Choke point: Tahmoor cyclist Alan Willock has been advocating for a cycle network in Wollondilly for the last three years. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Living in Wollondilly means spending at least 100 minutes travelling every day, according to Transport Data Centre statistics. Michael Cox reports.
Wollondilly has the worst transport record among its regional neighbours, statistics from the Transport Data Centre’s 2007 household travel survey show.
The average resident spends more than 100 minutes in travelling time each day compared to Wingecarribee residents who travel just over an hour, according to the most recent figures available.
On average each Wollondilly household owns more than two cars.
Wingecarribee residents own less than one car per household.
Wollondilly Council has allocated an extra $100,000 towards developing a bicycle network for commuters, recreational users and families in this year’s budget to provide alternative transport measures.
Areas where cyclists need to merge into through traffic are referred to as “choke points”. And Wollondilly Council’s infrastructure and planning manager Dick Webb said Wollondilly had too many of them for cycling to become an alternative form of transport at the moment.
Cycle works recently finished on Remembrance Drive Tahmoor cost more than $150,000 to construct.
Mr Webb said the shared cycleway was one part of making Wollondilly more cycle-friendly.
He said support infrastructure including bike racks and toilet and shower facilities would be ideal.
Mr Webb said the council was considering merging its Alternative Transport Committee, Transport Forum and the Economic Advisory Group’s sub-Transport Committee into one transport advisory group.
The amalgamation means a wider range of alternative and public transport problems may be addressed and a focus could be placed on establishing shared cycleways.
“There will be less duplication across three groups,” Mr Webb said.
“Remembrance Drive has been historically not designed for cyclists,” he said.
A member of the Bargo cycling group BarBugs, Alan Willock, said he avoided using Remembrance Drive because he had a close call with two buses.
The 56-year-old Tahmoor man said he would prefer to ride via Thirlmere to get to Picton than to ride his bike on Remembrance Drive.
The transport committee is focusing on establishing a Picton/Tahmoor route for bicycles because the road was not wide enough for cyclists.
“People say they’d love to cycle but they’re too scared to get on the road — and I don’t blame them,” he said.
Mr Willock said the state and federal governments needed to contribute more to cycle networks.
“Councils can’t afford to put paths like this one (Tahmoor’s new path on Remembrance Drive) on every road,” he said.

What terrific news!

Friday, 12 August 2011

Men’s National Road Series – Goulburn to Sydney, September 18-19, 2011.

The New South Wales State Government will partner the historic 170km Goulburn to Sydney (Camden) Cycle Classic (est 1902) which will be hosted by the Macarthur Collegians Cycling Club on the 17th & 18th of September promoting the Goulburn Mulwaree, Wollondilly, Camden and Campbelltown regions to a broader Australia wide audience.
State member for Wollondilly, Jai Rowell has lobbied for $20,000 funding assistance from the Premier’s department to continue the history of this iconic sporting event that has assisted many Australian cyclists as a stepping stone to their international careers. Cycling has been receiving world-wide recognition since the victorious salute of Australian Tour de France winner Cadel Evans in Paris last month.

“New South Wales has an event that is older than the Tour de France and we have a unique opportunity to use sport to promote our towns and show off our area.

The event ambassador, Simon Poidevin has led the push to raising over $800,000 that has assisted our local charities like the Odyssey House Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre Families Programme, the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation ,Youth Solutions and Goulburn’s Palliative Care,” Member for Wollondilly Jai Rowell said.

The race has a unique history starting in Goulburn, Australia’s first inland city and finishing in the birthplace of Australia’s wool, wine and wheat industries, the historic town of Camden.

This year a short time trial will be held at Goulburns’ Victoria Park from 11am on Saturday the 17th of September with the historic 170km classic commencing on Sunday the 18th of September at 7.45am.

The historic race departs Goulburn and follows the Hume Highway to Berrima and passes through Mittagong, Bargo, Tahmoor, Picton and the Razorback Range before finishing to a friendly Camden welcome at 11.15am.

Media enquiries: Simon Poidevin 0411 206 790 – Paul Hillbrick 0412 842 730.

With spring on it’s way, this post unfortunately will be relevant to many of us.

Recently a BARBUG member was attacked by a very determined maggie. Twice he swooped, forcefully hitting her helmet. On the third attempt he penetrated the helmet with his foot and got stuck! Poor Janette, here she was trying to stay upright on her bike with a claw scratching her scalp and a very agro magpie flapping furiously above her head! She managed to stop her bike, undo her helmet and throw it to the ground, thus dislodging the angry bird. A very frightening experience for both parties!

After a little internet research I have come up with 2 very informative videos on solutions to this Spring avian problem.

If anyone has any other ideas, we would be delighted to know.

When: Wednesday 12th October at 8:am

Where: Wollondilly Health Centre: 15 Harper Close Tahmoor

Meet at 7:45 for an 8:am start.

We will join the staff from the health centre for their Ride To Work  morning ride and scrummy breakfast at 9:am, after which we can ride a bit further to work it off!

Ride To Work 2010

Please contact me  so we can cater for breaky by Monday the 10th.

On The Right Path

Wollondilly Mayor, Michael Banasik is pushing for funding for a shared cycle and pathway between Picton Highschool and Tahmoor

Cr Banasik said the path would improve safety for students and pedestrians, and would also promote exerciseand a healthy lifestyle

The shared path and cycleway is expected to cost more than $300,000 to construct.

BARBUG cyclist group members Alan Willock and Sally Knyvett support Michael Banasik's (centre) push for a shared cycleway between Tahmoor and Picton High School

to read entire article go to: Macarthur Chronicle

50km; Medium Ride/ moderate Pace/ Some Traffic/ Significant Hills

Starts: 10.00AM;Picton Railway Station carpark. Undulating ride on mainly quiet rural roads with some significant hills.Enjoy rural scenery and orchard country as the ride takes in the towns of Picton, Thirlmere, Bargo and Tahmoor. Lunch at the Bargo Hotel.

5 of us set out for a great ride. The weather was gorgeous and Wollondilly looked it’s best. The route was a figure 8 encompassing Picton, Thirlmere, Couridjah, Bargo, Tahmoor, Thirlmere and back to Picton.

We stopped for a scrumptious lunch at Le Jardin Cafe in the delightful new Tahmoor Garden Centre ( Bargo) and ended with a drink at the historic Imperial Hotel, Picton. As a mum and keen cyclist I found this a very pleasant way to spend Mother’s Day – Thanks Phil.

A crew of nine inspirational young adults will be cycling through Bargo on 3^rd of April 2010 with a mission to inspire youth to think about sustainable consumption in their everyday lives. On arrival in Bargo the bike riders will have covered 1200kms of their 1300km journey.

The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainability launches their East Coast Tour at the Sustainable Living Festival in Federation Square, Melbourne on the 19^th of February. The tour will take them to regional schools along the South East Coast of Victoria and up through the Sapphire Coast to Sydney.

Since 2000, The Otesha Project (Aus.) has pedaled across Australia educating youth and raising awareness about environmental sustainability and social justice issues. Otesha is the Swahili word for ‘reason to dream’ and is the underlining philosophy of the organisation. The Otesha crew combines theatre performance with interactive workshops to empower high school students to consider their life choices to ensure a positive and sustainable future.

Current consumption behaviours in Australia have far reaching consequences that are both unsustainable and inequitable. The negative impacts of these practices usually affect the most disempowered people in society, including young people who now face an uncertain future. For Rachael – tour coordinator – the experience of the bicycle tours is fulfilling on many different levels:

“I’m thrilled to be on tour bringing this important project to regional schools. These tours are the perfect way to inspire youth to be the change of the future. Also it’s just a great and fun experience shared by everyone involved.” she says.

The tour participants from all over Australia have spent the past six months working hard collectively to plan the tour and create the three interactive workshops focusing on some of the major sustainability issues concerning youth: Consumer Choices, Culture Jamming and Food. As well as the workshops the tour will also present their hilarious ‘Morning of Choices’ theatre performance, which encourages the audience to consider their own choices made during an average morning.

The Otesha Project (Australia) is seeking support from your community; any donations of food would be welcomed, and we’d love to engage with other sustainable community initiatives, so please contact Kate Tucker at info@otesha.org.au.

Notes to Editors:

• The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainably – reason to dream

• Currently seeking support as our 9 cycle team members come through your town:

East Coast Tour (19 February – 9 April).

• Contact:

• Email: info@otesha.org.au

• URL: www.otesha.org.au

As usual this is a gorgeous ride with wonderful scenery. Matt rode his electric assist bike (see blog) which gives him the ability to keep up,  read – thrash us, on the hills. I always have trouble keeping to my diet when we visit the cake shop at Cobbity!

Ride Leader – Phil Rylatt

38km, relaxed pace, some traffic, moderate hills, some cyclepaths, some unsealed roads.

Meet 845am at Rotary Cowpasture Reserve Carpark, Camden Valley Way, Camden (see map) for a 9.am start

A medium circuit ride with a few hills, undulating, mostly quiet country roads with great views of the district. Stop at Cobbitty for coffee and cakes. Highlight is the Brownhill Loop Road (hard packed unsealed section suitable for road bikes)

View to Mt Hunter

Call to confirm, Phil: Ph: 8795 0546 or email
View Highlights of Camden Ride in a larger map

Cancelled due to rain – We will reschedule this one soon

We open the BARBUG year with a Picnic to Nepean Dam.

Meet at Rest A While Reserve Bargo (near station) at 9.30am

Some traffic, quiet roads.

An easy ride out to the Nepean Dam. Here we will sizzle a sausage while Jim and Phil teach us how to:

• correctly set up your bike
• change a tyre
• clean your bike and oil the chain

When our bikes are pristine and happy, we will do a short ride to the entrance of Avon Dam before heading home.
Make sure you bring along a tyre changing kit that includes tyre-levers.

For the more experienced riders a challenging ride to the Avon Dam can also be included.

Call to confirm Sally: 46841444 or email.

The return ride amazes even more as the road seems to plunge forever downward towards the Nepean Ford. You can only think to yourself, “Did I really ride all that way up?” Then, the climb back  to the entrance gates,  although it is not as hard as the ride up to Avon, on tired legs, seems to never end!

For more information go to: http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/recreation/upper-nepean-dams

John, Alan and Gina

Ford Crossing Nepean River Below Nepean Dam

How lucky we are to have these terrific riding opportunities in the Wollondilly Shire. There is something for everyone, no matter what level of fitness.