The Joys of Commuting
Hoopdriver
Posts: 2,023
Hello All
I am a magazine writer (National Geographic, Time, Conde Nast) and having become more than a bit frustrated over the years by the lack of opportunity I get to write about something I really love, like cycling, I’ve taken to writing stories on my own behalf just for the fun of it. I’ve done a piece here on the joys of rediscovering cycling as an adult when I took to riding my bike again, thanks to a tram driver's strike, and became a commuter on the busy streets of Melbourne back in the days when I used to write for the newspaper there.
Here’s the link.
http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/the- ... of-chance/
I hope you enjoy it
I am a magazine writer (National Geographic, Time, Conde Nast) and having become more than a bit frustrated over the years by the lack of opportunity I get to write about something I really love, like cycling, I’ve taken to writing stories on my own behalf just for the fun of it. I’ve done a piece here on the joys of rediscovering cycling as an adult when I took to riding my bike again, thanks to a tram driver's strike, and became a commuter on the busy streets of Melbourne back in the days when I used to write for the newspaper there.
Here’s the link.
http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/the- ... of-chance/
I hope you enjoy it
0
Comments
-
Hi Hoopdriver - another great entry on your blog. I enjoyed reading it.
However, grateful if you could please stop posting photos of the Phil hubs - they are are dangerous to the health of my wallet!0 -
Nice post - although your options for varying your route to do interesting things sound more picturesque than mine. Perhaps it will inspire me to make a 'note to self'; in the summer, vary the route home more substantially and look out interesting things.0
-
Funny you say that - when I was living in Melbourne, back in the early Nineties, it was rather a dull place, often described as a nice place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there. It wasn't until I started cycling the city's streets and backstreets that I really bean to notice things. I daresay you if you do a bit of exploring as you ride you will discover some really interesting street-scapes and colourful vignettes on your rides to work. Just keep your eyes open.Applespider wrote:Nice post - although your options for varying your route to do interesting things sound more picturesque than mine. Perhaps it will inspire me to make a 'note to self'; in the summer, vary the route home more substantially and look out interesting things.0 -
Having just spent a week with my son (who lives in Melbourne) and been to Sydney and Adelaide on my way back to Melbourne at the end of the week, I am seriously wishing I could do some riding here. Especially in Melbourne, where it seems bike culture and coffee culture are quite integrated
But from the little i have seen it would appear that there is a strong bike riding presence and relatively good support for cyclists here. Sydney had some of the best segregated bike lanes I have seen. OK, those that live here might disagree, but compared to London it seems way ahead. Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph
0 -
Yes, even twenty years ago there was great cycling in Melbourne - it really was very advanced for the time. And yes, the cafe culture there is great too.
If you get a chance, the Yarra Bike Path is really good...
If you have a few days to play with, ride down the Mornington Peninsula, as I did in my story, then hop a ferry to Queenscliff and set off down the Great Ocean Road - unbelievably beautiful coastal ride - and catch a train back from Warrnambool.0 -
Hoopdriver wrote:If you have a few days to play with, ride down the Mornington Peninsula,
My wife's family have a house down in Sorrento and riding around the penninsula is really nice, there's also this cheeky monkey to keep you interested:
http://app.strava.com/segments/632890
Made me realise that I was 10kg overweight . . . . . longest 15 minutes of my life . . .
Ooooghhhhh
But the descent over main ridge going back west is properly lovely, also it's wine country, also it's circa 25C for most fo the year....Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
-
Call me lazy but I never cycled south of the Tweed. Brisbane is a killer in summer, especially when you try and cycle Mt Cootha in the summer with all the boy racers about. When you are from Queensland everyone from down south always seems to be in a bigger rush so I tended to head north where "do it tomorrow" turned into "do it next week"
Before I came here though it was the Gold Coast for a good few years. Sea breeze, beach view, no hills and plenty of scantily clad roller babes (err... bladers)0 -
I'm in Port Fairy on the Great Ocean Road, sadly with a 4x4 and 4 suitcases and Mrs OB, so biking it isn't going to happen...but heading back into Melbourne on Tursday until next Tuesday so hope to hire a bike and do some riding. Went down the Mornington Peninsula (by car) to see the penguins when we arrived in Oz 4 weeks ago... its fantastic here...Hoopdriver wrote:Yes, even twenty years ago there was great cycling in Melbourne - it really was very advanced for the time. And yes, the cafe culture there is great too.
If you get a chance, the Yarra Bike Path is really good...
If you have a few days to play with, ride down the Mornington Peninsula, as I did in my story, then hop a ferry to Queenscliff and set off down the Great Ocean Road - unbelievably beautiful coastal ride - and catch a train back from Warrnambool.Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0 -
OptimisticBiker wrote:I'm in Port Fairy on the Great Ocean Road,.
Go to the Tower Hill nature reserve.
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/tower-hill-w.r
It's a couple of miles east out of Port Fairy
Go a couple of hours before dark, take your dinner for BBQ in the car (they have those great Aussie public electric BBQs - top tip take plenty of water and cleaning materials to tidy up afterwards), have a walk up the crater (best place for koalas) as it gets to dusk the Kangaroo get active and the koalas get more active too. Look in front of the visitor centre at dusk - wall to wall Roos.... Emus all over the place - they will take an interest in your supper but i haven't been mugged by a six foot bird yet . . .Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
