MelBUG

Western Region bike ride

2008-11-07T14:30:00.002+11:00

The Western Bulldogs football team are organising a bike ride to raise funds and awareness for juvenile diabetes. The ride is on Sunday November 23rd and there are three options for distance, which should suit most people.

More details are on their web site.

Shameless plug

2008-10-31T09:45:00.003+11:00

Phil Richardson, who does most of the work around here and sometimes even answers his phone, has plans to ride around Australia raising money for Camp Quality. Have a squizz at his blog site Camp Quality Country Mile Tour.

Phil's ride is planned to start on March 1st, 2009. Onya Phil!

October update

2008-10-26T14:08:00.003+11:00

This is the Brooklyn road trail overlooking the old rail bridge. Offroad bikes can get much closer, at risk of a puncture ;-)

Da gang.

Well the warmer weather and daylight savings have brought a few more riders out of the woodwork. There's also a bunch of road riders with whom we've come in contact who ride up to Gisborne every weekend.

We trialed a Friday morning ride, meeting at Gloria Jeans at 9.30. It went well for a few weeks but probably needs some more interest if it were to continue.

Other suggestions have been made for Sunday morning rides and weeknights after work. Please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to join in. There are no fees or any special requirements for clothing or bikes. The group is not responsible for organisation as such, simply a way for riders to meet and arrange casual group rides.

We look forward to seeing you!

Toolern Park proposal update.

2008-08-27T15:53:00.003+10:00

Well, we're a little behind on this but here's some updated info on the park proposed for Melton South along the Toolern Creek.

Parks Victoria are working on plans for development of the park and they're asking for ideas and feedback from the community. MelBUG would like to see some BMX and MTB tracks included in the development, since there isn't a whole lot in the area for youngsters to do, and not much that isn't accesible by car.

The press release from last year gives a few initial details.

There's also a *.pdf information paper for planning of the park's development. This paper was current from August to October of last year (2007) but there's still plenty of space in the process for interested parties to offer suggestions and feedback.

Feel free to get involved!

We desperately need something people can do free of charge, and access locally, for recreation.

The bike lanes we need.

2008-08-26T13:03:00.001+10:00

Poached from Treadly (again)

These are the bike lanes we need on the Western Freeway here, if indeed we actually want them *on* the road.

This is not, however, the signage we want blocking said lane. ;-)

How they're doing it in other municipalities....

2008-08-25T17:59:00.002+10:00

The Age ran a story recently about proposed developments for cycling along Sydney Road.

MELBOURNE'S traffic-clogged Sydney Road would have segregated bike lanes to give cyclists a five kilometre path each way under a transport plan commissioned by Moreland Council.

The draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy for 2009-18 calls for an investigation into Copenhagen-style bike lanes between Gaffney Street in North Coburg and Park Street at the southern edge of Brunswick.

Naturally it's been deferred till after the local Council elections in November and naturally local businesses are envisioning that the sky will fall... however at least they're considering improvements.

Makes me rather thankful we still have time to get things right out this way.

End of hibernation.

2008-08-25T17:45:00.003+10:00

Well, Spring's just about here. The magpies are swooping, there's a bit of rain, and more cyclists are beginning to emerge blinking into the daylight.

The really, really good news is that we're beginning to work with Melton Shire Council on a cycling strategy for the Shire and looking into developments for road, BMX and MTB riders around here. None too soon!

If you'd like to add your input to the process, feel free to join in.

Feedback on the regular ride times would also be appreciated. The 11am Friday rides kind of fell by the wayside over the Winter months, and will need resurrecting.

Moreland Cyclovia

2008-04-14T18:55:00.003+10:00

On Sunday Moreland Council closed Sydney road to car traffic for six hours in a cycling and sustainable transport festival the Tour de Moreland or Cyclovia.

Tour de Moreland Gallery.

Two wheels rule on Sydney Road.

The Age photo gallery.

This got me thinking. Every year during the Djerriwarrh festival the High St closure generally results in car traffic backed up all over the place and much hassle. What if this year we promoted Djerriwarrh as a little bit alternative and suggested that people can get around easily and quickly if they bring their bikes? We need more bike racks in and around the CBD anyway, and with bike races and a bike fix going it could be a lot of fun rather than a lot of headaches sitting in traffic.

Full Moon rides.

2008-04-14T10:38:00.002+10:00

There's a full moon coming up on Saturday, April 19th. Geelong BUG have a long tradition of using the monthly lunar events as an excuse for a bunch ride and picnic. Bike Fun also organise occasional full moon rides around Melbourne.

Now that more recreational cyclists are joining up for MelBUG, the time's right to start organising our own bike fun events like the full moon ride.

If you'd like to come along or have some suggestions for a route for the ride, please contact Phil. Everybody's welcome. The more the merrier as they say.

Update: April happenings

2008-04-14T10:30:00.004+10:00

Bike recycling is going pretty well, pending promotion. We've had another four bikes donated and given away two. The shed is filling up with bikes that need some TLC and a few parts.

Friday morning's rides have been a bit intermittent. If anyone's interested in coming along, please let us know. A small group have been exploring the bike tracks around Melton and experiencing the road conditions. It's a bit of fun for beginners.

Bike fix runs in Melbourne every Sunday afternoon (weather permitting) in the Carlton gardens. If anyone would like to come along and have a look, perhaps to get some ideas for running something similar in Melton, you're welcome. The annual Djerriwarrh festival in November would be a perfect venue for a free Bike Fix session.

MelBUG also now has a new member contact in Phil, and some printer carts. Look out for our flyers and notices around the traps in Melton!

Daft infrastructure

2008-03-21T22:07:00.001+11:00

Thanks Treadly...

The whole story...

Narrow bike lanes

2008-03-21T22:03:00.002+11:00

If you thought the path along Toolern Creek south of the freeway was bad...

The whole story.

More bikes for recycling.

2008-02-29T14:24:00.004+11:00

The bike recycling is going very well. Lots of people have bikes they no longer need, and lots of people need bikes to ride.

This morning on a social ride, someone suggested that parts could be sourced from CERES as this is the only thing that's slowing us down.

Two little girls took 'new' bikes home this week. Their Grandma was equally pleased!

Good news on bike bridge.

2008-02-29T14:14:00.004+11:00

Well, it may be a shared pathway, but the bridge at Yuille St is looking pretty snazzy these days and quite up to the job of sharing.

What had been a servicable but narrow wooden bridge has been replaced by a shiny new concrete one, with a wide, even surface and plenty of visibility. It also has the added bonus of connectivity, linking the path that runs north to Kurrunjang, south to Melton Station and High St, with a couple of primary schools.

Bonus points to Council for this effort. Very much appreciated!

There's even widening of the concrete path on the approach, to make the corner safer.

Re-cycling update.

2008-02-23T13:34:00.004+11:00

The bike recycling is going really well. So far we've given away two bikes and had seven bikes donated!

There's a group in Wyndham for Burmese Karen asylum seekers resettling in the area and we're negotiating arrangements to donate some fixed bikes to them.

Perhaps if anyone knows of a similar group in Melton or Bacchus Marsh, we can organise for decent pre-loved bikes to go to some of the Sudanese people who've recently arrived.

Regular bunch rides.

2008-02-22T13:36:00.003+11:00

Anyone who'd like to go for a bunch ride around the place is more than welcome to join one or organise a new one.

Friday mornings there's a ride along the Toolern Creek track and surrounds, for anyone who's interested. Starting around Hannah Watts park at 10.30 am. All welcome.

Bicycle recycling

2008-02-22T13:33:00.002+11:00

MelBUG is launching a bicycle recycling program to provide bikes for people who find the cost of a new one prohibitive or who would be happy with the green option of a working bike that needn't be thrown out.

So far on freecycle bikes have been given away and many unwanted bikes have been offered for recycling.

If you know anyone who would like a bike for whatever reason, please refer them to us. If you have a bike, usable bike parts or would like to make a donation toward parts, please likewise contact us. Tjurri at gmail dot com.

Happy cycling!

Bike paths in Coburns Road

2008-02-18T16:30:00.014+11:00

Someone obviously had good intentions when this bike lane was built in to the upgrades on Coburns Road, however there are a few issues that desperately need to be raised before mistakes are repeated.

While the bike paths coming up off the road onto a footpath are quite suitable for little kids riding to school, not every cyclist is 9 years old. These can unfortunately create some confusion for drivers and cyclists if a rider is road training or commuting and has been taught to stay in the lane like proper road traffic.

There is a significant problem with cyclists being directed onto and then off the road, as it creates the psychological impression that bikes aren't real road users, somehow inferior, or that cars should have right of way over cyclists. In the large roundabouts in Coburns Road this is most apparent.

Cyclists are instructed that when riding on the road they should obey road laws and use the lanes, overtaking, turning and giving way in the same manner as every other legitimate road user. At intersections such as the Coburns and Campaspe roundabout, the cyclist is directed off the road, onto the footpath, then back into the bike lane on the other side.

Cyclists are directed into a secondary side lane which then faces a give way sign.

The secondary lane can be clearly seen at the Coburns and Brooklyn roads intersection.

Here's the driver's view.

The exit for the bike lane is from the pedestrian crossing at the footpath.

On the other side there is no such curtailing of the bike lane.

There is a big problem with turning bikes into some sort of second class traffic. This creates the impression that cyclists are somehow not real road users or legitimate traffic on the roads. Obviously if there is an imbalance of power between a driver travelling in a tonne of fibreglass and a cyclist without such a surrounding, there are going to be difficulties. It could lead to drivers thinking that all cyclists should be expected to simply get out of the way! This is not a good situation if bike lanes are supposed to be increasing cyclists' and drivers' safety. Increasing cycling safety on the roads relies largely on correcting the view that cyclists are inferior road users.

For better ways to incorporate bike lanes into road improvements have a read through the next post about bike lanes in Carlton and other suburbs.

On well made bike paths

2008-02-18T15:32:00.000+11:00

Making comparisons between some bike lanes and other infrastructure around Melton and that in more bike friendly suburbs...

Let's start with a look at some of the well planned and maintained bike paths in Carlton.

The paths are wide, leaving space for parked cars and the doors of parked cars!

Where bike paths cross side streets, the road surface is painted green so drivers are aware of the path.

The green path creates a space for bike traffic.

Bikes being, of course, legitimate traffic like everything else on wheels on the road.

Where the path crosses closed roads, the bollards are not spaced so closely as to create a hazard to riders.

Where bike paths cross intersections there are lights indicating safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Here's one in use.

The roundabouts made the best example of cycling paths a cyclist can actually live with.

Rather than having the path end and forcing the rider up onto the footpath, which is illegal if you're over 11, or out into traffic, the path continues through the intersection.

In some cases the path through the roundabout is painted green.

In others, there's a concrete bollard to protect the lane from errant traffic.

In all, well designed bike paths can be helpful on roads.

The other alternatives are an off road cycling path, provided there are no blind turns, unmarked intersections or narrow areas where collisions with pedestrians may occur. That or simply allowing the cyclist to use a traffic lane, which most road riders prefer, since the bike is legitimate road traffic afterall.

MelBUG launches!!!

2008-02-12T10:10:00.001+11:00

Welcome to what will become the gang blog for Melton Bicycle User Group. Please feel free to participate in the online or onroad group.

MelBUG is for anyone, any bike, any time. For fun and participation and maybe a bit of cycling representation.

The byline being toyed with at the moment is: "Every bike on the road is one less car you have to sit behind in traffic."

On the 21st of February there's a full moon. Anyone interested in a full moon bike ride, feel free to contact Crowlie at tjurri@gmail.com.au Likewise if you'd like to be added to be able to post on this blog. The more the merrier!