Cycling News from around the world

Pelotoneer Bob, currently in Mexico, has not lost his eye for cycling related items

And how about this item from Melbourne - a glow in the dark cycle path

CRD should consider doing this to the Goose or Lochside? What do you reckon?

In South Australia they have just introduced new legislation in an attempt to reduce the dooring of cyclists. After a trial period, the legislation came into effect on January 27, 2016

Motorists who pass cyclists by less than a metre in South Australia will be hit with a $347 fine and the loss of two demerit points as the enforcement of new laws begins.
Police had been letting drivers off with a warning since the rules were introduced in late October but today said the "three-month education phase" was over.
Changes require motorists to leave a minimum one-metre gap when overtaking cyclists when the speed limit is 60 kilometres per hour or lower, or 1.5m when the limit is above 60kph.

Norm L has been checking on the behaviour of cyclists in Adelaide over the last 10 days - some cyclists behave in a manner that brings all cyclists into disrepute, some are exemplary while some are very casual or careless. It will be interesting to hear from local friends how the law is implemented in coming months. I think the loss of demerit points is going to be a talking point.

Last but not least, some photos of the Victoria Peloton, courtesy of Jim, where the weather looks a tad on the chilly side. Jim has also provided a link to cycling news in Victoria - BC that is, not the one in Australia!



Rag Tag Peloton

6 became 4 

Hans and Ian rode from Fol Epi. Jack and Norm rode from Hatley, but not together (guess who was late, even with the tiny tots alarm clock ?). Doug and Tom arrived at Hatley by car but decided not to ride. It was a bit drizzly and cloudy, but turned out OK. We met at The Broken Paddle for great coffee and delicious 2 for 1 blueberry scones. We discussed "The Donald", what is the Republican Party thinking? (oh..wait.. thinking...). Also US gun culture, recent Saudi executions/ Iran rift, executions, Of the worlds est. 1.5 B Muslims Sunni's are 85 % and Shia's are 15 %.  Their differences go back to the death of Mohammed(?). 

Trails are a bit wet but in good condition, generally.

Peddle Power is unstoppable! Not just in Victoria! British exiles will get a chuckle that Halfords is still in business and sells 1 in 3 bikes in the UK! If you want to be properly dressed, you may have to shop here!


The sun always shines at Olive Olio's

For hardy riders met at Ogden Point under very windy/ gusty conditions. Nonetheless, a decent weather pocket was enjoyed after all the rain and wind in recent days. The wind was at our backs as the Peloton headed along Dallas Road, past the now familiar landmarks of Clover Point, Gonzales Bay, Trafalgar Park and on up to Willows Beach and Olive Olio’s at Cadboro Bay for coffee and refreshment while enjoying the sun in the courtyard. We reflected that it is always sunny for us there and we always sit outside - there would be no room to sit inside on a bad weather day. Along the way Hans joined the Peloton in the Uplands to make 5 - he was mumbling something about starting at Foi Epi in error and then he raced off after coffee with a "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night" Who was that jolly old elf? 

Over coffee Tom referenced a great documentary , The Last Dogs of Winter  currently showing on the Knowledge Network. Well worth checking out. Turns out John and his family have a history with these dogs right at Ft Churchill, Man. where his family lived for a few years and where the documentary was made. John provided this link which is well worth investigating.

When discussing the recent spell of “cold” weather,r  Hans talked about his many warm event jackets from speed skating events around the world, including the Olympics - but he can't easily donate them to the needy as they have logos from sponsors who don’t want to see them on individuals who don’t caste their brand in a “positive” light. Jeff bravely joined the ride with his new hybrid bike and tackled the challenging hills with scarcely a whimper. Norm T tried to get some sympathy for his scrapes and scratches received while snorkelling in Cabo. No such sympathy was extended. Great ride back, the wind seemed to shift in our favour as we came back through the neighbourhoods to Moss St and back on Dallas Road.

From Ogden the ride was about 30 km in 1:30 hr. Av speed was 20.9 km/ hr. and top speed was 46.7 km/ hr.

Thanks to Norm T for the dialogue and colour photos, and John for the family photos B&W

Drookit

Six very bedraggled riders plus one guest assembled at Fol Epi - each with a story about it not raining at their house.  Nor was it raining at 9:30 when the peloton left with dreams of coffee at Royal Roads.  The first twenty minutes along the E&N Trail were dry and the sun even came out at the Naval yard.  Two minutes later the heavens opened - resulting in a rapid dash to cross the Sooke Road to seek shelter under the TC Highway bridge.  There was now no question of coffee - we all turned east on the Goose with thoughts of a hot shower, clean clothes and the annual Christmas lunch at Swans. Thanks to James for providing the content and photos

The tile of the post? Drookit - a word used in the north east of Scotland to describe what happens to one on a wet day - you get or look drookit

Strata Art

This item comes courtesy of John - thanks.

It’s hard to deny that this is the next level of artistic talent, especially in geographical terms. 

Strava is used by cyclists everywhere for various purposes, ranging from training to connecting with other cyclists. Using GPS, one of its more appealing features is the way that it maps your ride, providing a visual, graphical depiction of the route your training took that can be shared through its social media functions. 

Were a rider particularly enterprising, that ride-mapping function would be a fun way to create some unique, and decidedly very large, art. One rider from Victoria, B.C., the CBC reports, has done just that. 

Stephen Lund, a Victoria-based writer, has adopted Strava as exactly that sort of multi-kilometre canvas, tracing the outlines of images and greetings with the routes taken by his various rides around the Vancouver Island city. It all started, the CBC explained, on New Year’s Day of 2015, when Lund cycled through the city in a way that, to observers, may have seemed like a random route up and down city streets. When it was mapped out on Lund’s Strava account, however, that route was proven to be anything but random. In fact, his cycling workout spelled out a message: “Happy 2015.” 

Eleven months later, Lund’s Strava account is a veritable art gallery of 70 such pedal-powered works. And they can all be viewed on his website, GPSdoodles.com.

Explaining his ongoing project to All Points West, a B.C.-based CBC Radio program, Lund said, “I pour over a map of the city, and when I see a general shape, I start to look for roads and routes that complete the details. The challenge is that the roads all have to connect. It has to be one continuous line.” 

“Then I ride out to the starting point,” he said, “start my GPS, and away I go.” 

It’s a detailed, painstaking process to complete the Strava sketches he traces with his bike, which have so far included everything from witches to the Easter bunny. Lund spends hours in preparation, outlining the image he has in mind on a map, then writes detailed directions for himself about which streets to take, where to turn at what intersection, and so forth. The rides he takes are usually before the streets swell with cars and buses, early in the morning. Since January, he told the CBC, Lund figures that he’s biked a whopping 5,000 kilometres around Victoria — with the longest of his “doodles” amounting to a 220 kilometre trek. 

The appeal of the British Columbia writer and cyclist’s art has earned the attention of the world, with Lund scheduled to discuss his work at Victoria’s TEDx event on Nov. 21. 

Todd Aalgaard is a Toronto-based writer, journalist and cyclist, and is an online editor at Canadian Cycling Magazine. Follow him on Twitter at @tcaalgaard