At Saturday’s Chatswood StreetFair, Bike North members and advocates were able to speak to local politicians from all tiers of government. Each was happy to engage in conversations about active transport and what they are doing, or will do, to improve cycling infrastructure in Northern Sydney.

With local Council elections this coming Saturday, do you know what your candidates stand for when it comes to cycling and active transport?

It is not too late to ask!

 

Candidates are keen to speak to voters and find out what the grass roots issues are that affect them. Speak to candidates or their team at your local shopping centre, train station or bus stop – or even call or meet them.

 

Bike North has gathered responses to probing questions about active transport from over 50% of candidates! You can read their answers here . Be informed, these Council elections, and make your vote count!

David Thomson, Advocacy Convenor

Since Sarah joined the Bike North Committee less than three  years ago, she has made an extraordinary contribution, as Membership Co-ordinator, Projects Co-ordinator, Social Media Guru, Communications Co-ordinator and most recently as Comms and ClubExpress Co-ordinator. She led as Bike North made significant new use of social media, while also taking on tasks as varied as a new Constitution, our clothing shop and insurance review.

 

Read our full article about Sarah’s achievements here.

When you meet a fellow Bike North member, maybe you should ask them “Have you Activ8’ed?” rather than your normal greeting. Elsewhere we have short stories on members who have Activ8’ed but how is the campaign going overall?

In a normal full month, we have been listing around 30 rides. As of last Sunday, just eight days into Activ’8, our Ride Leaders had listed 26 rides. That’s a great effort!

Of the 14 rides that have been held so far, only two were fully subscribed so there were lots of positions available on rides. On these 14 rides, our members have ridden 4,924km and have been all over the area. We’ve had rides at Kurrajong Heights, down south at Wolli Creek, exploring Shrimpton’s Creek and sampling cakes at Concord?

Coming up, we’ll see Bike North members heading for Calga, Wollongong, Liverpool, Wyong and Manly whilst other rides are staying closer to home, including Lane Cove River Park and Breakfast point. There’s something for everyone, but if there is a particular ride you’d like to see listed, email info@bikenorth.org.au with your request. There are no guarantees, but let’s see what or ride leaders can organise.

There will be lots more rides listed so book in, enjoy the Spring weather and Activ8.  

Having been part of a group ride, during which an incident occurred, the lack of video footage can make or break any subsequent police investigation.  I personally ride with 2 GoPro cameras, (front and back) and was fortunate enough to capture the incident on my rear facing camera. 

In today’s environment, if one plans on riding on the road, even if in a dedicated bicycle lane, I can’t stress the importance of riding with at least one camera.  There are a number of dedicated cycling cameras offered by Cycliq and Garmin, as well as numerous action cameras.

Cycliq (https://cycliq.com/) offer front and rear camera with integrated lights, whilst Garmin only offer a rear camera (RCT715 - https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/721258), however this also includes a radar and light, that can interface with majority of bikes computers and provide audible and visual alerts of approaching objects.  Battery life can vary, up to 7 hours, depending on the operating modes, but may be sufficient for majority of Bike North rides, or a daily commute.  Generally these batteries are integrated into the unit and are not user replaceable.

For those that prefer a dedicated action cam, such as GoPro (https://gopro.com/en/au/) , Insta360 (https://store.insta360.com/), DJI (https://www.dji.com/au/products/handheld-imaging-devices#action-series) due to their overall camera capabilities, one thing to consider is battery life.  The rechargeable batteries typically last 80-90 minutes, and like the Cycliq and Garmin are very dependant on the camera’s settings.  

Read the full article here.  

  

Martin Bowesman, Ride Leader  

Check out the video below for tips on Best Fit Helmet safety with thanks to our Coaching Coordinator Peter Green!

Click here or on the image.