Making a city more bicycle-friendly is not simply a matter of painting a few lines and installing parking spaces. It requires cities to work with cyclists as participants in redesigning the city. Ensuring…
Mandatory helmets are seen as being good enough for motorcyclists, but what about pedal cyclists?
Tom Gill
For those working on the frontline of trauma care, the findings of a report into the protective effects of helmets in cyclists and motorcyclists published in the Medical Journal of Australia last week…
We all know the rules, and yet some of us seem happy to break them.
Looking Glass
You’ve probably seen it happen. You’re driving your car and you come to a stop at the traffic lights. You’re mindful of traffic infringement fines and public safety, then someone on a bike rides past you…
Serge Pauwels (left) rode conservatively during stage 4 of the Tour Down Under.
AAP Image/Benjamin Macmahon
If you’ve ever watched a professional bike race such as the Tour de France on TV, you might have thought to yourself: “Just how good are the professionals?” And if you do a bit of cycling yourself, you…
Cycling in regional areas is not quite the paradise you see in tourism brochures.
Image from shutterstock.com
Images that promote cycling in regional Victoria are often beautiful and enticing: smiling, happy people ride along scenic bike paths that meander through wide, open farmlands, dense bushland and along…
Armstrong managed to “control the narrative” in the past … but what about now?
anonymousview
By using performance-enhancing drugs, even before he was diagnosed with cancer, it would appear Lance Armstrong was obsessed with becoming and staying a winner early on.
Indeed, in his two-part interview…
A WADA-authorised amnesty might be a better method of cleaning up cycling rather than simply punishing those who doped.
Ben Macmahon/AAP
Amid the mountains of words written in Australia about Lance Armstrong’s recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, there has been surprisingly little serious debate about what this case means for how we should…
The Armstrong confession tells us a lot about our relationship with the media and sportspeople.
AAP Image/Oprah.com
By now you would have heard about Lance Armstrong’s “world exclusive” encounter with Oprah Winfrey. The first half of the two-part interview aired this afternoon (AEST), attracting much attention from…
Lance Armstrong should reveal the dirty business of being a professional athlete.
EPA/Elizabeth Kreutz
What I want from Lance Armstrong is the unabridged and brutal truth. It’s very simple. I want to know why he doped.
Unlike other commentators, I am hoping Armstrong avoids mea culpa and throwing himself…
Oprah Winfrey in Sydney in 2010 and Lance Armstrong on his way to win his seventh Tour de France title in 2005.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy & EPA/Gero Breloer
How Lance Armstrong handles his soon-to-be aired interview with Oprah will impact on the fate of Livestrong, which he founded in happier days. That’s because organisations, including non-profits such as…
Almost 1.3 million people die each year on the world’s roads, making road accidents the ninth leading cause of death globally.
AAP/Joe Castro
We demand and expect our transport systems to to get us where we want, when we want to be there, and as fast as possible. We are, however, human beings with human bodies. And as with any other built system…
Cycling numbers are growing in the inner city, but falling on the outskirts.
yewenyi/Flickr
If you have heard comments from friends or colleagues that there seem to be a lot more cyclists these days, chances are that you live or work in the inner city of an Australian capital city.
A new report…
Changes to the Australian Design Rules have altered the landscape for electric bikes.
Chiemgau - Bayerns Lächeln
If you’ve not ridden an electric bicycle yet, chances are you know someone who has. Or maybe someone rode past you on one and you thought it was a conventional bike. Changes in permitted power output means…
Australian cyclist Matthew White admitted to taking drugs during his time riding for Lance Armstrong’s US Postal Service cycling team.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
Federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy’s recent announcement of an independent review of Cycling Australia appears sensible given the local fall-out from the Armstrong case.
The minister sees this review…
Doping allegations were made against Matt White before he started working for Cycling Australia.
AAP
It has become clear over the past two weeks that Lance Armstrong ran the most well-managed and professional doping system ever seen in professional sport. So how did he get away with it for so long?
Questions…
Hero to zero: Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal may cause domino effect in corporate support of cycling.
EPA/Olivier Hoslet
Yesterday it was announced that the UCI (International Cycling Federation) will back the US Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) decision to ban Lance Armstrong for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France…
What should the UCI do to move cycling on from the Lance Armstrong affair?
EPA/Guillaume Horcajuelo
More than a week after the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) published 1,000 pages of testimony and anecdotal evidence implicating Lance Armstrong in a controversial doping scandal, the saga is still far from…
The Armstrong affair is a wake-up call for those who govern professional sport.
oeflintham
Should Lance Armstrong lose his seven Tour de France titles for doping, as is being proposed by the US Anti-doping Agency (USADA)?
It’s an issue that puts the UCI – the international cycling union – and…
Ride2Work day makes a real difference in levels of cycling: let’s have it more often.
Fernando de Sousa
Australians are pretty enthusiastic about cycling for recreation. Cycling to work is another matter entirely. Arguably, cycle commuting is even more important than recreational riding: as well as the health…
Looking at the speedo won’t tell you which is travelling faster.
Cole Young
Are you addicted to speed? Has a “hurry virus” taken over your life?
Building faster roads or buying a fast car or a second car may seem appealing solutions to time pressure. Yet our obsession with speed…
Armstrong has consistently maintained that USADA has been leading a “witch hunt” against him.
Aspen/Snowmass
In June, when the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)’s allegations against cyclist Lance Armstrong were released, I wrote:
Armstrong has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, describing USADA’s actions as a…
What does the Armstrong case tell us about anti-doping regulation in sport?
Jasper Juinen/EPA
There has been much discussion in recent weeks about Lance Armstrong, his legacy, and charges levelled by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that the Texan cyclist spearheaded a systematic doping…
Lance Armstong’s decision not to contest USADA charges of doping has done little to quell rumours.
Christophe Karaba/EPA
Lance Armstrong was no ordinary cyclist. His was a business model that changed the face of professional cycling, perfecting techniques of media management and being the vehicle by which cycling administrators…
The seven-times Tour de France winner looks set to lose his titles.
Gero Breloer/EPA
It seems as if the case against Lance Armstrong has ended not with a bang but a whimper.
The American seven-times Tour de France champion issued a statement earlier today, stating that “enough is enough…
Marianne Vos of the Netherlands takes gold in the London 2012 women’s road race.
Ian Langsdon/EPA
You’ll have noticed the distances ridden by female and male elite cyclists differ in some Olympic events and are identical in others, which raises the obvious question: why?
If we really wanted to simplify…
Machine learning techniques can help riders stand out from the rest of the field.
AAP Image/Joe Castro
With track cycling events now underway at the London Olympics, athletes from around the world are pushing themselves to the limit to outperform their rivals and, hopefully, claim gold.
Back here in Melbourne…
The Radioshack-Nissan-Trek rider has retired from this year’s Tour de France.
Nicolas Bouvy/EPA
After the recent re-ignition of allegations against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, many in professional cycling had hoped for a quiet year on the doping front. But, it seems, the Tour…
There’s more to conquering hills than dropping a few kilos.
As the Tour de France enters its final week, riders have already negotiated some of the toughest climbs in Europe, and have some major climbs still to go. So what makes some of those riders successful…
Lost generations: if Australians now cycled at the same rates as in the mid 1980s, up to a million more people would be riding.
Flickr/taisau
Cycling industry reports of significant bicycles sales in Australia suggest a growth in cycling participation. As the Tour de France re-excites interest in cycling around the world, a new analysis published…
When differences are measured in milliseconds, athletes will look for anything to get the edge.
Joe Castro/ AAP
There is perhaps no greater sporting rivalry than that between Great Britain and Australia – it’s like the little brother trying to knock off his older sibling in any pursuit possible, simply for the glory…
The energy produced per rider during sprints could power a fridge, TV and most of the lights in a standard house.
Nicolas Bouvy/AAP
The Tour de France – currently underway – has long been regarded as one of the most demanding endurance events in sporting history. But what does that mean in physical terms for the athletes taking part…
Blood, sweat and tears goes into Le Tour, and the design of high-performance bike wheels.
Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA
And so, once again, some of the world’s top athletes are about to set forth on the highlight of the professional road racing calendar, Le Tour de France. Before a pedal has even turned, top riders have…
Want value for public money? Build bike infrastructure.
Brisbane City Council
In the current climate of economic uncertainty and fiscal restraint, governments are quick to reassure us that they are making every effort to “do more with less”. Providing mobility for citizens in Australia…
Lance Armstrong could potentially lose all seven of his Tour de France victories.
Jean-Christophe Bott/AAP
The cauldron of long-standing doping allegations against former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong has finally boiled over.
The seven-time Tour de France winner is now facing charges from the US Anti…
Care and consideration make the road safer for everyone. Enforcing the law helps too.
Fernando de Sousa
Every year, more Australians – particularly in cities – are riding to work. More cyclists means fewer cars on the road, less congestion, less pollution and fewer health problems. But every year more people…
Cycling infrastructure gets people on their bikes, and the economic benefits are legion.
Janet Lackey
You might have heard that bike lanes are a waste of money. The Australian National Audit Office recently investigated the $40 million bike path scheme, announced in 2009 as part of the Federal Government…
Shane Perkins is just one of the Australians going for gold at the world championships.
AAP Image/David Crosling
Today in Melbourne the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships get underway. Results from the five-day competition will determine which riders represent the various national track cycling teams at the…
Cycling in inner-city Sydney is up, thanks to better bike paths.
William Feuerman
Just outside my bedroom window a sliver of the Bourke Street Bicycle Route passes by; a slice of Sydney’s network of cycleways which is continuing to grow, branching, meandering and extending throughout…
A recent NZ study which claimed helmet laws caused 53 deaths a year is flawed.
Danielle Scott
An article published in the current edition of the New Zealand Medical Journal calls for the repeal of mandatory helmet laws (MHL) for cyclists because it claims the law caused 53 premature deaths per…
Have scientific standards negatively affected legal reasoning?
Alberto Martin/EPA
On the day the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handed down its decision on the Alberto Contador doping case, Cadel Evans – Australian Tour de France champion – was quoted in the cycling press repeating…
He’s in the spotlight for taking a drug that probably didn’t even help his performance.
EPA/Alberto Martin
After a drawn-out and controversial case, Spanish professional cyclist Alberto Contador has been found guilty of doping and banned from the sport for two years.
Contador was stripped of his victories…
Legislation would have less real effect than better manners.
Looking Glass
There’s nothing like a “bikes vs drivers” story to whip commentators into a frenzy, and this week’s stoush between Shane Warne and a Melbourne cyclist is no exception. Whenever this issue comes up, there…
It’s time to abandon Australia’s “helmet experiment”.
Tejvan Photos
There’s little doubt Australia would have healthier communities if more of us chose to cycle for transport, exercise or even relaxation. But mandatory helmet laws, introduced in Australia in the 1990s…
Before the motorcar “owned” the road, cyclists weren’t seen as space-taking nuisance.
The ABC documentary Wide Open Road is a totally fascinating history of the car in Australia.
The characters who pioneered the car in the Australian bush 100 years ago are remarkable. The images of Australian…
It needs to be easier for cyclists to safely navigate our busy city streets.
H4NUM4N
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: Every year, dozens of cyclists are killed and thousands are injured while riding on Australian roads.
Statistics such as these, coupled with all-too-frequent horror stories about…
The velocipede created one of several cycling booms in Australia.
Harpers Weekly (Dec 18, 1868)
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: Forget about the wild scenes of public adulation for Cadel Evans following his Tour de France triumph. Forget about the widespread admiration for champion cyclist Anna Meares following…
Almost everyone can ride to work, and the health benefits are enormous.
california cowgirl1
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: More than half of Australia’s population can be classified as overweight and obese.
This statistic is alarming but some of the risk factors associated with obesity – such as poor…
Much science goes into the creation of the perfect bike frame.
Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: What are you paying for when you buy a new bike? Materials … sure. Design … without doubt. Manufacture … yes, of course.
But beyond that, what’s going on? Why can these objects…
Children are far more likely to cycle if their parents do.
carfreedays
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: In 1970, nearly all young people in Australia walked, cycled or took public transport to school or university (84%). Few travelled by car (16%). Fast forward to 2011 and most children…
Has Cadel Evans single-handedly lifted the Australian cycling industry?
AFP/Pascal Pavani
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: At a Sport Australia Hall of Fame function last night, Australian cyclist Cadel Evans was named winner of The Don award for the year’s most inspirational sporting moment.
In July…
Sydney has a lot to learn when it comes to cycling culture.
Mikael Colville Andersen
By Emma Barnes, University of Technology, Sydney and Nicole Gardner, University of Technology, Sydney
CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: There are many reasons cycling should be actively encouraged in our cities: increasing fuel prices, obesity levels and environmental concerns, just to name a few.
Yet in comparison…
Tucking your pants into your socks mightn’t be trendy, but cycling to work has a range of benefits.
AAP/Joe Castro
In July, Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the most prestigious race in professional cycling: Le Tour de France. But what effect has Cadel’s victory had back home in Australia?
Are more Australians…
How do you improve road safety? Simple: make it riskier.
La Citta Vita
In August, Liberal MP Peter Phelps delivered a passionate rant in the NSW Upper House in which he called traffic lights a “Bolshevist menace”. He argued that traffic lights are on par with state repression…
European women love to get on their bikes.
kamshots/Flickr
Cycling for transport in Australia is characterised by several “missing” population groups: women, children, adolescents and older adults.
Women comprise about one-fifth of commuter cyclists in Australia…
Would-be cyclists are deterred by mandatory helmet laws.
Jase Wong
Public bicycle hire schemes have the potential to generate the well-known health benefits that come with increased exercise.
But while Australia has bravely adopted such schemes, mandatory helmet laws…
The time trial is critical to Evans' chances in the 2011 Tour de France.
AFP/Pascal Pavani
Following the 18th stage of the 2011 Tour de France last night, the top six riders are within less than four minutes of one another: Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, Ivan Basso, Damian Cunego…
Climbing mountains is all about fighting gravity.
Nicolas Bouvy/EPA
This is the second in a two-part series about the science of Le Tour de France. Part one is here.
After 1,916 kilometres of the 2011 Tour de France we’re starting to see some of the favourites make their…
With more than 3,000 kilometres to cover, technique is only part of the equation.
Nicolas Bouvy/EPA
This weekend, approximately 200 of the world’s best cyclists will begin competing in one of the most challenging sporting events in the world: Le Tour de France.
Le Tour is widely regarded as the most…
Since mandatory bike helmet laws were introduced in 1991, researchers, cyclists and campaigners have debated the law’s role in cyclist safety and the desirability of bike riding.
A new analysis reveals…
If helmets protect against brain injury, why not wear them?
Convincing more Australians to get on a bike would undoubtedly deliver health improvements that come with reduced waistlines. But ditching bike helmets isn’t the answer.
The health benefits of more cycling…
The life expectancy gained from cycling to work outweighs the risks of ill health from pollution and injury.
With epidemics of diabetes and obesity threatening to bankrupt state health budgets, governments need to broaden their strategies to encourage physical activity.
Allowing cyclists to ride without a helmet…
