With all the new cycling ways, and the plethora of advertising campaigns these days with a groovy bicycle and a pretty girl, Sydney is finally waking up and cycling is starting to gain the inertia of popularity. The city of Sydney have performed studies showing that for every $1 they spend on cycle ways the return in economic benefit back to the community is $3.88 (or near enough to $4 like advertised), whilst individual benefits to health and lower costs associated with running a bicycle versus a car was calculated to be $4.07 per commuter trip. This is in comparison to the economic benefit of $1 spend to improving roadways - receiving a mere $2 economic return to the community. By installing cycleways, the City of Sydney and our community will save an estimated $506 million over 30 years. Thank goodness our local government is finally getting on the band wagon for what us cyclists have been lobbying for, for years!
Even just a few months back, wandering around the city wasn't that much fun for bicycle spotting. Of course, you'd see the occasional pole with a bicycle of sorts attached. Today, it seemed the heavens had opened as there were bicycles on most street poles, and only one or two lonely bicycle parking rings along the way. What used to be a 10 minute walk, turned into 30 minutes of bliss!
First, I stumbled across this gorgeous colour coordinated Panio roadster with Velocity (An Australian manufacturer) "Deep V's". Very stylish and well maintained. The clean lines of silver and original paint job, just goes to show you don't need to buy a brand new bike, or pay a fortune to update an old one, to have a lovely steed.
What seemed like a few moments passed, and I stumbled across this beautiful build.
Again, an older frame this time with straight forks (as Yogi says, it makes for an agile ride). A lick of new paint, converted to fixed speed with Velocity B43's and white leather Concor saddle. It was a very sweet "whip" indeed, and perfect for the fixie scene popping up all over Sydney (check out the Sunday sessions from 1 Martin place from 5:30 pm).
The greatest inspiration came later in the day when I met a young cyclist and her bicycle in Chatswood.
This is Stella and her dad. She was very proud that a lady was taking photos of her bicycle as she came to collect it after shopping with her dad. With a beautiful big smile, she rides to school every day. Proudly donning her helmet she posed like a true super star for this blog. Her gorgeous Apollo is exactly what her dad says it is - "simple but does the job". And that's what makes it so stunning.
Bicycles don't have to be the latest and greatest for you to enjoy riding. Nor do you need to wear spandex to take cycling seriously. Stella's Apollo was well maintained, with the correct equipment so that right from the get-go, it is obvious she will have the necessary foundations to become a great cyclist no matter where she goes in her life.
Meeting Stella and her dad made me smile and brought back so many fond memories of my little blue bike with spokey dokes. Stella also inspired the realisation that as our next generation cyclist, we need to nurture and give guidance to her and her peers. We all need to work together to make a safe community for this new generation (as well as ours) to cycle in. Because one day, she will look back on her years riding to school, and have her many fond memories keeping her young at heart whilst ever she cycles. And, thankfully, because of our investment now, she will have safe city riding passage via our cycleways.
City of Sydney - keep up the great work and Stella - thanks sweetie for the inspiration!
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