Bike riding boom: Australian cycling trails you need to try
Aussies have taken to cycling in droves during the COVID-19 lockdown, and we shouldn’t let the easing of restrictions put the breaks on our new pastime. Here are some popular cycling trails to try with your family.
Hibernation
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hibernation. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australia experienced a cycling boom during lockdown, but experts say we shouldn’t let the easing of restrictions put the brakes on our new pastime.
When exercise became one of the few reasons to leave the house, many dusted off old bikes long banished to the garage and hit the trails for the first time in years.
Others ventured out to buy new, leading to a widely reported spike in sales from bike shops.
Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said families in particular have taken to cycling.
“People at home may be slightly stressed at each other’s company and want to get out in the fresh air,” he said.
“Everyone was still looking to get out and about and all they can do is walk, shop and get on the bike.”
The cyclist advocacy group found weekend bicycle use had increased by 269 per cent compared to normal volumes, in a super count of Melbourne’s most popular trails.
The trend has been recorded in other cities including Sydney where riders along the Glebe foreshore were up 51 per cent in April and May compared to last year, according to the City of Sydney.
While Bicycle Queensland reported bike sales were up between 50 per cent and 500 per cent, with restocking becoming an issue for retailers.
Experts agree this is an opportunity for Australians to make the switch permanent and make cycling a part of everyday life.
“There’s a window that’s open now,” Mr Richards said.
“There’s that saying, ‘never waste a good crisis’. It would be terrible with this if we didn’t come out better than before.”
We Ride director of national advocacy Stephen Hodge said the pandemic had provided an opportunity to make a change that was better for the planet and our health.
“We have a whole group of people in a once in a lifetime pandemic trying something new,” he said.
“What are the problems they’ll face and how can we make it easy for all these new riders to continue to do what is an extremely healthy pastime?”
CYCLING TO WORK
Every recreational cyclist was capable of becoming a commuter cyclist, according to Mr Richards.
“It’s not nearly as complicated and difficult as people think, a person of very average fitness can get on a bike and ride up to 10km to work,” he said.
“Make sure you pick your route based around what you’re comfortable with and at the end of the trip make sure you know where you’re going to store your clothes, have a shower and store your bike.”
Mr Hodge said many Australians uneasy about getting back on crowded public transport would welcome the opportunity to ride to work if there was the supporting infrastructure.
“We don’t want everyone getting back in their cars as the roads will become undriveable, we’re really looking at how government can do some rapid temporary bike lanes so people can keep cycling,” he said.
We Ride was pushing for more separate bike lanes, as well as slower speed limits to make cyclists safer.
“You get safety by design of appropriate bikeways and infrastructure, the safest countries for road safety are also the countries with the highest rate of cycling,” he said.
CYCLING AS A FAMILY
Mr Richards said families should try to keep up lockdown habits of a leisurely weekend bike ride as a way of keeping fit and connected.
“People have enjoyed spending time in a family on the bikes exploring their local neighbourhood,” he said.
He said these rides can be a great way to teach kids traffic awareness and good bike manners.
“Parents play a key role in teaching young people to make sure they stop and look and listen, the same things as you need to apply as walking or driving a car,” he said.
“Check your bike make sure your surroundings are safe there’s not a long checklist, the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings.”
Mum Marsha Burns to Asher, 5, and 14-month-old Deni started taking her kids on daily bike rides when lockdown started.
“It was really just a sanity thing each day just to get out of the house and get the fresh air,” she said.
The South Melbourne resident said lockdown has been a great opportunity to get Asher, who has been riding her bike without training wheels for a year, used to riding on the roads.
“It’s a real sense of freedom and she feels like a really big girl getting to go on the road and teaching her how to stick her hand out to say she’s going left or right and the red lights,” she said.
“It’s been a silver lining of the whole experience.”