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Fine time as bike passing laws kick in in Western Australia on November 30

By on December 1, 2017 in Bicycling, Health & Safety
Fine time as bike passing laws kick in - Fremantle Gazette, November 28, 2017

Fine time as bike passing laws kick in – Fremantle Gazette, November 28, 2017

The Western Australian safe passing laws came into effect in Western Australia on November 30, 2017. So please do share your experiences of riding under the new laws. Any evidence of improvements in behaviour?  Have you met Mr Trevor Plaisted on the road? 🙂

Referring to Mr Trevor Plaisted and his comments as published it seems across in all 17 of Community Newspaper Group’s mastheads it was with interest, that in the same week, Road.cc is reporting on a study which finds Hi-Viz does not improve safety for bicycle riders. So from me, it is a resounding No Mr Plaisted.  No amount of hi-viz is going to make up for anyone’s poor driving skills or lack of care and consideration on our roads.

I written a quick reply to the Fremantle Gazette and the Western Suburbs Weekly.  Please do consider writing to at least your local Community Newspaper in response to Mr Peter Plaisted. They have a contact form you can use to quickly send a letter to the editor at your chosen publication.

With the greatest respect and genuine concern [Fine time as bike passing laws kick in, November 28, 2017], I suggest Mr Plaisted should seriously focus on his obesity concerns and worry less about a few seconds delay getting to the next set of traffic lights or how to move the steering wheel in his truck to change lanes.

Mr Plaisted if you cannot pass safely then yes you need to wait, just like you need to wait for those buses on Canning Highway. Your “inconvenience” [seriously is a few seconds really that a big an issue for you?] is no justification for bullying a person simply because they ride a bike.

As to the Hi-Viz comment: please ensure you focus on your driving and observing what is happening in front of you Mr Plaisted; that is a far smarter and beneficial safety feature.

In closing, I genuinely welcome the new safe passing laws and look forward to a safer environment for all road users, including Mr Plaisted.

Remember it is simply a matter of common sense, care and courtesy.

 

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Giant Defy Advanced 2 [MY 2018] Owner Review

By on November 28, 2017 in Bicycling, Long Distance Cycling

Giant Defy Advanced 2 [MY2018]

Giant Defy Advanced 2 [MY2018]

Remembrance Day 2017 was a new bike day here at Aushiker.com: A MY2018 Giant Defy Advanced 2 in a rather mellow (not) green has joined the bike fleet replacing my sold with regret Look 555. I have realised that I miss the challenge of longish rides, well up to 200 kilometres at least and want to get back into audax riding. I didn’t feel my Surly Long Haul Trucker was really the best weapon of choice so a new bike was on the cards 🙂  My localish bike shop [LBS], Churchill Cycles at Booragoon came to the party once again and offered me the Giant at a very nice price of $2,300 with the change out of the rear tyre to a 28 mm Mavic tubeless.

I also wish to balance my sporting activities a bit more between cycling and running so the Defy will make a nice sportive ride for sub-50 km training rides.  To setup the bike to suit my intended purposes I will be making some changes to the standard build and will document them here as they get sorted.

This blog post was last updated on November 27, 2017 and at 101.5 kilometres on the bike.

Documenting the initial bike specifications and setup.

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Mr Frank Granger of Applecross Calls for a Cycle Curfew – Fremantle Gazette and Fremantle Herald

By on November 25, 2017 in Bicycling

Mr Frank Granger of Applecross is known in some cycling circles in Perth as a “serial letter writer” with a dislike for people riding bicycles.  This letter in the Fremantle Gazette of November 14, 2017 and also in the Fremantle Herald of November 18, 2017 is one such example of his writing.

THERE has been a lot of discussion about cyclists on the road. It is my opinion that not all cyclists should be allowed on the road. There should be a minimum age for a person to ride on the road. Cyclists should not be on the road until an hour after daylight to an hour before dark, no matter whether they have lights on their bike or not. Some busy roads, particularly those with trucks or heavy traffic, should not allow cyclists at all. Most road accidents involving a cyclist and a motor vehicle usually happen early morning or late afternoon. Local councils spend thousands of dollars building excellent bike paths to keep cyclists safe. It all gets down to common sense.

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Cyclists Action Must Also Be Policed Says Denise S Cahill, Editor, Fremantle Gazette

By on November 22, 2017 in Bicycling

 

The above opinion piece, was penned by Ms Denise S. Cahill, Regional Editor at the Community Newspaper Group [a News Corporation masthead which it seems reflects News Corporation ethos] and published in the Fremantle Gazette [and possibly other Community Newspaper publications] on November 7,2017. I felt such an ill-informed commentary couldn’t go unanswered and hence posted the following response on the Fremantle Gazette’s website.  I have since written a reply to a letter by Mr Frank Granger of Applecross a known disliker of bicycle riders and a serial letter writer. Interesting that letter has not been published by the Fremantle Gazette. Have I upset Ms Denise S. Cahill? 🙂

For the record I am publishing my response to Ms Denise S. Cahill as I don’t believe such a view can go without a response, more so in a world of false facts.

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