the diseases of affluence, such as diabetes, stroke and heart attack," he says.
Levin commutes from Clifton Hill, along the Yarra River, to Melbourne's CBD, a round-trip of at least 35 kilometres every day. Up to 20 other members of the Bar commute.
He uses the time to think about his work and to experience first-hand the bike paths in Melbourne. He is also an elected member of the board of Bicycle Victoria - which, he says, allows him to do something about improving the lot of all cyclists in Victoria.
Cyclists will always find each other, whether it's by joining a club or forming a group to ride socially once a week.
Sheelagh Callaghan commutes from Newtown to the CBD and rides with the Sydney Cycling Club. She had not been on a bike since a bad accident 20 years ago, when she ran into the back of a truck. "One day I thought I would walk into a bike shop and ended up walking out with [a bike]."
She now has two, one for commuting and one for club rides. She joined a club because it involves discipline. "I wanted to learn how to cycle with a group and improve my speed. Joining a club forces me to go harder."
One of the oldest clubs is the Randwick Botany Cycle Club, which was formed in 1903. President John Buckton says the club has never has so many members. There are CEOs and Catholic priests, but not enough women.
Lance Armstrong winning seven Tours de France in a row lifted the profile of cycling, but so have a very talented bunch of Australian riders who have achieved great results in that race and others, including Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans.
The Randwick Botany club grew in size by welcoming all-comers, not just racers who compete at Heffron Park on Saturdays. "We diversified. There were people out there who wanted to be fit, they wanted to train, they were looking for the social aspects of cycling," Buckton says.
There are 30- to 70-kilometre training rides every morning and track training some evenings. There can be up to 60 people on Friday morning's Tour De Cafe Latte.
Buckton says people like cycling in groups as it is dangerous to cycle alone. He adds that motorists hate the bunch but he would like to see an education campaign to tell motorists of the rules.
"It is a very social sport. You can get fit and talk to a lot of people. You can't do that swimming laps of the pool." Buckton combines cycling (about 350 kilometres a week) and his president's duties with running a cycle accessories company and designing websites.
The new bushwalking
As Paul McGaw (pictured) sees it, he has the ideal cyclist's life. An engineer, he lives within minutes of the Royal National Park and can hop on a ferry from his Bundeena home to Cronulla, then cycle in to work at Pyrmont in an hour and a quarter.
"Being time-poor, it's a great way to get a bit of exercise," he says.
He grew up on the Channel Island of Jersey, where everyone rode a bike. When he moved to Bundeena 10 years ago, he was looking for some exercise that "was not sitting inside a gym". Now the whole family rides.
"Being able to ride a mountain bike with slick tyres means I can use more cycle tracks. The traffic is too terrifying," McGaw says.
It's the "caffeine- and nicotine-addicted psychopaths" who have been sitting in traffic that worry him the most, especially through the Sydney Airport Tunnel.
When he is in the national park, it's a completely different story. "It's great to ride in the morning. It's great to ride at night. It's great to ride down hills, to see monitor lizards, black snakes and wallabies.
"There's a lot more mountain bikes now. It is the new bushwalking. It is the bushwalking for this generation. People were happy to walk for nine hours to see a waterfall. On a mountain bike you can cover the same amount of distance, see the view, ride single track and get home."
Togetherness
As a triathlete, Marguerite Young found she enjoyed the cycling leg better than running and swimming.
"I still run, but I am a bit of a chicken in the water," she says.
Young has three jobs. One is with an animal welfare organisation, another is reviewing NGO projects with AusAid and the third is at Sydney Community College. Joining the Sydney Cycling Club meant she was getting exercise and socialising, before starting work from her home at Annandale.
"You are up early, you are out in the fresh air. In winter the sun comes up as you go down the road to Bondi Beach."
She says people like to buy a decent bike because they want a machine on which to exercise. She's on to her second as it has better components and is lighter than the first.
"I wear the Lycra and I always wear the club gear because it is comfortable and it is made for the purpose of cycling."
Young says she spends money on shoes and clips, but is using cheaper lights because they work just as well.
"In the club you never know who you are going to be next to," she says - it could be a postman, a barrister, a car repairer or a surgeon.
Because she rides with the slowest group, there is an ever-changing parade of people. Some travel for work so may have been off the bike for a while, others may have been injured, some may be new to the club.
When she met her partner, Young says she downplayed her sporting activities. One day he suggested they go for a bike ride. She showed up in all her gear.
"He actually liked it, because I belonged to a club. That is something we do together. He joined the club."
