Jillian Woolmer, "Queen of Frocks Western Australia" - sitting on the Bike SA "throne" wearing helmet "crown"

Luminary Finalist at Velocity Global Adelaide 2014

I was recently in Adelaide and attended the VeloCity Global Cycling Conference along with nearly 600 delegates from 34 countries from around the world.

The group I started several years ago, Frocks on Bikes Perth, was a finalist for the Cycle Culture category of the Cycling Luminaries Awards presented on Day 1 at the Conference and I was also a finalist for the Cycle Chic category. While we did not win, it was great to be acknowledged on the international stage regarding the work we have done to change the cycling culture in WA so more people ride in normal clothes. It was even better celebrating with champagne afterwards with with fellow “frockers” including Isabella Cawthorn from Frocks on Bikes Wellington and Janette Sadik-Khan. Isabella crowned me “Queen of Frocks Western Australia” and photographed me on the Bicycle South Australia “throne” wearing my bike helmet “crown”.

Over four days, delegates sampled more than 200 presentations and over 20 tours of bike facilities and other features of the surrounding city. Presentations were given by some of the “rockstars” of the urban cycling world, such as former New York transport commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Copenhagenize’s Mikael Colville-Andersen and many other people I admire including Stephen Fleming and Isabella Cawthorn but most presenters were “just” various policymakers, researchers, advocates, planners, etc from around the world demonstrating the interesting work they’ve been doing to make a better world for cycling and networking with each other. There were quite a few of us from Perth.

I found the whole week very inspiring as I met up with members of the European Cycling Federation, World Cycling Alliance and academics at the Scientists for Cycling Colloquium, attended the welcome at the Town Hall for VIP delegates, joined in several Velo Fringe Bike rides on the weekend as well as throughout the week when I could, in-between the presentations and speed networking.  I also attended a masterclass in Travel Behaviour Change at the South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.   I met so many inspiring people that I hope to keep in touch with and ride with again one day.

My greatest joy however, was riding with my husband on a Velo Fringe bike ride as he never rides with me and “is not into bikes”.  The guided rides on the Adelaide City Bikes were not about the bikes, but about what we would see along the way, a chance to take photographs and an easy way to get around the city in a group. We need to collectively get more people riding bikes that don’t usually ride, if we want to change our car centric culture, reduce traffic congestion and achieve my goal stated on the whiteboard – one million bikes in Perth Western Australia.

4 comments

  1. Christina says:

    Awesome, Jillian, congratulations on being a finalist! So good to read about your adventure and Peter on a bike? Biggest achievement ever!

  2. Jillian says:

    Thanks Christina – I did not know that I had been nominated so it was a nice surprise. I provided information about Frocks on Bikes Perth and they told me that we were a finalist. Perth has been noticed by others around Australia and elsewhere in the world as there are many women (and gradually more men too) starting to wear normal clothes when they ride a bike and riding short trips for transport not just cycling for sport. Every person that rides and encourages other people to ride a bike is a local “Luminary”.

  3. Isabella says:

    Great post Jillian! It’s great to feel part of a community that includes people like yourself, all working in our different environments to get more *people on bikes*!

  4. Jillian says:

    Thanks Isabella for taking that photo of me 🙂 and please do come and ride with us if you ever come to Perth.

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