Ride to Work Day

Scene at Edinborough Gardens on Ride to Work Day

Helmet from Fed Square (before)

Ross Harrup Rode in from East Burwood....

On his shaft drive bicycle

Helmet After

Hi 

Wednesday last week was "Ride to Work Day" in Victoria, and for the first time I took part in a small way.  I took the day off work and sauntered off at the late hour of 8:30 and caught the tail end of the Yarra ride to work day In the Edinburgh gardens.  There were some cyclists and quite a few police (and no crime to speak of) gathered. Managed to get a cup of tea and then I rode off into the sunrise.

My next appointment was at 10 o'clock and I had some time to kill so rode via Federation square and bought one of the inexpensive ($5.00) bike helmets on sale there.  Victoria has compulsory bike helmet laws and a bike hire scheme - cheap helmets are a way to encourage bike hirers to wear helmets.  It doesn't always work and dudes ride round helmetless on the hire bikes with gay abandon.  But it makes for cheap helmets.  See http://www.melbournebikeshare.com.au/Helmet-locations 

The helmets come in small and large sizes and has an adjustment knob at the back which tightens a band around the top of the head.  It can be adjusted quite quickly but the headband tends to make the helmet a bit sweaty - there's not enough ventilation there.

Next stop was the RMIT bike market where I set up a small stall selling  bike books and boardgames and representing ozhpv.  I saw bike acquaintences Ross Harrup, Ken Smith and Kim Tolhurst during the day.  Ken is a vichpv ride regular, Ross has been building and riding unusual bikes since forever and Kim is the Australian agent for Cruzbike.  A pleasant day was had.

During the day I did some surgery on the bike helmet, attaching lights and reflective material and having a go at the ventilation issue.

The big bike ride "Round the Bay in a Day" is Coming up Sunday, we will see how I go and I'll report back after Sunday and recovery.