Brisbane Archives - Page 7 of 8

14/11/201626/11/2016

Defcon’s Nov Social MTB Ride

Yesterday I went to Gap Greek (Brisbane) for Defcon’s Nov Social MTB Ride.

I got there with husband before the 8 am kickoff and ended up having a great chat to a handful of other riders who had made it there on time. The main cohort joined us a little later and we took off for our ride. There was about 30 in our mob, all different ages, bikes and abilities, and although it didn’t change my ride, I was yet again the only female rider.

The riding itself was good. I like riding Gap Creek. I was looking forward to seeing some of the crew. There was a general group plan of what we were all going to ride, with key points for the group to rendezvous. The fast boys went ahead to cut laps or project sections, with the rest of us zooming around at our own pace. Some riders got a little waysided at a few intersections, but there was always someone else coming down that pointed them in the right direction. It was a really diverse group of riders, fitness levels and quite a show of bikes, which was great to see – after all Defcon specialises in Intense, Banshee, Evil and Ibis, so there were quite a few sweet models milling around. After riding a full loop and exchanging some happy banter in between, it was back to HQ for a breakfast BBQ and hang out time.

Roast chicken

For me it was good to be back on the big bike. After having a season off the Intense and riding singlespeed, it was quite different getting back on plush full suspension, a dropper-seat and a bike that is so responsive and capable. I, on the other hand, was not as capable as my bike. I was feeling the sting of a full week of fitness challenges that I had thrown myself head-long into, which were slowing me down. I kept hydrated, but didn’t eat enough for the intensity of the ride.

By the end – the 35C heat and crazy Queensland humidity ended up knocking me around a bit. I was fine for the ride and for the BBQ, but when we decided to go, we ticked back up Dingo and the steep fire road to where we had parked at the ABC tower. By then it was full midday heat. By the time I got to the car, I was well and truly cooked.

Defcon’s Nov Social MTB Ride – what’s what

I had a good time riding, and I made a point of chatting with a few familiar faces and introducing myself to a few new ones – after all, it was a social ride! It is always interesting to me how riders interact on social rides; who they talk to; why they came; what they get out of it; how much they give away; levels of interaction.

I felt relaxed and confident, so I was in my element. I was happy to quib in places, happy to cruise in others. I know the Defcon team riders because we had raced some of the SEQ Enduro together over Summer. I also knew a few other faces from events and other rides, but there were a few new faces I didn’t know, and I found myself wondering if, for a change, they would introduce themselves to me.

This is always an interesting aspect for me, because usually without fail when out riding in a group like this with guys I don’t know – they will very rarely come up and introduce themselves to me. If I am standing with others, then I might get introduced as a member of the group (i.e., everyone is swapping names). But I am rarely the sole recipient of someone coming up to introduce themselves specifically to initiate conversation just with me. I do it to others, but it is rarely, if ever the other way.

3 Social dynamics

For a social ride, it was fascinating to watch other curious dynamics present – my ethnographic researcher brain rarely switches off! So as well as having fun riding the big bike and enjoying having gears, these are three observations that kept me entertained on the day:

1. Who can (and does) hold a conversation for longer than 5 minutes that does not relate to bikes (and with whom and about what). People who know me, know this is a staple interest for me. I appreciate it is a social ride and thus centres exclusively on bikes as the commonality – hence the interest to see if conversations outside of this topic occurs! For me, it means the interlocutors are potentially testing each other to engage in new topics outside of the obvious and easy – suggesting an extension beyond the immediate (and safe) connection of bikes. The most common topics I see this happening with are; work, movies or music, maybe family – but rarely other topics.

It is equally interesting to see the conversation moves – who starts conversations, who talks to who, for how long and about what. Who mingles, who is more reserved. Are people brave enough to introduce themselves to totally new people outside of the host managing interaction and introductions. How long are conversations with new people sustained for? Is humour used to break the ice – and if so does it work – it is a tricky tactic to use – in case it goes wrong. All manner of interesting social cues, moves and dynamics were happening – enough to keep the most scrupulous of sociologists happy!
2. Reaction to banter and shenanigans
I’m a big fan of the trail banter – when done well. There is a difference between slagging someone off and witty repertoire. It is always interesting to see how people react to another’s banter. Who has the confidence (and authority) to pass entertaining and perceptive witticisms and on what topics?

Humour is critical for group cohesion, refreshment and distraction – it helps identify character, provides clear indications as to taboos or boundaries, and often sets a groups’ tone. When it is done well and is genuinely funny and clever, it can entertain and raise the mood of the group. On this day, we had a few wags having a good crack – with husband leading the charge – and it was very interesting to see people’s reactions, interactions, follow ups (if any) and who deferred participation in the face of cheeky overt sagacity. What are people comfortable with sharing, how is it received and what impact/if any does it have on the collective?
3. Elder elephant influence
A phenomenon was observed, whereby park keepers had to remove the elder male elephants from the rest of the herd in a wildlife park in Africa. The remaining juvenile male elephants began getting violent and destructive – hurting themselves and causing extreme damage and killing other animals. The keepers reintroduced the older males and the bad behaviour stopped. The moral is that younger males socialise better when they are in the presence of older males and thus can learn acceptable social behaviour. (Amazing f ull story here).

On the Defcon team there is one junior, a young hot-shot rider called S. I like S because he loves riding, is always out on team and social rides, and can hold a conversation. I think there is great value in mentoring juniors, but this needs to be done in a strategic and purposeful way. It is not just having out with ‘the guys to go riding’ there needs to be more to it than that. Much as Steve Bidoff recommends in his remarkable book Raising Boys and as exemplified recently in the powerful 3 part TV series Man Up (episode 2 is amazing for young men S’s age)– the importance of young boys having positive older role models who are not their fathers is critical to positive masculine development and socialisation through sports. Every time I see S, I smile. I think he is a very lucky kid and he is definitely making the most of being in the company of the other older riders – for motivation, for veneration and for socialisation. To this end, I can see the immense value that MTBing and these kinds of social ride provide in socially scaffolding and appraising bike-civic behaviour – and social interaction in general.

Thanks heaps to Stu from Defcon for putting on the ride and BBQ. He is so welcoming and inclusive. Great to see all the other stirling lads as well who came out to ride, have fun and share a laugh on such a super hot day.

So next time you attend a social ride, check in see if you can spot any of these dynamics. What other social dynamics are most obvious to you when you ride in a group?

But, don’t get too serious … after all, you’re there to have fun with your mates. So relax and get happy riding!

09/11/201626/11/2016

Griffith BUGs (Bicycle Users Group)

Yesterday I did something that I have never done before.I rode to work with the Griffith BUGs (Bicycle Users Group).

There is a back story to this. Last month, I meet up with for breakfast with some cyclists (who I’d never met before) who work at my campus, to celebrate the Ride to Work Day 2016. I work at Griffith University (NA) and it was the first time that I had deliberately connected to other cyclists at my workplace. No one in the office I work at rides bikes, so it was a good opportunity to meet up with some new people in different departments from mine, who ride to work.

I arrived late for breakfast, but still with enough time to have a chat and exchange contact details with one of the organisers of this group dubbed Griffith University BUG (Bicycle Users Group). On the Ride to Work Day, they mentioned that once a month they meet-up at 7 am in Brisbane city and ride together out to Nathan Campus and then have breakfast. I was invited to join them.

Tuesday morning ride to work from Brisbane city

So yesterday I joined them. It was the first time that I had ridden from the city centre to Nathan. I ride from my house the Uni campus, which is about 28 kms each way, but it does not go anywhere near the city (in fact almost in the opposite direction). So it was good to go with a group heading out of town to see what route they took and to widen my orientation about the surrounding bike routes.

I usually avoid the city, but for this ride, I made an exception. We met at the Goodwill Bridge, and after waiting alongside another group for more than myself and another rider to arrive, we finally realised that the group of other eight riders who were waiting across the road were actually the other riders we were waiting for! So we introduced ourselves, teamed up and got started on our journey in high spirits.

It was an interesting dynamic for me. I have had the winter off road riding and heard about some bad accidents. I was wrestling with inner safety demons and was happy that the group took the bike path route and not the road. It was great to see so many cyclists riding into the city and whizzing past, but also also a little treacherous trying to navigate the steady stream of riders turning in all directions and coming on and off the bridge and funnelling into the city. There was a lot going on and I really had concentrate. I had forgotten that it can be a tricky on high-volume trails, crossing busy streets en masse, traversing bridges wiht lots of others, and weaving in and out of tight, steep corners. It had been a long time since I had ridden inner city peak hour – so, I was much more relaxed when we started heading out a little further and the intensity – and density – of bike users settled down a little.

Source: @likeey_m

Riding with the Griffith BUGs

I was surprised at how quick the trip took and it was useful to learn where certain turn offs and link ups were. I was happy cruising with the main group, chatting and meeting a few new folk. It was good to hear the riding gossip about a new bike trail development, the completion of which is anyone’s guess. It was nice to ride at a leisurely pace and although there were different levels of ability, the group was cohesive and attentive and waited at opportune times for this behind, but not to the point of holding up the group up as a result.

There is a long, consistent hill right at the end, right near the final turn off to the Uni. I like pushing up it. At the risk of looking like a competitive wanker, I kept a steady, but respectable tempo on the way up with another rider– just enough to feel the reminder twang of a physical challenge set by a mate the day before. I rode with a few to the cafe on campus and I arrived happy, relaxed and very content.

Breakfast at work

At breakfast, the conversation was lighthearted and engaging. I was invited for another social ride in the city on Saturday night. I sat there at breakfast enjoying the camaraderie and marvelled as I usually do, at how an artefact such as the humble bicycle can be so effective at bringing such seemingly disparate people together. It was a real pleasure to ride to work with the Griffith BUGs, and I appreciated their friendly and inclusive nature.

I felt very welcomed and safe – and I had a lovely time riding with them and getting back on the roadie. I though that this is exactly what the Ride to Work event is for, not just riding one day to work, but building positive relationships and lifestyle habits where active transportation to the workplace is encouraged, promoted and shared. I thought it was a very successful follow-up to the original event day and I was delighted to have been invited. I was also glad that I made an effort to go or a ride with the Griffith BUGs. It was a great start to the day and to blow out the roadie cobwebs.

21/10/201627/11/2016

Griffith EPS HDR Student Conference 2016

Today was Griffith University’s Education and Professional Studies (EPS) HDR Student Conference. This Graduate HDR* Conference is organised by the EPS PhD Candidates for other Candidates. Although I am on the organising committee, I did not attend the proceedings today because I am Melbourne for another event (SSWC 2016 – see upcoming post). * In AU we call PhD Programs HDR = Higher Degree by Research i.e. PhD or Doctoral programs. In the US, PhDs are part of the Graduate Program (Grad School) – hence ‘Graduate HDR’*

The reason I am posting about the Graduate HDR Conference now, is the theme for this year’s conference “Aiming for the future: Learning from reflection and reality” really resonated with me. In developing my PhD research proposal, I was very strategic about synthesising certain professional and civic dimensions that I think are very important – education, social justice, community development, and of course, bikes! One of the reasons I am so motivated in my research is that it is inherently practical to implement. It is not difficult for me to translate my research into practice. This is not necessarily the case for other researchers.

Griffith Graduate HDR Student Conference 2016

So this conference theme aligned well with my personal approach to research. I think there is great value in exploring and trialling methods and praxis, and feel that unless research can be operationalized to contribute to a better outcome for all, then a project does not fully reach its potential. It is also an excellent forum to not only get together and network, but also to share ideas about work being undertaken. I was looking forward to hearing the abstract sessions detailing what others were working on – I find it perpetually inspiring and engaging to hear the range, types and topics that others are working on. Most of all I was looking forward to the Guest Speaker Workshop “Possibilities: Knowledge into action” session (understandably why) to get some fresh insights and motivation.

The need for peer contact

Whilst organising this conference, I sometimes caught myself thinking that there were certain aspects of this conference I was sorry I was going to be missing. At this stage in my PhD, I am preparing my Early Candidature Milestone (Feb 2017) and coming out of my most challenging time working on this project so far, I recognise that I wanted to go to this Conference to reconnect with some Uni contacts. I had been feeling quite awash, distanced and anxious after not having my usual regular contact with peers and supervisors. So I was craving to discuss and mull over a few challenges and to get some suggestions, motivation and ideas. I found that just by working on organising the conference, meant that I had more contact with some of the other candidates and started feeling much better. By the time I met with my supervisors mid this week (a meeting which I had been very much looking forward to), I felt was already feeling much more settled and refocused.

Actioning the theme

Now that I am down in Victoria for some bike riding and exploring some research possibilities, I am back in my element – the physical realm. I most certainly would have attended the Conference had I still been in Brisbane, but I like the idea that, instead of sitting in a room talking about how to energize research and translate it into real world practice, I am out in the real world investigating ways to translate the lived experiences into research. In a strange way, I’m putting into practice the main theme of the conference, which, I suppose, if I was not there to participate, is a bloody good alternative!

I am looking forward to hearing how the conference went and some attendee feedback as to what they got out of it, what worked and what didn’t. It is a great opportunity to get the HDRers out from behind their screens to network, share and stimulate each other. You never know where a conversation topic might take you, or how participating in a workshop can unlock a new idea or direction – after all, I am now doing my PhD because I sat at a table in a workshop last year and got chatting to those around me on the table – and boy and I glad I did. I hope the attendees today had an equally provoking and restorative experience.

Now back to the bike and making some contacts for recruiting singlespeed research participants!

08/09/201627/11/2016

Chicks in the Sticks 2016

Ten days ago I participated for my first time in the 3 hour MTB Chicks in the Sticks Event. This is an all-female registration event, although partners, family and friends were in attendance en mass on the day. It was held on Sunday 28th August, and it had the largest turn out to date of just over 240 female riders on the day. Although official it is a race, and a few keen elite women race it, the overall premise is to ride and have fun and provide an opportunity for women of all skills and levels to get involved.

Chicks in the Sticks 2016 Event set up

There was a variety of choices to be made regarding level of participation – solo rider or team of two – which I was (double Yorkers), then experience level – ranging from Chicken Run (elite), Free Range (Intermediate) and Have a Crack (starting out and having a go). It was also great to see a very well populated Juniors Little Chicks in the Stix, and event more so the Queens of the Roost category (over 50’s) with 21 riders. The final results are here.

It was held on the Scouts private property, Mt Cotton – which for me was a bonus as it meant that aside from a social ride two weeks before, most riders were not overly familiar with the tracks. With a 6.6km loop, it was not an particularly difficult track – but certainly the long step-downs and hill climb in loop were challenging enough for some. The location was well resourced, managed and organised on the day with easy access to facilities, shade, water, rubbish bins, parking, toilets in the village and once on bikes, the track was clearly marked and well marshalled. There was a few select male support crew dressed up riding to keep morale high for those who may have been struggling.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and many families had come out to make a day of it. Many participants had taken on board the ‘have a go and have fun’ message, so costumes, colour and accessorising featured prominently. I noticed that most participants hung around until well after Prezzies, and the village atmosphere for the whole day was upbeat, relaxed, non-competitive, friendly and very encouraging. After official awards had been given, there was (what seemed like) a never ending dispersal of gifts, goodies and freebies given to select race plate numbers and then ultimately the rest were thrown into the audience. It was an impressive stash of merchandise – kudos to the organisers!

How did it go?

I rode with a friend as a team – entitled Bicycles Create Change.com of course! We rode, not raced. We had a great time and were happy to cut our time short (to reign in any possible competitiveness and also so we could cheer each when the other was on course). I had a bell and a squeaky honker that I made good use of at the start line and on track, I sang (rather loudly) Queen’s I want to ride my bicycle as we were cruising along a flat section to great applause from my surrounding riders and after settling down after the second lap, managed to get the name of a few pinners I was either in front or behind for a while during sections. In fact, post-ride, both riders sought me out and passed on their details to invite me to join them for future riding adventures (which they did!), and I have also since see a few on track at various locations and had a good catch up.

I had a great time on the day. I was the only person on the day riding a Singlespeed. Aside from the terrain being perfect for it and that I love riding my Niner, I also used this event as a test run for a possible decoration idea before going down south for the World Singlespeed Champs in 4-weeks time in Victoria. I used my the olde faithful Leki flower power motif –because I have the materials, it is easy to apply (cable ties) and disassemble, I can easily change or modify the design, it transports well and has maximum visual impact.

A good time

Aside from being the only Singlespeeder there, I was also the only person in casual wear (i.e. not full theme costume or MTB kit, or a combination of thereof). I had floral capri pants (over my nicks) and a bicycle print singlet, no socks – lean and clean. I refused to wear any branded gear. I was also very social – telling jokes, engaging with my fellow riders and generally adding good energy to the positive vibes.

An interesting post-script

During the event, I was quite conscious of a few sociological dynamics operating on the day, and since then, my academic brain has been working over time problematizing certain elements – which I have half a mind to develop into more detail for a Journal article perhaps?? Certain ethnographic quandaries were very evident to me such as:
• Racer (competitive) or rider (social)
• Level of fitness and skill – experienced riders alongside newbies
• All female event and female onlyness sports
• Insider (MTBer) and subculture (Singlespeeder)
• Local (QLD) vs. outsider (me originally from VIC)
• Stereotyping of gender in adventure sports (flowers as a representation of ‘femaleness’ – or not)
• Impact and interplay between skill/fitness level and the riders’ ability to ‘have fun’ or enjoy the event
• Track etiquette (see point one and two esp. regarding overtaking).

Some interesting ideas to ponder. I’ll let you know if anything eventuates.

14/08/201601/12/2016

Greazefest 2016

This time last week I went for my first time to Brisbane’s Greazefest – and had way too much fun!

I love the rockabilly style, fashion, music, colour and aesthetic and it was all on show for two days this weekend. I went down just after lunch on the Saturday to check out the demonstrations, exhibits and stalls while the sun was out shining.

Stunning tattooed ladies were abound as were many denim-clad slick, cool guys. The stalls were bursting with dresses, clothes, accessories, moustache wax, headscarves, dancing shoes, homewares, art, Hawaiian shirts, stickers, cut throat barbers, tikis, memorabilia. I found a swatch of bicycle printed cloth (to make a bandanna later on) and headscarf with Vintage bicycles prints on it…. a full-length 1950s bicycle print dress was elusive on the day, though.

These stalls circled the outer perimeter of an oval, os you could literary ‘walk around’ to see everything. In the middle of the oval were where the vintage cars and motorbikes from across the 1950s (group into category) were on display – and they were a sight to behold in and of themselves.

Greazefest -1950s bicycles on display

Most thrilling for me to find in amongst these machines were three lonely and humble, but proud 1950s bicycles that stood in their own category. These three bicycles were resplendent in that they were unique – encapsulating a real snapshot in time as represented by their design, shape, colour and model. I was delighted to see bicycles being included this event. Greazefest and Grezers per say are well known for their American cars – but as the designs and styles of the 1950s were particularly memorable this style reached to bicycle models as well. Personally, I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for the 1953/1954 Schwinn Panthers (see below).

After drooling over the bikes, I spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening enjoying the fantastically entertaining bands. I especially like the US band the Rhythm Shakers – wow!! It was awesome watching the crowd throw their dancing partners (and myself – thanks for taking a chance with me Terry!) across the floor in a happy rock ‘n’ roll boogie and jive style that was a memorable blur of colour, smiles, rocking tunes and fun.

I got a few photos on the day of the three bicycles mentioned, but I used a friend’s camera to get the shots, so I am waiting to get them back to upload. It could be a while! Until next year my Rockabilly brothers and sisters – stay cool!

See you @ Greazefest next year!!!

14/07/201626/10/2016

How to plan your PhD

Today I attended a session provided by the Griffith Graduate School entitled ‘How to Plan Your PhD’ workshop with Hugh Kearns from iThinkWell. The workshop was directed towards PhDers who are in the early-mid stanes of their HDR candidates and covered a range of topics. After having a bit of a flat week and not achieving as much as I had hoped, this 2. 5 hour session was the perfect remedy, as it reaffirmed what I have already been applying and finding useful, as well as suggesting a few clear and productive strategies to identify next step goals, stay focused and chart progress.

7 main themes from the Thinkwell workshop

Without providing too many details as I appreciate the content presented is part of Thinkwell’s core business, in a nutshell this workshop covered 7 main themes:

looking at the big picture
breaking down big tasks into detailed plans of action
addressing aspects of Supervisor meetings
some helpful ideas to track and monitor writing progress
working on parallel specific projects that might be undertaken concurrent the dissertation
a few tips regarding setbacks (l really liked the Tim Tam analogy)
finances

Clear and useful

The presentation was well-paced, thoughtful and very accessible. The few key main ideas were developed well with enough detail to be quickly understood and interesting, but not too overwhelming that it required extra work and thinking. I liked how each idea was explained, and for the goal setting/time management tasks, there were handouts to fill, followed by time to confer and share ideas with others before moving on. The session was engaging and productive, and the content was immediately useful and applicable for each student. I’m now super clear on what I am doing first thing tomorrow morning!

I have my 6-month meeting with my supervisors in 2 weeks, so the planning aspect of some of the handouts gave me some good ideas about what to bring to the table to ask the right questions at the next meeting. I also got some more ideas about the next steps to complete leading up to the meeting as well.

Free online planning resources

I had looked at some of Thinkwell’s online resources last year and had actually downloaded the PhD tool kit then – now having attended the workshop and being immersed in my studies, the functionality of the Thinkwell planners and forms now have context and are more practical. I remember thinking that it was great that they provided so many free time management resources and templates for free (check them out here), which is one of the reasons I was interested in attending this session as I liked the range of time planners, guide, lists and prioritising tasks and really appreciated that they were offered for free for others to use.

I was glad I made the effort to go. It was good to connect with some of the other researchers I had not seen in a while and to meet some new faces. I came away with some good ideas and most importantly, I’m reinvigorated to start tomorrow a fresh – and dive back into my research routine – that in itself was worth the effort!

20/06/201620/06/2016

Meeting Malcolm

My bike commute from home to Griffith Uni is about 23kms. I have a regular route that I take, which is mostly on linked up bike paths, but in parts requires me to ride on ride on Old Cleveland Road, which I find quite disconcerting and dangerous. I always make sure I am as safe as possible and take no chances when navigating this part of my ride. I’m always on high alert.

The last time I rode to work in the morning, I had the distinct feeling of being unsafe when on riding Old Cleveland Rd – and I mean more so than usual. It was a little unsettling. I thought that there had to be a better way to get to work that cut out this busy road section. But I was already on my way, so I acknowledged it, but purposefully chose not to invest into it, as I was already on my way and wigging myself out more while on the bike certainly was not going to help. I moved onto the pavement and rode very conservatively until I got to work with no problems.

On the way home that same day, I had stopped at a set of lights and looked over to see a yellow recumbent roll in front of me. I caught up with the yellow tic-tac and started a conversation with the rider by telling him I have a mate in Brisbane who has a red recumbent which I thought he would know. I felt pretty confident that he knew my mate (whose recumbent is red), had told me that he and two other recumbents sometimes go for a ride together – red, yellow and green altogether.

Who is in that yellow recumbent?

The rider introduced himself as Malcolm and asked me where I was going. It turns out we were pretty much heading in the same direction. Malcolm asked me if I wanted to check out a new way home – his route, which cuts out all of Old Cleveland Road. I was intrigued, had no time constraints, was up for a chat and after my strange premonition from the morning, I welcomed being shown a new route to work.

Well ….we had a great time.

We rolled along, chatting about bikes and riding, making connections and exchanging suggestions and ideas – it was a lovely ride back. The route he showed me popped me out exactly where I needed to go – it was safe, relaxed and we passed some amazing properties. I found out that Malcolm and his wife (who has the green recumbent) are into organising MTB orienteering events, which sounded like a lot of fun.

Synchronicity

When it came to parting ways, I thanked him for his time and for showing me my new favourite way to work. He gave me his card and I asked if I could take his photo. I rode away with a smile on my face, marvelling at providence and how the universe provides. Just another reason why I love riding my bike – those seemingly random encounters that turn out to have a significant impact on your life (and safety!).

I tip my hat to Malcolm, so freely supporting and helping other riders in such a friendly and organic way – I’m sure he has no idea how much impact my meeting him will have for me – a new safer and more enjoyable ride home.

Thanks so much Malcolm!!

11/06/201601/12/2016

RADIO 621AM: Style Over Speed

Style Over Speed – Radio segment featuring Leki

About three weeks ago, during Brisbane’s Bike Week, I attended the lovely “Style Over Speed” event. On arrival, people were gathering and chatting, getting to know each other and checking out the assembled bikes. I spoke to a number of people on the night and one of those people was Caroline Jones. She introduced herself and said she is a community reporter and was interviewing people about their experiences of bike riding and their participation in the event. Caroline came over to talk with me after seeing Leki (covered as usual in her amazing flowers) and we got chatting, and she asked if she could interview me, which I was happy to do.

I had totally forgotten that I had spoken with Caroline earlier on that night until just yesterday a local shop owner said they had heard me being interviewed on the radio. This was news to me, so I looked it up – and found that sure enough, Caroline’s report had aired and my segment had been included.

The original airing was on 621am, on 30th May, 8.21am on Spencer Howon’s morning show. It is short, positive and I appreciate the way that each of the participants interviewed had a different aspect to contribute. I think it was a great way to show the diverse approaches, reasons and personalities that ride bike – and captured the community spirit of the riders and the event very well.

I will most definitely be attending another Style over Speed event. You can see what they are up to on their Facebook page here. I’d love to see more events like this occurring in our communities, it makes biking more accessible, social and fun and opens biking up to a wider demographic.

If you are in Brisbane or visiting, I highly recommend that you attend one of these events.

22/05/201601/12/2016

What an EVENTful weekend!

Well, even though I have a mountain of uni marking, (perhaps despite it!), I thought it was important to get out and about on the bike – and I ended up having a thoroughly enjoyable and an EVENTful weekend – two events in fact!

Style Over Speed Ride (Fri night)

The first event was Friday night’s Style Over Speed Ride for Bike Week. It was the first time I have participated in this event and I had a wonderful time! I meet some cool kats, some funky chickens and some down-right lovely souls. There were all types of stylish and customs bikes, the variety and array was beautiful to behold and certainly VERY stylish!! After meeting and mingling, we had leisurely and fun roll around town – cruising, chatting, being a little cheeky, dinging bells – oh it did make me miss Melbourne! It was great to be hitting the streets en mass riding after dark – it is something I have sorely missed since moving to Brisbane, but tonight, I made some new friends and my art bike Leki (below) had a great time too!

It was lovely cruising around Brisbane in a bike pack. I don’t usually go into the city on Friday night, but it was a spectacular eventing, clear and beautiful – everyone was in a good mood and I had a great time. there were some very special bikes there that I would like to see again and speak to the owners, some bespoke bikes that were truly beautiful. I made a few new contacts, got some names and feel more relaxed about being in Brisbane. I got a few hot invitations to some upcoming bike events that I will post about later. At the end of our ride, we went to a pub on Innerly St to have beer and a chat – which was a great ending to a lovely evening. I didn’t want to hang around too long as I still had to get home and up early in the morning for my next event.

Defcon Cycles Ride Day (Sat)

Definitive Cycles had a ride day at Gap Creek which was a great chance to try some of their new stock, ride with some MTB mates and get a slap-up breakfast on top! The Defcon boys did a great job on the day, there was a good turn out of familiar faces and some new people, the weather was amazing, fun trails and other family and friends came out. It was great to see so many women out this time, last time I was the only one, but today there were some rock steady chicks! I had a brilliant longer ride up Rocket Frog, then up and back down Dingo and around the MTB loop with a few boys that I usually ride with – which was super fun (tiring, but very rewarding). It was also good to check out the new range of Intense, Evil and Banshee test bikes and see what everyone else was riding and catch up on some gossip and news. Now home to continue that end of semester marking…grrrr.

17/05/201617/05/2016

Queensland Bike Week 2016

For the last two or three weeks, I have been totally immersed in conducting workshops, teaching and marking my tutes (now in their last two weeks thank goodness), working on my Lit Review and trying to put in some distance into my legs for my first upcoming marathon. It feels like every time I get on the bike recently because I have been inside and working so much, that I have this unusually heightened sense of freedom and release.

I put my strange reaction down to just being too busy during this phase of the semester, then realised yesterday that I have not recently participated in many (any!) social, pubic or community bicycle related events which are when I usually get my fill of social interactivity with other cyclists. I reasoned that this is probably why I was feeling so insular and separated and what I have been missing for the last few weeks, hence the magnified sense of emancipation when riding.

To remedy this, I went online to check out any upcoming bike events – having an inkling that it was about time for some big event (surely!) and yes … there it was … Queensland Bike Week!

What’s on Queensland Bike Week 2016

I felt both relieved (yes, something to do!) and sheepish (how did it creep up without me realising?). Either way, I went online to see what events were on and what the program had to offer this year. I usually know about these kinds of big events in advance – even plan or/and contribute to them – but this year was different, so it was a case of perusing and seeing what took my fancy. There seems to be enough on offer with events mainly in and around Brisbane. There has been some thought given to catering for an array of skills, interests and styles.

A few things that look interesting are:

Pier to Point Women’s Ride (25 leisurely or 40 more active)
Go in the draw for a few free bikes
Ten-speed dating (for singles)
Cyclocross

Friday Night Style Over Speed

But for me and my limited time, this year I’m going for the Friday Night Style Over Speed event. I make a point of not going into Brisbane city on Friday nights, but, as this is my one social gathering for this event and that it starts and finishes early, I’m going to make the effort to dust off Leki, get dolled up and cruise for a slow ride around town. Perfect medicine for a crazy end to the uni semester.

The more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to it – who knows, I might even see you there!