Cycling
Cycling offers many advantages over car travel. It’s cheaper, cleaner, great exercise and can be quicker, especially in peak hour.
Tips to get started
- Make sure that your bike is safe to ride.
- Ensure your helmet is fitted correctly.
- Start out with short rides, and work your way up to longer distances.
- Plan your route before riding to work.
- Go on a practice ride on the weekend before you try to ride to work.
- Consider finding a ‘bike buddy’.
How far can you cycle?
| Cycling speed | Distance/Time |
|---|
| | 5km | 10km | 15km |
|---|
| Slow (travelling at 15km/h) |
20 minutes |
40 minutes |
60 minutes |
| Medium (travelling at 20km/h) |
15 minutes |
30 minutes |
45 minutes |
| Fast (travelling at 25km/h) |
12 minutes |
24 minutes |
36 minutes |
Bike buddies
Riding with a ‘bike buddy’ can help you gain confidence while cycling to work. A ‘bike buddy’ is an experienced cyclist who can show you the best routes and assist with riding skills on the road with traffic.
To find a ‘bike buddy’, you might like to consider posting a notice with your home suburb and contact details asking for someone who would like to assist. The notice could be posted on: a message board at your workplace or in the bike locker or shower facilities of your workplace, your workplace intranet (if permissible) or a nearby cycle facility or centre.
For a more formal arrangement, Bicycle Queensland has a bike buddies program that matches experienced cyclists with people new to riding to work in Brisbane’s CBD and selected inner city areas. For more information, visit the Bicycle Queensland website.
Bicycle User Groups
A Bicycle User Group (BUG) is a group of cyclists who have a common interest in improving riding conditions in their community. The groups have detailed local knowledge which makes them effective in working with planners and administrators to improve conditions for bike riding.
As well as working on local issues, many Bicycle User Groups meet for rides, coffee and other social events. The Bicycle Queensland website has more information about Bicycle User Groups.
Big Rides
A Big Ride is a great way to get started in touring and meeting people. Big Rides are supported rides that last for six to 10 days and often have 1000 or more riders. Some of the support provided includes meals being provided, luggage is carried for you and there is a 'Sag Wagon' to give you a lift if you get too tired. Accommodation involves camping overnight and daily distances are about 80 km. Big Rides are fairly new to Queensland. Contact Bicycle Queensland for details of the next event.
For further information
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