tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/cycling-in-australia-1458/articlesCycling in Australia – The Conversation2022-06-29T19:55:40Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1854022022-06-29T19:55:40Z2022-06-29T19:55:40ZWhen driving near a cycle lane, do you speed up or slow down? Where you’re from may influence your answer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469725/original/file-20220620-20-nvsrpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4904%2C3257&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There are clear <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-believe-the-backlash-the-benefits-of-nz-investing-more-in-cycling-will-far-outweigh-the-costs-181053">economic</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/21/6/738/493197?login=true">environmental</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/road-safety-switch-to-cycling-to-keep-others-safe-131964">safety</a> and <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1456">health benefits</a> to getting people cycling more, but <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-want-to-ride-a-bike-but-are-put-off-by-lack-of-safe-lanes-172868">research</a> shows would-be cyclists are reluctant to start without good cycle paths.</p>
<p>The problem for planners and policymakers is many Australians oppose cycle lanes, believing they’ll only force drivers to drive more slowly and extend travel times. </p>
<p>But our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457522001580">study</a>, published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, suggests not everyone around the world sees cycle lanes this way.</p>
<p>We found people in the United Kingdom and Australia typically misunderstand the impact cycle lanes have on speed limits – wrongly believing the addition of a cycle lane means cars would inevitably need to go more slowly.</p>
<p>To be clear, nobody is suggesting you should hit the accelerator and drive aggressively fast near cyclists. But if there is a safe cycle path that affords good distance between cars and bikes, there’s no reason the addition of a cycle path should necessarily slow down traffic. </p>
<p>Misunderstanding around this issue may be fuelling avoidable opposition to cycling infrastructure.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Aerial view of pedestarians crossing roaad and a bike lane next to pedestrian crossing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Misunderstanding around speed limits may be fuelling avoidable opposition to cycling infrastructure.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-vicaustraliaapril-4th-2018-pedestrians-walking-1061752019">Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-want-to-ride-a-bike-but-are-put-off-by-lack-of-safe-lanes-172868">3 in 4 people want to ride a bike but are put off by lack of safe lanes</a>
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<h2>Speed limits: a matter of perception</h2>
<p>Our study involved 1,591 participants in the Netherlands, the UK and Australia. These three countries have similar speed limits in urban areas (50km/h), but the Netherlands has lower speed limits of 30km/h in residential areas.</p>
<p>First, we showed the study participants 15 pictures of streets without cycle lanes and asked them to estimate what the speed limit would be in these streets. </p>
<p>Interestingly, participants from the Netherlands always estimated much lower speeds for these pictures than their UK or Australian counterparts did.</p>
<p>This is important because <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111218300876">previous research</a> has shown that the higher speed limits are perceived, the faster drivers intend to drive. And higher speeds are the <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/road_safety_strategy.pdf">main contributor</a> to road accidents (even more than drugs and fatigue). </p>
<p>Previous research has <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">also shown</a> 30km/h speed limits on local residential streets could reduce the Australian road death toll by 13%.</p>
<p>So, for our study, it was significant the Dutch participants always estimated the speed limit would be lower than the UK and Australian respondents did. It suggests Dutch drivers already view roads in a way that is safer for other road users (including cyclists).</p>
<h2>What about when cycle lanes are added into the picture?</h2>
<p>We then showed the participants pictures of the very same streets but after cycle lanes had been built on them (but showed them in a way that meant our participants wouldn’t realise these were the same streets). </p>
<p>In other words, we first showed them the streets <em>without</em> the cycle lanes and then the same street <em>with</em> cycle lanes (some of the cycle lanes were separated lanes, featuring a physical barrier dividing cyclists from cars; others were painted-on bike lanes with no physical barrier).</p>
<p>As we showed these new pictures, we asked the participants again to estimate the speed limit in these streets.</p>
<p>Study participants from Australia and the UK tended to believe cycle lanes would necessitate lower speed limits for drivers. In other words; they saw cycle lanes are a symbol of a slow commute, which would presumably therefore drive down support from drivers. </p>
<p>On the other hand, respondents in the Netherlands (where cycling is more common) perceived cycle lanes would not necessitate lower speed limits for drivers. </p>
<p>In fact, these participants tended to think cycle lanes might even suggest traffic could go faster because the cyclists are in a separate lane (and not mixed in with car traffic).</p>
<p>In short, our research found cycle lanes are usually misinterpreted as meaning “drivers, slow down!” in places where they are not common.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>Lower speed limits and cycle lanes are contested issues. Opposition usually comes from drivers who believe lower speed limits will significantly increase their journey times.</p>
<p>But this isn’t always the case. One <a href="https://trid.trb.org/view/1485212">2017 study</a> found “the generic impact of introducing 30km/h in urban residential streets is almost negligible in terms of travel time, ie. 48 seconds for a 27-minute trip, or less than 3%”.</p>
<p>In short, lower speed limits and cycle lanes will not necessarily make your driving time longer. Our study shows that people’s support of cycle lanes is influenced by familiarity with cycle lanes and perceptions of how driver speed limits will be affected by cycling infrastructure.</p>
<p>Australia can <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-australia-can-learn-from-bicycle-friendly-cities-overseas-144283">learn from other cities</a>. Support for the implementation of lower speed limits and cycle lanes will make travelling safer, faster and more sustainable.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycle-lanes-blamed-for-urban-congestion-heres-the-reality-173388">Cycle lanes blamed for urban congestion – here's the reality</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185402/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We found people from the UK and Australia usually misunderstand the impact cycle lanes have on speed limits – wrongly believing addition of a cycle lane means cars would inevitably need to go slower.Miguel Loyola, PhD Candidate on the Implementation of Sustainable Policies, ITLS, University of SydneyJohn Nelson, Professor of Public Transport, ITLS, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/873312018-02-04T18:06:58Z2018-02-04T18:06:58ZAustralian cities are far from being meccas for walking and cycling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204189/original/file-20180131-38226-7kmhy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Only in a few active travel strongholds, typically in the inner city, do Australian cycling and walking rates get close to those in Europe.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewrobinson10/5248034371/in/photolist-74zgNZ-87UgNM-74zojM-vgFRW-5rxN3C-74Df7w-7QVEiT-5rxGiW-74CVYj-5rtyHg-5LbHRp-5rtPYK-8ioPoP-Zp1r5s-2aR4uH-3RDLx-7uyEGz-5rtA2R-5ry8WL-5rtpDF-TQSjBi-5ry349-8ZKxMe-5rxHo1-YvehY2-YgQBca-VrbAuJ-r1SmLj-8ZNCJo-8ZM9A9-8REFqN-8pFdX5-74DgiY-74Daqu-74zfst-74D9Q5-74zcwH-74z9L2-74z8YK-74z7ui-74CZMG-74z3fe-74z2LV-62yS3x-5rtVwr-5ryaAW-5rtJHR-5rxZch-5rxS6G-K4Rq5">Andrew Robinson/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian city planners are seeking ways to make cities better for walking and cycling.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.walkscore.com/">Walkability</a> and <a href="http://www.pct.bike/">cyclability</a> are attractive and “green” urban amenities. They reduce pollution and improve health. They are also economic assets. </p>
<p>In developing countries, active transport is key to improving accessibility for the urban poor. In developed countries, the walkable and cyclable city can be a magnet for attracting and retaining the “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/americas-most-walkable-cities/67988/">creative class</a>”. </p>
<p>In Australia, plans and projects are being developed to extend pedestrian malls and cycling paths, restrict car traffic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/freeing-up-the-huge-areas-set-aside-for-parking-can-transform-our-cities-85331">remove street parking</a> and install more lighting. </p>
<h2>Have these efforts paid off?</h2>
<p>Yes and no. Recently released <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/7DD5DC715B608612CA2581BF001F8404?OpenDocument">2016 Census data</a> reveal some disappointing commuting patterns in Australian cities. </p>
<p>Across metropolitan areas, typically plagued by sprawl and segregated land uses, cars still dominate. Car-based commuting rates have decreased by only 1-2%. </p>
<p>Public transport use remains relatively low. Even in Sydney, it captures only about one-quarter of commute trips. </p>
<p>Since 2011, Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin have made modest gains (2-4%) in public transport use. Brisbane has had an incremental decline. Public transport use is stagnant in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203650/original/file-20180128-100893-12cw2vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Meanwhile, rates of walking and cycling remain constant and low – even in smaller centres such as Hobart, Darwin and Canberra. Even in the most “cycling-oriented” places (Darwin and Canberra), only about 3% of commuters cycle. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203651/original/file-20180128-100929-e5r516.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>City-level data tell a different story. Here, walking is more popular than at the wider metro level. This reflects the mono-centric nature of Australian cities, where most jobs are located in the CBD. </p>
<p>In larger cities, between a quarter and a third of the population walks to work. Similar proportions of commuters use public transport. Brisbane is an exception, with less walking, lower public transport use and much more driving than Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. Hobart and Darwin have low walking rates and are very car-dependent, which is surprising considering their small size. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=226&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=226&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=226&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203733/original/file-20180129-100899-4wj80w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Average cycling rates are low everywhere – only 2-5%. This is true in both large and small cities, tropical (Queensland and Northern Territory) and oceanic (southeastern Australia) climates, flat and hilly topographies.</p>
<p>However, averages are deceptive. In Melbourne’s “top cycling suburbs” (Fitzroy North and Carlton North/Princes Hill) cycling rates are as high as 15%. Similarly, in Brisbane’s “top cycling suburbs” (West End and Highgate Hill), about 8% of people cycle to work. Sydney’s cycling rates are only 5% even in its “top cycling suburbs” (Erskineville/Alexandria and Newtown/Camperdown/Darlington). </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203734/original/file-20180129-100905-1433pkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>To <a href="http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/167476.aspx">compare</a>, cities in Northern and Western Europe have average active transport rates at least twice as high as those in Australia. Over half of Copenhagen’s commute trips are via cycling or walking. </p>
<p>However, while Australian cities as a whole fall much behind international best practice, some suburbs are comparable. In Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, the “top active-travel suburbs” – the CBDs and their immediate surroundings – have walking and cycling rates in the 40-50% range. </p>
<p>Overall, improvements in walking and cycling rates have been minimal since the 2011 Census. For most cities, this undermines <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/what-is-a-new-world-city-anyway-20150509-ggxti9.html">urban prestige</a> and competitiveness – not to mention the health and environmental implications. Conversely, Melbourne’s higher active travel rates might provide part of the explanation for it topping “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-16/melbourne-named-worlds-most-liveable-city-for-seventh-year/8812196">most liveable city” lists</a>. </p>
<h2>Why isn’t Australia an active travel mecca?</h2>
<p>In theory, Australian cities are ideal for walking and cycling. They have mild climates, stable and wealthy governments, as well as sporty, outdoorsy and increasingly health-conscious residents. Despite this, the data show that overall active travel (especially cycling) is still marginal. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/203617/original/file-20180127-100929-8c2duh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Barriers to active travel, grouped into ‘ideas’, ‘interests’ and ‘institutions’ – a popular theoretical framework in public policy studies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1068/a130169p">Pojani & Stead, 2014</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/data/library/details.cfm?id=4414">Academic research has unequivocally demonstrated</a> that substantive changes can occur only through a combination of high-quality infrastructure, pricing policies and education programs. In Australia, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/14/britain-cycle-lanes-cities">as elsewhere</a>, myriad barriers conspire against such an integrated approach. </p>
<h2>What needs to be done?</h2>
<p>Three main areas require intervention. </p>
<p><strong>1. Ideas</strong>: Active travel must become normalised as an integral part of transport planning. Footpaths, crosswalks and bicycle lanes must be standard elements of street templates and guidelines, just like telephone lines and fire hydrants.</p>
<p><strong>2. Interest</strong>: Councils must secure strong political support for walking and cycling, as well as unity and collaboration within the active travel community. Solid evidence is needed on the <a href="https://www.itdp.org/publication/the-benefits-of-shifting-to-cycling/">benefits</a> of high-quality walking and <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-bike-sharing-programs-need-to-succeed-85969">cycling environments</a> and on the impacts on businesses and households of removing traffic and parking lanes to accommodate footpaths, bike paths and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13574809.2017.1369875?journalCode=cjud20">pedestrian malls</a>. </p>
<p>Persistence and consistency in messages to the public, and a non-antagonistic stance, are also important. To <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/public-interest/environment/motivation">embrace active travel</a>, people must feel positive about creating a more just, fun, safe and healthy world through their informed travel choices. </p>
<p><strong>3. Institutions</strong>: More government funding for active transport – independent of political cycles – must be provided, while at the same time allowing more local planning autonomy. The most recent <a href="https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/unep/document/global-outlook-walking-and-cycling-policies-realities-around-world">United Nations’ recommendation</a> is that 20% of transport funding go to non-motorised modes. </p>
<p>Australia falls short of this target, but finding out exactly how far off is a challenge. The Australian government makes no mention of active travel in its <a href="http://budget.gov.au/2017-18/content/glossies/jobs-growth/html/jobs-growth-01.htm">2017-2018 infrastructure budget</a> allocation. Each local and state government reports on it differently. </p>
<p>In 2016, the combined <a href="https://www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au/items/AP-C93-17">state and territory investments in cycling infrastructure</a> totalled only A$121.8 million. That’s a small fraction of <a href="https://www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au/items/AP-R526-16">road funding</a> (A$20.2 billion in 2011-12). Data on walking infrastructure spending are unavailable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87331/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorina Pojani works for the University of Queensland. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Corcoran works for The University of Queensland. He receives funding from The Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil Sipe receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Myer Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Butterworth and Jim Cooper do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A comparison of Australian cities reveals cyclists and walkers are still very much a minority of commuters, despite the economic, health and environmental costs. Action on three fronts is needed.Dorina Pojani, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of QueenslandElizabeth Butterworth, The University of QueenslandJim Cooper, Senior Research Fellow, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of QueenslandJonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of QueenslandNeil G Sipe, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/538952016-02-12T09:29:28Z2016-02-12T09:29:28ZThe global bike sharing boom – why cities love a cycling scheme<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111006/original/image-20160210-12161-1qpbwsi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mouse-e/6953828812/sizes/o/">SPNR/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As urbanisation and modernisation <a href="http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/theme/urbanization/">reach unprecedented levels</a>, road congestion has become a modern day menace. Heavy traffic is associated with air pollution, safety risks, and losses in terms of accessibility, economic competitiveness, sustainable growth and social cohesion. If we are determined to make our cities attractive and sustainable, we must respond to these challenges. </p>
<p>There are a number of measures available to address this problem; either by restricting conventional car use, or providing viable alternatives. None of these solutions is more up-and-coming and marketable right now than the shared use of mobility resources – for example, car sharing. And none of them more environmentally friendly than cycling, which <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article4448642.ece">more and more people see</a> as a realistic way of making shorter trips. </p>
<p>Put these two together, and you get bike sharing: an innovation that combines the best qualities of both solutions, while extending the reach and scope of public transport. To be clear, bike sharing refers to rental schemes, whereby civilians can pick up, ride and drop off bicycles at numerous points across the city – usually at automated stations. </p>
<h2>The benefits of bike sharing</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Bikesharing%20in%20Europe,%20the%20Americas,%20and%20Asia%20-%20Shaheen.pdf">benefits of bike sharing schemes</a> include transport flexibility, reductions to vehicle emissions, health benefits, reduced congestion and fuel consumption, and financial savings for individuals. </p>
<p>But the most special quality of public bicycles is the idea of sharing. By sharing with others through a publicly available scheme, individuals can use bicycles on an “as-needed” basis, without the costs and responsibilities associated with ownership. In doing so, <a href="http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1029-public-bikesharing-understanding-early-operators-users.pdf">these schemes allow</a> people who may not otherwise use bicycles, to enjoy the benefits of cycling; whether they’re tourists or locals. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110988/original/image-20160210-12178-1xk0viv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Coming through!</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sama093/9545344349/sizes/l">sama093/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bike sharing schemes can also act as a door opener for increased bicycle use, by making a strong visual statement that bicycles do belong to a city’s streets. According to <a href="http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/jensu.14.00070">my research</a>, commuters using on-road transport can see bike sharing as a powerful on-street “cycling promotion campaign”. </p>
<p>What’s more, other <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743509004344">studies report that</a> cycling increased in cities which implemented bike sharing schemes, noting that these results reflect the combined impact of improvements to cycling facilities, as well as the provision of bike sharing schemes. Some <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140513000030">go even further</a> by suggesting that the introduction of bike sharing systems can cause cycling to be seen as a safe and normal mode of transport, in contexts where it’s not common.</p>
<h2>Origins</h2>
<p>Bike sharing is a concept originating back to the 1960s. However, it was slow to catch on until better technology was developed, which could provide real-time information about the scheme, track the bikes and help safeguard against theft. </p>
<p>Now, bike sharing is booming at an unprecedented rate, largely due to the reasonably low cost of the schemes, and how easy they are to implement compared with other transport infrastructure. And it’s an easy win for governments and urban societies, which can boost their green credentials by embracing such an environmentally friendly design. </p>
<p>In 2004, only 11 cities had adopted bike sharing. Today, more than <a href="http://bike-sharing.blogspot.co.uk/">1,000 public bicycle schemes</a> of varying sizes and specifications run in more than 50 countries, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=zGPlSU9zZvZw.kmqv_ul1MfkI&hl=en">across five continents</a>. </p>
<p>Europe’s biggest scheme is the Paris Vélib’, with 1,800 stations and more than 20,000 bikes. Hangzhou, China hosts the world’s largest system – three times bigger than Vélib’ – which is set to expand to 175,000 bikes by 2020. Perhaps the most sophisticated scheme is Copenhagen’s Bycyklen, which has a fleet of electric bicycles featuring weather resistant tablets with GPS.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/110994/original/image-20160210-12185-1wu8dn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">So fancy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/17073516971/sizes/l">Tony Webster/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/jensu.14.00070">recent research</a> into Gothenburg’s <a href="http://en.goteborgbikes.se/">Styr & Ställ scheme</a>, if bike sharing is properly promoted, the general population of the city feels that such schemes offer a pro-environmental, inexpensive and healthy mode of transport. In particular, they were seen to complement the city’s public transport services, and give the city a more human-friendly feel.</p>
<h2>Getting it right</h2>
<p>But <a href="http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/jensu.14.00070">research and experience tell us</a> that there can be problems with bike sharing. For example, although the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2013.775612">usage rate of these schemes</a> tends to vary globally between three and eight trips per bicycle per day, some facilitate as few as 0.3 trips per bicycle per day. </p>
<p>Apart from under use, schemes can also prove slow to expand, or come up against sluggish and complicated planning procedures. They can create political friction, too, if local authorities are unwilling to forsake street parking spaces for bike stations. Strict cycling regulations can also be a roadblock: in both Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia, compulsory helmets were found to <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/avoid-the-mistakes-of-melbourne-and-brisbane-and-bikesharing-in-sydney-can-work-20151018-gkbude.html">deter many potential riders</a>. Safety concerns and a lack of cycling infrastructure – such as bike lanes – were also found to affect uptake.</p>
<p>Despite these difficulties, bike sharing schemes are, on the whole, a win for everyone. Rebranding something as conventional as urban cycling in a way that embraces the philosophy of shared resource economies and is well accepted by the public, is a timely investment for actively promoting sustainable transportation. Cities that come up with strong and coherent plans will find that recognisable bike sharing schemes can form a powerful and positive part of their image. Meanwhile, civilians of all stripes stand to benefit from clearer roads and cleaner air – whether they cycle or not.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53895/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexandros Nikitas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Bike sharing has huge potential benefits - even for people who don’t use them.Alexandros Nikitas, Senior Lecturer in Transport, University of HuddersfieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/334682014-10-27T19:08:24Z2014-10-27T19:08:24ZWe subsidise road and rail commuters – why not bikes too?<p>Australian governments heavily subsidise car, bus and train commuting, but not cycling. Yet a <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news-media/Media-Releases-2014/Pages/australian-workers-support-national-ride-work-scheme.aspx">new survey</a> shows many workers would consider riding to work if they got paid for it, and most would even support it if they didn’t participate, because of the wider benefits for cutting road congestion.</p>
<p>The list of existing transport subsidies is long. Fuel tax receipts have fallen so low that they now fail to pay for road-building programs as they once did. Company car concessions remain one of the largest distortions in the Australian tax code and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/closing-the-company-car-tax-loophole-is-an-obvious-budget-winner-26045">severe hit to the federal budget</a>. Many employers provide free car parking at great cost, and few jurisdictions impose parking levies. Fare subsidies on Australian public transport are <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-transport-has-been-let-down-by-our-reluctance-to-pay-for-it-27745">very high</a> relative to other countries, especially considering how poorly our rail networks perform.</p>
<p>The welcome rise of bicycle commuting seen in all our major central business districts over the past two decades is helping save all city workers from congestion on the roads and crushes on trains and buses. Getting more Australians cycling to work provides considerable health, economic and environmental advantages for government, society and the riders themselves, and the infrastructure to provide for it is, relatively speaking, extremely cheap. The question is: how do we get more people to do it?</p>
<h2>Car comforts</h2>
<p>Price factors influence Australians’ travel choices. Even though cycling is one of the least expensive ways to travel, the concessions for motoring remain so large that it is hard to convince many Australians to <a href="https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/programs/178/">ride to work</a> even where high-quality cycling infrastructure exists. </p>
<p>As cycling conditions improve in our cities, and bike parking is provided at more and more workplaces, can small financial incentives help encourage the next wave of increase in bike commuting?</p>
<p>Many places overseas have introduced financial incentives to tilt price signals back towards cycling (although in many cases the subsidies still remain skewed in favour of motoring). France, Belgium and the Netherlands have all introduced small direct subsidy schemes that allow employers to offer <a href="https://theconversation.com/paying-commuters-to-get-on-their-bikes-is-not-enough-28998">tax-free payments to employees</a> worth a few cents for each kilometre of bike commuting. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441640500184385#.VE3DQ4uUdPQ">Research suggests</a> that financial incentives have played a key role in the relative success of urban cycling in these countries. Meanwhile, in car-dominated America, a small Seattle-based program that gives employees financial incentives for walking or cycling has also <a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/256999070_Parking_management_financial_subsidies_to_alternatives_to_drive_alone_and_commute_mode_choices_in_Seattle">encouraged non-motorised commuting</a> in that city. </p>
<h2>Getting Australians on their bikes</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Pages/default.aspx">National Heart Foundation</a> and the <a href="http://www.bikeoz.com.au/index.php/cycling-promotion-fund">Cycling Promotion Fund</a> have <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news-media/Media-Releases-2014/Pages/australian-workers-support-national-ride-work-scheme.aspx">recently surveyed</a> more than 2,000 Australian workers aged 25-54 who do not currently ride to work, and who live within 15 km of their workplace. </p>
<p>Survey respondents were asked about three types of potential incentive for bicycle commuting: direct subsidies to employees; indirect subsidies via employers; and tax deductions to buy bicycles for commuting purposes.</p>
<p>The results are striking. Around half the respondents said that financial incentives would encourage them to take up bicycle commuting, while 80% said they supported the implementation of such incentives, regardless of whether they rode a bicycle to work themselves. </p>
<p>We must view these figures with some caution – it is one thing to respond to a telephone survey, and quite another to actually go through with it and change your daily behaviour. </p>
<p>But the strength of the response on the impact of very small incentives is extremely encouraging. It suggests incentives could be useful in helping some non-cyclists make the crucial transition from thinking about cycling to work, to doing it on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Yet perhaps an even more obvious policy change for Australia would be to reduce the disproportionate incentives for motoring, which increase proportionally every year as fuel taxes decline. Even shifting from a company car benefit to a scheme that subsidises business travel by any mode would be preferable to the current arrangement. </p>
<p>If that is a political non-starter, as seems the case at the moment, then a very modest scheme to support cycling to work seems prudent. As the Heart Foundation and Cycling Promotion Fund’s data shows, Australians are both ready to respond and supportive of the idea.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33468/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Burke is an honorary member of the National Heart Foundation's National Physical Activity Committee. His research team receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, the Queensland Motor Accident and Insurance Commission, Queensland Health, Moreland City Council, Moreland Community Health, Logan City Council, Springfield Land Corporation and Lend Lease Communities.</span></em></p>Australian governments heavily subsidise car, bus and train commuting, but not cycling. Yet a new survey shows many workers would consider riding to work if they got paid for it, and most would even support…Matthew Burke, Senior Research Fellow and ARC-Discovery Future Fellow, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/263452014-05-30T03:17:35Z2014-05-30T03:17:35ZIf cheating is ‘normal’ in cycling, how can we build integrity?<p>“Integrity” is currently the buzzword around Australian sport policy-making. </p>
<p>An <a href="http://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/news/sports-leaders-thrash-out-integrity-issues">integrity in sport forum</a>, co-convened by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (<a href="http://www.sahof.org.au/">SOHAF</a>) and Victoria University in Melbourne this week, gathered Australia’s sporting leaders from all levels and codes to (in the words of SAHOF chairman John Bertrand) “face the issues, understand the threats and provide guidance and a roadmap”.</p>
<p>Prompted by recent high profile competition breaches, and supported by a newly expanded <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/national-integrity-of-sport-unit">National Integrity in Sport Unit</a>, cycling is among many Australian sports now focusing on <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/supporting/integrity_in_sport">ethics and integrity</a>.</p>
<h2>Cycling integrity</h2>
<p>Cycling Australia (<a href="http://www.cycling.org.au/">CA</a>) established an Integrity Panel in 2013 after a <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cycling-australia-review-index">government appointed review</a> of its governance. CA’s Integrity Panel <a href="http://www.cycling.org.au/Home/About-CA/Commissions-Panels">members</a> have been appointed, but it is still unclear how they will deal with ethics and integrity matters in cycling. </p>
<p>To be fair, CA is still finalising major <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling-australia-undertakes-major-reform-20140501-zr2sl.html">governance reforms</a> – a new board starts in July and will elect a new CEO. But a significant challenge is already waiting for CA’s new leaders – and it will require them to be proactive. </p>
<p>The 2012 <a href="http://www.greenedgecycling.com/news/orica-greenedge-announces-vance-report-findings">Vance review</a> of the Orica-GreenEdge team confirmed concerns still exist in the sport about doping at the sub-elite level. And the <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cycling-australia-review-index">Wood review of CA</a> warned </p>
<blockquote>
<p>it cannot be said with any degree of certainty that the sport of cycling is, or will remain, drug free or that new substances or methods will not emerge that, for a time, will be undetectable.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The integrity challenge of doping in cycling is not going away. One hopes CA’s new leadership will break the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/culture-of-denial-20121020-27yko.html">tradition of denial</a> in Australia about cycling integrity issues such as this. <a href="https://theconversation.com/dopers-like-ogrady-should-pay-even-if-theyre-good-blokes-16513">Past official responses</a> to doping by Australian cyclists have been disappointing at best. </p>
<h2>Cheating in cycling</h2>
<p>Cheating and other forms of <a href="http://www.podiumcafe.com/2010/8/12/1619113/the-crooked-path-to-victory-drugs">rule breaking</a> have always existed in competitive cycling. </p>
<p>Cheating was a feature of the <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books/about/The_Tour_de_France_1903_2003.html?id=54pAJY6Ix8YC&redir_esc=y">Tour de France</a> from the earliest days – mechanical sabotage, nails on the road, supporters attacking race leaders, short cuts, car and train rides, and drugs and doping for pain relief and enhanced performance. </p>
<p>Australian cycling has had its fair share of <a href="https://theconversation.com/review-of-cycling-integrity-must-consider-the-lessons-of-history-10649">transgressions</a> on the world stage, and at home. At least 16 Australian cyclists have tested positive or admitted doping since the 1960s, and there is little doubt many others have gone undetected.</p>
<p>Doping was an issue in Australian cycling <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/10992085?searchTerm=cyclists%20exonerated&searchLimits=">long before</a> drug testing started. And some of Australia’s biggest cycling races have been <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/02/the-austral-wheel-race-the-worlds-oldest-track-race/">fixed</a>.</p>
<p>These days, riders and support staff on the world professional tour are <a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/inner-ring/fines-a-cost-of-operating-in-tour-de-france">routinely fined</a> for breaking a range of <a href="http://www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI2/layout.asp?MenuId=MTkzNg&LangId=1">UCI race rules</a> – such as drafting or holding on to vehicles or “sticky” bottles, team mechanics leaning out of car windows to repair bikes on the go, dangerous riding, and discarding rubbish outside of designated clean-up zones.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eem4nvejczs?wmode=transparent&start=108" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A couple of ‘sticky’ bottles …</span></figcaption>
</figure>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dR8ijskNye4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">… and a helpful motorcycle.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other forms of cheating in cycling – such as “<a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2009/07/politics-of-the-peloton/">the chop</a>”, buying or selling races, and other forms of <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2011/12/a-dark-side-of-cycling/">collusion and race fixing</a> are easily found on the discussion and comment pages of popular <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au">cycling blogs</a>.</p>
<p>Cheating even exists in the amateur and recreational ranks of cycling – for example, the new phenomenon of “<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/why-do-some-amateur-cyclists-resort-to-doping/article13329812/?page=all">Strava doping</a>”,
and the use of prohibited supplements and substances by <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/sport/riding-hgh-the-costly-pursuit-of-performance-20130209-2e5di.html">amateur riders</a>.</p>
<p>As Jeremy Whittle concluded in his book <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/jeremy-whittle/bad-blood-the-secret-life-of-the-tour-de-france-9780224080231.aspx">Bad Blood: The secret life of the Tour de France</a>: “There was never a golden age of fair play in cycling’s history. Cheating has always been a characteristic of the sport.”</p>
<h2>Cheating as cycling culture</h2>
<p>So how should we understand the place and practice of cheating and other rule breaking in competitive cycling? </p>
<p>An important Australian study in 2009-10 by <a href="http://www.newcyclingpathway.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/21-NOW-FINAL-.pdf">Martin Hardie and colleagues</a> involved 22 in-depth interviews with current and retired professional cyclists and other officials. The study revealed how the social nature of the professional cycling peloton works to preserve certain forms of cheating that the group regards as acceptable, if not necessary.</p>
<p>One study participant explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There are a lot of occasions which have been fixed and the public has no idea, there are some occasions which have not and the public thinks for sure it is fixed, professional sport has got very good at making it look right.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>International research by <a href="http://doping.au.dk/fileadmin/www.doping.au.dk/Online_resources/Verner_Moeller_-_The_Doping_Devil_-_final.pdf">Verner Moller</a>, <a href="http://inhdr.c-tilsted.dk/ShowPublications.aspx?id=e94e7ffe-0217-4528-9e3f-9f1d0117c6bb">John Hoberman</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19486486">Lentillon-Kaestner and Carstairs</a> and <a href="https://www.federallegalpublications.com/contemporary-drug-problems/201209/cdp-2012-39-2-02-sefiha-bike-racing-neutralization-and-social-cons">Ophir Sefiha</a> has reached similar conclusions about the acceptance of doping by some competitive cyclists as “necessary medicine” to keep their contracts, and maintain their bodies at the level required.</p>
<p>To date, <a href="http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/Education_Awareness/SocialScienceResearch/Funded_Research_Projects/2006/Backhouse_et_al_Full_Report.pdf">much of the research</a> on doping in sport has framed doping as a “performance enhancement” issue, with an assumed relationship between athlete use of legal supplements and medicines and propensity to engage in illegal doping. Indeed, the <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cycling-australia-review-index">Wood CA review</a> expressed concern that supplement use “can promote a culture or mindset that will lead an individual to adopt other short cuts including engaging in prohibited forms of doping.”</p>
<p>The evidence of a wider culture of cheating in cycling suggests an alternative framing is also possible. </p>
<p>We should also consider that prevailing attitudes in cycling around less serious forms of cheating or rule breaking in competition may later lead to more severe integrity breaches such as doping – that is, cycling culture is driving the phenomenon more so than individual decisions. </p>
<p>This is potentially a process where all forms of cheating – from the most minor to the most severe – are rationalised, accepted and ultimately <a href="http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/moran_final_report.pdf">normalised</a> in competitive cycling culture through the progression of social groups (teams, clubs, friends) along the rule-breaking continuum. </p>
<p>Consider the rationalisations offered by the most famous of recent confessed dopers in professional cycling: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Race-Inside-Hidden/dp/034553042X">Tyler Hamilton</a>, <a href="http://www.aww.com.au/news-features/news-stories/2013/1/lance-armstrong-and-oprah-winfrey-the-full-interview-transcript/">Lance Armstrong</a> and <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/former-tour-de-france-champion-jan-ullrich-admits-to-blood-doping-with-help-of-controversial-doctor/story-e6frfkp9-1226668247202">Jan Ullrich</a>. The doping practices of these ex-riders didn’t equate to cheating in their view, because everyone was doing it. They considered it normal.</p>
<h2>Enhancing integrity in cycling</h2>
<p>Public discussions about sport integrity, such as the <a href="http://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/news/sports-leaders-thrash-out-integrity-issues">Melbourne forum this week</a>, should prompt us to look closely at the cultures and practices (both positive and negative, official and unofficial), that currently exist within Australian sport. </p>
<p>The current national policy focus on sport integrity presents an opportunity for the governing bodies of cycling to be open and honest about the place and practice of rule breaking, and other forms of cheating within the culture of competitive cycling.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.newcyclingpathway.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/21-NOW-FINAL-.pdf">Martin Hardie and colleagues</a> have argued, “the communal or social nature of the peloton, or of cycling itself, gives rise to both the problem and the possibility of a ‘solution’ to doping in professional cycling.”</p>
<p>We must accept that cheating is part of the culture of competitive cycling, and strive to understand it if we are to have any chance at identifying and promoting the group-level cultural changes needed to enhance the ethics and integrity of this beautiful and inspiring sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/26345/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Fry is funded by the NHMRC, ARC, and Victoria University. He leads the Culture and Values in Health research program at the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria University. Craig also writes the Australian cycling history pages at the Cycling Tips website <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au">http://cyclingtips.com.au</a>, and is a Research Associate of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University.</span></em></p>“Integrity” is currently the buzzword around Australian sport policy-making. An integrity in sport forum, co-convened by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SOHAF) and Victoria University in Melbourne this…Craig Fry, A/Prof, Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/263432014-05-16T04:22:40Z2014-05-16T04:22:40ZSix reasons Victorians dominate Australian cycling<p>Victorian cyclists have achieved amazing success on the national and international stage, as I <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-rule-australian-cycling-at-the-giro-ditalia-and-beyond-26485">outlined</a> last week. </p>
<p>Victorian riders were the first Australians to compete in, win and wear the most prized jerseys of the European grand tours and classics. They have won more Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals, more World Championship medals and more National Championships than riders in other states. </p>
<p>None of this would have been possible were it not for a number of key interconnected moments and factors unique to Victorian cycling history. </p>
<h2>1. Early uptake and popularity of the bicycle</h2>
<p>Victoria has always led the way. After the first velocipedes arrived in Melbourne from Europe in 1868, Australia’s first bike race was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 10, 1869. The first long distance ride was in October 1869 when William Kernot rode East Melbourne to Geelong in around 10 hours.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1247&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1247&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48546/original/53mx5h2n-1400115738.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1247&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">State Library of Victoria Collection</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>High wheeler bicycles (“penny farthings”) also made history after arriving in Melbourne in 1875. Melbourne Bicycle Club members George Burston and Harry Stokes became the first Australians to ride around the world on high wheelers in 1888. Burston was also first to cycle across Mt Hotham in 1894. </p>
<p>Such feats inspired a <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/03/attempting-the-oppy-24-hour-record/">mania for endurance riding</a> all over Australia.</p>
<p>Next came the safety bicycle to Melbourne in 1889. Its popularity soared after Dunlop in Melbourne supplied pneumatic tyres from 1890. The safety bicycle revolutionised cycling for the masses. It was simple to ride and affordable.</p>
<p>By the late 1890s, barely three decades after the first bicycles arrived they had permeated most areas of life in Victoria – sport, recreation, business, everyday transport and work.</p>
<h2>2. Strong amateur and professional governing bodies and clubs</h2>
<p>Organised cycling spread in Victoria after the Melbourne Bicycle Club (MBC) formed in 1878 and held its first ride from St Kilda to Mordialloc. It was the first Australian club, and important in the history of the sport – the launch of its Austral Wheel Race placed Australia on the world cycling map.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48538/original/ybs6j7dh-1400111268.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The MBC opening meet on October 3, 1878, showing the start of the St Kilda to Mordialloc penny farthing bicycle run.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofvictoria_collections/10197683966/">State Library of Victoria Collections/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The League of Victorian Wheelmen (<a href="http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/2189/league-of-victorian-wheelmen">LVW</a>) was the first professional cycling body, formed in 1893 by disgruntled MBC members seeking change. A year later on December 14 1894 the Victorian Amateur Bicycle Club formed to advance amateur interests. </p>
<p>The LVW was powerful, and was another significant body in Australian cycling. In 1895 the League successfully lobbied for reduced tariffs on imported bike parts, leading to an increase of local bicycle manufacturers and subsequent sales. The Victorian market for bicycles was the biggest in Australia at that time.</p>
<p>Victorian amateur cycling was also well catered for. In 1914 the Northern District Amateur Club formed as an autonomous cycling body. It gave rise to the <a href="http://brunswickcyclingclub.com">Brunswick Cycling Club</a> in 1916 (one of Australia’s most successful clubs), and the Victorian Amateur Cyclists’ Union in May 1917 that continued until a 1986 name change (to Victorian Cycling Federation).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48548/original/9hw53ns3-1400116213.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Brunswick velodrome, built for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toolmantim/9639265461">Tim Lucas/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By the early 1990s the amateur and professional bodies amalgamated to form Victorian Cycling Incorporated, which became CycleSport Victoria in the late 1990s and Cycling Victoria in 2011. <a href="http://www.vic.cycling.org.au">Cycling Victoria’s</a> leadership continues today through development and elite initiatives in road, track, BMX and cyclo-cross.</p>
<h2>3. Quality racing</h2>
<p>Victorian cyclists have always had the benefit of choice in racing types, availability, and quality. Indeed, since the earliest days of racing in this state, interstate and international riders have travelled to Victoria for the big races.</p>
<p>By the mid 1880s, organised “path racing” was well established in Victoria, and grew in popularity aided by strong clubs, governing bodies, and promoters. From the late 1890s cycling tracks were constructed across Melbourne and regional Victoria on all manner of surfaces (cinder, cement, asphalt, timber, grass, dirt).</p>
<p>Melbourne’s <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/02/the-austral-wheel-race-the-worlds-oldest-track-race/">Austral Wheelrace</a> was the pinnacle of Australian track racing, attracting a long line of interstate and international competitors seeking prize money and prestige. The first Austral was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1887. It is the oldest track cycling handicap race in the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48544/original/h8h32s4c-1400115360.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=596&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A flier for the Austral, 1889.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Huge crowds were common for the big track events: 12,000 at the MCG for Australia’s first velocipede race in 1869, 32,000 at the MCG for the 1901 Austral, and the Australian Natives’ Association carnivals at the Exhibition Building track were also hugely popular (50,000 in 1898 and 65,000 in 1899).</p>
<p>Road cycling races grew in popularity with the support of sponsors such as the Dunlop Company, bicycle manufacturers, and media coverage. Dunlop’s association with the Warrnambool to Melbourne classic began in 1897 (providing food along the course). </p>
<p>The first <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/10/the-long-history-of-the-melbourne-to-warrnambool-cycling-classic/">Warrnambool</a> was held on October 6 1895, making it the oldest one-day classic in Australia, and second oldest in the world behind Liège-Bastogne-Liège. </p>
<p>Victoria is also the home of Australia’s oldest stage race, the <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/02/the-sun-tour-australias-oldest-stage-race/">Sun Tour</a>. It started in 1952 and is still a premier event on the Australian road racing calendar today. </p>
<h2>4. Cycling lobby groups</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=842&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=842&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=842&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1058&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1058&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48545/original/pmxbsz9v-1400115539.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1058&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Victoria has a long history of advocacy and lobbying that has improved conditions for all cyclists. The early amateur and professional bodies played a role in advocating for improved cycling infrastructure in Victoria. William Kernot was an early voice whose leadership resulted in Australia’s first cycling paths along the Yarra river in the late 1890s. </p>
<p>An important group was the Bicycle Institute of Victoria, established 1975 in Melbourne. It helped prompt <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/people/817323?c=people">policy progress</a> in 1976 with the Melbourne Bikeway Plan, and the 1978 Geelong Bike Plan – forerunners of today’s bicycle planning.</p>
<p>The Bicycle Institute of Victoria later became Bicycle Victoria, then Bicycle Network Victoria, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Network">Bicycle Network</a> in 2011 reflecting its national focus (now more than 40,000 members). It runs major community events such as Around the Bay in a Day, Great Victorian Bike Ride, Ride 2 School and Ride 2 Work. </p>
<h2>5. Media coverage</h2>
<p>In addition to the mainstream newspapers, numerous specialty cycling journals emerged in Melbourne over the years to cover Victorian, interstate, and international cycling news (such as The Bicycle 1880-1882, The Austral Wheel 1896-1901, Australian Cycling 1930-46, The Australian Cyclist 1947-74, National Cycling 1976-84).</p>
<p>Such publications were important for the profile of cycling in Australia.</p>
<p>Victoria also produced the first cycle touring and road maps in the 1890s, owing largely to the touring efforts of George Broadbent and Major O’Farrell. These maps were popular at the time and used by the growing numbers of cycling tourers and long distance riders.</p>
<p>Later, after the advent of television in Melbourne, cycling coverage also occurred through the hugely popular Channel 7 program World of Sport – broadcast 1959-1987 on Sundays and included regular roller sprint racing where stars such as Sid Patterson would take on all-comers.</p>
<p>Today Victoria is still the home of cycling magazines such as Ride On (Bicycle Network publication), and Treadlie, as well as the popular cycling website, <a href="cyclingtips.com.au">Cycling Tips</a>. </p>
<h2>6. Champions inspire champions</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-rule-australian-cycling-at-the-giro-ditalia-and-beyond-26485">long history</a> of national and international success by Victorian riders no doubt inspired successive generations of cyclists here. Victoria’s up-and-coming cyclists have long had access to this state’s best riders – as members of local clubs, as they took coaching roles or other positions within the sport (as many did).</p>
<p>And many of Victoria’s elite riders worked in local bike shops during their careers, or after retiring – the Beasleys, Sid Patterson, Terry Hammond, Barry Waddell, Kathy Watt and Dean Woods to name a few. This offered another opportunity for new generations of Victorian cyclists to learn from their knowledge and experience.</p>
<p>Victoria has also had its fair share of significant public figures who have contributed much to the development of cycling promotion and administration – people such as <a href="http://www.sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame/member-profile/?memberID=131&memberType=genera">Bill Long</a>, <a href="http://www.coasttocoastcycling.com/shop/green-gold-and-bold-by-ron-reed-and-john-trevorrow.html">John Trevorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame/member-profile/?memberID=259&memberType=athlete">Peter Bartels</a>, <a href="http://www.sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame/member-profile/?memberID=306&memberType=legends">Hubert Opperman</a> and <a href="http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template1/layout.asp?MenuId=MTY3Mzk&LangId=1%E2%80%93">Tracey Gaudry</a> to name just a few.</p>
<p>Many of Victoria’s big amateur cycling clubs still benefit from the involvement of past champions in junior development and other roles (such as Hilton Clarke Snr at Carnegie Caulfield). The Victorian Institute of Sport cycling program also employs past champions such as Scott McGrory and David Sanders.</p>
<p>These are the foundations and historical factors that have enabled Victorian riders on the national and international cycling stage for so long.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-rule-australian-cycling-at-the-giro-ditalia-and-beyond-26485">Victorians rule Australian cycling, at the Giro d'Italia and beyond</a></strong></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/26343/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Fry is funded by the NHMRC, ARC, and Victoria University. He leads the Culture and Values in Health research program at the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria University. Craig also curates and writes the Australian cycling history pages at the Cycling Tips website <a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au">http://cyclingtips.com.au</a>.
</span></em></p>Victorian cyclists have achieved amazing success on the national and international stage, as I outlined last week. Victorian riders were the first Australians to compete in, win and wear the most prized…Craig Fry, A/Prof, Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221642014-01-21T03:33:21Z2014-01-21T03:33:21ZIt’s time for Australia to change its attitude to extreme heat<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39495/original/hf2jmq2c-1390268877.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4018%2C2658&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Barossa in January: not always ideal cycling conditions.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dan Peled</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Complacency can kill. You would have to be living under a rock to be unaware that heat exposure can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-heat-can-make-your-body-melt-down-from-the-inside-out-22042">deadly</a>. Yet every year Australia – supposedly the “clever country” – endangers the lives of everyone from elite athletes to construction workers by making them work in the summer heat. </p>
<p>Sports schedulers and workplace regulators urgently need to take off their blinkers and confront our problem with extreme weather.</p>
<p>It is not sensible to schedule the gruelling <a href="http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/">Tour Down Under</a> for January in Adelaide. Likewise, the <a href="http://www.ausopen.com/index.html">Australian Open</a> tennis championship should not be held in Melbourne in January. This year, players have <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/tennis-sauna-heat-wave-hits-australian-open-21523537">complained</a> about having to play on in temperatures well above 40C.</p>
<p>Yet the vested interest in these major sporting events is massive. Given the involvement of television stations, advertising, flights, hotels, transport, security and the range of support industry staff, there is an understandable reluctance to interrupt meticulous plans. But is that worth the death of, say, one of the world’s top tennis players?</p>
<h2>Hot competition</h2>
<p>Athletes’ bodies are the tools of their trade. Sporting success and careers are built on fitness. Heat injuries can destroy all that. Competitions in extreme heat become a test of heat tolerance rather than athletic performance and skill. Sports professionals have responsibilities to their fans and their sponsors, so it is very difficult for them to withdraw to protect their health. Event organisers have a duty of care to provide safe environments so the decision should rest with them to modify events in extreme conditions. </p>
<p>About 80% of the energy produced by working muscles is heat, so without heat loss via sweating, we would overheat in about six minutes. High-intensity sports increase physiological heat generation 15-20 fold, and this extra heat must be dissipated to the environment via sweating. The rate of heat exchange on a hot day is poor, and when the air temperature is more than 37 degrees it becomes negligible, generating more heat load than can be dissipated and resulting in heat stress. It can be life-threatening, even for the very fit.</p>
<p>But it is not only elite athletes who are at risk; local club sports and recreational participants and organisers must consider the heat in planning their games. This includes prospects for modifying the activity, to provide shade and cool water, increased rest breaks, and altering the timing. Cricket is played in summer in the heat of the day, and each year players are among those who <a href="http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/05/18/heapro.dat027.full">suffer problems</a> with heat.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39497/original/xzbwbsmc-1390270048.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Construction workers deserve protection from dangerous heat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pawel Papis/www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps even more pervasive is workplace heat exposure. Many occupations must be done outdoors, or in buildings that cannot be effectively cooled. Some work can be rescheduled for the evening, but not all. Workers who provide essential services, such as district nurses visiting the elderly, put their own lives at risk on hot days to care for the elderly and unwell. Yet systematic funding cuts call for their increased productivity. Rarely do we see staff numbers being increased to ease their workload. </p>
<p>In the construction industry there are building contracts that factor in “rain delays”. Why are there no official “heat delays”?</p>
<p>My <a href="http://nceph.anu.edu.au/research/projects/working-heat-study">research group</a> at the Australian National University is currently exploring the effects of heat on health and productivity, with the aim of identifying safe working thresholds and developing strategies that help workers to acclimatise. “Heat-proofing” Australian industry will be vital in our increasingly hot summers.</p>
<p>It is baffling that a hot country like Australia does not collect public data on thermal tolerance at the population level. Australia needs seriously to consider heat and how best to manage it safely. The nation cannot afford to shut down over summer, yet killing our workers or tennis players is also not an option. </p>
<p>Setting safety guidelines on the basis of hospitalisations and deaths is too little, too late. These outcomes must be prevented, and collectively we need to start the conversation on heat and institute a culture of heat safety.</p>
<h2>The heat is on</h2>
<p>Despite Australia’s long history of hot summers, the evidence is clear that it is getting hotter. Globally, each of the past 13 years (2001 to 2013) have ranked among the 14 warmest on record. The warming trend is not unique to Australia, but have a head start because we were already hot to begin with. </p>
<p>Last year was Australia’s <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/ho/20140103.shtml">hottest</a>, breaking the previous record set as recently as 2005 by 0.17°C. The Bureau has developed a new <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/heatwave/">heatwave forecasting tool</a> to help people track dangerously hot weather.</p>
<p>Hot weather records around the nation are crashing, often by unusually large margins, whereas new cold extremes are becoming less frequent. The past is quite different to today, and very different from the future. </p>
<p>A clever country would recognise this.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liz Hanna receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p>Complacency can kill. You would have to be living under a rock to be unaware that heat exposure can be deadly. Yet every year Australia – supposedly the “clever country” – endangers the lives of everyone…Liz Hanna, Director NHMRC Project: Working in the Heat - Health Risks and Adaptation Needs, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220882014-01-20T19:34:58Z2014-01-20T19:34:58ZAthletes can beat the heat, even during an Australian summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39395/original/bxsyct5s-1390193707.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Shifting hemispheres? A good training plan must include time to acclimatise.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Vox Efx</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Two of Australia’s biggest international sporting events kicked off last week – the <a href="http://www.ausopen.com/index.html">Australian Open</a> in Melbourne and the <a href="http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/">Tour Down Under</a> in Adelaide – coinciding with a <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/heatwave">heatwave</a> over southeast Australia, where temperatures exceeded 40C for most of the week.</p>
<p>So is it really “<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/14/australian-open-slammed-inhumane-conditions-heat-tennis">inhumane</a>” to hold sporting tournaments in extreme heat? </p>
<p>You may have seen <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25743438">reports</a> of players and a ball boy fainting on court. Canadian tennis player Frank Dancevic <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sports/canadas-frank-dancevic-faints-after-hallucinating-that-he-saw-snoopy-in-australian-open-heat/story-fnibbyyv-1226802409203">hallucinated Snoopy</a> before collapsing at Australian Open on Tuesday.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1213&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1213&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39374/original/3kghs5k8-1390188789.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1213&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This year’s Tour Down Under started in mild weather but the lead up was anything but.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dan Peled</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Northern hemisphere athletes competing in Australia’s summer require at least five to seven days of training in the heat to become adequately acclimatised after living in cold winter conditions (not great for cyclists training before the start of the Tour Down Under on Sunday).</p>
<p>Humans have a remarkable ability to tolerate hot conditions, but most heat stress related issues appear to be the result of inadequate acclimatisation to the conditions prior to competition. </p>
<p>We’re not particularly energy efficient – only about 22% of the food energy we consume is used as biological “fuel” while the remainder is lost as heat. This is helpful for keeping us warm in cold conditions (a process called <a href="http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/thermogenesis">thermogenesis</a>), but presents a challenge when the ambient temperature exceeds that of our internal temperature.</p>
<p>Because our bodies can only tolerate a core body temperature within a small window around 37C, we need to achieve heat loss via:</p>
<ul>
<li>evaporation of sweat</li>
<li>radiation (infrared)</li>
<li>convection of heat to the air (such as a cool breeze)</li>
<li>conduction (such as sitting on a cold chair). </li>
</ul>
<h2>If you can’t stand the heat …</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=856&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=856&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=856&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1075&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1075&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39375/original/gjmytbd4-1390189083.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1075&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maria Sharapova puts an ice pack on her head during her second round match at this year’s Australian Open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Frank Robichon</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Athletes who will be competing in high temperatures as well as high humidity must become acclimatised to exercising in the heat, or they risk impaired performance or more serious thermal stress injury. </p>
<p>After just a few days of training in the heat, adaptations begin to occur in the athlete. These include a lower sweat threshold (they begin sweating from a lower temperature, and sooner), an increased sweat maximal rate, increased plasma volume (the fluid component of blood) and decreased concentration of electrolytes (such as salts) within the sweat itself.</p>
<p>Other preventative measures for thermal injury are regular fluid intake and pre-cooling methods such as wearing ice vests and consuming ice-slushie drinks.</p>
<h2>During competition</h2>
<p>When we exercise, the rate of biochemical reactions in our bodies are greatly increased to supply energy to exercising muscles. As a result we also generate large amounts of heat, putting pressure on our heat loss mechanisms.</p>
<p>During exercise in high environmental temperatures, there are a range of responses which occur in the body. A region of the brain (hypothalamus) senses rising core temperature and signals for sweat production to increase evaporative cooling and for blood flow to be diverted to the skin to benefit from those cooling effects. </p>
<p>The trade-off here is that this robs the working muscles of oxygen-rich blood flow and reduces exercise capacity. There is also a decrease of the plasma volume as exercise continues, meaning that blood flow to working muscles and other organs is further reduced. Dehydration can occur quickly if fluid intake doesn’t match these fluid shifts and losses. Furthermore, perception of effort (such as fatigue) is increased as the central nervous system heats up, limiting exercise performance.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/39379/original/p6r6ybkc-1390190144.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Let’s not forget the fans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Made Nagi</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cycling vs tennis</h2>
<p>Different types of exercise also lead to different responses to heat. For example, road cyclists at this week’s Tour Down Under will ride at a sustained moderate to high-intensity effort, whereas tennis players at the Australian Open perform many short bursts of intense movement. </p>
<p>While these two activities may therefore seem quite different, the average workloads are both very high and crucially may last for more than five hours at a time, meaning that there is a good opportunity for thermal gain to set in.</p>
<p>A major difference in the rate of thermal gain is that a cyclist travels at higher velocity through the air relative to a tennis players which is a major factor for heat loss (“windchill factor” – think of a gym class with fans on versus off). </p>
<p>So while exercise in the heat can be a challenge for the human body, with some time to adapt during training, it is still possible to perform (albeit at a reduced pace) even in the most searing of temperatures.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22088/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adam Trewin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Two of Australia’s biggest international sporting events kicked off last week – the Australian Open in Melbourne and the Tour Down Under in Adelaide – coinciding with a heatwave over southeast Australia…Adam Trewin, PhD Candidate, College of Sport and Exercise Science Victoria University, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/195452013-11-25T03:11:04Z2013-11-25T03:11:04ZReimagining Australia … by bike<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35573/original/f9637xmh-1384832040.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can cultural institutions shape how we think about cycling? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">MollaAliod</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cultural heritage can play an important role in promoting sustainable land use and creative economies – and all we have to do is get on our bikes. </p>
<p>If this sounds peculiar, think of events such as Italy’s <a href="http://www.eroicafan.it/en/">L'eroica</a> bike ride, which combines cycling and culture in the hills of Tuscany.</p>
<p>For the cyclist in the know, L'eroica evokes scenes of vintage bikes, woollen jerseys, leather cycling shoes and food and wine. Since 1997, thousands of cyclists have participated in the 200km ride established to safeguard the heritage of the white gravel roads in of this region of Italy. </p>
<p>The event takes place on the first Sunday of each October. The route is marked out all year round – a constant reminder of the central premise of conservation. Locals don’t want their district to get lost in the kinds of high-speed commutes to city centres that allow people to ignore local produce and trade. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35380/original/svvf7wwp-1384493543.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">windy_</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>L’eroica has successfully latched onto the curiosity that already existed regarding the history of Italian cycling. Of course, a particular romanticism accompanies a cycling event set in the rolling hills of Tuscany. The vintage bikes and fashions hark back to a stylish “dolce vita” captured so evocatively on film. It has created a contemporary <a href="http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Cultural_imaginary">cultural imaginary</a> that champions both environmental heritage <em>and</em> a sustainable lifestyle. </p>
<p>Importantly, it offers an opportunity for local businesses to benefit from creative partnerships while promoting sustainable development.</p>
<p>The ride provides a genuine illustration of the power of “grass roots” active cultural participation – and it’s one that turns on issues of cultural heritage in local communities. </p>
<h2>How Londoners roll</h2>
<p>Let’s now look to London. The Guardian <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/jun/25/cyclists-quarter-london-vehicles">tells us bicycles</a> make up 24% of vehicles in London’s rush hour. How can a densely populated city with narrow city streets filled with double-decker buses be a safe or enjoyable place to cycle? </p>
<p>The numbers keep growing, helped, in no small part, by the vision of Mayor <a href="http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/boris-johnson.html">Boris Johnson</a>, who, earlier this year, committed over £900 million to the development of cycling as a genuine transport option. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35567/original/f86fdsx3-1384831379.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Boris Johnson.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ejbaurdo</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/jun/25/cyclists-quarter-london-vehicles">Mayor’s Transport Strategy document</a>, released in June, describes how transport has both created new visions and revitalised London over the past 150 years. </p>
<p>The report sets out multiple proposals to ensure that infrastructure meets growing demand – and that does so while capturing the curiosity of the city’s inhabitants.</p>
<p>An important part of this plan is the development of an annual <a href="http://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk">RideLondon festival</a>. RideLondon includes an elite 100-mile race, a 100-mile cycling event from London to Surrey, and an eight-mile family event that takes participants through the most famous cultural icons in the city. </p>
<p>So has the festival captured the population’s imagination? <a href="http://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/">According to</a> the RideLondon website, yes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>24 hours after the ballot opened for the 2014 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, more than 50,000 people have registered to take part in next year’s event.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So why would 50,000 people register for a “fun” 100-mile cycle so quickly?</p>
<p>London is creating a cultural imaginary, or set of shared ideas, around cycling. The city is meeting a growing transport need by connecting cycling with active cultural participation, creative economies and sustainable development investment. </p>
<p>RideLondon builds on the success of 2012 London Olympics as well as the incredible response to the <a href="http://vimeo.com/234290">2007 Tour de France Prologue</a>, which took a cultural tour of London. The <a href="http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/parcours-general.html">2014 Tour de France</a> is scheduled to start in Leeds and will feature a stage finish in London before returning to France.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35568/original/z2vmq8sc-1384831451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jack999</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The development of this cultural imaginary is contributing distinct benefits to the UK economy. Business is booming for signature British cycling brands such as <a href="http://www.pashley.co.uk/">Pashley</a>, (Stratford-Upon Avon) <a href="http://www.brooksengland.com/">Brooks</a>, (Birmingham) <a href="http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/">Moulton</a> (Stratford-Upon Avon) and <a href="http://brompton.com/">Brompton</a> (West London).</p>
<p>As the boundaries between the lycra-clad elite sport and commuter cycling are blur, local businesses are also getting in on the act. </p>
<p>The London-based bike clothing brand <a href="http://www.rapha.cc/">Rapha</a> supplies kits for the elite cyclists at <a href="http://www.teamsky.com/">Team Sky</a> while marketing cycle-specific sports coats to wear at the office. Similarly, the <a href="http://www.cambridgeraincoats.co.uk/">Cambridge Raincoat Company</a> began offering locally designed and made cycling products in 2010, based on the idea that you could look good off and on the bike.</p>
<p>Examples of this sort show culture, design and business development coming together around a shared vision of sustainable cities. </p>
<p>How then can cultural institutions shape how we think about cycling through their exhibitions and events? </p>
<h2>Getting around new urban spaces</h2>
<p>A joint University of Canberra and University of Tasmania research project, currently in development, will investigate the role cultural heritage – experienced through the cultural activity of cycling – plays in generating new ways of experiencing urban and regional centres. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1132&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1132&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35571/original/sjf8285k-1384831743.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1132&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">longreach</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We will be examining the role of active cultural participation and the relationship between cycling and urban design.</p>
<p>Our research will offer propositions for how active cultural participation in a growing cultural imaginary around cycling can engage local residents in critical discussions about infrastructure, transport, mobility and safety.</p>
<p>L’eroica and the transformation of London for bikes are excellent examples of how active cultural participation can promote a message of sustainable development. </p>
<h2>Futurama – a model for urban futures</h2>
<p>[Futurama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama_(New_York_World’s_Fair), an exhibition that was developed for the <a href="http://exhibitions.nypl.org/treasures/items/show/162">1939-40 New York World’s Trade Fair</a>, shows how culture and urban development have historically been entwined.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36010/original/rprv5vrm-1385348834.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Detail of the Futurama exhibit at the New York World Fair 1939-40, showing a street intersection in the City of Tomorrow.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Futurama was a large-scale interactive exhibition sponsored by General Motors and housed in that company’s pavilion at the World’s Trade Fair. </p>
<p>It imagined a future with the car at its centre and, in doing so, inspired America, and in turn Australia, to implement an untested urban growth model based on the car. Some 28,000 people a day passed through the exhibition on chairs mounted to a conveyer, looking down as though from a low flying aeroplane upon a huge diorama of their future cities.</p>
<p>That exhibition helped develop a cultural imaginary around future cities based on mass-road transport – which in turn would require more people to buy cars. </p>
<p>The designer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bel_Geddes">Norman Bel Geddes</a> and exhibition sponsor General Motors celebrated the enormous public and private expenditure required to move from a walking/transit based urbanism, to a suburban model designed for point-to-point travel in cars. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4127993?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21102934967103">According to</a> American historian Adnan Morshed, “it was not the spectacle of the future itself, but the technique of seeing the future” that made Futurama so inspirational. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/35572/original/9f3fy6y5-1384831846.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Takver</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Freewheeling around Australia</h2>
<p>In 2014, the National Museum of Australia will begin touring its new exhibition, <a href="http://www.nma.gov.au/online_features/cycling_in_australia/home">Freewheeling: Cycling in Australia</a>. While engineers and designers focus on bike infrastructure and road rules, we are interested in whether museums can offer forums for active cultural participation that ultimately improve the sustainability and speed of mobility. </p>
<p>Could this exhibition capture community curiosity and play a role in the development of a cultural imaginary around cycling in Australia? L'eroica and London’s vigorous cycling culture show there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/19545/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angelina Russo has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council to conduct research into digital cultural communication in conjunction with Australian cultural institutions. She runs a micro business designing high visibility hand made knit cyclewear </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Fleming does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cultural heritage can play an important role in promoting sustainable land use and creative economies – and all we have to do is get on our bikes. If this sounds peculiar, think of events such as Italy’s…Angelina Russo, Professor of Cultural Practice, University of CanberraSteven Fleming, Senior Lecturer, architectural history, theory and design, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/111542012-12-11T19:16:05Z2012-12-11T19:16:05ZMore cyclists? That depends on where you live<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18388/original/ybkxd4n3-1354764582.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cycling numbers are growing in the inner city, but falling on the outskirts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">yewenyi/Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>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.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/public-health/prevention-research/news/reports/index.php">new report</a> released by the Prevention Research Collaboration of the University of Sydney examined journey to work data for Sydney from the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Census. </p>
<p>It shows that while the proportion of people cycling to work in inner Sydney has increased markedly since 2006, the proportion cycling to work in outer Greater Sydney has gone down consistently since 2001. </p>
<p>Overall, cycling to work has increased marginally but <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-cycling-boom-nope-its-a-myth-8020">remains low</a> at around 1% of all journeys to work.</p>
<h2>What’s in a choice?</h2>
<p>More people commuting by bicycle means cleaner, less congested cities, less stress on public transport systems and a more active, healthier population. In light of Australia’s commitment to reduce <a href="http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/reduce/national-targets/%7E/media/government/reduce/NationalTarget-Factsheet-20111201-PDF.pdf">greenhouse gas emissions</a> and <a href="http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/768FD9A0683F9259CA2578EC0081AD6A/$FILE/future_overweight_prevalence_report.pdf">ever increasing rate of obesity</a>, normalising cycling to work has multiple benefits for cities, government and individuals. But participation needs to be far greater than its current levels for any of these benefits to be felt on a population level.</p>
<p>A person’s decision to cycle to work is influenced by a range of factors, including availability of cycle infrastructure, perceptions about safety, end-of-trip facilities like showers and public attitudes about the acceptability of cycling. The weather, distance to destination and topography of a city also make a difference. </p>
<p>Examining the characteristics of the areas where cycling is increasing or decreasing may <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-sydneys-cycling-culture-needs-an-overseas-influence-3628">hold clues to the best methods</a> to increase cycling participation.</p>
<h2>Case study: Sydney</h2>
<p>In 2011, 2.22% of people in inner Sydney rode to work on Census day. This was followed by 0.92% in the greater metropolitan region, and 0.59% in outer Sydney.</p>
<p>Since 2001, inner Sydney has seen large increases in both the number and proportion of people cycling on their journey to work, from 5351 people in 2001 to 11,442 in 2011, an increase of 114%. Driving this increase were Local Government Areas like Sydney, Marrickville, Ashfield, Leichhardt, Lane Cove and Willoughby, which all experienced more than a 100% increase in the number of people cycling to work.</p>
<p>The top performing Local Government Areas with the highest proportion of people riding to work in the whole Sydney region were Marrickville with 4.39% of people cycling to work, followed by Leichhardt (3.81%), Sydney (3.64%), Waverley (2.91%), Manly (2.79%), Randwick (2.50%) and Newcastle (2.46%). Five of the top seven Local Government Areas are in inner Sydney (the exceptions are Manly, in outer Sydney and Newcastle, in the greater metropolitan region).</p>
<p>Finally, while the proportion of people from inner Sydney cycling on their journey to work is on the rise, a reverse trend is evident for the greater metropolitan region. In 2001, inner Sydney and the greater metropolitan region had similar rates of cycling to work (1.21% of trips in inner Sydney compared with 1.13% in the greater metropolitan region), but by 2011 inner Sydney rates of cycling have almost doubled, but almost halved in the greater metropolitan region.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856406001212">Research</a> consistently tells us commuters want safe bicycle paths and end-of-trip facilities such as showers and bike parks in order to be able to cycle to work. </p>
<p>Much of the cycling rise in inner Sydney has occurred since 2006, coinciding with improved cycling infrastructure and other support for cyclists. For example, <a href="http://www.thinkingtransport.org.au/sites/www.thinkingtransport.org.au/files/EXT%20-%202010%20Sept%20-%20Report%20on%20Sydney%20Bicycle%20Network%2C%20AECOM.pdf">cycling levels jumped</a> by up to 30% immediately after the opening of Sydney’s King Street and Bourke Road cycleways, demonstrating that when safe paths are provided, demand increases.</p>
<p>Improvements should continue as the inner Sydney regional bicycle network, a network of 284 kilometres of interconnected cycleways being built throughout the City of Sydney, develops, and Local Government Areas continue to show political and financial support for cycling.</p>
<p>The decline in cycling in the outer city areas is likely due to the greater distances to workplaces, a lack of cycling infrastructure, increasingly suburban rural environments, heavier traffic and a more hostile riding environment. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.austroads.com.au/abc/national-cycling-strategy">Australia’s National Cycling Strategy</a> aims to double the number of cyclists by 2016, and the <a href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/parkingandtransport/cycling/CycleStrategyAndActionPlan.asp">City of Sydney Cycle Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017</a> aims to increase the number of bicycle trips made in the City of Sydney, as a percentage of total trips, from less than 2% in 2006 to 5% by 2011, and to 10% by 2016.</p>
<p>These <a href="http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/bikepaths.pdf">analyses show again</a> that where facilities are being built, cycling is increasing. But despite encouraging increases in some areas, cycling to work in Sydney remains a minority activity. Much, <em>much</em> more needs to be done before cycling to work becomes widespread.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/11154/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rissel has nothing to disclose.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexis Zander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Alexis Zander, PhD student, UNSW SydneyChris Rissel, Professor of Public Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/80202012-07-09T20:35:29Z2012-07-09T20:35:29ZAustralian cycling boom? Nope - it’s a myth<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/12653/original/x2trkbjb-1341537878.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Lost generations: if Australians now cycled at the same rates as in the mid 1980s, up to a million more people would be riding.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/taisau</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cycling <a href="http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=5871">industry reports</a> 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 href="http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp18.3.pdf">a new analysis</a> published in World Transport Policy and Practice, taking into account population growth, casts doubt that there is a boom in cycling in Australia.</p>
<p><strong>Net decline in cycling</strong></p>
<p>The Australian population grew by 58% between 1986 and 2006 and the daily average number of bicycle trips grew by only 21%, representing a net decline in cycling.</p>
<p>Two national surveys of cycling in Australia were examined. The earlier survey was <a href="http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/1988/pdf/Aust_Trav.pdf">The Day to Day Travel in Australia 1985-86 (CR69)</a> survey, which examined travel modes among Australians aged nine years and above. The 1985/86 survey results are the earliest known detailed national count of bicycle use. The CR69 survey was a geographically stratified, random sample of households throughout Australia. For a randomly chosen day in the year-long survey period, details of all trips made by all members of the selected household were collected by a self-completed, mail questionnaire. It was conducted by data analysts INSTAT Australia Pty Ltd for the Australian Federal Office of Road Safety and produced a final dataset of 145,000 trips by 45,000 people from 18,000 households.</p>
<p>Data for 2011 are from the <a href="http://www.cyclingresourcecentre.org.au/post/national_cycling_participation_survey">2011 Australian Cycling Participation</a> survey which was conducted in March and April 2011 and is the official baseline data source for the Australian Government’s National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016. The 2011 survey was by telephone and contains details of trips by 24,858 people of all ages from 9,661 households across Australia. The average daily trips by bicycle was estimated, to compare with the earlier national survey.</p>
<p>Total population levels for Australia and for each state and territory from the Australian Bureau of Statistics population Census data for the years 1986 and 2006 were examined.</p>
<p>The Australian population aged nine years and over grew by 58.4% between 1986 and 2006 and the daily average number of bicycle trips grew by only 20.9%, representing a net decline in cycling. These results are conservative. The data from 1985 were standardized to the smaller census population of 1981, and the 2011 survey reported the highest levels of participation in any Australian survey of cycling participation.</p>
<p>Other data support the conclusion that there is no national increase in cycling participation. The proportion of Australian workers <a href="http://www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/gamut/pdf/travel-to-work.pdf">riding a bicycle to work</a> from 1986 to 2006 (measured every five years in the Census) has been largely unchanged at about 1% of journeys.</p>
<p>It is important to note that there has been an increase in the absolute number of Australians cycling. Observations of more people cycling and increases in the number of bicycles sold are correct. The need for more bicycle lanes and paths is still a priority to cater for the increased number of people cycling. However, compared to 1985/86, if there was the same rate of bicycle trips as in 1985/86, there would be between a half a million to a million more people cycling today.</p>
<p><strong>Three explanations</strong></p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/12655/original/8qnb3g35-1341538632.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alone in the world, Australia and New Zealand have mandated helmets, deterring large numbers of people from riding bikes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/cyclotourist</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are three likely explanations for the per capita decline in cycling in Australia. These are the historical prioritization of the motor vehicle in urban planning, lack of investment in cycling infrastructure, and mandatory helmet legislation.</p>
<p>The Australian urban sprawl and the desire for the quarter acre block for housing has led to low-density housing and longer distances to destinations of interest, making bicycle use less competitive in transport mode choice. Coupled with little investment in bicycle paths or lanes, most of Australia has not developed a bicycle-friendly environment.</p>
<p>The one cycling specific policy to make cycling safer was mandatory helmet legislation, unique to Australia and New Zealand. This had the unfortunate side effect of reducing the number of Australians cycling by about 30-40%, and even more in <a href="http://www.cycle-helmets.com/nz-ltsa-2006.pdf">New Zealand</a>. Helmet legislation continues to be a barrier to cycling participation, with <a href="http://theconversation.com/making-helmets-optional-could-double-the-number-of-cyclists-in-australia-4578">23% of Sydney adults</a> reporting they would cycle more if they didn’t have to wear a helmet.</p>
<p>While there has been an increase in the absolute number of people cycling since 1985, and there are local examples of high levels of cycling (e.g., the <a href="http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/4571-bike-riding-booms-around-sydneys-new-cycleways.asp">City of Sydney</a>), across the country there should be many more Australians cycling if we simply maintained the same rate of cycling. Much more needs to be done before claims of a cycling boom can be supported.</p>
<p>People who do not see themselves as “cyclists” might consider riding if there were bike paths or lanes, or if traffic was slowed (to a 30km/h speed limit) in high-demand areas. Substantially more money needs to be spent on bike paths in urban areas to get non-riders cycling. <a href="https://theconversation.com/make-helmets-optional-to-double-the-number-of-cyclists-in-australia-4578">Relaxing helmet laws</a> might also contribute to normalising cycling.</p>
<p><em>Comments welcome below.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8020/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I have nothing to disclose.</span></em></p>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…Chris Rissel, Professor of Public Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/35402011-10-21T02:59:10Z2011-10-21T02:59:10ZHelmet-cam captures bike accidents (and could make cycling safer)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4381/original/H4NUM4N.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It needs to be easier for cyclists to safely navigate our busy city streets.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">H4NUM4N</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: Every year, <a href="http://www.coneheadhelmets.com.au/files/Australian%20Road%20Fatalities%20Table.pdf">dozens of cyclists are killed</a> and <a href="http://www.vscn.org.au/pages/documents/PEDESTRIANandCYCLISTCRASHES22Aug07.pdf">thousands are injured</a> while riding on Australian roads.</p>
<p>Statistics such as these, coupled with all-too-frequent <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/injuries-take-a-big-toll-on-cyclists-20111007-1ld54.html">horror stories</a> about big-city riding, have made cycling an unappealing prospect for many.</p>
<p>In fact, a <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/australians-too-scared-to-ride-their-bikes-survey/story-e6frfkvr-1226068213282">recent survey of 1,000 people</a> found unsafe road conditions to be the single largest deterrent for would-be cyclists.</p>
<p>So how can we make our roads safer for our cyclists?</p>
<p>One method is to analyse the last few seconds before a cycling crash occurs. Finding out what happens in those final seconds was the main objective of my recent study of cyclists’ experiences on Melbourne roads.</p>
<p>In my study, a compact video camera was attached to the helmets of commuter cyclists, recording their trips to and from work for a four-week period. The footage captured the cyclists’ point-of-view as they rode along, and what they saw when they turned their heads, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>vehicles to their right</li>
<li>vehicles parked to their left</li>
<li>distractions, such as signs, shopfronts and people they perved on.</li>
</ul>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/30774782" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p></p><figcaption>A driver cuts the cyclist off, pulling into the bike lane. <span>Video courtesy of Marilyn Johnson, Monash University.</span></figcaption><p></p>
<p>The footage captured the experiences of 13 riders over 127 hours and in that time, 54 “events” were identified – two crashes, six near-crashes and 46 “incidents”.</p>
<p>(An “incident” was similar to a near-crash, where one road user needed to take some evasive action. However, these incidents were less severe than near-crash events.)</p>
<p>We’ve since analysed each of those events, frame-by-frame.</p>
<p>In 87% of the events captured, the driver was responsible for the action that preceded the event. In 74% of <em>those</em> events, the driver cut the cyclist off, turning in front of the cyclist without either:</p>
<ul>
<li>providing enough space</li>
<li>indicating effectively</li>
<li>a head check.</li>
</ul>
<p>The footage showed that, rather than being focused on the cyclist they had just cut off, drivers were instead focused on other vehicles on the road.</p>
<p>If you take cyclists out of the equation, the behaviour of the recorded drivers was safe. Large-enough gaps were selected when entering and exiting parallel parking bays, lane changes were done safely, turns were done safely, and car doors were opened without endangering other road users.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, none of these behaviours were safe for cyclists.</p>
<p>The role of driver behaviour in cyclist safety was found to be more significant than previously thought. Previously, the emphasis was on how cyclists needed to improve their behaviour to improve their safety.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/30774947" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p></p><figcaption>A driver cuts across the bike lane, narrowly missing the cyclist. <span>Video courtesy of Marilyn Johnson, Monash University.</span></figcaption><p></p>
<p>While cyclists certainly need to obey road rules and be courteous to other road users, my study shows that cyclists’ behaviour alone is not the answer.</p>
<p>In essence, drivers need to be more aware of cyclists on the road. It is essential for cyclist safety that drivers look for cyclists before they change their direction of travel, particularly when turning left. </p>
<p>How can drivers improve cyclists’ safety? Here are a few ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>Always do a head check before turning left.</li>
<li>Always indicate for five seconds before turning. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amygillett.org.au/a-metre-matters/">Always allow one metre</a> when overtaking a cyclist.</li>
<li>Allow cyclists to travel across an intersection rather than turning in front of them.</li>
</ul>
<p>Most cyclists ride defensively and assume drivers have not seen them. This behaviour was seen in the footage, and cyclists’ evasive behaviour was the main reason near-crashes did not become actual crashes.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/30774973" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p></p><figcaption>Negotiating large intersections can be challenging, and dangerous. <span>Video courtesy of Marilyn Johnson, Monash University.</span></figcaption><p></p>
<p>But there are a number of ways cyclists can improve their safety. One of the most effective methods is to stay out of a driver’s blind spot, particularly when travelling near 4WDs and commercial vehicles.</p>
<p>This can be done by staying either in front of or behind any vehicle that might be in an adjacent lane. Another effective safeguard is for cyclists to make eye contact with nearby drivers.</p>
<p>But cyclist safety isn’t just dependent on how cyclists and drivers approach one another – changes to roads are also needed.</p>
<p>All levels of government can contribute to ensure all roads are cyclist-inclusive and intuitive for cyclists and drivers. This can be achieved by:</p>
<ul>
<li>introducing continuous, connected bike lanes that do not end unexpectedly in preference for vehicle lanes</li>
<li>maintaining curbside road surfaces</li>
<li>removing ambiguous road markings, such as on-road bike lanes painted across parallel parking bays.</li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, a bucket of paint and a bike symbol stencil is not enough to create safe spaces for cyclists on the road: drivers need to know how to use the space.</p>
<p>Education for new and existing drivers about cycling-related markings and infrastructure is essential in ensuring a safe space is available to cyclists.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/30775374" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p></p><figcaption>A driver cuts the cyclist off while turning left across the bike lane. <span>Video courtesy of Marilyn Johnson, Monash University.</span></figcaption><p></p>
<p>So, what happens in the last few seconds before a cyclist crash occurs? A wide range of behaviours and reactions: reactions to other road users, to the road space and to the environment. Each of these factors needs to be addressed, independently and interdependently to improve cyclist safety on our roads. </p>
<p>We’re on the road to safe cycling; we just need to make sure everyone gets there safely.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a>.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3540/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marilyn Johnson's doctoral research was funded by a joint PhD scholarship from the Monash University Accident Research Foundation and the Amy Gillett Foundation, provided by Bradley Bayly Legal.</span></em></p>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…Marilyn Johnson, Research Fellow, Institute of Transport Studies, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/35842011-10-20T03:48:23Z2011-10-20T03:48:23ZBigger than Cadel: Australia’s century-old love affair with cycling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4606/original/The_American_Velocipede_from_Harpers_Weekly_dec19_1868.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The velocipede created one of several cycling booms in Australia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Harpers Weekly (Dec 18, 1868)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: Forget about the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD9fk46P4wg">wild scenes of public adulation</a> for Cadel Evans following his Tour de France triumph. Forget about the widespread admiration for champion cyclist Anna Meares following her <a href="http://signsofthetimes.com.au/items/the-inspirational-anna-meares">gritty comeback from debilitating injury</a>.</p>
<p>Ignore the visible upsurge in cycling activity around annual <a href="http://theconversation.com/try-cycling-on-ride-to-work-day-it-might-change-your-life-3760">Ride to Work days</a>. And ignore the prevalence of lycra-clad, middle-aged cyclists clogging up the roads every weekend.</p>
<p>Australian society is unlikely to ever reach the heights of the bicycle craze that swept the nation more than a century ago.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=949&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=949&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=949&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4608/original/1887_German_encyclopedia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A selection of velocipedes, circa 1887.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There were three boom periods for cycling in Australia during the nineteenth century, each of them varying in length and significance.</p>
<p>The initial cycling boom began in the 1860s with the invention of the velocipede, a machine constructed of iron and wood with pedal-cranks attached to the front wheel.</p>
<p>Women, as well as men, were captivated by the new machine, and just a few months after the first velocipede races were held for men at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 1869, <a href="http://www.paperworld.com.au/magazineinfo.php?Mag=Australasian%20Post">The Australasian newspaper</a> recorded that a number of females had also participated in cycling contests, held as part of local athletic sports meetings.</p>
<p>But these early machines were cumbersome and uncomfortable to ride, and so their attraction as a means of transportation or physical activity soon diminished.</p>
<p>The next boom occurred in the late 1870s and early 1880s with the advent of the high wheeler, also known as the “ordinary”, or (later) the penny farthing.</p>
<p>As popular advertising posters for American firm the Pope Manufacturing Company show (see image below right) the heavy and expensive velocipede was quickly superseded by the sleek, superior high wheeler.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1031&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1031&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4636/original/Advertisment_for_the_Columbia_Bicycle_by_the_Pope_Manusfacturing_Company_Boston_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1031&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pope Manufacturing Company</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Crucially, the high wheeler’s giant front wheel allowed fast and comfortable self-propelled travel over rough roads. The “ordinary” was quickly adopted as a relatively cheap form of transport, marking a new way of life for some people. Young males in particular took to the bike, forming cycling clubs for mutual enjoyment and protection.</p>
<p>The first high wheeler was imported into Melbourne in 1875 and the Melbourne Bicycle Club was formed three years later, quickly becoming the centre for cycling in Australia.</p>
<p>Soon the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austral_Wheel_Race">Austral Wheel Race</a> at the MCG became the Melbourne Cup of the cycling fraternity, and large amounts of prize money were offered to contestants at annual meetings from 1886 to 1910.</p>
<p>Many members of the Melbourne Cricket Club were horrified when the event began to attract not only professional cyclists from all around the world (which is still does <a href="http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/02/113th-austral-wheelrace-results/">to this day</a>), but also a large number of bookmakers. The race created an atmosphere more akin to that of a racetrack than that of a stately cricket oval.</p>
<p>Even though the Austral was a summer event, cycling itself was a year-round leisure activity, patronised increasingly by a wide cross-section of society.</p>
<p>Long distance racing and touring also became popular, and in 1884 Alf Edward became <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/5788993?zoomLevel=2">the first person to cycle between Sydney and Melbourne</a>, taking almost nine days to complete the trip. This was the first of a wave of arduous inter-capital rides, over sparsely inhabited countryside and crude bush tracks.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=831&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=831&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=831&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1044&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1044&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4607/original/US_Library_of_Congress.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1044&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bicycling, an 1997 color print featuring penny farthings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">US Library of Congress</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although some women also took to the ordinary, and tricycle races were held for women in South Australia in 1885, many held longstanding objections about female involvement in cycling.</p>
<p>These objections were swept aside with the invention of the <a href="http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/pneumatictire.htm">pneumatic tyre</a> in 1888 and its application to what became known as the <a href="http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/icons_of_invention/technology/1880-1939/IC.025/">“safety” bicycle</a> during the early 1890s.</p>
<p>The widespread popularity and availability of the safety bicycle, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step-through_frame">drop-frame model for women</a>, thus created the third and biggest boom for cycling, not only in Australia, but throughout the industrialised world.</p>
<p>By 1895 the safety bicycle was fast approaching the peak of its popularity, as both males and females now realised the benefits that the relatively inexpensive new machine could bring to work, as well as to leisure.</p>
<p>In Melbourne especially, the appeal of the bicycle continued unabated. One journal, the Melbourne Punch, even suggested traffic was becoming so thick the city would eventually have to put special tracks underground for cyclists. The reason: new bicycles were so fast that cyclists were at risk of killing themselves and others. </p>
<p>But how deeply had bicycle mania permeated the nation during the 1890s?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4603/original/Our_New_Australian_Coat_of_Arms_Melb_Punch_2_January_1896_1_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In the lead up to Federation, one newspaper suggested it was cycling that unified the nation, hence the depiction of the bicycle on a proposed coat of arms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Melbourne Punch, August 13, 1896</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One newspaper report suggested that the bicycle should be part of the “new” national coat of arms. In a rather striking design (see image above), the traditional faunal emblems of kangaroo and emu are depicted standing either side of a pneumatic tyre, while a safety bicycle is silhouetted against a rising sun.</p>
<p>The words “Advance Australia” are inscribed at the foot of the illustration. Other enthusiasts wanted to write songs about the marvellous new machine, including “My Bicycle”, a song written by Joseph Gee in 1896.</p>
<p>Specialist cycling magazines (such as <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/20921497?q=australian+cyclist&c=article">The Australian Cyclist</a>, on September 7 1893, it’s first edition) declared their faith in “the freemasonry of the wheel”, promoting all aspects of the activity with almost evangelical zeal.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4610/original/Safety_bicycle_1887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An 1887 ad for the Cogent “safety bicycle”.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An increasing number of entrepreneurs realised there was money to be made from the popularity of the bicycle. It was common for existing businesses, many with no direct connection to cycling (such as booksellers or piano dealers), to become agents for particular brands. Such companies included Raleigh, Humber and Singer. </p>
<p>So while the initial impetus behind the formation of cycling clubs in Melbourne may have come from young men intent on seeing how fast and far they could ride, the wider uses of the bicycle for transport and recreation soon broadened the attraction of cycling for a significant cross-section of the community.</p>
<p>Indeed, for some women, cycling became a way into a largely male public domain. The way in which female cyclists were able to attain a new-found mobility and occupy public space worked to challenge, if not break down, the traditions of the dominant Victorian-era moral order.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4612/original/Kathy_Watt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kathy Watt had a significant influence on women’s participation in Australian cycling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Ray Kennedy</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In this way, it’s the multifaceted nature of cycling activity that has underpinned its essential appeal.</p>
<p>Of course, there was some opposition to cycling mania, and claims the attraction of the bicycle had an adverse impact on spectator and participant numbers in other sporting and leisure pursuits.</p>
<p>But the devotion to cycling remained deeply embedded in both urban and rural regions of Australia, even after the craze subsided at the end of the nineteenth century.</p>
<p>It is this innate, though often curiously sublimated, rich and diverse heritage, perhaps more than the high-profile international success of cyclists such as <a href="http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=16470">Hubert Opperman</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Anderson">Phil Anderson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Watt">Kathy Watt</a> and Cadel Evans, that offers a better explanation of the continuing Australian love affair with cycling.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Further reading</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingTraditions/1998/st1402/st1402d.pdf">A Mania for Bicycles: The impact of Cycling on Australian Rules Football</a> by Rob Hess</li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3584/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Hess does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Rob Hess, Associate Professor, School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/36132011-10-19T03:37:35Z2011-10-19T03:37:35ZBetter health is only a short bike ride away<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4556/original/california_cowgirl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Almost everyone can ride to work, and the health benefits are enormous.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">california cowgirl1</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: More than half of Australia’s population can be classified as <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4842.0.55.001?OpenDocument">overweight and obese</a>.</p>
<p>This statistic is alarming but some of the risk factors associated with obesity – such as poor nutrition, smoking and alcohol consumption – can be controlled. But chief among the controllable risk factors is physical inactivity.</p>
<p>A common reason people have for physical inactivity is they simply don’t have time to exercise. But in recent years there has been a growing emphasis on accumulating incidental exercise, usually at least 30 minutes a day. This means that during a day, you do things (such as walking to the bus or train) which make you more physically active. </p>
<p>Walking or cycling as a means of transport (or <a href="http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/documents/activetransport.pdf">“active transportation”</a>) is one way people achieve this. </p>
<p>Cycling has some physiological advantages over walking, given the intensity of typical commuting cycling is <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/10/761.full.pdf">greater than that of walking</a>.</p>
<p>And <a href="http://cyclingconnectingcommunities.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/cycling-to-work-and-overweight.pdf">research has found</a> that men who cycle to work are less likely to be overweight or obese when compared to men who drive.</p>
<p>Using cycling as transportation can also <a href="http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/160/11/1621.pdf">decrease mortality risk</a> when considering factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and body mass index.</p>
<p>Changing your lifestyle to increase physical activity can be <a href="http://fittraining.net/fitnews/cooperinst.pdf">more cost-effective and beneficial</a> than structured exercise programs.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.myscience.cc/wire/less_than_ten_minutes_intense_exercise_week_enough_reduce_risk_cardiovascular_disease_and_diabe-2011-Birmingham-r835285">Recent research</a> has found that even ten minutes of intense exercise can reduce cardiovascular risks just as effectively as longer, low-intensity exercise.</p>
<p>So how can someone introduce short-duration, high-intensity exercise into their regular activity? Cycling to work is one way.</p>
<p>Getting exercise on your way to work not only reduces your transport costs, it can save time because you may not have to go the gym as well. </p>
<p>Cycling has a relatively high participation rate, with approximately <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/436122/ERASS_Report_2010.pdf">2.1 million Australians participating in some form of cycling</a> in 2010.</p>
<p>That said, the people who may experience great health gains from cycling are likely not taking part. Therefore, it is important to ask what stops some people cycling to work.</p>
<p>Urban design can discourage cycling. Factors such as ease of travel, the availability of dedicated cycle lanes, safe roads, proximity of home to work, and environmental quality can all <a href="http://www.rafapana.org/curso_agitamundo/arquivos/090513_archivo19.pdf">affect a person’s decision to cycle</a>.</p>
<p>To encourage cycling as active transportation, there needs to be positive influences on both an individual and at an institutional level.</p>
<p>There are benefits for institutional change in encouraging active transportation. European countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands – where there are many cycling-friendly thoroughfares – tend to have higher levels of active transportation.</p>
<p>As a result, those countries have <a href="http://www.8-80cities.org/Articles/Walk%20Bike%20Obesity%20Rates.pdf">fewer cases of obesity</a> when compared to countries such as the USA and Australia.</p>
<p>Within Australia, <a href="http://www.austroads.com.au/">Austroads</a> and the <a href="http://www.austroads.com.au/abc/">Australian Bicycle Council</a> have released the <a href="http://www.atcouncil.gov.au/documents/files/Australian_National_Cycling_Strategy_2011-2016.pdf">Australian National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016</a> document, which addresses many of these issues. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, more people need to know about the physical benefits of high-intensity exercise completed over short durations, and how simple this can be to work into a normal day.</p>
<p>Events such as <a href="http://theconversation.com/try-cycling-on-ride-to-work-day-it-might-change-your-life-3760">Ride To Work Day</a> are a step in the right direction for encouraging more people to cycle.</p>
<p>If more people adopt cycling as a regular way of life, this will greatly contribute to improved health for the Australian population.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a>.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3613/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Lockie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Robert Lockie, Lecturer in Exercise and Sports Science, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/35022011-10-18T01:50:50Z2011-10-18T01:50:50ZHigh-end bikes for sale … but what are you really buying?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4471/original/aapone-20110724000333650864-france_cycling_tour_de_france_2011-original.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Much science goes into the creation of the perfect bike frame.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: What are you paying for when you buy a new bike? Materials … sure. Design … without doubt. Manufacture … yes, of course.</p>
<p>But beyond that, what’s going on? Why can these objects, beautiful as they are, vary so wildly in price, from a couple of hundred dollars to multiple thousands? Are those more expensive, high-end bikes worth it? Well, let’s consider what goes into them.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.uci.ch/Templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuID=MTYxNw&LangId=1">international cycling union</a> (UCI) defines rules that determine the fundamental characteristics of the bikes that are used during cycling competitions. The two main rules are the following: </p>
<p>1) Cyclists have to ride bikes that are available on the market.<br>
2) The minimum total weight of the bike as well as the shape and dimensions of the frame elements are constrained. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4459/original/fig1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The geometry, shape and dimensions of road bikes are constrained by UCI rules.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From UCI official document.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The “commercially-available” rule was created so that any cyclist can buy the bike that Cadel Evans (<a href="http://www.competitivecyclist.com/frame/2011-BMC-team-machine-slr01-6416.html">BMC Team Machine SLR01</a> for approximately $13,500) used to win the Tour de France 2011. </p>
<p>The weight rule was defined in January 2000 to ensure the safety of the riders and avoid a technology “arms race”. </p>
<p>It has been defined according to the continuous reduction of the density of the material used to make bike components. </p>
<h2>Holding back the years</h2>
<p>In the 1980s, a typical high-performance racing bike frame was made of steel tubing. The frame weighed about 1.6kg and the fork weighed about 0.75kg, for a total bicycle weight of about 9.5kg. In the 1990s, aluminium alloy material was introduced, leading to a reduction of the weight to about 1.2kg for the frame, 0.6kg for the forks, and about 8kg for the total bike. </p>
<p>Since the 2000s, spectacular weight reductions have been possible thanks to the introduction of <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-carbon-fiber.htm">carbon composite</a> material, with bike frame weight reaching as little as 0.8kg and the fork 0.3kg, with a complete bicycle weight of about 6.5kg. </p>
<p>In order to avoid any reduction in bike weights that could compromise the level of safety for cyclists, the UCI currently forbids bicycles lighter than 6.8kgs.</p>
<h2>High or low?</h2>
<p>Before investing in a $10,000 bike, it’s necessary to understand what the differences are between top-end performance bikes and the more budget-oriented models. </p>
<p>The high-end performance bicycle has mechanical characteristics that provide cyclists with the ultimate level of performance and comfort required by professional cyclists. </p>
<p>A high level of engineering is applied to optimise the bike’s design to satisfy the performance and comfort demands of the best cyclists while respecting the rules defined by the UCI. </p>
<p>“Comfort” is one of the most frequently encountered words during discussions among cyclists, and it’s a crucial aspect for professional cyclists taking part in multistage races such as Le Tour de France. </p>
<p>The mechanical responses of the different components of the bike to the excitation of the road (holes, bumps, etc.) strongly influence the comfort perceived by the cyclists. </p>
<p>From a mechanical point of view, the level of comfort on a bike depends on the energy transmitted by the bike from the road to the cyclist. </p>
<p>To optimise comfort, bicycle frames and forks are made of carbon composite materials that have <a href="http://www.intellisense.com/intellisuite/AppNotes/4.pdf">anisotropic mechanical properties</a> (they do not behave the same way in all directions).</p>
<p>These materials offer an opportunity for bike designers to manipulate a few key areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>the tensile strength (i.e. maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled)</li>
<li>stiffness (i.e. <a href="http://www.engineersedge.com/material_science/youngs_modulus.htm">Young’s modulus</a> – a measure of the stiffness of an elastic material)</li>
<li>the damping properties (i.e. absorption of the vibrations caused by the excitation of the road) of the different frame elements in the various axis or planes, while respecting the dimension and shape rules. </li>
</ul>
<p>Bike designers optimise the structural characteristics of different bike frame elements by carefully selecting the type of carbon fibers and adjusting their orientation within the bike frame element. </p>
<p>A large number of carbon fibres offering different mechanical properties can be used and combined by the bike designers to optimize the mechanical responses of the bicycle. </p>
<p>Because of the high specific strength (i.e. <a href="http://resources.yesican-science.ca/lpdd/genres/press1.html">force-per-unit area</a> at failure) offered by carbon composite materials, it has become possible to build safe bikes lighter than 6.8kgs, so that additional weights are often used in the form of ballast (usually located as low as possible in the frame) to satisfy the minimum weight rule. </p>
<h2>Virtual design</h2>
<p>The optimisation process is generally completed by combining computer models (e.g. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design">3D Computer Aided Design model</a>) in conjunction with <a href="http://www.sv.vt.edu/classes/MSE2094_NoteBook/97ClassProj/num/widas/history.html">Finite Element Analysis</a> (FEA). </p>
<p>This approach allows the structural characteristics of different bike frame elements to be created and its mechanical responses under loading condition to be virtually evaluated. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4464/original/fig3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Finite Element Model showing ply-by-ply failure analysis of the head tube area of a composite frame.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Using this approach, bike designers can refine the characteristics of different bike components before the first bike is assembled. The shape of the different bike frame elements can also be fine-tuned in order to optimise the aerodynamic properties of the bike frame and wheels to reduce air resistance. </p>
<p>Using engineering tools such as <a href="http://www.cfd.com.au/">Computational Fluid Dynamics</a> (CFD) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_tunnel">wind tunnels</a>, this approach has been mainly applied to optimise the air flow-related performance in cycling (see video below). </p>
<figure><div style="text-align:center;">
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZcvFVPweBDQ?wmode=transparent&start=6" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The cyclists’ body creates most of the aerodynamic resistance.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
</div></figure>
<h2>Power transfer</h2>
<p>The most advanced engineering methods are employed by bike designers to optimise the structure of the bike components so that the power transfer between the cyclist and the bike is maximised (performance) while the vibrations generated by the road surface are absorbed (comfort). The shape of bike components is also maximised to reduce the aerodynamic resistances (performance).</p>
<p>Today’s bicycles provide a scientific combination of lightness, strength, stiffness, aerodynamics and damping in order to optimise the transfer of the cyclist’s efforts into bicycle speed while maximising perceived comfort. </p>
<p>All this engineering takes time and costs money, which contributes to the higher cost of top machines. While this technology trickles down the product chain to the lower-end products, compromises are inevitably made, such as using different grade materials and manufacturing methods to maintain the lower costs.</p>
<p>You get what you pay for, in other words, although bikes are getting better for everyone.</p>
<p><em>This article was co-authored by Raoul Luescher, Director of <a href="http://luescherteknik.com.au">Luescher Teknik</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a>.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3502/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rouffet does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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, beautiful…David Rouffet, PhD, Sport Performance Analysis, ISEAL, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/35312011-10-17T03:46:29Z2011-10-17T03:46:29ZWhy aren’t more kids cycling to school?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4539/original/carfreedays2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Children are far more likely to cycle if their parents do.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">carfreedays</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: In 1970, nearly all young people in Australia <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10116994?selectedversion=NBD2172837">walked, cycled or took public transport</a> to school or university (84%). Few travelled by car (16%). Fast forward to 2011 and most children are now driven to school.</p>
<p>So what has changed in the past 40 years? What can we do to get more children cycling to school? And why does this even matter?</p>
<p>National data are no longer available but in Melbourne, nearly four times as many young people are being driven to school than in 1970. Cycling levels are at an all-time low of 2.6%.</p>
<p>In fact, Australian children are among the most chauffeured young people in the developed world. Out of the total distance 10-14 year olds travel, walking and cycling is used for 33.5% of the distance in the Netherlands, 14.4% in Switzerland and 13.8% in Germany.</p>
<p>In Melbourne (again, there is no national data), it’s 4.6%.</p>
<h2>Is this trend a cause for concern?</h2>
<p>There are many reasons why cycling to school (and other local destinations) is better for children than sitting in a car. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_young_people/en/index.html">Physically active children are healthier</a>, happier and more socially connected than sedentary children. And most Australian children don’t get enough <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/66596E8FC68FD1A3CA2574D50027DB86/$File/childrens-nut-phys-survey.pdf">physical activity</a> to reap these benefits.</p>
<p>Children who cycle to school are also likely to have:</p>
<ul>
<li>improved mental health and social wellbeing</li>
<li>increased IQ and educational attainment</li>
<li>greater independent mobility.</li>
</ul>
<p>The community benefits from:</p>
<ul>
<li>reduced traffic congestion</li>
<li>environmental sustainability</li>
<li>community liveability</li>
<li>reduced chauffeuring duties for parents.</li>
</ul>
<p>Primary school students consistently say <a href="http://www.patrec.org/web_docs/atrf/papers/2010/1947_126%20-%20Garrard%20Crawford.pdf">they’d rather ride or walk to school</a>. They say it’s fun, they like travelling with their friends, and it makes them fit and healthy.</p>
<p>Car travel on the other hand – which is their least preferred way of getting to school – is considered “boring”, it means “you have to sit still”, you “don’t get any exercise”, and cars “make bad gas in the air”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4541/original/LAX2PRD.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In the 70s, nearly everyone rode to school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">LAX2PRD</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It all sounds positive, so why aren’t children cycling?</h2>
<p>Many parents would also like their children to be able to walk or cycle to school, but feel they shouldn’t.</p>
<p>What stops them? Whether real or imagined, parents worry about:</p>
<ul>
<li>trip distance, which is supposedly greater in Australia</li>
<li>traffic hazards</li>
<li>“stranger danger”</li>
<li>the inconvenience of cycling compared to being driven.</li>
</ul>
<p>Some of these reasons don’t hold up to close scrutiny.</p>
<p>Take trip distance. In Victoria, the median distance from home to school is 2.1 kilometres for primary school students and 5.4 kilometres for secondary school students.</p>
<p>Most young people can easily cycle these distances, and in high-cycling countries they do. In Denmark, cycling is the most common way to get to school for distances up to three kilometres. Cycling rates remain substantial for trips up to and beyond eight kilometres.</p>
<p>Australian kids are <a href="http://www.timetotalk.act.gov.au/storage/Active%20travel%20to%20school%20Literature%20Review.pdf">happy to walk approximately 500 metres or less</a> to school, but distances greater than this have parents reaching for the car keys.</p>
<p>The convenience of car travel is a major constraint on riding to school. In Australia, car travel is prioritised over getting around by foot or by bicycle. This is partly because the road environment feels (and to some extent is) unsafe for walking and cycling. Parents respond by driving their children increasingly short distances that are potentially walkable and rideable.</p>
<p>In a number of affluent European and Asian countries – such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan – cycling is prioritised over car travel in built-up areas. As a result, cycling can be faster and more convenient than driving. Safety also improves: urban areas become places for living, rather than thoroughfares for cars.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4540/original/melaphantastich.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If we want school bike racks to be full again, we need to change the way we see cycling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">melaphantastisch</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Riding to school is dangerous, right?</h2>
<p>Safety concerns are a key reason many Australian parents don’t let their children walk or cycle to school.</p>
<p>Actual injury risk is only part of the picture. Australian parents risk being blamed (and feeling personal guilt) if their child is injured cycling or walking to school.</p>
<p>This is because in car-oriented countries, such as Australia, it is considered the responsibility of parents to keep their children safe from cars by keeping them <em>in</em> cars.</p>
<p>In high-cycling countries it is the other way around. The operator of the vehicle that has the potential to cause the most harm has the responsibility for avoiding harm. The onus is on drivers to prove no-fault when in collisions with pedestrians and cyclists.</p>
<p>In societies where “everyone does it”, independent travel to school is not deemed to be “risk-taking behaviour”. In the same way, travelling long distances with children in cars (which is <a href="http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/en/Publications/Physical-Activity/Active-transport/Active-Transport-Children.aspx">as risky as short tips by bicycle</a>) is not seen as “risk-taking behaviour” in Australia where it is common practice.</p>
<p>These legal and social factors in high-cycling countries help to protect children from injury, and parents from social blame and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/letting-kids-ride-to-school-doesnt-make-you-a-bad-parent-20110314-1bte9.html">personal guilt</a>.</p>
<p>“Trust in others” may also be an important factor in whether children get to travel independently. High-cycling countries tend to be among the more <a href="http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resource/the-spirit-level">equal societies</a>. They have higher levels of trust, social cohesion, and involvement in community life, and lower levels of violence than countries with high levels of income inequality.</p>
<p>These factors reduce risk and allay parents’ concerns about their children’s unsupervised use of public spaces. Because of this, children get to cycle more.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4550/original/carfreedays3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">carfreedays</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can be done to get more kids to cycle?</h2>
<p>Despite the introduction of some school-based active travel programs, the number of children riding to school is actually declining. </p>
<p>The way children travel is strongly influenced by transportation infrastructure and policies in the area, and by the travel behaviour of adults. In most countries with high rates of cycling to school, everyone rides bikes more often.</p>
<p>More Australian children will cycle to school when their mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers and friends use a bicycle to get around. </p>
<p>To get kids riding, we need urban environments that are more appealing for cycling, and convenient, fast and safe for all people who ride bikes. </p>
<p>Other things that encourage high cycling-to-school rates include: </p>
<ul>
<li>providing plenty of cycling infrastructure (including secure bike storage at schools)</li>
<li>car-parking restrictions at schools</li>
<li>school policies and programs that promote cycling and discourage driving to school</li>
<li>compulsory child cyclist <a href="http://www.bv.com.au/general/bikes-and-riding/10386/">road safety education and training</a></li>
<li>national and regional child bicycle safety campaigns</li>
<li>reducing speeds (this includes environmental modification, 30kph speed limits and signalised crossings in most areas, including very low speed limits outside schools)</li>
<li>legislation that assumes driver responsibility in an accident involving a child cyclist or pedestrian.</li>
</ul>
<p>High and increasing levels of driving children to school are not the inevitable by-product of low-density urban living in affluent countries, as some people would have you believe. Instead, they are the predictable outcome of urban planning, transportation and road safety policies that promote car use and constrain walking and cycling.</p>
<p>With the right conditions, policies, education and encouragement, more Australian children would undoubtedly be happy to help reduce the number of cars “making bad gas in the air”.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a>.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3531/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Garrard has received funding for active transport research and evaluation from a number of State and Federal Government Departments, VicHealth, and the National Heart Foundation. She is a board member of Road Trauma Support Services Victoria, and a member of the expert advisory committee of the Cycling Promotion Fund.</span></em></p>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…Jan Garrard, Senior Lecturer, School of Health & Social Development , Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/35462011-10-14T03:27:36Z2011-10-14T03:27:36ZThe Cadel Effect: Australia’s cycling industry enters a yellow jersey era<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4497/original/TOPSHOTS_AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Has Cadel Evans single-handedly lifted the Australian cycling industry?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AFP/Pascal Pavani</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: At a <a href="http://www.sahof.org.au/">Sport Australia Hall of Fame</a> function last night, Australian cyclist <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-14/evans-caps-off-year-with-the-don/3570970">Cadel Evans was named winner</a> of The Don award for the year’s most inspirational sporting moment.</p>
<p>In July, Evans became the first Australian ever to win the most prestigious race in world cycling – <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/tour-de-france">Le Tour de France</a>.</p>
<p>Cadel’s successful Tour campaign had <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/tour-de-france-sees-sbs-ratings-sore/story-e6frg996-1226101293579">millions of Australians</a> glued to their TV sets in the wee hours throughout July, but what effect, if any, did his victory have on the Australian cycling industry?</p>
<p>Is there such thing as a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/cadel-effect-gets-the-nation-on-its-bike-20110813-1isgl.html">“Cadel Effect”</a>?</p>
<h2>‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’?</h2>
<p>Executives at Holden and Ford used to say that if your cars won a race on a Sunday <a href="http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=7252">the consumer would buy your car</a> on the Monday. </p>
<p>A similar reaction was seen in the weeks following Cadel’s victory. Sales of road bikes, clothing and accessories increased noticeably, with some stores <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/cadel-effect-gets-the-nation-on-its-bike-20110813-1isgl.html">selling out of BMC equipment</a> – the brand Cadel is sponsored by.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=851&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=851&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=851&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1070&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1070&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4495/original/AFP_PHOTO_Paul_CROCK.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1070&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thousands turned out in Melbourne to celebrate Evans’ TdF win.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AFP/Paul Crock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure> <p></p>
<p>Interestingly, overall bike sales in Australia have been increasing steadily in the past ten to 15 years according to the <a href="http://www.cyclingpromotion.com.au/content/view/374/9/">Australian Bureau of Statistics figures</a>, with <a href="http://www.bikenow.com.au/2011/02/bikes-outsell-cars-by-2000000/">1.4 million bicycles sold in 2010</a>.</p>
<p>(Last year was the 11th year in a row that bike sales have been higher than total car sales in Australia.)</p>
<p>Given these stats, it’s probably wrong to say there will be a huge increase in <em>overall</em> bicycle sales due to Cadel’s victory.</p>
<p>In reality, most Australian bicycle sales are children’s bikes purchased in the Christmas period. If Australia’s population grows to a <a href="http://www.treasury.gov.au/igr/igr2010/Overview/pdf/IGR_2010_Overview.pdf">Treasury-predicted 35 million by 2050</a> the number of bike purchases will only continue to grow.</p>
<p>Long-term bike sales are not linked to Cadel’s victories nor to the exploits of any other professional cyclist. Bike sales are driven by parents that want to save on petrol by letting little Jack or Lily ride to school. </p>
<h2>The ‘Cadel Effect’?</h2>
<p>So does the “Cadel Effect” exist in any section of the market? Indeed it does.</p>
<p>Although actual figures are hard to get publicly, most companies will tell you their high-end road bikes experienced a nice bump in sales around the same time Cadel was <a href="http://images.theage.com.au/2011/07/25/2513987/art-svSWEET-420x0.jpg">sipping on a glass of Moët</a> on his way toward Paris.</p>
<p>This sales spike carried into August when Cadel rode down St. Kilda Road in Melbourne to the applause of thousands.</p>
<p>Compared to past years, <a href="http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/9912960/shops-revel-in-the-cadel-factor/">sales of high-end road bikes were significantly higher</a>.</p>
<figure><div style="text-align:center;">
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WhpuXfA8mIU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
</div></figure>
<p>Lance Armstrong had a <a href="http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=41289">similar effect on bike sales</a> in the US when he won his world-record seven consecutive Tours de France from 1999 to 2005.</p>
<p>But the increase in sales due to Armstrong was more sustained due to his long reign at the top and the massive support bike manufacturer Trek put behind Armstrong and into selling co-branded Armstrong team-issue bikes.</p>
<p>Trek used the increase in sales from Armstrong’s association to expand into the commuter and travel market – <a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8645920/">one of the fastest-growing markets in the bicycle industry</a>.</p>
<p>Spikes after any big promotion or event tend to last only a few months before they start to wear off. To maintain an increase, a company also needs to invest in other aspects of marketing such as promotion, pricing and product design.</p>
<p>Being a high-end and highly specialised brand, BMC will probably not be discounting their products any day soon. If this is the case, the Cadel Effect might be short-lived.</p>
<figure><div style="text-align:center;">
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5v9wqknM6Tk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
</div></figure>
<h2>The real Cadel Effect </h2>
<p>Fortunately, other areas of the bicycle industry are also seeing a flow-on effect from Cadel.</p>
<p>Corporates – such as NAB and BHP-Billiton – are getting behind <a href="http://theconversation.com/try-cycling-on-ride-to-work-day-it-might-change-your-life-3760">Ride to Work days</a>, and you are more likely to see members of the business community networking on the bike (and at the coffee shop afterwards) than during other, more active sports, such as running or swimming.</p>
<p>Bicycle lobby groups, such as <a href="http://www.bv.com.au/general/about-us/">Bicycle Network Victoria</a>, now have a brand champion they can proudly show off to the government as someone who will support their cause for greater funding of bicycle lanes and paths.</p>
<p>SBS TV can also approach sponsors for more money for the 2012 Tour coverage as more viewers tune in to watch Cadel try and conquer the roads of France for a second time. </p>
<p>In the growing local professional bike racing scene, the <a href="http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/">Tour Down Under</a> can count on a greater corporate awareness of cycling.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenedgecycling.com/">Green Edge</a>, Australia’s new professional cycling team, is also riding the wave of Cadel fever. It is seeing increased interest from local companies now aware of the opportunity to develop brand awareness in the European and Australian market (through advertising on cyclists’ jerseys, for example).</p>
<p><figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4496/original/EPA_HORACIO_VILLALOBOS.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cadel’s Tour de France victory created a sales spike for BMC products.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Horacio Villalobos</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p>Although the Cadel Effect is hard to quantify there is no doubt it exists. A rough guess would place its overall value in the millions, spread right across the cycling industry.</p>
<p>How long will it last? Unless Cadel wins a second Tour de France in 2012 we may have already seen the peak – for now.</p>
<p>With a new crop of Australian cyclists rising up the ranks of road cycling – including Richie Porte, a rider <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/31851/porte-underlines-tour-credentials">some are tipping</a> to be a future Tour winner – it may not be too long before yellow fever strikes Australia’s cycling industry once again.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a> series.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3546/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/36282011-10-13T03:42:45Z2011-10-13T03:42:45ZWhy Sydney’s cycling culture needs an overseas influence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4437/original/Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sydney has a lot to learn when it comes to cycling culture.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mikael Colville Andersen</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: 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.</p>
<p>Yet in comparison to <a href="http://www.copenhagenize.eu/index/index.html">many European and Asian cities</a>, cycling culture in Australian cities – Sydney in particular – remains decidedly underdeveloped and under-motivated.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ViewContent?readform&view=ProductsbyTopic&Action=Expand&Num=3.17.3">last Australian census</a> revealed that <a href="http://www.pcal.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/36785/Cycling_in_NSW_-_What_the_Data_Tells_Us.pdf">44,511 people in Sydney</a>, 67,985 people in Brisbane, and <a href="http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/29A3CEDE-B1A0-492E-8158-2210C11E5D01/0/Report_on_Cycling_to_work.pdf">70,000 people in Melbourne</a> cycle daily.</p>
<p>Of these, 6,246 Sydney cyclists ride to work (0.78% of city population), compared with 10,177 in Melbourne (1.11%) and 7,274 in Brisbane (1.6%).</p>
<p>These figures show that, in comparison to other cities in Australia, Sydney is lagging behind.</p>
<p>But it gets worse. In comparison with other cities around the world with similar metropolitan-area-population, Sydney has one of the highest cyclist death rates. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4400/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel_s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Could separating cars and bikes actually make cycling less safe?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Christopher Samuel</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>But it’s getting better, right?</h2>
<p>So what is being done to make Sydney a more cycling-friendly city?</p>
<p>Well, in the past four years, the local government has rolled out new bike lanes, including some that segregate and physically disconnect cyclists from roadways.</p>
<p>In the context of major roads, segregated cycle lanes are a welcome necessity. But is this the correct approach for the smaller streets and quieter traffic of Sydney’s inner suburbs?</p>
<p>Segregation of bike lanes from roadways removes cyclists from the social and commercial domains of footpaths and building frontages. City designers and cyclists alike may argue that keeping cars away from bikes fosters cyclist safety, but do separated bike lanes foster what is <em>really</em> needed: a proper cycling culture?</p>
<p>In a way, segregated bike lanes further exacerbate long-term safety issues. They enforce the idea that the motor vehicle comes first. This can reduce the mutual awareness and responsibility of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians when encountering one another.</p>
<h2>What can we learn from real cycling cities?</h2>
<p>Designated cycling lanes are not features of cycling-established cities such as Tokyo, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Paris, nor do these cities <a href="http://theconversation.com/have-helmet-laws-put-the-skids-on-australias-bike-share-scheme-2703">enforce bicycle helmet laws</a>.</p>
<p>Yet in these cities, <a href="http://sustainablecities.dk/en/actions/interviews/jan-gehl-making-healthy-cities">cycling is an accepted and respected form of personal travel</a>. It promotes a greater awareness of the city, its fabric and layout. And it encourages social interaction.</p>
<p>Current legislation in NSW (and other states) prevents cyclists over 12 years of age riding on the footpath unless accompanying a minor on a bike. In Copenhagen, riding on footpaths is allowed, and wider footpaths, lower speed limits for vehicles and landscape zoning encourage <a href="http://theconversation.com/sharing-streets-is-the-answer-to-get-naked-2987">shared zones</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4438/original/wallyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">San Francisco has a thriving cycling culture, despite being much hillier than Sydney.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">wallyg</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 2007, a team led by world-expert Danish architect, Professor Jan Gehl, conducted the <a href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/development/cityimprovements/roadsandstreetscapes/PublicSpacesSurvey.asp">Public Spaces and Public Life survey</a> for Sydney.</p>
<p>At the time, Professor Gehl said: “Sydney has excellent natural conditions for developing a strong cycle culture since the climate and topography does not provide too many difficulties.”</p>
<p>Undulating topography (lots of hills) is often blamed for discouraging many would-be riders in Sydney. Yet in San Francisco – a far hillier city – cycling is abundant.</p>
<p>This could be due to <a href="http://ecolocalizer.com/2010/05/20/san-francisco-improves-bicycle-infrastructure-2/">recently completed bike infrastructure projects</a>, but is also likely to be the result of a celebration of cycling culture promoted through a <a href="http://www.sundaystreetssf.com/">series of city events</a>.</p>
<p>In the <a href="http://www.cycling-embassy.dk/2011/06/17/danish-architect-jan-gehl-on-good-cities-for-bicycling/">Good Cities for Bicycling</a> study, Professor Jan Gehl suggested “Sydney should take San Francisco as a precedent to work its way into a better way of living”.</p>
<h2>We need more than just bike lanes</h2>
<p>Developing and fostering a healthy cycling culture is not simply about encouraging more people to cycle, or introducing more cycling infrastructure.</p>
<p>Behaviours and attitudes also have to change; among cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, and also among those that contribute to city planning.</p>
<p>Cycling needs to be perceived as a viable way to get around, as it is in so many European and Asian cities. But it should also be seen as an activity that allows more spontaneous explorations of the city and the opportunity to experience the city in a more intense and rich way.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a> series.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Further reading:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/development/documents/CityImprovements/GEHL/SydneyPublicSpacePublicLife_recommendations.pdf">Public Spaces/Public Life/SYDNEY</a>, by Jan Gehl.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfbg.com/2011/05/10/rise-bike-culture">The Rise of Bike Culture: The streets of San Francisco aren’t just for cars anymore</a>, by Steven T. Jones.</li>
<li><a href="http://damienpericles.net/home/experimental/%E2%80%98no-excuse-zone%E2%80%99-%20and-%20cyclecity/">No excuse Zone and Cycle City</a> by Damien Pericles</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/F8D320D4-35FC-4AAC-A487-2B46F346CA32/0/CyclingInMelb.pdf">Cycling in Melbourne – Ownership, Use and Demographics</a> by VicRoads</li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3628/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Emma Barnes, Master of Architecture candidate, University of Technology SydneyNicole Gardner, Lecturer, Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/36702011-10-12T02:08:31Z2011-10-12T02:08:31ZEffortless cycling: how do we make riding a bike normal?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4271/original/shanghai_cycling_Beyond_Neon.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Riding to work doesn't have to involve lycra.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Beyond Neon</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: I’m living in the middle suburbs of Shanghai – a great cycling metropolis. Bike-riding rates are 30 to 40 times higher than Australian cities. </p>
<p>Hardly anyone wears lycra or rides a mountain or racing bike here. Cycling is all about “effortless” propulsion at low speeds on cheap, upright city bicycles in everyday clothes. People ride at half the speed of my mates in Australia, never breaking a sweat. </p>
<p>Everyone rides here: grandmothers, professors, street sweepers, office workers, my guitar teacher, children. It is these “<a href="http://theconversation.com/bikes-as-transport-getting-australian-women-along-for-the-ride-2157">missing</a>” bicycle riders we don’t see in Australia. Those going to the shop, the train station or the pub on a bicycle, instead of walking or driving a short distance.</p>
<p>So how do we target these groups?</p>
<p>We are certainly going in some good directions with bicycle policies and programs in many of Australia’s major cities, turning back 60 years of disinvestment in cycling. But how do we take the next step? </p>
<p>Here are some suggestions, based on comparative experiences and tied to practical policy changes. </p>
<p>John Pucher and Ralph Buehler’s <a href="http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Frontiers.pdf">analysis</a> of cycling across countries demonstrates that by putting dollars into cycling infrastructure, supporting it with sensible policies, restraining cars from their worst excesses, and encouraging cycling in practical ways, cities make riding “<a href="http://www.vtpi.org/irresistible.pdf">irresistible</a>”. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4270/original/cycling_shanghai_jessielein.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sensible transport policies can make cycling irresistible.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">jessielein</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Australian cities are now making tentative starts on this agenda. Off-road and on-road networks are being built, especially in the inner-cities. Bicycle parking is more common. “<a href="http://www.cyclingpromotion.com.au/resources/cycling-faqs/sharing-the-road.html">Share the road</a>” and similar education campaigns are in use. </p>
<p>But have you ever noticed how much of Australia’s cycling policy, programs, projects and culture is focused on long-distance and <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/beach-road-safer-for-cyclists-as-councils-put-wheels-in-motion-20111009-1lfww.html">high-speed cycling</a>? There is little attention to low-speed, everyday, short-hop bicycle riding. </p>
<p>We have a thriving sports cycling scene in Australia (<a href="http://theconversation.com/cadel-evans-and-other-machines-the-science-of-the-tour-de-france-time-trial-2471">all hail Cadel</a>!). And we have a burgeoning group of long-distance commuters willing to ride heroic distances to work. But these are not the people you see in most “cycling cities”. </p>
<p>How do we make Australian cities more like Shanghai? How do we get people riding as part of their everyday habits? How do we make cycling normal?</p>
<p>For starters, infrastructure is critical. </p>
<p>Every arterial road built in Shanghai includes a bicycle lane, usually barricaded from cars. This makes a continuous network of safe routes right across the urban area. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4224/original/BikeLane_ZhangwuLu_Shanghai2011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Safe infrastructure supports cycling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Burke</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many state and local governments have adopted similar policies in Australia, albeit without the barricades, and much new infrastructure is coming from this enlightened stance. </p>
<p>But guess who has no such policy? <a href="http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/">Infrastructure Australia</a>. This means the only part of government not willing to spend 0.5% or less of its urban road budget on ensuring a viable future cycling network is our federal government. </p>
<p>Secondly, low street speeds make for safer bicycle riding in Shanghai. </p>
<p>China has clearly got issues with dangerous driver and rider behaviour. But trauma rates are lower than one might expect as traffic speeds are low on suburban streets; usually around 30km/h. </p>
<p>At this speed, cars, motorcyclists and bike riders have more time to negotiate in traffic. The accidents that might occur at higher speeds just don’t happen, and the collisions that do occur (I’ve seen a couple) are usually benign. </p>
<p>The 50km/h posted street speed limit in local streets in Australia, and 40km/h in school zones, are therefore an international embarrassment, set way higher than norms in cities such as Berlin.</p>
<p>Thirdly, is it only me, or are Australian bicycle shops too daunting for the prospective rider who just wants a cheap trundler for going down to the shop and back? They’re full of the accoutrements of Australian cycling culture’s obsessions with speed and gleaming high-end technical machinery. Look in the shop window and there’s a $10,000 racing machine staring back at you. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4269/original/cycling_shanghai_triplefivedrew3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When bikes are cheap, comfortable and practical, more people ride.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">triplefivedrew</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Shanghai bike shops often cater <em>only</em> to those wanting a cheap low-speed bike. They are staggeringly normal places, bereft of weird clothing, bike computers, training manuals and the other gear we find in Australia. Cycling is normal. </p>
<p>Effortless cycling relies on different bikes too. In Shanghai most have chain-guards, mudguards, baskets and rear racks. There are cheap folding bikes you can put in your apartment, small wheeled machines and classic old-school bikes. </p>
<p>Mountain bikes dominate sales in Australian discount department stores. But they are not the design of choice for effortless riding. Without a chain guard they chew your trousers, almost forcing you to wear special “cycling” clothes. </p>
<p>Shanghai has electric bicycles (e-bikes) by their millions. These are less safe than a motorcar, despite being speed regulated to only 20km/h, but are more sustainable. The safer versions of the e-bike are banned from use in Australia under current road rules. These rules need urgent review. </p>
<p>Finally, the experience of the UK’s Cycling Cities and Towns initiative suggests <a href="http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/cycling-city-and-towns-programme/">focusing effort</a> on a specific urban area will have more impact on ridership than scattergun investment. </p>
<p>The Queensland Government’s (<a href="http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Strategy.aspx">Transport and Main Roads 2011</a>) pilot “active towns” project concentrates resources on only one location. There will be significant interest in how this affects cycling participation rates in involved cities such as Mackay. </p>
<p>If this approach is successful in the Australian context, as it has been in the UK, then expect the model to be more widely applied. </p>
<p>The next evolution in our thinking and our practices must be towards effortless cycling. Adopting these ideas may get us further towards that agenda.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a> series.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3670/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Burke receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. He is a member of the Queensland Bicycle Council, which provided advice to the Queensland Government during the development of the Queensland Cycle Strategy 2011-2021. Matthew gratefully acknowledges funding support from an Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Cheung Kong Endeavour Award. Thanks to this award Dr Burke is presently a presently a Visiting Scholar in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China.</span></em></p>CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: I’m living in the middle suburbs of Shanghai – a great cycling metropolis. Bike-riding rates are 30 to 40 times higher than Australian cities. Hardly anyone wears lycra or rides a…Matthew Burke, Senior Research Fellow, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/37602011-10-11T02:27:58Z2011-10-11T02:27:58ZTry cycling on Ride to Work Day … it might change your life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4240/original/AAP_Image_Joe_Castro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tucking your pants into your socks mightn't be trendy, but cycling to work has a range of benefits.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Joe Castro</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>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?</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Are more Australians cycling than ever before? Are our cities becoming more cycling-friendly? And why does any of this really matter?</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>In the first part of our <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a> series, Dr Chris Rissel of the University of Sydney looks at national Ride to Work Day. Can one day of collective action really make a difference?</strong></em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA</a>: Tomorrow is national <a href="http://ride2work.com.au/">Ride to Work Day</a>. I used to be sceptical of one-off “event” days for changing behaviour, but it is surprising how a single positive experience can change people’s minds.</p>
<p>Every year thousands of workplace volunteers encourage their colleagues to try cycling to work (or part of the way), offering breakfast or other benefits as an incentive.</p>
<p>Last year, <a href="http://www.bv.com.au/general/ride-to-work/93071/">more than 105,000 people</a> participated in Ride to Work Day across Australia. More importantly, 43% of those who registered as new riders were still riding to work five months later.</p>
<h2>Try before you buy</h2>
<p>Public events can be powerful triggers for change, because people actually try the new behaviour: if they have a positive experience, they’ll want to repeat it.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.bicyclensw.org.au/content/springcycle">Sydney Spring Cycle</a> is a case in point.</p>
<p>A study of participants in the large community event found that beginners and novice riders:</p>
<ul>
<li>prepared beforehand with practice rides and built up their strength and confidence</li>
<li>felt a sense of achievement when they completed the event, and</li>
<li>continued to ride afterwards.</li>
</ul>
<p>This is particularly likely to occur if there are others in a social network that support and encourage the new behaviour. Workplaces can do this well.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4239/original/AAP_Image_Julian_Smith.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New behaviours are easier to adopt when a group is involved.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Julian Smith</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most state and local governments have targets for increasing cycling levels, including riding to work. New South Wales, in its <a href="http://www.nsw.gov.au/bikeplan">State Plan</a>, has set a target to increase the mode share of bicycle trips made in the Greater Sydney region – at a local and district level – to 5% by 2016.</p>
<p>Individual local government areas have also set targets, such as the <a href="http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/parkingandtransport/cycling/CycleStrategyAndActionPlan.asp">City of Sydney’s Cycle Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017</a>, which has a target of 10% of trips to be made by bike by 2016.</p>
<p>These targets are set because there are enormous benefits that result from more people riding. </p>
<p>Aside from personal <a href="http://www.bv.com.au/general/ride-to-work/43504/">health and productivity gains</a>, at international, state and local levels, Professor John Pucher and others <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20724675">found</a> that when more people actively travel (walking or cycling) there are fewer people overweight or obese, inactive or with diabetes.</p>
<p>Another study in NSW found that those people who drove to work were 13% more likely to be overweight or obese compared to everyone else, even after taking into account leisure time physical activity. </p>
<p>More cycling also means fewer cars, which means less air pollution and less congestion.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4237/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Good infrastructure is vital for attracting new cyclists.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Christopher Samuel</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>There’s more we can do </h2>
<p>The number of cyclists who participate in Ride to Work Day is much higher than the number of people who usually ride to work (about 55,000 in all the capital cities).</p>
<p>Both the national <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/019FF0904A931ED6CA25729E0008A889?opendocument">Census</a> and the Household Travel Surveys in <a href="http://www.bts.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/79/R2011-09-HTS-Report.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y">NSW</a> and <a href="http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/research/research/victorian-integrated-survey-of-travel-and-activity">Victoria</a> record that about 1-2% of Australians rode to work on Census day or did so daily.</p>
<p>This rate of cycling to work has been quite stable for many years and represents approximately 10,000 people in Sydney, and 20,000 in Melbourne.</p>
<p>Although cycling rates are increasing, they are doing so from a very small base, with the result that the increases have yet to affect overall travel patterns.</p>
<p>This is in contrast to general cycling levels (riding to the shops, for example), with more than 10% of Australian adults having ridden in the past week and almost 30% in the past year.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the distribution of people cycling to work is not even. Inner-city areas have as much as three to four times the proportion of people cycling to work than the state average, or outer suburbs.</p>
<p>One reason for this is shorter trip distances in the inner-city. Five to ten kilometres can be ridden in less than 30 minutes, but most people would not cycle more than ten to 15 kilometres to work.</p>
<p>This is partly a fitness issue, but it’s also affected by individual “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchetti's_Constant">time budgets</a>” for travel. As the time needed for a journey goes up past 30-60 minutes, the preference for that travel mode goes down. </p>
<p>For people living in outer suburbs, one solution is to support bicycle parking at transport interchanges, so people can ride to the station or bus stop.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/4238/original/AAP_Image_Christopher_Samuel1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Christopher Samuel</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to we get more people to ride to work?</h2>
<p>To increase the number of people riding to work, the same things are needed that encourage people to ride in general.</p>
<p>Cycling infrastructure (bike lanes or paths) can help separate bikes from cars. Lower speed limits and traffic calming create a more cycling friendly environment.</p>
<p>When people get to their workplace they need facilities, such as showers and somewhere secure to leave their bike. Some workplaces are very switched on and provide great facilities, in part because they want to retain employees.</p>
<p>For example, Deutsche Bank and Fairfax Media in Pyrmont, Sydney provide a fantastic <a href="http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=11188">fresh towel service</a>.</p>
<p>Others workplaces have made arrangements with local gyms for use of shower facilities. <a href="http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/cycling/bike-parking/index.htm">Brisbane has a large bike hub</a> in the CBD for bike parking complete with showers, a bike shop and mechanics, and nearby cafés.</p>
<p>So tomorrow, on Ride to Work Day, why not give it a go? It’s good for the environment, it’s good for your health, it can increase your productivity at work and you might even get a free breakfast as a result.</p>
<p>Who knows: you might even enjoy it too.</p>
<p><strong>Read the rest of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cycling-in-australia">Cycling in Australia</a> series.</strong></p>
<p><em><strong>For more information about Ride to Work Day, or to register as a Ride to Work Day rider, follow <a href="http://ride2work.com.au/">this link</a>.</strong></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/3760/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I declare no conflict of interest.</span></em></p>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…Chris Rissel, Professor of Public Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/29872011-09-16T02:40:22Z2011-09-16T02:40:22ZSharing streets: is the answer to get naked?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/3546/original/woonerf_la_citta_vita.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How do you improve road safety? Simple: make it riskier.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">La Citta Vita</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In August, Liberal MP Peter Phelps delivered <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod%5Cparlment%5Chanstrans.nsf/V3ByKey/LC20110812?open&refNavID=HA5_1">a passionate rant</a> 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 of individual liberty. </p>
<p>Instead, he demanded, we need more roundabouts: “Roundabouts represent freedom. Roundabouts represent liberty.” </p>
<p>It was the sort of quirky tirade that, while providing amusing “filler” for news agencies, usually offers no worthwhile argument and quickly fades from memory. Certainly, the Roads Minister Duncan Gay moved swiftly to quash any ideas about removing traffic lights. </p>
<p>But perhaps Phelps was on to something; he just wasn’t thinking radically enough. </p>
<h2>Strip the signs away</h2>
<p>What he could have pointed to was the urban design and traffic engineering concept of “shared space” (or “naked streets”). This idea strips away almost all traditional street elements – such as signs, traffic lights, pedestrian barriers, road markings and kerbs – in order to make those streets work better. </p>
<p>The informal sharing of streets has a long history, but has had a “rebirth” in this new approach, with its roots in the Dutch <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf"><em>woonerf</em></a> design principles that emerged in the 1970s. </p>
<p>The <em>woonerven</em> were streets where innovative paving, landscaping and other urban design measures allowed pedestrians, cyclists and children to share the road with slow-moving cars. </p>
<p>There has been a growing adoption of these ideas in an Anglo-American context as “shared spaces”. British urban designer Ben Hamilton-Baillie has been the <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/mjcassini/Shared%20Space.pdf">best-known advocate</a>. </p>
<h2>More risk makes roads safer</h2>
<p>Why a rebirth? Since the mid-twentieth century, when planners, engineers and governments began to grapple with huge increases in car use, street design has been dominated by the idea that potential conflict between vehicles and other users can be engineered out.</p>
<p>Smooth traffic flow and safety is supposedly achieved by controlling the movement of traffic with engineering and enforcement. We set up lane segregation, speed bumps, traffic lights, speed cameras, and so on. </p>
<p>The late <a href="http://www.pps.org/articles/hans-monderman/">Hans Monderman</a>, a Dutch traffic engineer, pioneered shared space design. He summarised the problem of the emphasis on segregation, control devices and regulation:</p>
<p>“A wide road with a lot of signs is telling a story. It’s saying: ‘Go ahead, don’t worry, go as fast as you want, there’s no need to pay attention to your surroundings.’ And that’s a very dangerous message.”</p>
<p>Seemingly paradoxical, the underlying concept of shared spaces is that introducing risk can improve road safety. This “second generation” approach draws heavily on the field of behavioural psychology to better understand how the environmental context of streets influences behaviour. </p>
<p>It puts all street users together in a shared, largely undifferentiated space. It emphasises the importance of speed, eye contact and interaction. It builds a sense that the street is shared. The idea is to encourage people to take responsibility for their actions. </p>
<p>What emerges is a kind of “psychological traffic calming.”</p>
<h2>Big in Europe, but catching on here</h2>
<p>Around the world, but especially in Europe (where the European Commission sponsors <a href="http://www.shared-space.org/">a shared space project involving seven countries</a>), there are hundreds of implemented schemes based on these principles. </p>
<p>In Australia there are very few. But a growing interest and acceptance can be seen in the <a href="http://udf.org.au/udf-quarterly/udfq-84-december-2008/article/bendigo-wins-australia-award-for-urban-design/">City of Bendigo’s 2008 Australia award for Urban Design</a>, to which its shared space scheme contributed significantly. </p>
<p>Existing studies of such schemes have found that, in the appropriate settings, they are generally beneficial. They tend to have lower vehicle speeds, fewer accidents and injuries. There is also evidence of reduced congestion and emissions. </p>
<p>Other positive aspects include less physical and visual clutter and more aesthetically attractive streets. These can contribute to enhanced feelings of liveability and improved social qualities.</p>
<h2>Sometimes we need those Bolshevist traffic lights</h2>
<p>There are caveats though – shared spaces can’t be deployed everywhere. Even their most passionate advocates, such as Hamilton-Baillie and Monderman, acknowledge the need for controlled highways and roads. </p>
<p>Also, strong concerns have been raised about potential impacts that shared spaces can have on more vulnerable street users. These are users such as children, the elderly and people with a disability (particularly the blind and partially sighted), who are less able to engage drivers in the required <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M72PjvMw1qc">“negotiation”</a>. </p>
<p>Some cycling advocacy groups worry about subjective levels of safety and the possibility that feeling unsafe will discourage people from getting on bikes. It is here that the debate on shared spaces dovetails with an equally heated one around the benefits (or not) of segregated cycle paths. </p>
<p>There is no simple answer to whether shared spaces are “right”. A formal theoretical framework and coherent body of research around their worth is only just emerging, and their application has to be context-specific. </p>
<p>What does seem clear is that, when successful, they help balance conflicting social and movement roles in streets. This balance gives pedestrians and cyclists more attractive and enjoyable streets than they often currently experience in our cities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/2987/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Stickells does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Lee Stickells, Senior Lecturer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/21572011-08-10T20:36:29Z2011-08-10T20:36:29ZBikes as transport: getting Australian women along for the ride<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2723/original/woman_cycling_kamshots.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">European women love to get on their bikes.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">kamshots/Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cycling for transport in Australia is characterised by several “missing” population groups: women, children, adolescents and older adults. </p>
<p>Women comprise about one-fifth of commuter cyclists in Australia. In countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan, more women than men travel by bike. </p>
<p>There has been considerable speculation about why cycling for transport in Australia is less socially inclusive than in a number of other industrialised countries. For women, explanations have centred on time constraints, household responsibilities, and concerns about traffic hazards and personal safety. </p>
<p>While all these factors undoubtedly play a role, a recent analysis of international comparative data adds another perspective. It has found that women ride bikes for transport when the environment is friendly to cycling. </p>
<h2>Make cycling safe, convenient and fast, and women will do it</h2>
<p>Whether you look at national, city or local government area data, when bike riding makes up a bigger proportion of trips, the proportion of women cycling also increases.</p>
<p>City level data is shown in the graph below. It shows that the measures that make cycling generally appealing are those that are particularly important for women: safety, convenience and fast travel time for the short to medium-distance trips that characterise urban living. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2726/original/bike_trips_graph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bicycle mode share of trips and percentage of female cyclists, large cities.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Traffic safety, in particular, is a key factor for addressing gender equity in cycling.
Concerns about safety are a major barrier to cycling in Australia, and a greater barrier for women than men. </p>
<p>While actual injury risk is important from a road safety perspective, subjective risk perceptions appear to be more important in shaping cycling behaviour, particularly for women. </p>
<p>Cycling injury data in Australia and the UK indicate that women are actually at lower risk of a traffic-related cycling injury than men, particularly for the more severe injuries. However, consistent with gender differences in risk aversion in general, women are both more concerned about safety and more affected by safety concerns. </p>
<p>Relative to men, women prefer to use cycling routes where they can get further away from motor vehicle traffic. They are also more likely to go out of their way to use a safer route, and to cycle more cautiously in traffic.</p>
<h2>In Australia, road safety is about cars</h2>
<p>While Australia is among the world leaders in road traffic safety in general, the focus has been on protecting motor vehicle occupants. Cycling safety has been relatively neglected. </p>
<p>Serious injury rates for cyclists in Australia are increasing. They are several times higher than fatality and injury rates in the high-cycling industrialised countries of Europe and Asia. </p>
<p>In Australia, efforts to increase cycling and improve the safety of cyclists have focussed on separating cyclists from motorists. Investment in cycling infrastructure has been ad hoc and inadequate. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C199%2C678%2C630&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2724/original/woman_cycling_marcusuke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Older women have gone missing in the Australian cycling population.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">marcusuke/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Effective cycling safety measures that potentially affect motor vehicle flow are avoided. There has also been a misplaced reliance on the “safety in numbers” concept whereby cycling supposedly becomes safer as more people cycle, due to factors such as higher visibility. </p>
<p>Countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Japan take a different approach. If you’re making a short to medium trip in an urban area, they encourage you to ride a bike. </p>
<p>These countries have consistently implemented a range of transport, traffic safety and urban planning measures that systematically prioritise cycling over car travel for these trips. </p>
<p>Measures include establishing an extensive network of high quality bicycle routes that provide:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>good separation from motor vehicle traffic where appropriate</p></li>
<li><p>good management of interactions between bicycles and cars where complete separation is not feasible. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>How do “high-cycling” countries do it?</h2>
<p>There are many policies aimed at improving the ways cyclists and drivers interact.</p>
<p>Intersection treatments can provide safe flow for both bicycles and cars. Extensive traffic-calmed urban areas with speed limits of 30 km/h or less make cycling more appealing. </p>
<p>Road safety measures consistently make the safety of cyclists more important than keeping motor vehicles moving. For example, car drivers have the legal responsibility to avoid collisions with cyclists and pedestrians. The principle is that the responsibility for injury prevention lies with the operator of the vehicle that can cause most harm. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2725/original/woman_cycling_Mikael_Colville-Andersen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bikes need to take their place as another form of transport.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mikael Colville-Andersen</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Because of these measures, cycling environments are both safe and pleasant. Cyclists rarely experience the hazardous and unpleasant interactions with motorists that characterise cycling in countries such as Australia and the USA. </p>
<p>It is important to recognise that these high-cycling countries are not “anti-car”; rather, they provide a more level playing field for a wider range of ways of travelling. </p>
<p>As in Australia, motorways and arterial roads provide for high-speed, high-volume motorised travel between major population centres. But transport and urban planning measures make cycling faster and more convenient than car travel within cities, towns and suburbs.</p>
<p>It’s not just regulation that makes cycling more appealing for women, children and older adults. In high-cycling countries, people are more likely to use bicycles appropriate for everyday travel - more upright bikes, in other words. Their bikes have a bigger carrying capacity (so you can take your children and do your shopping), and it’s normal to ride in everyday clothing rather than sports gear (including to work).</p>
<p>Because of these measures, cycling is seen as a convenient form of everyday travel for everyone, rather than a vigorous form of sport and exercise that is more appealing to young to middle-aged men.</p>
<h2>Australia’s path forward</h2>
<p>In countries like Australia, where few women cycle for transport, many of the factors described above are either lacking or only partly addressed. </p>
<p>More people, and more women, would cycle if we prioritised bicycle travel over car travel for many of the daily trips that are part of urban life. Think of the short trips you make everyday that could be on a bike if cycling was easier: taking the kids to school, picking up some things at the shop, going to work or to the gym. </p>
<p>Urban environments designed for safe, enjoyable bicycle travel are quite unlike those where cycling is simply tacked on to the “real transport business” of moving cars as quickly as possible at all times in all locations. </p>
<p>The evidence shows that as bicycle travel becomes a convenient, safe and enjoyable everyday transport option, increasing numbers of girls, adolescents and adult women will almost certainly go along for the ride.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/2157/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Garrard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…Jan Garrard, Senior Lecturer, School of Health & Social Development , Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/27032011-08-09T04:28:26Z2011-08-09T04:28:26ZHave helmet laws put the skids on Australia’s bike share scheme?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2711/original/Jase_Wong.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Would-be cyclists are deterred by mandatory helmet laws. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jase Wong</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Public bicycle hire schemes have the potential to generate the well-known health benefits that come with increased exercise. </p>
<p>But while Australia has bravely adopted such schemes, mandatory helmet laws continue to deter would-be cyclists. </p>
<p>Worldwide, more than 135 cities have developed bicycle share schemes to help reduce vehicle congestion and car parking problems, including Paris, London, Hangzhou, Montreal, Mexico City. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.melbournebikeshare.com.au/">Melbourne</a> and <a href="http://www.citycycle.com.au/">Brisbane</a> started similar but smaller schemes last year to encourage bicycle use for short trips. </p>
<p>But unlike other schemes, Australia is the only country to mandate the use of helmets. </p>
<h2>Benefits and risks of cycling</h2>
<p>In this week’s <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4521">British Medical Journal</a>, researchers looked at the health risks and benefits of users of the <a>“Bicing” public bicycle sharing scheme</a> in Barcelona, Spain. </p>
<p>The researchers considered the 181,982 resident users of the bike share program and looked at deaths related to physical activity, road traffic incidents and exposure to air pollution. </p>
<p>Overall, they concluded that the additional physical activity from cycling instead of driving played a role in preventing 12 deaths. </p>
<p>They estimated the health benefits of riding a bicycle outweighed the risks of injury by a huge ratio of 77:1 – even if the bike was only ridden for comparatively short journeys.</p>
<p>The main reason for such a large benefit-to-risk ratio is the relatively low injury risk of cycling, despite minimal bicycle helmet use.</p>
<p>These findings are consistent with several other studies, including one published by the <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Cycling.html?id=xSOPPwAACAAJ">British Medical Association</a> in 1992 that reported a cycling benefit-to-risk ratio of 20:1. </p>
<p>A more recent <a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0901747">analysis from Holland</a> found the health benefits of cycling added between three and 14 months to a person’s life. </p>
<p>This compares with the potential effect of increased inhaled air pollution (0.8 to 40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (five to nine days lost).</p>
<p>Bicycle loan schemes are also interesting because they contribute a new source of data on cycling risk relative to exposure. </p>
<p>Cycling on the upright urban style of bicycle used in most of the schemes appears to be very safe indeed. </p>
<p>There have now been more than six million users of the “<a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2010/07/30/uk-britain-bikes-idUKTRE66T2M520100730">Boris bikes</a>” in London. Distances cycled total more than 10 million kilometres, with few serious injuries. In the first three months the <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/27666-transport-london-reveals-boris-bike-accident-figures">accident rate</a> was estimated to be 0.002%. </p>
<p>There are similar observations from Dublin and other schemes.</p>
<h2>Australia’s schemes</h2>
<p>There are 50 bike stations and 600 bikes situated around the Melbourne CBD. Melbourne Bike Share is designed for short trips, which is why the first 30 minutes are free to subscribers (who pay $50 a year). Trips lasting longer than two hours can be expensive.</p>
<p>Brisbane now has 1,000 bikes at 101 CityCycle stations, with another 1000 bikes planned at a further 50 stations. For annual subscribers the first 30 minutes are free.</p>
<p>While figures on usage of the <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/slow-uptake-doesnt-faze-citycycle-boss-20110317-1byx0.html">Brisbane</a> and <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/helmet-law-makes-nonsense-of-bike-hire-scheme-20100722-10my2.html">Melbourne schemes</a> are hard to come by, the available information suggests the usage rate is very low, at about 10% of comparable programs in London or Dublin. </p>
<p>The poor uptake is likely due to a combination of poor cycling infrastructure and the requirement for users to wear helmets. </p>
<p>I’ve heard of potential users seeing the bikes lined up and going to have a look, only to turn away when they realise they needed a helmet and didn’t have one (and despite them being available in a nearby store in Melbourne for minimal cost). </p>
<p>Few people carry a helmet on the chance that they might want to borrow a bike for a quick trip to run an errand.</p>
<p>Only the Australian schemes require users to wear helmets. Mexico City (last year), and Israel (just last week) have <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?ID=232573&R=R1">repealed their adult helmet legislation</a>, in part to make their bicycle share schemes viable. </p>
<p>Other factors, like population density and location of the bicycle stations play a role in usage of the scheme, but these things cannot be readily changed. </p>
<p>Given there is clear evidence from around the world of substantial health benefits and minimal risk from public bicycle share schemes, Australia should allow an exemption of the mandatory helmet legislation for such schemes.</p>
<p><em><strong>Have you taken part in bike share schemes in Australia or abroad? Why/why not? Are mandatory helmet laws a deterrent? Leave your comments below.</strong></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/2703/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rissel does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.</span></em></p>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…Chris Rissel, Professor of Public Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/24712011-07-22T05:04:59Z2011-07-22T05:04:59ZCadel Evans and other machines: the science of the Tour de France time trial<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2436/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The time trial is critical to Evans' chances in the 2011 Tour de France.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AFP/Pascal Pavani</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Following the 18th stage of the 2011 Tour de France last night, the top six riders are within <a href="http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1800/classement/index.html">less than four minutes</a> of one another: Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, Ivan Basso, Damian Cunego and Thomas Voeckler. </p>
<p>If the time gaps between these riders don’t change dramatically after tonight’s short (110 kilometres long) but very challenging (42.4 kilometres of climbing) stage, tomorrow night’s <a href="http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/2000/etape_par_etape.html">individual time trial</a> (ITT) will decide this year’s Tour.</p>
<p>So, what does the ITT have in store?</p>
<p>The 42.5 kilometre time trial will be held on the streets of Grenoble on the same course from the third stage of this year’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crit%C3%A9rium_du_Dauphin%C3%A9">Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré</a>.</p>
<p>That particular race was <a href="http://www.roadcycling.com/articles/2011-Criterium-du-Dauphine-Results---Stage-3-Time-Trial_004361.shtml">won by Tony Martin</a> in 55 minutes 27 seconds with an average speed of 46km/h.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2434/original/CARTE.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The route for Saturday night’s time trial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amaury Sport Organisation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Riders in tomorrow night’s ITT will depart at two minute intervals, with the slowest overall rider starting first, and the best-placed rider overall setting off last.</p>
<p>To achieve the best performance during an individual time trial, each rider will have to pay particular attention to the findings of cycling research.</p>
<p>One of the most important factors is the need to reduce <a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics1.html">drag</a> by striving toward an aerodynamic bike setup. Indeed, a rider will experience considerable performance improvements in a time trial by leaving their standard bike frame, wheels and helmet in the team bus, while also abandoning their usual body position – hands on the “brake hoods” (see image below).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2437/original/EPA_NICOLAS_BOUVY.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cadel Evans at the front of the bunch, his hands on the brake hoods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Nicolas Bouvy</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Instead, riders will choose a bike with an aerodynamic frame and wheels while wearing an aerodynamic helmet and trying to keep their elbows on the time trial handlebars (see image below).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/2435/original/AFP_PHOTO_PASCAL_PAVANI.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cadel Evans in time trial position, his elbows on the handlebars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AFP/Pascal Pavani</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The use of aerodynamic equipment and body position will reduce drag, allowing riders to reach higher speeds for a given power output – more than 400 watts for time trial specialists, double what a recreational cyclist could produce for long periods – and consequently decrease their overall time on the 42.5 kilometre-long course.</p>
<p>Nutrition will also have an impact on the power generated by riders during the Grenoble time trial.</p>
<p>Prior to the race, ingesting a small dose of caffeine can allow the riders to obtain a significant improvement (around 5%) on the power that they will be able to produce.</p>
<p>During the race, the riders will also ingest carbohydrate-rich sports drinks – such as Powerade or Gatorade – at regular intervals, allowing them to produce 2-3% more power than if they were drinking water only. </p>
<p>The pacing strategy selected by the riders will also have a significant influence on their final performance.</p>
<p>Interestingly, a rider won’t achieve an optimal performance if he tries to maintain a constant power output throughout the stage. An optimal performance is more likely when a rider is able to vary his power production to reduce speed variations. </p>
<p>Indeed, riders have to constantly adjust their power output to changes in <a href="http://thecycleway.com/?p=32">road gradient</a> and wind conditions.</p>
<p>Another important factor of performance during a time trial is the ability of the rider to corner effectively, so as to maintain speed in the bends. </p>
<p>However, trying to gain time in that way can bring a rider to the ground and he can lose his chance of winning Le Tour, as happened to Jan Ulrich when he was fighting against Lance Amstrong in the decisive time trial of the 2003 Tour de France.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mx0UgeDZZuE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Jan Ullrich crashing out of the 2003 Tour de France.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Having raced the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré time trial in June, Cadel Evans will know all about the course, allowing him to define his pacing strategy and to adopt the right cornering trajectories.</p>
<p>Depending on the weather conditions, Evans might beat his time in that particular time trial – 56 minutes 47 seconds – but will that be enough for him to take the Yellow Jersey and ride into the Champs-Élysées as leader of the race?</p>
<p>He certainly has a good chance …</p>
<p><em><strong>Update: After the <a href="http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1900/classement/index.html">epic 19th stage</a> of this year’s Tour de France, Andy Schleck leads the race. His brother Frank is 53 seconds behind and Australia’s Cadel Evans is a further two seconds off the lead.</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Further reading</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theconversation.com/the-science-of-elite-cycling-tour-de-france-stages-1-to-11-2045">Science of elite cycling: Tour de France (stage 1 to 11)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theconversation.com/the-science-of-elite-cycling-tour-de-france-stages-12-to-21-2063">Science of elite cycling: Tour de France (stage 12 to 21)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11428691">Improving cycling performance: how should we spend our time and money</a> by Jeukendrup AE, Martin J.</li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/2471/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rouffet does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>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…David Rouffet, PhD, Sport Performance Analysis, ISEAL, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/19792011-06-23T04:29:42Z2011-06-23T04:29:42ZPutting a lid on the debate: mandatory helmet laws reduce head injuries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1837/original/Ed_Yourdon.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ed Yourdon</span> </figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Since mandatory bike helmet laws were introduced in 1991, researchers, cyclists and campaigners have debated the law’s role in cyclist <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-keeping-bike-helmets-is-best-for-health-661">safety</a> and the <a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42">desirability</a> of bike riding.</strong></em> </p>
<p><em><strong>A new analysis reveals rates of head injuries reduced by almost a third after the laws were introduced. We spoke with the lead author of the study Jake Olivier, Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s Prince of Wales Clinical School, about the evidence used in the bike helmet debate:</strong></em></p>
<p>My involvement in this research began when the <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/august-2010-vol-21-no-3/">Voukelatos and Rissel paper</a> came out last year in the <a href="http://acrs.org.au/publications/journals/">Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety</a>. The paper said rates of cyclist head injury had decreased more in the period before the mandatory helmet laws were introduced than after. </p>
<p>When I read it initially, I thought the article had some interesting methods. But on closer inspection, the authors’ analysis looked weak. </p>
<p>It came out later that there were some <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/february-2011-vol-22-no-1/">data errors</a>, which were <a href="http://www.cbdbug.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/helmet-research-paper-released/Attachment-3-Voukelatos-and-Rissel-Released.pdf">pointed out by Tim Churches</a>. The errors turned out to be real and Voukelatos and Rissel were given a chance to respond. They didn’t, so the journal <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/february-2011-vol-22-no-1/">retracted the paper</a>. </p>
<p>At that stage, I decided to take Voukelatos and Rissel’s basic idea and do a more comprehensive and statistically rigorous analysis. </p>
<h2>What was your methodology?</h2>
<p>In order to find out whether there was a reduction in head injures, we looked at the ratio of head to arm injuries – and this is what Voukelatos and Rissel did. </p>
<p>Any major drop in cycling rates would have resulted in a drop in head <em>and</em> arm injury rates. So the comparisons we made were “exposure free”, meaning the variations in cycling numbers wouldn’t affect the analysis. </p>
<h2>What periods and regions did you examine?</h2>
<p>We looked at data from New South Wales from eighteen months before the legislation and then eighteen months after its introduction. It’s the same data source that Voukelatos and Rissel used. (The Daily Telegraph ran a story today saying it was new data but this isn’t true). </p>
<p>When Tim Churches corrected the mistakes from Voukelatos and Rissel’s paper, he came to the same conclusions we did. </p>
<h2>What are the key findings from your re-examination of the data?</h2>
<p>We found a 29% reduction in bicycle-related head injury attributable to the introduction of the mandatory helmet law.</p>
<p>There has been some debate about whether the head-to-arm injury ratio was the best methodology. So we also looked at the ratio of head to leg injury, to see if we could observe the same effect among cyclists, and we did. </p>
<p>We then repeated those two analyses on pedestrians. The helmet law was directed at cyclists not pedestrians, so if we found a big drop in pedestrians, that would be an indication of general road safety improvements. </p>
<p>But we did not see a reduction in pedestrian head injury at all relative to limb injuries. </p>
<p>So the reduction in head injuries seems to have been isolated to cyclists and that drop appears to be real. </p>
<h2>How does your analysis compare with the existing data on the introduction of mandatory bike helmet laws?</h2>
<p>There are some conflicting reports out there. And a lot of these have been dogged by problems of confounding variables: Is the decline in head injury a result of general road safety improvements? Is it because of other things that are happening in the community? </p>
<p>We developed our analysis to account for all that – and this sets our methodology apart from what’s been done in the past. </p>
<p>Based on our analysis, I think the question of whether mandatory helmet laws reduced head injury should no longer be debatable in NSW. We should maintain mandatory helmet laws. </p>
<h2>Did cyclist numbers reduce after the mandatory helmet laws were introduced?</h2>
<p>The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) commissioned a few reports around the time the helmet law was introduced. One that came out in 1991 found the number of child cyclists reduced by around a third but there seemed to be an increase in adult riders. The overall numbers appear stable around that time. </p>
<p>So the numbers of cyclists overall may not have changed much, with more adults cycling but fewer children cycling – our model accounted for that. </p>
<p>Our conclusions remain the same regardless of the numbers of cyclists. But there is certainly active debate about whether it stopped people from cycling or not, and whether those that stopped cycling took up other activities and returned to cycling after our study period. </p>
<h2>Are helmets currently a barrier to cycling? </h2>
<p>Helmets aren’t a major barrier. There’s a <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Cycling-Survey-2011-Riding-a-Bike-for-Transport.pdf">widely cited survey</a> by the Cycling Promotion Fund and the National Heart Foundation that suggests it is one of many coming in as the tenth most selected barrier. However, there were some problems with their methodology in terms of finding the primary barriers to cycling.</p>
<p>The researchers asked, “What do you find are the barriers to cycling?” and gave the respondents a list of choices, allowing them to tick as many as they wanted. The problem with that is you don’t get an idea of what the <em>main</em> barrier of cycling is for these people. </p>
<p>The results showed around 16% said the helmet law was a barrier to cycling and it was ranked the tenth most common barrier. So when you consider that this might not be the main barrier, the actual figure is likely to be much lower than 16%. </p>
<h2>How can we improve cycling rates?</h2>
<p>We need to separate cyclists from pedestrians and motorcars, increase education programs and work to make the roads safer in general. </p>
<p>If we can increase cycling numbers in Australia we will get a “safety in numbers” benefit, but we are far from reaching cycling participation rates to achieve that. </p>
<p>Improving road infrastructure for cyclists would certainly increase safety. But on top of that, we need to make sure every rider has a helmet on top of her head to get the maximum safety benefit. </p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em><strong>The Conversation has previously published articles on both sides of the mandatory bike helmet debate: Chris Rissel argued <a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42">ditching bike helmet laws would encourage more people to cycle and the public health benefits would outweigh the increased risk of head injury</a> and Max Cameron <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-keeping-bike-helmets-is-best-for-health-661">outlined the benefits of mandatory helmet laws in protecting cyclists against head trauma</a>.</strong></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/1979/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jake Olivier receives funding from NHMRC, ARC and the RTA.</span></em></p>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…Jake Olivier, Associate Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.