Menu Close

Articles on Cycling in Australia

Displaying 1 - 20 of 29 articles

Only in a few active travel strongholds, typically in the inner city, do Australian cycling and walking rates get close to those in Europe. Andrew Robinson/Flickr

Australian cities are far from being meccas for walking and cycling

A comparison of Australian cities reveals cyclists and walkers are still very much a minority of commuters, despite the economic, health and environmental costs. Action on three fronts is needed.
Would cold hard cash help get Australians out of their cars and onto their bikes? AAP Image/Alan Porritt

We subsidise road and rail commuters – why not bikes too?

Australian governments heavily subsidise car, bus and train commuting, but not cycling. Yet a new survey shows many workers would consider riding to work if they got paid for it, and most would even support…
We’ve heard about high-profile dopers, such as ex-pro cyclist Tyler Hamilton, but the cheating culture in cycling goes deeper. Luis Tejido/AAP

If cheating is ‘normal’ in cycling, how can we build integrity?

“Integrity” is currently the buzzword around Australian sport policy-making. An integrity in sport forum, co-convened by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SOHAF) and Victoria University in Melbourne this…
Tour De France winner Cadel Evans is arguably Victoria’s best known cyclist – so why does the second smallest state in Australia produce so many champions? AAP/Mal Fairclough

Six reasons Victorians dominate Australian cycling

Victorian cyclists have achieved amazing success on the national and international stage, as I outlined last week. Victorian riders were the first Australians to compete in, win and wear the most prized…
The Barossa in January: not always ideal cycling conditions. AAP/Dan Peled

It’s time for Australia to change its attitude to extreme heat

Complacency can kill. You would have to be living under a rock to be unaware that heat exposure can be deadly. Yet every year Australia – supposedly the “clever country” – endangers the lives of everyone…
Shifting hemispheres? A good training plan must include time to acclimatise. Vox Efx

Athletes can beat the heat, even during an Australian summer

Two of Australia’s biggest international sporting events kicked off last week – the Australian Open in Melbourne and the Tour Down Under in Adelaide – coinciding with a heatwave over southeast Australia…
Can cultural institutions shape how we think about cycling? MollaAliod

Reimagining Australia … by bike

Cultural heritage can play an important role in promoting sustainable land use and creative economies – and all we have to do is get on our bikes. If this sounds peculiar, think of events such as Italy’s…
Cycling numbers are growing in the inner city, but falling on the outskirts. yewenyi/Flickr

More cyclists? That depends on where you live

If you have heard comments from friends or colleagues that there seem to be a lot more cyclists these days, chances are that you live or work in the inner city of an Australian capital city. A new report…
Lost generations: if Australians now cycled at the same rates as in the mid 1980s, up to a million more people would be riding. Flickr/taisau

Australian cycling boom? Nope - it’s a myth

Cycling industry reports of significant bicycles sales in Australia suggest a growth in cycling participation. As the Tour de France re-excites interest in cycling around the world, a new analysis published…
The velocipede created one of several cycling booms in Australia. Harpers Weekly (Dec 18, 1868)

Bigger than Cadel: Australia’s century-old love affair with cycling

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: Forget about the wild scenes of public adulation for Cadel Evans following his Tour de France triumph. Forget about the widespread admiration for champion cyclist Anna Meares following…
Almost everyone can ride to work, and the health benefits are enormous. california cowgirl1

Better health is only a short bike ride away

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: More than half of Australia’s population can be classified as overweight and obese. This statistic is alarming but some of the risk factors associated with obesity – such as poor…
Much science goes into the creation of the perfect bike frame. Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

High-end bikes for sale … but what are you really buying?

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: What are you paying for when you buy a new bike? Materials … sure. Design … without doubt. Manufacture … yes, of course. But beyond that, what’s going on? Why can these objects, beautiful…
Children are far more likely to cycle if their parents do. carfreedays

Why aren’t more kids cycling to school?

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: In 1970, nearly all young people in Australia walked, cycled or took public transport to school or university (84%). Few travelled by car (16%). Fast forward to 2011 and most children…
Sydney has a lot to learn when it comes to cycling culture. Mikael Colville Andersen

Why Sydney’s cycling culture needs an overseas influence

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: There are many reasons cycling should be actively encouraged in our cities: increasing fuel prices, obesity levels and environmental concerns, just to name a few. Yet in comparison…
Riding to work doesn’t have to involve lycra. Beyond Neon

Effortless cycling: how do we make riding a bike normal?

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: I’m living in the middle suburbs of Shanghai – a great cycling metropolis. Bike-riding rates are 30 to 40 times higher than Australian cities. Hardly anyone wears lycra or rides a…

Top contributors

More