Category: Culture

Profile Bikefriendly business: Svelto Bikes

We love featuring local business that help promote riding bicycles.* Is there a more bikefriendly business than one that actually builds bicycles? We’ve had a chat to Kate Biondo of the Galactic Cooperative, which is the mothership of Svelto Bikes, the only Western Australian (maybe even Australian?) e-bike manufacturer:

“Svelto Bikes is our quality Australian designed and built e-bike, and, as a business, is part of the Galactic Co-operative. As a local business with a passion for renewable energy we had a mission to see less cars on Australian roads. Electric bikes can be seen as a definite answer to Australia’s congested roads. Around six years ago we started experimenting with different electric bike technologies. We tried front, rear and two wheel drive motor combinations; many different controller and battery chemistry alternatives and always striving for the most reliable sustainable solution to the commuting problem. The result was our commuter electric bikes.”

“Our sustainability focus starts with the idea that an electric bike is a viable alternative to a second car. More than that though, a well designed and manufactured electric bike, suited to Australia’s climate and urban makeup is a sustainable alternative to a single occupant fossil fuelled car. It’s even more than that though; our bikes are designed to last longer than any other electric bike on the market, and in some cases will outlive most other motorised items as well. Our commuter electric bike has a 25 year design philosophy! We only make or use components that we believe will last 25 years (excluding consumables like tyres, brakes and battery). We’ll train you to ride and look after your bike, we’ll service your bike and maintain a relationship with you for the life of your bike. It’s all part of our commitment to the environmental, social and economic well-being of our planet and its inhabitants.”

“Several people from Galactic Cooperative and Svelto Bikes have come together to express their thoughts on the role that bicycles and e-bikes have played, and continue to play, in their lives. As a business, Svelto Bikes has a vision to put every commuter whose journey suits cycling on an e-bike. This ties in with the Galactic Co-operative mandates to engage with the community, and reduce the environmental impact of human activity. Svelto Bikes believes that innovation will allow people to move to a more environmentally responsible paradigm while also having a higher quality of life, rather than feeling like they’re sacrificing anything, which is where the environmental movement finds a great deal of resistance.”

“We have a pool bike ready for use at the office and everyone is encouraged to use it for small trips around the place from picking up parts from local suppliers and lunch items.”

“The Svelto Bike was conceptualised by Andrea Biondo. Andrea has always ridden a bike and given the opportunity will ride to most places. While in training for an apprenticeship back in the eighties he would ride his bike to the training facility on Ley Street, Manning from Langford everyday. Once in the workforce Andrea struggled to find opportunities to ride because of the nature of his work in the service industry. Change of career and a move towards being where we are today meant that bike riding came to the forefront once more. Riding his bike to and from Curtin University where he studied Physics and then went on to work at Curtin University for a couple of years riding his bike rain or shine. Starting work at University of Western Australia meant more a longer commute and Andrea started thinking how to make the 16 kilometre journey there and back more manageable. His thoughts went into the realm of an electric bike, and hence the beginning of the Svelto prototype.”

“Kate Biondo didn’t have such a close relationship to the bicycle as some others. It was always a means to get to places and she was so keen to get her licence and drive a car at 17. Until she could drive though, Kate has many fond memories of being one of the Charlie’s angels riding around the deserted Primary School grounds with her friends and the independence of going to and from friends homes, the shops and High School. Having her son, Isaac, was another big boost to use a bike once more. Kate wanted to make sure Isaac new that cycling was a part of what he does as a family and it was seen as a normal way of getting about. Kate, Andrea and Isaac have cycled a lot; to and from Isaac’s school, all around Rottnest on a yearly basis from when Isaac was 3 to about 10 years of age and still do at any opportunity, and on weekends to explore along the Canning and Swan River. Isaac to this day rides his e-bike (A very pieced together machine from discarded items Andrea didn’t need) to High School and the local shops.”

“Kat Sherwin’s personal relationship with the bicycle combines different facets of the commuter, the exerciser and the leisure rider. She uses her bike primarily as a commuter vehicle, but considers its fitness benefits as a supporting factor in her sports training. For her, it is a way to minimise her environmental impact as a commuter. Not least of all, she has found an unexpected joy in feeling connected to the world as she moves through it, rather than being insulated and isolated as one tends to be in a car. She finds it fascinating to be able to smell the seasons and the different times of day, to note the different wind directions between morning and evening, and to enjoy the work of gardeners whose roses and jasmine and fig trees line her route to the gym, work and home.”

“People have a preconception of e-bikes as being big, clunky, inconvenient things. Svelto Bikes are designed from the starting point of a traditional bicycle, to be sleek, modern and easy to handle. They’re simple and safe to operate and maintain and this makes them the ideal replacement for cars as commuter vehicles. A Bluetooth Android app allows you to be in total control of your bike and achieve the most personalised, connected riding experience possible.”

“Additionally, a concerning trend has emerged, where more and more people are purchasing e-bikes as short-term, consumable, throw-away items. This approach is clearly disastrous on an environmental front, which is why Svelto Bikes are designed to last 25 years. Current battery technology isn’t quite sufficient but Svelto Bikes is constantly working to improve the product, and battery life will only get better. To this end, we are committed to helping you keep your Svelto Bike at the cutting edge of technology throughout its lifetime, by offering opportunities to upgrade the hardware as better innovations become available.”

“Svelto’s aim is to move people away from thinking of bicycles as accessories to be replaced when they’re “out of fashion”. This bike is an investment in your future, and a companion that will be in your life for many, many years to come.”

*Please note: our regular bikefriendly business profiles aim to highlight businesses that are of interested to people on bicycles. We don’t receive any payment for these features. If you run a business that supports people riding bicycles, please drop us a line!

Profile Bike Friendly Business: Fremantle Tours

We love finding bicycle friendly businesses and were giddy to spot Fremantle Tour’s vintage bicycles (and cafe). The business tucked along South Terrace isn’t just bicycle friendly, it consists of bicycles – tours around town to be specific. We’ve invited Michael from Fremantle Tours to tell us more about himself, why he and his partner Lucy started their business and what it’s all about. Have a read:

‘G’day, I’m Michael. I am a 3rd generation Fremantlian and passionate Fremantle resident. I love cycling, restoring old bikes (with help) and the simple joy riding a bike brings. A love of travel has seen many adventures overseas and domestically, with Lucy and I loving a good camping and road trip. We have previously lived in Margaret River and the East Kimberley where I worked as a tour guide.  A strong pain for the environment and hospitality saw me take the step from my conservation biology degree to tour guiding 4 years ago and I’ve never looked back.’

‘From taking gorge walks and 4 wheel drive tours in the north of the state, swimming with whale sharks, manta rays and turtles on our beautiful Ningaloo reef to hiking the 135 km Cape to Cape track in the south west to fishing, the work has taken me to some amazing places.  But Freo is certainly home and we are excited to be showing off our port city to visitors and locals alike through our new business Fremantle Tours.’

‘I started riding as a child, but when my training wheels broke, I refused to ride my bike and then sold it to our neighbour. I didn’t start riding again until I learnt how to ride without training wheels in year 7. Riding to school from then really started my enthusiasm. This really escalated when I began university and was commuting further and further and wanting to go faster and faster. That’s when the Lycra and cleats came in and I never looked back.  When my wife and I started living in central Freo we ditched the car and just had our bikes for 4 years.’

‘At the moment I do all my commuting around town on my bike.  To the shops, beach or work. I have ridden longer distances in the past with groups as well as solo. Plus I ride all around Freo showing off our great city on BIKE tours by our business Fremantle Tours.’

‘Riding a bicycle makes just the perfect pace. Fast enough to cover a bit of great whilst slow enough to really experience your commute. You can hear, smell and see so much when on your bike than in a car. It still makes me feel like a kid: a mix of joy, child like wonder and mischievousness. There is a simple joy in powering your own transport.’

‘I think that bikes could save the world! Imagine if everyone rode their bikes to work. All of a sudden we live closer to our workplaces, limiting urban sprawl and habitat loss and destruction. People are happier and healthier plus no pollution from cars. It’s inspiring how passionate the people of Fremantle are about bikes and I feel that we could be an even more bike-centric city.’

‘In November 2017 my wife Lucy and I began Fremantle Tours. A local tour business offering bike and walking tours of Freo plus bar tours and progressive dinners. We cover the amazing history of our port city, giving some context to what’s made Freo Freo whilst pointing out all the latest cafés, restaurants, shops and street art. We love showing off a different side of Freo, a local side taking in the backstreets, allys and best spots to eat and drink.’

‘We are certainly spoilt for choice in Fremantle from history, great stories and fantastic venues. As a result, no two of our tours are the same and we are constantly updating our routes to take in new spots. We are finalising a few new tours including a South Freo DRINK tour, both a central and South Freo shopping tour plus changing up our current DRINK tour to enjoy the new venues Fremantle has to offer.’

‘Our WALK and BIKE tours, for a maximum of 10 people, run twice a day from Thursday to Monday and cost $25 and $55 respectively, which includes a coffee along the way. Our DRINK bar tour runs every Thursday, visiting 3 local venues plus a cheeky ice cream along the way. They cost $70, including a drink at each venue and snacks along the way. The progressive dinners are by booking only and are completely customisable.’

‘Anyone interested in more information about the tours or is keen to book can visit our website. We’re also on Instagram and Facebook.’

5 Golden rules to buying second-hand

Purchasing a pre-loved bicycle definitely comes with a list of ‘make your heart sing’, feel-good vibes: while you’re saving money, the pre-owner makes a few bugs and everybody saves the planet a little bit by diverting potential scrap from landfill.

Having said all this, if the only reason you’re contemplating a second-hand purchase is to save money and you have no idea of even the right sized bicycle, then seeking the advice of a professional bicycle shop may be worth in the long run and save you from buying something that isn’t doing it’s job for you.

Here a little handy list of things to consider that should make your second-hand shopping a pleasant and thrifty experience:

  1. Do your Homework First

    Shopping, whether online or in person is always a whole lot easier and quicker when you actually know what you want. Buying a bicycle is no exception. One of the first questions you would get asked in a bicycle shop is “What do you want to use the bicycle for?” and you should have a rough idea in mind, regardless of whether you seek the help of a professional shop or go second hand.

    Whether you’re going mountain biking, road racing, bike touring or simply want a bicycle that is an all-rounder determines what the bicycle can handle. It determines it’s shape, style, weight, material it’s made from, the breaks and other specs: basically it shapes the bike from top to bottom. If you’re trying to get back into riding, have a read of one of our earlier posts on good beginner bicycles, which should give you a good idea of where to start.

    Even though you might be keen to buy second-hand, it’s a great idea to check the current retail value of the bike you’re after. While the pre-loved bicycle you’ve spotted may not make that price, it’ll give you a basic idea of whether the seller’s asking price is reasonable, an absolute bargain or a little beyond their wildest dreams.

  2. The Devil is in the Detail

    How do you assess whether your perfect dream bike is good quality? Overall, anything that looks rusty, dusty and cobwebbed is not particularly ideal. A bicycle that has been waiting in someone’s garage is unlikely to be well-served and maintained. I had friends purchase a bicycle second-hand that had never been used, because it was still half-way wrapped in the box it came in and hadn’t even been assembled.

    If you’re not a bicycle nerd and wouldn’t be able to tell whether a bike is worth it’s money just try and take a closer look at the basics. The details you’re after isn’t the colour of the bicycle, but all of the technical components that make a bicycle valuable (or not). Crank-sets, derailleurs, breaks are all parts that can be worth between $100 to $500 each. Ask the seller for the names of the components and simply google the current selling price. If they don’t know, simply ask them to send you close ups of the bicycle so you can see for yourself.

    Also, If parts look overly worn, rusty, have scratch marks or dints breaks consider your purchase carefully.

  3. Choose Your Seller Carefully

    Unfortunately, not all bicycles being sold second-hand are totally legitimate. If you know the seller, excellent. If  you’re looking at online platforms beyond your personal reach like Gumtree, Facebook or Ebay take the time to find out whether the bicycle you’re eyeing is kosher. Police have developed a national register for stolen bicycles (which is highly advisable to register you bike on once purchased), but more informal, local networks like this one are a good checker too.

  4. Try Before you Buy

    So you’ve done your homework, found the bicycle you’re after, checked that it’s not stolen: you arrange to meet the seller and buy your bicycle, right? Not quite. Definitely try the bicycle you want to buy. Literally. Don’t assume just because you think this is the right one, it is. Hop one, give it a spin up and down the road, try gears, breaks, even take a family member or friend to see how you look on the bicycle.

    Want you want to check is: do all leavers move easily and do what they’re supposed to? Do the frame and handle-bar feel comfortable? Do you hear any irritating squeak or clunking noise that points to issue? Want your family/friend should check is: does the frame-size look good? Are you pelvis and hip nice and still when you pedal – if they rock sideways, can you adjust the seat height and stop the movement?

  5. Budget a Service

    If you are savvy enough to do your own bicycle service: definitely schedule in time to do this before you’re using your brand new purchase and fix any issue that you come across.

    If you’re not bicycle maintenance savvy at all: definitely book your bicycle into a good, decent bike shop to check your bike from top to toe. A basic bike service costs anywhere between $60 and $160, depending on the shop and your relationship with said outlet. Also budget for some parts that may need replacing. It is definitely worth the time and money!

What can drivers do to increase the number of people on bicycles?

If you see a ‘war on our roads’ and tend to spill your anger and vile about atrocious behaviour of cyclists or motorists all over your keyboard, then this post is not for you. Anyone else who is genuinely curious and open to other perspectives, please keep reading:

I’m a person who sometimes sits in a car, sometimes on a bicycle. I know the two worlds. I know what the two worlds feel like. And I know there’s a lot each and every one of us (yes, including me!) can do to make the people in both worlds feel a little better.

Does a person in a car have any interest in increasing the number of people on bicycles? Yes, we do. Every person on a bicycle means I’ll have one less car queuing up in front of me at the traffic lights (at the bowser, at turns, on the freeway – you name it). Every person on a bicycle means I’ll have a better chance of finding parking at my destination. Every person on a bicycle means someone else is helping to decrease pollution. Every person on a bicycle means our health system will be under less stress in the future because they are less likely to suffer from preventable diseases (think heart, diabetes, cancers).

The more people around me making the decision of swapping their car for a bicycle the better my drive will be today and the better my future looks in 20 years’ time.

If this motivates you to make others quit cars then follow these tips:

  1. Pay attention

When I drive, I accept that my vehicle can be dangerous to others (and to myself). It’s fast, strong and it relies on me who, even with the best of intentions, isn’t perfect. A minor inattention can have severe consequences and every time I drive I make myself acutely aware of this.

If you want to make sure more people ride then focus on what’s important, which isn’t the song on the radio, your phone call, nor the conversation with your passenger. Be there and pay attention.

  1. Accept reality

People who commute by bicycle usually feel the opposite of people who commute by car. When I get to work by car I’m often stressed, frustrated and upset about the world. When I ride I’m refreshed, motivated and genuinely happy.

I accept that the two worlds sound very different to the point of disbelieve and I also accept that there’s reasons why people chose either mode of transport.

If you want to be supportive of people who ride then accept that people chose their reality as much as they chose the colour of their shirts. Would you question someone’s fashion choice? I didn’t think so.

  1. More love, more patience, less anger

Honestly, I’m no stranger to cursing and cussing behind the steering wheel. Looking through that square window, beautifully sound proof, the profanities seem to be just tumbling out my mouth. And, hey, it doesn’t hurt anybody now, does it? Well, yes, it does. All my anger and lack of patience is a whole lot of negative energy that’s shifting my brain into awful mode. It’s self-perpetuating. The more upset I am the less resilient I become.

Dealing with people, even if they can’t hear me (and remember everyone can SEE me) is a lot easier if I let it go. I can’t control whatever silliness other people commit. The only thing I’m in control of is myself and the little car I’m sitting in. Even if I’m acoustically shut off from the world – everything I do is still a complete reflection of myself.

So, let your actions speak louder than the shouting in your car. Every single person on a bicycle (as well as in a car) will appreciate it.

  1. Stop the blame game

If you accept that patience and care is pivotal to making the world a better place then keep your finger-pointing in check. ‘He was too slow, she was too fast, he was tailgating, she jumped a red light, that car is parked across two bays, this one is blocking the driveway. I get it! We all make bad decisions in life for all sorts of reasons varying from almost understandable to ignorant and downright ridiculous.

I’ve been yelled at in my car. I’ve been yelled at on my bicycle. I’ve had rubbish thrown at me while riding. I’ve had rude gestures waved at me when driving. And, touch wood, fingers crossed, since I’ve had my driver’s licence for almost twenty years and have ridden my bicycle for almost 30 years never had an accident. Other people’s rudeness was just a moment of THEIR judgement on me.

I don’t need your judgement. You don’t need mine. I accept that you’re not perfect nor would I expect that I am. Can we agree on this?

Particularly, don’t tell a person on a bicycle off by honking your horn. It scares the living daylight out of them. If you think you’re perfect then practice perfection and let it go.

Do you have more suggestions of what we can do as drivers to make this world a bicycle friendly one?

5 Life lessons inspired by riding a bicycle

Are you familiar with Einstein’s quote “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”? If this rings true to you, check out our life lessons inspired by riding and teaching how to ride a bicycle:

You can be told the principle of balance, but finding it is up to you.

One of the first challenges of learning to ride a bicycle is to balance on the bike. As a bicycle teacher 90% of our job is to ease students into this challenge and while I spend a lot of time on giving tips how to achieve balancing on a bicycle, it is entirely in students’ hands (or body) to get the feeling for it.

From a technical perspective using the bicycle as a balance bike is the easiest way to teach riding. The student simply sits on the saddle and uses their feet to move the bike. In theory, the more at ease the student gets the longer they can keep their feet off the ground, giving them sufficient time to lift their feet onto the paddle. I prefer removing paddles entirely and get students used to the sensation until they’re ready to put their pedals on themselves.

Most adult students find this process entirely empowering, because they are in control of the process and determine their own progress. Some join classes thinking that their bicycle teacher will hold the bike for them, push them and run along to then let go of the bike and leave them pedalling on their own. This is probably what many parents do when they teach their children, but for two reasons I avoid this is approach. Firstly, I know the word ‘hate’ should be used sparsely, but I will in this context: I hate running. Particularly if it is rather pointless and can be avoided. Secondly, if I hold onto the bike I’m in fact balancing it for the student completely undermining the students learning experience of figuring balance out themselves. Which leads me back to point one: running behind a student and continuing to balance the bike on their behalf is pointless. Hence, no running.

The main point is though, everybody is different. Some will find it easy to balance, some need a bit more time to get the feeling. While we can all theorise about balance, in essence each of us, at our own pace, will work it out eventually.

Going fast is a lot easier than going slow.

Have you ever watched children learn to ride? Have you ever noticed that they have two types of speed? One is fast and one is standing still. It only really occurred to me when I watched adults learn to ride. When adults learn to ride they too will go either really fast or struggling to go at all. From a physiological point of view it makes complete sense and is reflected in Einstein’s famous quote and that if we move into a forward direction it is a whole lot easier to keep our balance. The slower we go the more difficult it is to keep the sideways forces under control. Imagine  you toss a coin. As long as the coin has momentum it will turn beautifully. The slower it gets the more sluggish it turns until it flops to one side and stops.

Isn’t this interesting? Taking a step back and mulling over this observation in a slightly more metaphorical sense I wonder how much this is true for how we are living our lives? As long as we have motivation and focus we feel in control perceive our lives as ‘moving ahead’. If things slow down and don’t seem to ‘move anymore’ are we still feeling in control? Are we still feeling motivated?

I’m not advocating a high-speed life as much as I don’t recommend people on bicycles going fast all the time. Quite the opposite. There are reasons why going slow is vital – in life as much as on a bike. As you would recognise a proficient person on a bicycle who can ride slowly and still keep their balance perhaps it’s worthwhile for us to acknowledge that life simply is a little bit harder to balance at times and to check in what pace we’re going at. Have we gone fast for quite a while or are things slowing down a bit?

Mostly we focus on when we’re out of balance. Balance is the inexplicable joy and ease we usually call ‘living’.

Particularly adult learners are their own most sever critique. I noticed that they love picking on themselves and their lack of skills. Putting myself into their shoes I understand the self-criticism. As adults we don’t like imperfection and we’ve forgotten what it feels like to learn something new. Children learners are accustomed to suck at something, but as long as the process of trying is fun, they’ll keep at it. Adults are a lot harsher and tend to comment on every failure. For a bicycle teacher managing students’ self-talk  is essential – if you keep repeating in your head how much you’re failing you’re shifting your mindset to failure.

What I find particularly interesting is the fact that in subsequent sessions students rarely notice when they do actually meet major milestones. This is even more noticeable further down the track. Joining a riding group where students have started as learners and now riding weekly for several kilometres, but have one situation where they may come off the path once or struggle to ride through bollards they will provide this a prove how little they know. Asking them how they enjoyed the remaining 15 kilometres of their ride they’d look puzzled as if a split second matters more than an hour of blissful bumbling along. Do we value when things go smoothly? Do we feel grateful and acknowledge when we’re balancing life okay?

Many things that make us come undone were creeping up on us long before we cared to notice.

One of the most essential safety skills a person a bicycle can acquire is scanning. Not a bar code, of course. By scanning I mean to turn your head to the left, right and even slightly behind you so that you can get a grasp of what’s around you. Scanning is the ability to look around you and identify anything that may have the potential to be a risk to your own journey and then take the action to keep safe.

Students who start riding on shared paths or parks often become overwhelmed by the potential of stationary or mobile obstacles they could run into or which could run into them. Mostly that’s because they still focus on the basics of balancing, starting or stopping and they don’t have the ability to scan just yet.

Having said that, just because one has the ability doesn’t mean that one uses this ability. On social rides with beginner riders the little things are what makes students come undone – like a dog that charges at them when overtaking, a child erratically jumps into their way, or the jogger runs across the path or a bollard that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Not all situations are foreseeable, but many are, if we had cared to look around us and take notice.

If you focus on the obstacle, you’ll be heading straight into it.

Even the absolute beginner rider can ride with uncanny accuracy. I’ve seen students hit a very narrow bollard, which would take a skilled cyclist serious navigating if they wanted to ride into it.  While it is one of the most frequent problems of beginner riders to avoid obstacles like riding through a set of bollards, narrow paths or bridges, it is one of the best practices that you can incorporate into your daily life.

So, you’ve scanned ahead (well done!), identified a potential obstacle – what happens next? You focus on said obstacle, start panicking, lose balance and control and forgot you could use all your balancing skills (and your brakes) and instead hugged the bollard (handrail, or whatever else it is you were fretting about).

How do you stop this from happening? Focus on what’s beyond the obstacle. Relax, pace your speed, glide through the tight spot and keep riding.

The first part is the hardest – don’t focus on the obstacle –  but if you consider how we live our daily lives I truly believe we tend to focus on issues and problems that we seem to be heading straight into. Metaphorically lifting the gaze and reminding ourselves that there is more to our life than what’s right in front of us feels challenging.

I’m not suggesting to ignore the problem (nor bollard), but I’m proposing to keep it in perspective. Yes, it is there, but there’s also other things we’re heading towards. It helps keeping a balanced life to keep everything in sight, not just the obstacles.

Do you have any treadlie inspired life-hacks to share?

Switch your thinking: Speed date an E-bike

For the last twelve months we’ve been part of Switch your Thinking and it’s been such an amazing experience. Switch your Thinking is a project initiated by the RAC and run by the City of Gosnells that sees a fleet of four e-bicycles being supplied to different local governments for a specified period of time, usually for a month.

The goal of the project is for the participating local governments to trial how staff respond to e-bicycles and whether they are used to replace short car trip. Different cities amend the framework to suit their goals – some allowed staff to take the bicycles home and use them for commutes, some enabled people to take them home over the weekend and allowed private use whereas others were keen to focus on work trips only.

The parameters of the induction training were that it had to fit into staff’s lunch breaks and couldn’t impact on their service delivery. With this in mind we’ve developed a very short and sweet training concept the “Speed date an E-bike” focusing on the elementary aspects of using the features of e-bikes effectively and safely.

Providing staff with an induction in such a short time frame is challenging from a trainer point of view, but the results of the training are instantaneous: there’s not a single group we’ve trained that didn’t whoop and cheer as soon as the pedal assist kicked in. There is something magical about discovering how easy it is to ride an e-bike and what options suddenly open up. Staff who work in the field suddenly realise they could simply ride to their locations instead of driving, or commutes could become feasible to travel by bike.

For local governments’ trialling the use of e-bikes without having to commit to purchase equipment is a low-risk, low cost project and can build a compelling case for future projects. With Switch your thinking coming to a close soon revisiting the data and measuring the outcomes will be interesting.

As a training provider it’s been an exciting challenge to work within the time constraints and developing a training session which is providing the most essential information and is fun and accessible.

Have you been part of Switch your Thinking? If so, let us if and how the project has affected you, we’d love to hear your story!

Life from the backseat: Profile by Mr Mo

Hi there, My name is Mr Mo, you can call me Mo or Momo. In fact, you could call me anything (preferably endearing) as I don’t hear. I’m 100% deaf, but that’s okay. My disability doesn’t impact on my riding at all. I’ve got my whits about and other senses to help. My nose for example works splendidly despite my age.

But let’s start at the beginning. At 79 years I’m a senior cyclist and I’ve come to riding bicycles very late in my life – I’ve only just started about two years ago. I love it so much though.

I’ll be honest with you, I was a little reluctant to try a bicycle. I mean, at my age? I’m not exactly a spring chicken anymore. What would I do if the bicycle tipped? At first I found it all a bit uncomfortable and really couldn’t see the point. Walking seemed like such a better way of getting around. Keeping the balance was the hardest part and it took me a little while to work it out. But paws down, now that it’s not so new to me anymore, I really can’t get enough of it.

I mostly ride on weekends either to the beach or I join Him and Her who like to hang out at cafés. I myself am not so much of a coffee drinker, which I suppose means that I’ll never be a real ‘cyclist’. Him and her also take me and the bikes on holidays and we explore things together. We went to Denmark a few months ago, rode into town, the beach and visited wineries. Just gorgeous!

I actually experience a whole lot more by bike than sitting in the car where I’m way to short to see anything. And it’s also hard to smell much. With my arthritic hips riding a bike means that I can get around so much faster, yet I’m still connected to the outside. In summer sniffing fresh air, but I’m not getting too hot and exhausted.

Feeling the wind in my face and smelling the scents of my hometown is really important to me. It makes me feel that I belong here.

Christina buys a tent: more experiences in quaxing

I’ve learned two things on the weekend.

  1. A lot can be accomplished in a dress [or, insert any other garment that is generally considered only suitable for looking pretty] and
  2. One must know the the word  “quaxing”.

After my recent post on transporting things on bikes I was keen to share my latest experience with Jillian, who writes on this blog too. Jillian knows everything – especially when it concerns dresses, bikes and social media.  She loved my story, because it contained dresses and bikes and she introduced me to quaxing, which I know now translates “to shop,  in the western world, by means of walking, cycling or public transit”. Apparently I missed the twitter row in 2015 about whether people shop by bike and public transport or not. It’s a shame, because I would have loved to add my two cents worth. As social media has the longevity of a mayfly I’m basically reaching back into the archives and add some more fodder to the topic that is quaxing.

So. Last weekend I decided to buy a tent. Not just any tent. I decided that the humongous six people sleeping Spinifex Huon was EXACTLY what a couple with dog (by dog I really mean “tiny pooch”) needed for a weekend away – the verdict whether this purchase was wise is still out. But: it was on special. How can one resist?

My Saturday started with a semi-work function at part the Perth Writers Festival at the University of Western Australia. If you’re not from Perth: this venue is notorious for expensive, limited parking and best, if not solely, accessible by bus.

Picture crystal blue skies, sizzling summer heat, I’m strutting along in a flattering wrap-dress. On my way to the bus stop after the function I’m thinking, ‘Well, it’s now close to 40 degrees and not even noon yet. Do I want to catch the bus to Innaloo, pick-up the tent and then bus, train and bike the package home to Fremantle? But yes, of course I do. Not only am I half-way there already, it’s also on special. Who knows whether any will be left tomorrow?’

So, off I go and hop on the bus to Innaloo and do what I do best on public transport: relax and listen to music. I arrive at the outdoor shop and ask for the tent. The friendly shop attendant hauls my parcel onto the front counter. It is not just a cute box. It’s THE MOTHER OF A TENT: a 13.7kg bag, which from hereon I will refer to as ‘the mother’. I gulp and reconsider the parameters of my adventure: a big box, a girl in a dress, a bus, a train and a bicycle. I’m thinking, ‘Well, I could leave ‘the mother’ at the shop and come back tomorrow. But I’m already here and it’s on special!” So I pay and haul ‘the mother’ to the bus stop to start my journey home.

The great thing about public transport is, once you’re on it, your work is accomplished. So, I sit, relax and listen to more music. The bus I’m on will go all the way to the Fremantle train station, but if I change on to the train half-way, I’ll save about twenty minutes. It’s basically public transport on special – do you see a pattern here? I’m also considering poochy at home, who is probably longing for me so, of course I swap to the train at Shenton Park.

After a seamless transfer, I marvel at the ocean (another perk of riding the train) and realise, I have actually no idea of how to attach ‘the mother’ to my bicycle. In wise anticipation I packed three straps, but I have no clue how to use them. Vivid childhood memories of teddies and bags resurface that I had tried to transport on my treadlie only to realise they had either disappeared along the journey and worse, flipped off and almost taken me with them. I’m thinking ‘the mother’ is not to be reckoned with, a fluffy toy she aint! If the box moves or tips only slightly there’s no doubt I will come off my bike.

But that’s okay, because the great thing about public transport and smart phones is that I’ve got space and time to research the best approach to my next phase of getting home. I google “How to strap a box on your bike rack”, because everything has already been done and documented. And it has. I find this excellent forum in which ‘freiheit’, a forum user, has taken the time to explain EXACTLY how to do what I’m about to do. Because I’m a visual learner I’m greatly appreciating ‘freiheit’s’ images of how to attach things.

Once I arrive in Fremantle I already know how to handle ‘the mother’. Freiheit recommends having a second person on hand to load the box, but using my kickstand is just fine. I wrap the straps around my rack, place the box on top, fasten the straps, compare my work with freiheit’s images, jiggle the box: it’s tight as!

The extra weight makes the bike a tad sluggish, but the best part about my ride home is that I don’t have to lift ‘the mother’. She’s tightly secured and stays in place just fine. Who would have thought it’s THAT easy to quax in a dress?

Here is a photo of me – ‘the mother’ is lingering behind me, out of sight, but I promise she was there!

Me in pretty dress. 'The mother' is safely tied to the bike behind me.
Me in pretty dress. ‘The mother’ is safely tied to the bike behind me.

Riding with Joy

Hi my name is Joy Bolton and I have been cycling with the Wheelie Wonderful Women for about 4 years. My first memory of riding a bike was when my sister and myself received bikes for Christmas when I was 12 which I was to ride to High School in the following year. I loved the freedom of being able to go out on the weekends and explore.

I did not do a cycling class with the City of Stirling but my friend Alison was doing one as we had been talking about buying a bike each to do some cycling. Although I had not ridden for many years except for the trips to Rottnest I felt confident on a bike. Once I went down to part-time work I was looking for something to be involved with which required exercising and would be social as well and I found the perfect outlet in the Wheelie Wonderful Women Group. Once Alison had completed the course she told me about the different riding groups within the City of Stirling program. So we started riding with Sally in the Saturday group and Marie in the Sunday group.

From then I went onto ride with the Wednesday group and once I had retired from work I started cycling with the Friday group as well. I still enjoy the freedom of being on a bike out in the fresh air and hopefully will be cycling for many more years to come. My most favourite ride is anywhere around the Swan and Canning Rivers.

Before joining the group I used to visit the gym regularly so I suppose I was quiet fit. Although my first day out by myself on my new bike did test me from Hillarys to Burns Beach which I had to turn back because of the hills and my longest ride to date is 100km so I have come a long way. I usually ride a minimum of 3 times a week and that has really built up my stamina. Sometimes I ride solo when I am training for one of my cycling trips away but normally I like riding in a group. I have been to New Zealand in 2014 and cycled the Alps to Ocean Trail. In 2015 I went to Victoria and cycled the Three Rail Trails and 2016 I cycled for two weeks along the Danube River from Passau to Budapest all of these trips with ladies from our cycling groups.

On 24 February, I will also be travelling to Tasmania with some of the ladies and a few husbands as well and we will be cycling from Launceston to the East Coast and then down to Port Arthur over 10 days. We also have long weekends away in Albany, Margaret River and Rottnest Island so there is always something in the planning. I bought a mountain bike a couple of years ago and have also done sections of the Munda Biddi from Manjimup to Northcliffe over 4 days and many day trips on the Railway Heritage Trail.

I am so lucky to have found this great group of ladies. We all love our cycling and coffee stops for a chat and the girls are very supportive of each other. I would like to get my husband involved in doing some cycling with me but so far it has been baby steps. It would be great if we could do a trip together sometime.

Your Bike and Transporting Stuff: Product Review

If you use your bicycle for transport or commutes it is essential that you can carry a good amount of loads easily. As we get many questions about what the options are and what works  best we thought it’d be worthwhile to give you the pros and cons – what works for some may not work for others.

You should also know that none of the products/companies mentioned below have paid us or provided free goods.

Backpacks

Packing your gear or shopping into a backpack is probably the cheapest quick-fix – that is, if you already own a backpack, of course. I’m personally not a fan of riding with a backpack as it gets hot and heavy on my back. As I have back issues and prefer comfort over speed I’ve always been keen to explore other options of transporting stuff on my bicycle and luckily there’s plenty of other options.

Having said that, anything else will require your bike to have a penny rack installed. For the weight conscious rider (that is the weight of the bike, of course) this may be a thorn in their eye as it adds a fair few grams, which means it’ll slow your ride down. There are lightweight bike rear carrier options available though and if weight is a concern for you than it’ll be worthwhile searching for lightweight options.

Also, your bike will need to have attachment points to fit a rack. If that means absolutely nothing to you, ask your bike shop if it’s possible to add a bike rear carrier.

Basket (on the back)

I like a sturdy basket (as you can see on the picture). This is a wire/mesh basket that is attached with four screws and holds a decent sized shopping bag, or a small Maltese, which is what I mostly carry with me. The dog loves it, but the shopping has been observed to bounce out of the basket, which is terribly inconvenient. A good bag prevents groceries from vanishing and anything else you might like to take with you fits easily.

But, there’s a lot of cons for me too. Firstly, I like to use different types of gear on my bike rear carrier and exchange the basket with something else takes a moment. That moment is usually fifteen minutes I didn’t plan into my routine and can be annoying.

When I use my basket I can’t swing my leg over the back of the bike either. Usually puppy’s head is in the way or groceries are sticking out so that I have to move my leg over the bike’s middle bar. It’s also not a biggy, but it’s annoying.

And lastly, similar to the backpack, the centre of gravity is quite high. That means, if any of your goods role or move you start swaying on your bike. Just a little bit. Enough to be a bit annoying and unsettling for the puppy.

As the basket is the only option for doggy to come along I’ve made my peace with the gravity issue and have looked around for a basket that’s solving my biggest issue: the ex-changeability. Low and behold, Ortlieb have produced a basket that’s using an easy clip on/off system. It’s just big enough for the puppy and takes seconds to attach and take off. Yay!

In comparison to my mesh basket the only down side (as far as I can see for now) is the cost. It’s been a bit of an investment!

I’m not a fan of baskets in the front as most systems attach to handlebars, which annoys me so much that I’m not even contemplating it. If you like the look of front baskets please be aware that any weight interferes with your steering and it should be kept to the absolute minimum.

I do love the idea of baskets in the front that are attached to the frame, not the handlebar, which doesn’t pull so badly. My bike doesn’t cater for those though. Similar to the back rack your bike frame needs particular attachment points to allow the rack to secure in place. It’s certainly not impossible, so check with your bike shop if you’re keen.

Panniers (detachable)

Hands on my heart, I love my panniers. If you have a bike rear carrier and you like shopping for handbags that match purposes and looks then you may share my love. I have a set of small and large Ortlieb bags that clip on within split seconds. They are waterproof and I can chuck in almost anything (apart from the dog). Goods sit tight and neat and don’t roll or bounce around. The bags have a strap so I can use them as a normal bag too.

For work days I have less sporty panniers from CycleChic. I’ve had different versions and all of them work well and look gorgeous as handbags. The waxed canvas bags are water-repellent and big enough for a laptop, if you need to carry one with you. The sizes are generous handbag sized and don’t work for a lot of shopping, but that’s when my sporty versions help out.

What I love most about panniers is that no matter how heavy your load, the low centre of gravity means that your ride gets smoother and more stable. My biggest ‘aha’ moment with panniers was when we packed gear for a weekend trip camping, loaded the bikes with at least 20 kilos of tent, mattress, food, water and other paraphernalia and rode down a hill. Zooom! Yes, it’s weight you have to push up, but once your going it’s such a lovely sensation to just cruise and feel the weight working in your favour.

I don’t own permanent panniers. That’s a version that is attached to your penny rack and stays on. You can throw your gear in or put it in bags that you take out and with you when you’ve parked your bike. I personally prefer flexibility and changing things around, though I have seen very pretty versions that made me contemplate a purchase.

The downside of panniers? They’re not cheap and you need a bike rear carrier.

What is your favourite way of carrying your stuff with you?