Set in the historical township of Orange and surrounding countryside on Sunday 10 September, the 2023 Newcrest Orange Challenge invites riders to test themselves across either the 88km or 170km distances, which will begin and end in the city centre.

Gruelling climbs, swooping descents and rolling hills will ask even the hardiest of riders to dig deep, while variable road surfaces are sure to keep them on their toes.

The reward? Car-free country roads, breathtaking views of stunning valleys, mountains and vineyards and the satisfaction that comes only from a truly demanding day on your bike.

Bicycle Network will be beside you for the fully supported ride, providing rest stops, nutrition, medical and mechanical assistance – leaving you to enjoy the journey.

An event village will be set up with entertainment and act as a hub for social and kids rides. It will also host a meet-and-greet with Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack.

“The Newcrest Orange Challenge is a one-of-a-kind event and our team is determined to make the 2023 edition the best one yet,” says Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack. “Whether you’re testing yourself on the bike or just joining in the festivities in this beautiful part of the country, it’s shaping up to be an unforgettable weekend.”

There is plenty on offer for those not taking part in either of the challenge rides. Orange is brimming with character and history and its attractions include gorgeous gardens, diverse art galleries, walking trails and award-winning restaurants.

The area’s cool climate and rich soils lend themselves to acclaimed wine, produce and gourmet delights, too.

Bicycle Network is thrilled to be back in the region running the 2023 Newcrest Orange Challenge. The event is sponsored by Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations and is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Participation numbers climbed steadily each year since Bicycle Network became involved in 2016. The pandemic sidelined the event and stalled its momentum in 2020, but the stage is now set for a spectacular return. 

Don’t miss out on early bird tickets. Register your interest here.

This article was made possible by the support of Bicycle Network's members who enable us to make bike riding better in Australia.

The post Newcrest Orange Challenge set for spectacular return appeared first on Bicycle Network.

Bicycle Network and the Tamar Bicycle Users Group are teaming up to get more people back on their bikes for summer and fulfil those new year resolutions.

Free 90-minute skills sessions are being offered every second Sunday of the month with the next session on Sunday 15 January.

Bicycle Network’s Back on your Bike program operates state-wide and helps people develop riding skills like braking, riding slowly, using gears, turning and basic bike maintenance.

“We’ve teamed up with TBUG so people who do Back on your Bike have somewhere to go to keep practising their skills and meet other people who like to ride,” Bicycle Network spokesperson Alison Hetherington said.

“The sessions are designed for people who need more confidence to get riding more often so we welcome a wide range of skill levels.

“It doesn’t matter if you want to ride to get to work, to spend more time with your kids or just get more active, these sessions will help.

“Wherever possible we try to offer an easy group ride at the end of a session or at a later date, such as the TBUG Thursday Twilight rides, so people can try out their freshly honed skills.

“Taking part is as simple as registering at www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/backonyourbike and turning up at the 2.30 pm session, meeting at the Inveresk car park.

“If you don’t have a bike yet, you can try out some of the models we have which include easy-riding step throughs and mountain bikes. We’ve also got spare helmets so all you need to bring is yourself.”

The post Getting Launceston ready to ride this summer appeared first on Bicycle Network.

A partnership between Reclink Australia and Bicycle Network and funding from MyState Foundation has seen the delivery of bike education to students at the Southern Support School in Howrah.

“Thanks to a grant from MyState Foundation, Reclink has been able to buy three trikes which allow us to help more people to learn to ride and deliver targeted  sessions for people with complex additional learning needs,” Reclink Senior Sports Coordinator Brett Geeves said.

“We trialled the trikes in the Community Bike Program with Bicycle Network’s Back on your Bike program and it was so popular that we applied to MyState for a grant so we could buy more bikes.

“The grant has ensured we now have enough trikes so that everyone who wants to take part can.

“We know physical activities like cycling can deliver physical and mental benefits but they also help people consider staying active in the longer term and boost their self-confidence and motivation.

“We hope people who undertake our program have fun on the day but also pick up long-term skills they can use throughout their lives.

“This time around we are taking the trikes to Southern Support School students and also utilising the expertise of the network’s Ride2School program,” Brett said.

Ride2School operates across the state and is open to all public and private schools, and with trikes like Reclink’s, children at support schools can also take part.

“There are so many different styles of cycle set-ups, with bicycles, tricycles and adaptive bikes, it means that with a bit of help more people can ride,” Bicycle Network spokesperson Alison Hetherington said.

“Knowing how to ride gives people a sense of freedom, it allows you to have fun outside with your friends and family or get to where you need to go.

“The Support School students enjoyed two skills sessions where they learnt about braking, turning and controlling the trikes.,” Alison said.

MyState Foundation chair Bob Gordon said changing lives for the better was what the Foundation was all about.

“Our mission is to provide young Tasmanians with greater opportunities, and that’s exactly what Reclink is achieving with the $10,000 MyState Foundation grant for their Community Bike Program,” Mr Gordon said.

“Whether it’s three wheels or two, it’s fantastic that even more young people have the chance to experience the joy of riding a bike and all the benefits that come from that.”

MyState Limited Managing Director and CEO Brett Morgan said that the Foundation had provided more than $2.4 million in grants to organisations like Reclink since its inception.

“For 21 years the MyState Foundation grants have given a brighter future to Tasmanian groups focused on youth wellbeing and health,” Mr Morgan said.

“As one of Tasmania’s leading banks, we’re proud to not just support our customers, but play our part as a large employer by investing in the wider community.”

Back on your Bike is funded by a Healthy Tasmania grant.

The post Community partnership helps Support School students to get riding appeared first on Bicycle Network.

Bicycle Network has welcomed the new Tasmanian Police and Crimestoppers Bikelinc website as another tool to help Tasmanian bike owners combat theft.

“Finding your bike has been stolen is gut-wrenching, especially if you rely on it to get around,” Bicycle Network spokesperson Alison Hetherington said.

“Bikes aren’t just another possession, for many riders their bike is a source of joy: it’s what provides their fun on the weekend or is their main means of transport.

“Many owners put time and money into customising their bikes, so it’s not as easy as just replacing it if it gets stolen.

“And now more people are relying on e-bikes to get around, replacing a stolen bike can be an expensive exercise.

“Being able to register your bike on Bikelinc and report it as stolen straight away could increase the likelihood of it being recovered.

“It will also be a useful check for people wanting to buy a second-hand bike to make sure it hasn’t been reported stolen.

“While bike theft may be seen as a low-value crime, it means a lot to bike owners to know police are taking their loss seriously.

“It’s heartening to see Tasmania Police and Crime Stoppers putting in that extra effort to try and reunite people with their bikes.

“More than half of the Tasmanian households surveyed in the 2021 national cycling survey said they owned one or more bicycles, which if extrapolated could mean hundreds of thousands of bikes.

“It’s important bike owners understand the risk of theft by using a lock that is difficult to cut, ensuring garages are secure, and recording their bike’s details in case it’s stolen,” Ms Hetherington said.

https://bikelinc.com.au/

The post New website useful tool to combat bike theft appeared first on Bicycle Network.

“People who travel to work by bike each day are saving themselves up to $1800 a year in fuel,” says Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack.

But the cost savings for the bike riding commuters don’t stop there. Riding a bike also offsets costs associated with vehicle maintenance, parking and road tolls.

The average cost of running a medium-sized car in Australia is $13,782 per year. The equivalent maintenance cost for a bike, according the Australian Cycling Economy 2021 Report, is $150 per year.

“Completely swapping your vehicle for a bike (or e-bike), also eliminates costs associated with registration, licensing, insurance and loan repayments,” says Alison.

There are other perks to riding a bike, too. Health benefits include improvements to cardiovascular health, mood, quality of life, and wellbeing. The exercise gained by riding a bike daily can reduce stress, risk of diabetes, and increase life expectancy.

Switching from a private vehicle to a bike can also massively reduce our collective carbon footprint. Per capita emissions in Australia are equivalent to 17.10 tons of CO2 per person, but travelling just 6km by bike each day can reduce a person’s annual carbon footprint by 0.8 and 1.2 tons. By riding more than 10km, each person would save between 1.3 and 2 tons of CO2.

Overseas studies have shown that people who ride a bike enjoy the highest commuter satisfaction of any other transport mode. Yet bikes are underused when it comes to commuting in Australia. According to the 2021 Cycling Participation Survey, around 59% of Australians have at least one bike in their household, yet just 3% of people travel to work by bike.

However, the number of people riding their bikes during this years National Ride2Work Day was a promising sign that these numbers could grow.

Let’s face it, there’s never been a better time to start riding. The weather is getting warmer, workers are returning to their offices, and our cities are coming back to life.

So if you haven’t yet started, pop on your helmet and give riding into work a go!

This article was made possible by the support of Bicycle Network's members who enable us to make bike riding better in Australia.

The post Getting stung by rising fuel prices? Ride a bike to work! appeared first on Bicycle Network.

The government’s new road safety campaign promoting care for people riding bicycles is a welcome step in promoting the message of sharing our roads, Bicycle Network spokesperson Alison Hetherington said today.

“We’re all just Tasmanians trying to get from A to B, it shouldn’t matter what method we use to get there,” Ms Hetherington said.

“Whether it’s driving a car, riding a bicycle, catching a bus or walking we all want to get home safely to the people we love.

“This Road Safety Advisory Council campaign reinforces the message that you are not passing a “cyclist” on the road, you’re passing a person who is a member of your community.

“The person riding that bicycle might be your doctor, your child’s teacher, your neighbour or your best friend’s cousin.

“With close to half of Tasmanians riding a bike at least once a year, most of us ride or know someone who does.

“Most Tasmanians drive responsibly, but this campaign just reinforces the message to be careful around people riding because we are so vulnerable on the road.

“Tasmanians responded well to the Distance makes a Difference campaign and we hope they’ll also embrace the sentiment of “we’ve all got someone to get back to,” Ms Hetherington said.

Alison Hetherington represents the Tasmanian Bicycle Council on the Road Safety Advisory Council and helped inform the new “we’ve all got someone to get back to” campaign.

The post Sharing the road a message worth promoting appeared first on Bicycle Network.

“The State Planning Provisions take us backwards when it comes to helping people to ride a bicycle for transport,” Tasmanian Public Affairs Manager Alison Hetherington said.

“Interim planning schemes require bike parking for employees that is secure, undercover and not accessible by the public.

“But under the state provisions developers just have to supply hoops outside the building.

“When people lock up their bikes and head off to their day or shift at work they want to be sure their bike is there when they finish. If they are forced to lock it up in the street it might be enough of a deterrent not to ride.

“Making it easier for people to ride a bike for transport makes sense in urban areas, especially for people moving into new apartment buildings.

“Many of the new apartments that have been approved or built are perfectly positioned for people to ride to get around but the state provisions do not require bike parking or provide guidance on what it should look like.

“We’d like to see greater direction in the state provisions about where cycleways should be built and what they should look like to ensure people of all ages and abilities have the option of riding to school, work, services and shops.

“Designing our streets to make it easier to ride and walk can help people get that much needed daily physical activity into their lives. Not to mention reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion and providing a low-cost transport alternative,” Ms Hetherington said.

The post Bikes should be part of the plan appeared first on Bicycle Network.

“It’s not clear in the proposals that have been put out for public comment this week whether the marked “future path” linking Kingston to Huntingfield will be built as part of the $60 million project,” Ms Hetherington said.

It beggars belief that in a $60 million roadworks project one of the central elements is not a safe shared path to help kids get to school and sport, or their parents get to work and bus stops.

“It would be a false economy to say that a shared path can’t be afforded in this project.

“By making it even more difficult to cross on foot or bike between Kingston and Huntingfield the government would potentially push more people into cars and make traffic problems worse.

“We want to see a cycling and walking underpass or overpass built when the ground is being dug up to put in the new roundabout and slip lanes.

“Ensuring people don’t have to cross busy slip lanes will future-proof riding and walking in the area for years to come.

“Many local trips are just a few kilometres, which should easily be made by bicycle or scooter, but are made more difficult when people have to cross the busy highways that dissect the greater Kingston area.

“The Huon Highway has underpasses to help people walking and riding, and the same access should be implemented for this upgrade.

“We know when governments build more road lanes it encourages more car trips, but if they build safe, separated cycling and walking links at the same time it gives more people more transport choices,” Ms Hetherington said.

The post Media Release: Algona Road works should include shared path appeared first on Bicycle Network.

45 riders, including 16 Bicycle Network members, were charged as part of Victoria Police’s Operation River Run earlier this year, enforcing the 10 kilometre speed limit along Southbank Promenade.

The flaw in the system is that people speeding on bikes are charged on summons rather than receiving an on the spot fine, as you would if you were caught speeding in a motor vehicle. This results in months of unnecessary anguish and paperwork for an already overburdened court system.

Not to mention, the fine for riding 12 kilometres over the speed limit on a bicycle is more than four times higher than if you were caught driving 12 kilometres over the speed limit or commit a low-level drink driving offence.

The maximum fine handed down during Operation River Run was $1,652.20, equivalent to nine penalty units in Victoria. For context, the fine for vehicles travelling 45km/h over the posted speed limit is $909.00, equivalent to five penalty units.

A person speeding behind the handlebars should not face a more traumatic, expensive and time-consuming fate than a person speeding behind the wheel, particularly when you consider the consequences of crashing a two-tonne vehicle compared to a 15 kilogram bicycle.

For this reason, Bicycle Network appealed to riders who had been issued charges to come forward so that our Rider Rights service (free to all members) could help in acquiring legal representation and support through the process.

Bicycle Network Chief Executive Officer Craig Richards said: “Our court system is always under great strain and it’s extraordinary that magistrates’ valuable time is being spent on these matters. Imagine if every speeding infringement by a person driving a vehicle ended up in court? We’d need hundreds more magistrates.”

“The law needs to change so that if people on bikes are being fined for speeding, it should be the same on the spot fine as for vehicles, and certainly shouldn’t be a higher penalty.

“This isn’t a registration issue. All of the riders charged on summons were pulled over in person, meaning there was ample opportunity to issue an on the spot fine.”

The large sum of these fines were due in part to the nature of the penalty process. Rather than issuing ‘on-the-spot’ traffic infringement notices, police issued a summons notice to riders, compelling them to appear before the local magistrate. Charges issued in a court summons, by nature, carry higher penalty units. In Victoria, fines for bike-related traffic offence may be between two to ten times higher if charged in court.

If the penalty units of bicycle speeding offences were at the very minimum the same as they are for vehicle-related offences, the speeding offense for a bike rider on a 10km/h shared path should be no higher than $363, or 2 penalty units (assume that the maximum speed of a person riding a bike is 30km/h).

This amount is 4.5 times lower than the fines issued during Operation River Run.

Though some argue bike riders shouldn’t be charged for speeding because they don’t have speedometers, let’s agree the speed limits are there for a reason and breaking them is a serious safety risk. Accepting this, Bicycle Network helped connect our members with lawyers to assist in applying for a diversion – where you admit guilt, show your genuine remorse and demonstrate your good character. If the police and magistrate agree, you avoid conviction.

Bicycle Network is pleased to report that so far all applications for a diversion have been successful, with our members avoiding conviction and receiving terms of good behaviour. Two had to pay $50 into the court fund. One had to pay $200 to the RSPCA. Another had to complete a road safety course. Ironically the course costs $350: $25 more than the equivalent speeding fine for motor vehicle drivers.

As well as promoting safety along Southbank, Operation River Run has highlighted an urgent need to address the penalty system for people violating bicycle speed limits.

This article was made possible by the support of Bicycle Network's members who enable us to make bike riding better in Australia.

The post Speeding bike riders put through the wringer appeared first on Bicycle Network.

While we live in an unpredictable world where coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns can be snapped in place, we are lucky that we are still able to go outside and ride a bike for exercise and transport.

This page has the latest advice for bike riding in Victoria and the rest of Australia, including where and how long you can ride for. 

Remember keep your distance, stay safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. Get tested even if you have the mildest of symptoms.

The post Can I still ride my bike outdoors? appeared first on Bicycle Network.