Local Archives

10/12/202026/02/2021

#Bikes_CISTA #50: John, Diesel, Roxy & Bike

There are many reasons why I love where I’m currently living and riding. I live on Narlang Quandamooka land which is Morton Bayside 25 km out of Brisbane (AUST).

In my neighbourhood, we have fantastic bayside foreshore pathways, heritage-listed Mangrove reserves, native bushland and swathes of green parklands. The natural environment was a definitive reason for us choosing to live here.

I’m often out and about on my bike and I love to meet people who are doing the same.

While I’m in the throes of data analysis and working hard on my PhD bicycle research, it feels even more important to keep connected with the two-wheeled community.

One of the early projects I started with this blog was my Instagram @bicycles_create_change.

I have a number of ongoing side projects that I like to keep percolating. My Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project is one I have not updated in a while due to COVID and I was delighted to have the opportunity to do so recently.

My Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project

Long-time readers of this blog will be familiar with my Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project.

This is an ongoing project I started in February 2017.

The ‘CISTA’ acronym of #Bikes_CISTA stands for Cycling Interspecies Team of Awesomeness.

The Cycling Interspecies Team of Awesomeness (or Bikes_CISTA) Project is a photographic collection of encounters I’ve had with biking strangers while riding Leki (my flower bike) around my neighbourhood. It features people I spontaneously see, introduce myself to, have a chat with and invite them to join ‘the team’ (completely optional).

The eligibility for a #Bikes_CISTA invite requires:

at least one person
at least one dog
at least one bike
all are happy to stop and have a chat with me
are happy for me to share their photo and their CISTA story

It is a great way to keep me connected to my community, actively meet new people and celebrate one of the most important (non-religious) ‘holy trinities’ of being a positive and active community member that I hold near and dear: being on bikes, being with dogs and being outside enjoying nature and community….and all this at once.

I’ve previously written about the origins and perks of the #Bikes_CISTA and how instrumental it is in my community-social health practice.

COVID put a serious dent in #Bikes_CISTA activities. The last entry was #Bikes_CISTA #49 on November 2019. Considering at start of 2020 I was in West Africa for fieldwork and then COVID hit – I suppose no updates is actually quite reasonable! Since then, I haven’t given it much thought until this week I was presented with a golden #Bikes_CISTA opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.

So without further ado – meet John, his bike, Diesel and Roxy … who are our #Bikes _CISTA #50!

#Bikes_CISTA are back!

Meet John, his bike, Diesel and Roxy – #Bikes_CISTA

I was out walking Zoe during a PhD study break and I saw this awesome team riding towards me. The trailer caught my eye. Spontaneously I blurted out something to John as he rode toward me about how cool the trailer was and how great it was to see him and the dogs out on two wheels.

To my delight, John was happy to stop and have a chat – woo-hoo!

Diesel is the larger white bitsa in the front and Roxy is in the back. These two dynamos are rescue dogs and a very happy misfit pair – what a great outcome for all!

John lives in Cleveland and often rides Diesel and Roxy along the Morton Bay Cycleway for a regular cruisey Cleveland-Thornside-Lota-Manly return ride.

John’s dog trailer is simple but effective. He has modified a standard trailer setup to include shade ontop and Roxy’s basket on the end. He has to augment the axel a little to redistribute the weight for the two pooches.

There are rubber insulated mats on the floor plus a little extra cushioning for puppy comfort.

I was interested to hear he had put some barrier up around the bottom of the tray to make sure wayward tails didn’t get knocked about or accidentally caught in wheels, which was a particularly considerate addition.

We chatted happily in the afternoon sun about bikes, dogs, riding with dogs and riding this local route – all while the puppies watched on.

I love that John was wearing a ‘No bad dogs’ T-shirt as well!

Funnily enough the very next day after meeting this crew, I saw them again while riding Leki along the foreshore. I was cruising past a busy tourist area and saw John’s bike parked under a tree.

I stopped and left my business card, but then I saw John walking Diesel and Roxy a little further on. How lucky!

So we stopped for another chat. Hooray!

This dual interaction made me so happy. I loved the opportunistic randomness of the initial connection which was fun and interesting and genuine – and then to have it reinforced the very next day was just lovely.

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for this fantastic #Bikes_CISTA team from now on.

It makes me happy to know there are awesome bike-people-dogs like this cruising around my community spreading positivity, good company, and wholeheartedly celebrating the #Bikes_CISTA philosophy in their own engaging way.

Happy return #Bikes_CISTA teams!

02/09/202010/11/2020

Bikes take the lead in NSW Streets as Shared Spaces Program

It is encouraging to see more local councils and state governments backing active transportation and bike riding. As well as leveraging all the well-established health, social, economic and environmental benefits of bike riding, during COVID-19, it is now more important than ever to be improving public spaces that are equitable, accessible and practice social distancing. In June, NSW Government put out a call for activation grants and here are some of winning applicants. I hope there are more initiatives like this and other states follow suit – here’s to hoping! Great start NSW! Enjoy! NG.

What is the Shared Streets Spaces program?

The Streets as Shared Spaces program in NSW is part of a wider suite of initiatives in NSW looking to boost public access for the community during COVID-19.

Through the Streets as Shared Spaces program, the NSW Government has awarded grants to councils for temporary activation projects that support the community during COVID-19 and also test ideas for more permanent improvements to local streets, paths and public spaces.

This $15 million program launched in 2020, and was a pilot to enable improvements across NSW during COVID-19 and into the future which:

support essential workers to travel to work, and people working from home
contribute to NSW economic recovery in our local centres by creating vibrant streets and additional safe space to support local business
activate high streets to create better quality public space
support physical distancing requirements and encourage safe social connection
support the well-being of local communities and their ability to exercise
attract people back into public spaces in a safe way, when appropriate to do so.

Projects are intended to test and build the case for more permanent changes. Councils will lead the projects and consult with the community and stakeholders to evaluate success and make changes as needed.

The NSW Government has announced a list of urban and regional streets due for temporary transformations as part of their $15 million Streets as Shared Spaces program.

Launched in 2020, the program awards grants to councils for temporary activation projects that support the community during COVID-19 and test ideas for more permanent improvements to local streets, paths and public spaces.

Bikes take the lead in NSW Streets as Shared Spaces Program. Bicycles Create Change.com 2nd September 2020. — Image: NSW Dept. of Planning, Industry and Environment and Destination

Streets as Shared Spaces program aims to:

support essential workers to travel to work, and people working from home
contribute to NSW economic recovery in our local centres by creating vibrant streets and additional safe space to support local business
activate high streets to create better quality public space
support physical distancing requirements and encourage safe social connection
support the well-being of local communities and their ability to exercise
attract people back into public spaces in a safe way, when appropriate to do so

Amongst the 27 regional and 14 Greater Sydney councils who have been awarded grants, there were a number of bike-friendly improvements, including:

Ballina Shire Council

Project name: A Slow Path – Not A Fast Short Cut
Amount: $100,000
Description: A program of temporary works that seeks to test a number of traffic calming elements and streetscape features aimed at improving safety and convenience for pedestrian and cyclists in and around Park Lane over a trial period of 8-9 months.

Bayside Council

Project name: Place Making – Russell Avenue, San Souci
Amount: $100,000
Description: The proposal is for a ‘pilot’ trial opportunity to create community parklets alongside wide off-road cycleways where families feel safe to ride their bicycles – protected from traffic, whilst exploring local cafes before enjoying the paths and natural space of the Botany Bay’s foreshore.

Central Coast Council

Project name: Implementation of a Shared Zone and activation of The Esplanade, Umina Beach
Amount: $327,528
Description: This project is to provide a shared zone in The Esplanade, Umina Beach between Ocean Beach Road and Trafalgar Avenue, to provide a safer environment, great amenity and activate the road to provide a pedestrian and bike priority-based space.

Coffs Harbour City Council

Project name: The Green Spine Pilot Project
Amount: $800,000
Description: The Green Spine pilot project aims to trial a safe corridor for cycling and walking access along Coffs Harbour’s Harbour Drive during COVID-19.

Ku-ring-gai Council

Project name: Gilroy Road Separated Cycleway and Turramurra Shared Path
Amount: $398,000
Description: The project is to test the cycleway proposed in Turramurra Public Domain Plan. It will provide a safer cycling route for all ages and link open spaces, as well as providing a link from residential areas to local centre and station away from higher traffic roads.

You can see a full list of the successful projects here.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said: “It’s fantastic to see so many councils eager to provide new and improved public spaces for their communities, encouraging active transport and beautifying their streetscapes.”

These projects will transform neighbourhoods across the state, making it easier for people to walk or ride to local shops and services by creating safe, attractive and accessible streets and public spaces.”

This sets a strong example for other state governments looking to bounce back from the pandemic, particularly in Victoria where the full impact of changing transport habits are yet to be realised due to the extended lockdown.

Content in this post first published by Bicycle Network.

25/07/202027/08/2020

Bicycles help the Pascua Yaqui community fight diabetes

I am always looking for stories where bicycles create positive community change. Inclusive bike-focused programs that support First Nations and minority groups is a special interest for this blog.

Previously, I have posted on programs that increase bike use, access and participation for Indigenous Australians such as:

This week, I came across a US community-based project working at the forefront of 3 critical intersecting issues: diabetes, first nations (Native American community) health and using bicycling to mitigate chronic health issues.

This project works with the Pascua Yaqui people in the US. Obesity and diabetes is a major individual and community health issue in many communities – and the Diabetes Community Empowerment Project is using bicycles to help address this issue. What an awesome project!

Who are they?

This initiative is part of Native Exercise Empowerment Project.

Since 2012, the Diabetes Community Empowerment Project has been working with the Native American community helping them move towards better health. This community sees a high incidence of diabetes and obesity and DCEP empower native people to exercise more and be role models for each other.

The programs work in resource poor communities by removing the barriers between people and the healthier, happier versions of themselves.

Starting out

The project began when James Stout (DCEP Executive Director) was training in Tucson Arizona. At the time, he was making a living as a cyclist. Having spent time riding through the reservation and working with nonprofit outside of the US, he noticed the high rate of diabetes among Native American people and wondered if there was anything he could do to help.

As someone who lives with diabetes, James was motivated to share the joy, and health, he found in riding his bike. Taking a clapped out station wagon and as many old bikes and helmets, as it could fit, James took time out from his PhD I began to work on the reservation in order to better understand the barriers between Native people and better diabetes management.

Although access to medication is an issue in many Native American communities, a lack of access to exercise and education is often equally dangerous. Through working with the healthcare team on the reservation, the program engages people with diabetes and encouraged them to try cycling with the goal of completing a El Tour de Tucson event.

3 years after it started, each of the initial riders have returned to serve as a mentor and bought friends and family with them. By 2016 the project has seen over 100 participants finished their goal event, thousands of pounds have been lost and blood glucose management has seen drastic improvement.

DCEP Mission

To research and implement peer mentored, exercise based lifestyle interventions in resource poor diabetes communities. Focusing on goal events, we aim to use community based education and exercise programs to empower people to live healthier and happier lives as well as to be changemakers in their own communities.

Moving forward

The DCEP website has not been updated in a while, so I hope this project is still ongoing! Even if it is not, the project is a great example of an how bicycles can be used to improve indiviviual and community health and well-being.

It also serves as a reminder that we need a broader, more inclusive methods of providing specialist, community-focused responses to support the needs of First Nations communities and minority groups.

All images and some content of this post sourced from DCEP.

20/04/202003/07/2020

Australian riders – give your ideas to a COVID-19 end of (bicycle) trip survey

Bicycle Network is Australia’s biggest bike riding organization that has nearly 50, 000 members nationwide. One of the things I really appreciate about Bicycle Network is that they often undertake surveys in order to see how members and local riders feel about certain key issues. Previously this blog has shared Bicycle Network’s survey on how people feel about Australian helmet laws as well as the results of that survey and some of the flow on critiques and counterarguments the survey results stimulated. Their latest survey gauging how bike riders how they use end of trip facilities at work and if that might change because of COVID-19.

This post is an invitation for Aussie riders to contribute their ideas to help Bicycle Network create a set of guidelines for workplaces so end of trip facilities remain open and people can ride their bike to work- if you are interested – read on!

Does your workplace have somewhere to store your bike and wash up after your commute? Do you wish it did? Let us know what you do when you get to work and how that might change when lockdown eases.

End of trip facilities—areas with bike parking, showers, change rooms and lockers—are a vital part of workplaces that enable people to ride a bike instead of driving or taking the train.

And it is likely end of trip facilities will become more important. New bike lanes are being installed in Australian cities and public transport is running at reduced capacity, encouraging more people ride to work.

Click here for the survey

However, end of trip facilities will need to run a little differently to before COVID-19.

Some facilities might need caps on the number of people who can use the facility at the same time and cleaning will need to be done more regularly.

Bicycle Network is producing a guide with advice for workplaces on how to manage their end of trip facilities so people can keep riding to work.

To help us make the guide we’d like people to complete a survey, tell us how their end of trip facility works and if it will affect the way they travel to work after COVID-19.

Survey, images and content in this post courtesy of Bicycle Network.

24/12/201912/01/2020

Lismore’s Bicycle Christmas Tree

Christmas is only moments away.

For previous Christmases, this blog has looked at:

For 2019, we are heading to Lismore in QLD, where for the past few years the local City Council has provided a public recycled art Christmas Tree. This very successful initiative all started with recycled bikes.

The Lismore Council public art Christmas tree initiative stemmed after the local ‘leaning tree’ that had previously been decorated for Christmases was (unduly and harshly) dubbed ‘the world’s most pathetic’ Christmas tree. (Note: Personally, I think the leaning tree was awesome. Such a pity that we don’t celebrate diversity and difference and the wonderful uniqueness in nature. As Gaudi stated ‘there are no straight lines in nature’ – I think it is the very twists, turns, messiness and curves that makes life so engaging and grand. The very thing that made that tree unique and special to some, others considered to be a flawed and an eyesore. I don’t agree that ‘perfection’ i.e. a straight tree (or a or a ‘pretty blonde female’ as an extrapolation) is necessarily beautiful. Perhaps we need to check in with our cultural value criteria – anyhow..back to Lismore).

So, in 2015, Lismore Council looked to change their tree and started a recycled public art initative.

Lismore’s Bicycle Christmas Trees

The recycled bicycle tree was the first of these instalments. In 2015, the Lismore Bike Christmas Tree was erected as a centrepiece for the main roundabout on the corner of Keen and Magellan Streets.

This intuitive is to celebrate the festive holiday season as well as Lismore’s commitment to recycling and sustainability.

A local bike shop, Revolve, supplied the 90 old bicycles (which otherwise would have gone to scrap), 50 litres of paint, almost half a tonne of steel for the frame and $30 of donated rainbow mis-tints from the local paint shop. GOLD!

Lismore’s council metal workshop welded the bicycle frames were welded onto the steel frame they had created as the base structure.

The final ‘tree’ was then painted in rainbow mis-tint colours by the council staff and their families in their own time.

The tree was then gifted by the council to Lismore residents.

Previous Lismore Recycled Art Christmas Tree

The Lismore Council Public Recycled Art Christmas Tree has had a number of reiterations since its first recycled bike tree.

Lismore’s tree for Christmas 2019 was a 7-metre ‘living’, growing structure. It has more than 300 potted plants, 100 metres of tinsel, 250 metres of solar-powered LEDs, 16 pairs of work trousers and matching boots. At the top instead of a star, council staff made a Planta (plant ‘Santa’).

The 2018 Lismore Christmas tree was made out discarded umbrellas.

In 2017 it was recycled road signs.

In 2016 it was recycled car tyres.

The 2015 Bicycle Christmas Tree has been the most popular instalment by far to date. In acknowledgement of this, the council is in discussion for a possible future tree that has sculptural bikes that produce power so that when visitors ride them, the generated power will light up the tree. Sounds similar to Brisbane’s Bicycle-powered Christmas Tree.

A big round of applause for Lismore Council for installing the recycled bike Christmas tree. An inspiring public project that brings community and council together to celebrate sustainability, recycling, community and creativity.

Here’s to more bicycle-inspired Christmas trees!

Happy holidays and safe riding all!

05/11/201904/12/2019

@CyclingBrisbane Instagram Takeover

This week I have been invited to take over Cycling Brisbane’s Instagram account.

This is an ongoing initiative that gives an individual or organisation the opportunity to control the Cycling Brisbane (@cyclingbrisbane) Instagram account for 7 days.

This is a great way to showcase community members and local biking groups various interests, perspectives and personalities.

The idea is that participants share their views of what riding in Brisbane means to them.

This account has guest host takeovers by an impressive range of Brisbane cycling and biking enthusiasts including Colony (BMX), Queensland Police, specific-type-of-bike fanatic/s, school groups, racers, families, local businesses, MTB clubs and more!

Similarly to this blog, my takeover key themes are inclusion, participation and diversity for a range of ages and stages of the community and for all types of cycling.

Ongoing motifs will also be dogs, local personalities, riding for enjoyment, having fun, sustainability/recycling, getting out in nature and showing off my local bayside surrounds.

And of course, lots of photos of Leki my flowerbike!

Check out what I have uploaded so far here.

IG Account Takeover

To do a @cyclingbrisbane takeover, you can either contact the organizers (at the link in the IG bio) or you are directly approached through the local cycling network or because someone knows/recommends you.

From there it straightforward. After you receive the terms and conditions and fill out the consent, then you receive the account login and dates of the takeover

I was contacted directly by the organizers who I know through various local biking events.

During the takeover, you need to upload between 1- 4 images per day to the @cyclingbrisbane Instagram account.

The idea is that images should be inspiring, visually appealing and most importantly representative of the great cycling options around Brisbane.

Content should align with Cycling Brisbane’s core themes of commuting, connectivity, discovering Brisbane by bike or active and healthy lifestyles.

You can only upload images and/or videos and they have to be your own original work.

Uploads need to include the hashtag #cyclingbne

Of course, all content uploaded needs to model responsible cycling practices. So, you need to obey road rules, wear a helmet and not use a mobile phone while riding a bike. That’s why there are no selfies of people riding their bikes.

This is a great initiative and one that other organizations might consider doing to increase engagement, exposure and diversity in their social media platforms.

It also makes it much more interesting for those who follow the account because each week you are getting these insights into the vastly different people, places and biking lifeworlds that make up our Brisbane bicycle/cycling community.

If you are in Brisbane, love bikes and are interested in doing a takeover, direct message the Cycling Brisbane (@cyclingbrisbane).

18/09/201928/09/2019

The Big Push & Kurilpa Derby 2019

The start of this month was epic!

First of all, it was Father’s Day in Australia and the weather in Brisbane this time of year is absolutely stunning.

This meant everyone was out and about.

There were two annual kick-ass Brisbane bike events to get this month off to a brilliant start: The Big Push and The Kurilpa Derby.

So much fun to be had on two wheels!

The Big Push

The Big Push is an annual slow roll around Brisbane CBD. It is hosted by Space4Cycling Brisbane and is held during QLD’s Road Safety Week. The aim was to bring the cycling community together and to call on the Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government to improve riding conditions. At the top of community riding needs are three things: build more protected bike lanes, connect networks, and slower speeds in suburban streets. This is so riding in Brisbane will be safer, more comfortable and more convenient for people of all ages and abilities.

On the day, Leki and I headed down to Kurilpa Park to join a whole lot of other riders. It was an excellent turnout. I’d love to know how many people actually attended – it felt like a lot.

We did a slow roll around Brisbane on a designated route. Leki was in fine form and everyone was in a good mood. After a safety talk and a few speeches, we were off. As we rode, we chatted amongst ourselves, made new friends and waved to passer-bys.

I was very impressed with how many under 10-year olds rode the whole way with their parents. I also loved the dogs in trailers and baskets – nothing says bike safety like two pugs in a tandem bike trailer!

There were quite a few people around the city and the mass of red shirts on bikes drew a lot of attention. We also had a police escort and were waved through some traffic lights, but had to stop at others.

At specific points along the route, we all stopped so the whole group could re-form. I really liked these stops. It was great fun getting to a point and riding into the ever expanding swirling circle. It was cool watching the vortex grow in mass as more riders filtered into the loop.

Bells were ringing, speakers played happy tunes, people were laughing – a joyous mass of people on bikes!

At Parliament House we all stopped for a group photo.

Another great Big Push!

Then it was time to head over to Kurilpa Derby for the afternoon.

Image: Space4Cycling (BNE)

The Kurilpa Derby

The Kurilpa Derby is an annual community celebration of life on wheels and happens once a year in West End (Brisbane, Australia).

The Kurilpa Derby began as an expression of community celebration and inclusivity.

Each year there is a parade (bicycles are central to this) and novelty races run at the heart of Boundary St, West End (Brisbane, Queensland). The whole street is closed off and the locals take over. This event was first run in 2007. So this year is the Derby’s 12th anniversary.

The Derby is a community event owned and organised by the @WestEndCommunityAssociation. WECA is the residents not-for-profit community based, member-led association.

The Kurilpa Derby officially started at 2pm, but locals and visitors were already out in force well before that.

There is so much to do at the Derby. The locals block off the main street and take it over. One of the main events is a massive street parade.

The Kurilpa Derby parade goes down Boundary Street (from the Dornoch Terrace Bridge to the intersection of Boundary Street and Jane Street. The street is lined with hundreds of appreciative visitors cheering the parade on.

It is an incredible showcase of the range of skills, creativity, spirit and dreams of those who enter – it truly is a spectacle to behold!

There were parade bicycles representing lots of different perspectives such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, community and music groups, environmental issues like the ocean, plastic, global warming, representations of animals, birds, reptiles and insects, school groups, and heaps of others!

And the bikes! Tall bikes, penny-farthings, home-made bikes, tandems, trailers, trikes and more!

Bikes are a central feature of the street parade – and the colour, thought and effort put into the floats is phenomenal.

After the main street parade, there are heaps of sports and skill demonstrations, fun games and races – some novelty (like the go-cart and kids running races), some more serious (like the scooter races).

Local shops, bars and cafes are packed to capacity and there is music, dancing, eating and laughing emanating from everywhere.

I love the energy and community of The Kuripla Derby – so many kids, families, friends, locals and visitors coming together to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of this beautiful local community. What an event!

It was a busy, fun-filled, community-centred, bicycle-related day – Phew!

It does not get much better than that!

See you all there next year!

Image: @Kaipantano
Image: @hughdopey
Image: @MondoWorld

28/06/201901/07/2019

Tibetan Bike Rider Combating Climate Change

Nâm Arya is a first generation Tibetan-America. In 2016, she spent a year undertaking an epic bike-packing and speaking tour of the U.S called Bike for Tibet.

Her goal was to spread the word about the impacts of climate change in Tibet and to seek climate justice for Tibetans.

I got excited to find out more about the trip online. I went to Nâm’s online journal, but there was not much content there. Bummer because the trip itself sounds awesome! Even so, this initiative is so worthwhile. I suppose you have to go to one of the talks in order to get all the details! Fair play!

What is Bike for Tibet?

It was a year-long bicycle tour of the U.S. for the purpose of bringing Tibet and Tibetans into the global conversation on climate justice.

Along the way Nâm offered 60+ min presentations to discuss and dissect climate change issues in Tibet.

During these discussions, she highlighted key concerns including the displacement of nomads, the effects of dams along Tibetan rivers, and mining.

Nâm also outlined root causes, false solutions, issues of colonization, and how democracy features within the context of exploited communities.

A central theme in all the presentations is inter-dependence. She also linked wider issues from other communities seeking environmental justice in the US and abroad.

Who is Bike for Tibet?

Nâm is an exiled Tibetan woman who was born in Mungod Resettlement Camp in southern India. As a youth, she attended Tibetan boarding school in the northern India until she immigrated to the US in 1996 where she now lives.

She and her bike-riding-mad partner Jonni undertook the 12-month Bike for Tibet journey together.

Jonni is adventure bicyclist and Instagram celebrity under the moniker UltraRomance. If you have not seen Jonni’s IG before, check it out – he is hilarious!

What a brilliant idea for a bike project! Get out on the road with your favourite person, ride around living a simple life and promote a very important environmental and social issue at the same time– wicked!

How did Bike for Tibet get started?

Nâm says she was inspired by Drukpa Rinpoche’s Eco Pad Yatra and the enduring work of Tibet climate change organizations working to vision to bring stabilise the Himalaya Plateau.

She created Bike For Tibet to be a nexus for these projects, influences and practices – as well as something she loves best to do – biking!

The Bike for Tibet project builds on Nâm’s decade-long leadership and work within the environmental movement.

Nâm used crowd funding to get Bike for Tibet up and running. Although she is advocating for climate action, Bike for Tibet is independent and not affiliated with any one particular group.

Some parts of this post were taken from the Bike for Tibet website to ensure accuracy of facts. All images by Bike for Tibet or IG UltraRomance unless otherwise indicated.

08/06/201912/06/2019

AWCC 2019 – Abstracts open!

It’s Australian Walking and Cycling Conference (AWCC) time again!

Hooray!

I really like this conference.

The people are great, the program is always interesting – and it doesn’t cost and arm and a leg to get there. Perfecto!

In 2017, I presented an AWCC roundtable session entitled Bicycles Create Change: An innovative guide to creating memorable and meaningful engagement in community bike projects.

The session went very well and it was great to share my work people outside of Griffith Uni and Queensland.

It was also a valuable opportunity to network and meet some incredible people. I came home from the last AWCC with a big smile and many new ideas and resources.

Last year, the 2018 AWC Conference was held in the Victorian regional city of Bendigo,

This year, AWCC is returning to Adelaide on October 24-25^th 2019.

AWCC 2019 – Abstracts open!

The 2019 conference and related activities aim to engage more directly with local issues of climate change mitigation and adaption in relation to walking and cycling.

The 2019 AWCC theme is Active transport in a changing climate.

Abstracts for AWCC sessions are now open.

Session Formats

Learnshops: 20 min podium presentations with 10 mins Q & A.

Spin cycles: Short, fast-paced podium PPTs of 3.45 mins for 15 slides.

Roundtables: To a table of 10 – present for 10 with 15 mins group discussion

Key dates

Abstract submission opens: Monday 22 April
Abstract submission closes: Monday 22 July
Authors notified of outcome: Monday 19 August
Authors notified of program placement (date/time): Mon 26 Aug
Presenting author registration deadline: Monday 16 September
Conference: Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October

Below is more info from the AWCC website.

Conference vision

The simple acts of walking and cycling have the potential to transform the places we live, our economies and how we engage with our environment. The Australian Walking and Cycling conference explores the potential for walking and cycling to not only provide for transport and recreation but solutions to challenges of liveability, health, community building, economic development and sustainability. As one of Australia’s longest running, best regarded and most affordable active travel conferences, we bring together practitioners and researchers from Australia and across the world to share their work and engage with conference participants.

Conference theme: Active transport in a changing climate

We aspire to promote work which creates a transport mode shift away from cars towards walking and cycling, and using active means to link with improved public transport in suburbs and rural towns. We want to shift away from CO2 reliant mobility and keep people active as temperatures rise, and extreme weather becomes more common.

What can a transport mode shift in our suburbs and rural towns contribute to CO2 reduction nationally? What concomitant air quality benefits are felt in suburban streets and towns as a result? Acknowledging that climate change is occurring, what changes are to be made to suburban and town environments so that walking and cycling are almost always convenient, pleasurable, safe and life affirming even in the face of rising temperatures? What does a small town or suburban neighbourhood retrofit look like in the next ten or twenty years, so that people are out and about and interacting? How do people of all ages and abilities avoid retreating to air-conditioned ‘comfort’ – ‘comfort’ that is inactive, isolated and CO2 producing?

These questions indicate the directions we hope to explore in the 2019 conference.

21/05/201912/06/2019

What happened at BikeHack19?

I’m still recovering from BikeHack19! It was intensive, fun and interesting for many reasons. I’m constantly being asked ..What happened?! So, here’s a summary snapshot of each day at BikeHack19. Congrats to all involved. Well done all! NG.

What happened at BikeHack19?

Previously, I posted details about the upcoming BikeHack19 event in Brisbane. BikeHack19 is Australia’s first hackathon-style event where teams work to address the challenge of getting more people on bikes more often in Queensland.

It was a 45-hour intense event.

There were 90+ people, 79 hackers, 26 pitches, 13 final teams, 3 business development masterclasses, 3 mentor round-robin sessions and 1 customer focus group (30 pax) and a final pitch to an expert panel of 4 judges who decided on the prize winners. PHEW!

There was $25,000 in prize money for the 4 main categories as well as other additional prizes.

Friday Day 1: Initiation

The event started 5 pm Friday night.

On arrival, there was time for hackers and organisers to meet-and-greet and network before the official opening.

The opening address had guest speeches by the Minister for Transport and Main Roads The Honourable Mark Bailey, Matthew Longland (Deputy Direct Generals Translink TMR), Adam Rogers (Director, Cycling & Walking TMR) and Matt McQuaid (Client Director Aurecon).

The event was facilitated by Aaron Kirby who did a great job of keeping all the teams motivated and on task all weekend. At this stage, Aaron ran participants through a warm-up game Is that your personality in your pocket? – a fun activity to get the hackers interacting and set the scene well for the ideas pitch and team formation yet to come.

A quick aside note..during the weekend, Aaron also set an additional challenge for hackers to: connect with 10 people, teach someone a skill, stay involved and build something awesome – another great way to mingle and share skills with other teams.

After the warm-up game, was the initial ideas pitch.

This is an important element of hackathons because its where hackers get to share their ideas – and its the first time other participants hear and chose what projects they might want to work on for the rest of the weekend.

Overall, there were 28 1-minute ideas pitched to the audience. Below are my quick notes on each idea and the pitches with a star next to them ended up forming teams that night (with others teams being added on Saturday).

If you’ve not been to hackathon, the 1-min pitches briefly detail who you are, what your idea is, the name of the project (if you have one) and who is needed for the team to make it happen.

We then got to vote for our favourite 3 ideas and started forming teams.

Some of the teams and people changed, joined, splintered and morphed over the next 12 hours until the teams were fully set by 10 am Saturday.

Then it was game on.

Saturday – Day 2: Development

After an 8 am breakfast, teams got started working on their projects.

It was an intense day.

Many teams were still getting to know each other, as well as running around the city (and online), doing customer validations, continuing research, and developing and consolidating what their actual project/idea was.

From 8.30am until 6 pm, teams had a series of startup workshops (like how to use a Lean Startup model, Facebook Ads, and the event Slack platform) and a constant round-robin of consultation with mentors, industry experts, sponsors and subject matter experts.

Each mentor session added an extra layer of complexity, understanding and reality to the projects. Mentor whiplash!

At different stage throughout the day, people were running in and out of the building – hackers were busy interviewing would-be customers, making phone calls, pivoting on their ideas, tweaking concepts, mocking up product trials, sending out online surveys, designing pilots, making AV documentation, calling in favours – oh yeah…and voting in the election!

At 6 pm, all the teams had 10 mins each to explain their ideas to a focus group of 30 people who gave immediate feedback and asked questions – everyone was exhausted by this stage.

Sunday – Day 3: Final Day

After another early start, the morning sessions included a workshop on the final pitch and another series of last-minute mentor meetings to finalise ideas.

By lunch, all teams were working on final pitch rehearsal and preparation.

At 3 pm, all worked stopped. All team PPTs were submitted.

Guests started arriving for the final 4pm panel presentation.

For final pitches, each team had a 5-min to present with a PPT (and other realia or prototypes) to a panel of 4 judges.

The four judges, Neil Scales OBE, Evelyn Storey, Peter Bourke and Majella Edwards.

The judging criteria: Validation, Business Model and Execution.

Here’s the final team panel pitch order:

Individual BikeHack19 Awards

A big thank you also to Prof. Rowena Barrett and QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Business School, (QUT Fondary and QUT Real World) who offered 5 additional cash and recognition prizes to individual hackers.

Spirit of the Hack
Best social media engagement
Hustler Award
People’s Choice
Pivot Award

It was a real honour to receive the Spirit of the Hack Award. It was a little embarrassing when the Aaron asked the whole room to stand up and point to the person they think embodied the spirit of the event – and everyone pointed to me! I was awarded it for helping other teams, being enthusiastic and having a passion for getting more people on bikes – of course!

Beyond BikeHack19

This BikeHack event must have been a massive effort to get organised.

As a participant, I was impressed by how available and supportive the organisers and sponsors were over the whole weekend.

Congrats and thanks to all!

A massive big thank you to the amazing sponsors, organisers, mentors and volunteers who made this weekend possible.

This includes event organisers Fishburners Sarah and Issac who were particularly outstanding. Sarah I will not forget your stairwell help! Fishburners supplies a brilliant range of inspiration, collection and connection to support tech startups including a collaborative office space in Brisbane.

Aurecon supplied their amazing office for the event. It was an absolute delight being able to work in their office space – thank you!

The TMR Queensland staff were always on hand to answer questions and help out where and whenever they were needed.

And kudos to the supporting sponsors Deloitte, 99 Bikes, Pedal, Merida and event facilitator Aaron Birkby.

I think all the teams did really well and as a participant I can appreciate all the extra hard work behind the scenes that no-one else sees. I also commend all the teams on their final pitches – it is such a difficult thing to do.

Below are the 4 category winners and the DG’s special prize.

Overall it was an epic event. The weekend was full of the necessary ups and downs that come with hackathons, startups and working with new people.

A big congrats to all the hackers who participated and gave their time, skills, ideas and energy to help explore ideas get more people on bikes more often in Queensland.

Great job everyone!

See you for the next BikeHack!