It fills my pedal-shaped heart to see so many more cyclists on the roads. Really, it does.
It’s the two-wheeled haven that has long inhabited my dreams. Pedal power in numbers: finally, the cycling revolution has begun!
But like all revolutions, there are teething problems. Rules are being broken! Careful what you wish for.
It’s now time to iron out these problems before we see mass, lycra-infused road rage.
First, though, celebration of the good news is in order.
Cycling is booming. It’s booming in both countries whose roads have hosted my saddle spinning: Australia and Britain. It’s good news because cyclists decongest everything: the roads, the car parks, the health system, the environment.
In Britain, the Guardian reported that “shops can barely keep up with demand” as bikes sell out. The revolution there is being billed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to change how we travel.
London, though, already had this revolution in motion. Seventy-one per cent of Londoners never drive. Cycling in London has more than doubled since 2000 – partly a result of ongoing investment in cycling infrastructure. I remember feeling a certain safety in numbers there.
It’s a safety I rarely felt when cycling on the streets within (or just outside) the Sydney CBD, where cars rule the roost, cycle lanes were tarmacked over, the Daily Telegraph called us “terrorists in lycra” and politicians still agitate for cyclists to register.
Things are changing fast, though: Australian bike retailers are calling bicycles “the new toilet paper” – a comparison that reflects newfound demand. The Bicycle Network found cycle use in some areas of Melbourne up by 79%.
Lord mayor Clover Moore’s pro-cycling City of Sydney has collaborated with the traditionally less cycle-enthusiastic New South Wales government to install six new temporary bike lanes.
It’s been gratifying to see collaboration from usual political opponents on the matter.
And it’s paying off: recently, as I cycled past a big bike shop in Bondi, the queue stretched down the street, and it made me ding my wee bell with welcoming gusto.
That’s a whole lot of spokes for two countries who are nowhere near as flat as bike-obsessed Holland.
But herein lies the rub: now we have a new influx of cyclists on the streets who aren’t always obeying etiquette or common sense safety measures.
It’s hardly their fault: you can rock up to any bike shop, buy one (if you’re lucky) and hop on; no test required. And in fairness, many of the rules are unwritten.
It’s one of the few areas of Australia’s infamous bureaucracy that remains joyously free of overregulation. There are some rules, and they vary state by state: here’s a handy guide from the Bicycle Network.
The best part of a healthy cycling infrastructure, though, comes from unspoken etiquette and a common sense derived from experience. Newbie riders won’t always get it. So the following is intended as friendly advice, even if my cantankerous side projects it out as a little grumble. You won’t always find these hacks in the rules: this is all about courtesy.
First, use the bicycle lanes! That’s what they’re there for. It kills me when I see cyclists either on the road or on the path when there’s a separated, safe dedicated cycle lane, installed at taxpayer expense.
If you don’t use it, rightwing journalists will sit and report downturns in numbers on bike lanes as a reason for their removal.
But also, you’ll annoy motorists and pedestrians who we need on our side. Use your brain. Use the cycle lane.
While on those lanes, don’t be on your mobile! I’ve seen people on calls while cycling, or texting while steering their vehicle shakily with the other arm. Some miss red lights turning green because they’re checking Facebook to kill the stationary time. Stop this madness! You’re in charge of a vehicle that can cause you and others harm if you’re not paying attention. Look up. Be responsible. Enjoy the outside, away from your bloody phone. Caveat: if your phone is secured in a purpose-designed holder fixed to your bike for navigation, that’s perfectly fine. But only use the maps app. Get off Tinder.
On the lanes, phone-free, don’t cycle side by side so you can chat! Go single file so people can overtake, unless it’s super quiet (and even then: be vigilant). The bike lanes are narrow and your chat can probably wait. We don’t all go at the same pace – in life or in the narrow bike lanes. For both scenarios, be patient, and graciously allow others to overtake if they’d like. Happiness is your bike journey, not the speed at which it reaches its destination.
Now this one is controversial among cyclists, but I come down on the side of wanting to pull out the headphones of anyone who thinks listening to Rihanna is more important than their safety. There are, however, a diversity of views on this, as the surprising number of replies to (what I thought was) a dull tweet showed me. It’s worth absorbing them all, but I’m still convinced you need all your senses and wits about you to cycle responsibly. Also, part of the joy in cycling is listening to birds chirp, eavesdropping staccato conversations, audibly drinking in the outdoors. In short: being present. That podcast can probably wait.
Finally, use your bell. Use it early and often. It isn’t the equivalent to a car hoot. It’s polite, not aggressive. Use it every time you overtake another bike or a pedestrian on a shared path. The ding isn’t obnoxious. It’s a jaunty reminder that we’re here.
Some councils, such as City of Sydney, do “rusty riders” courses tailored for those with lower confidence and fitness levels. Use them.
The cyclist’s common sense will come like all common sense does – by making mistakes and learning. I’m not perfect; I’ve broken these rules sometimes.
But the better behaved we are, the less likely certain politicians will succeed in their myopic crusade to get us all to register.
That’d be the day my bell ding would start to border on aggressive. Be warned! Ding bloody ding!
• Gary Nunn is a cyclist and freelance journalist
