THE MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE - No. 186MAY TO JULY 2020

CYCLE

COMMUNITY CYCLING

NEWSBike trail plan to link wine regions

New museum shines spotlight on mountain bikingThink of a local holiday, think Outback Odyssey

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C O N T E N T SFront cover image: Cycling is the best way to enjoy the peace and beauty of our wine regions.

CEO and President’s Notes 3

Blazing a Trail to Prosperity – The Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail 4

History Trail – The Australian Museum of Mountain Bike 6

Bike Riders v Pothole: Is a Council liable for injuries caused by defects in the road? 8

Local Holidays in the Time Of Covid-19 – The Outback Odyssey Beckons 9

World Bike Day 2020 – A Day To Build A Better Future 9

2020 Annual Tour to Delight the Senses 10

Green Shoots Return to the Blackened Landscape at Cudlee Creek 11

Palya keeps the APY Lands pedalling 14

M E M B E R S U B M I S S I O N S

Riding the new Murray to Clare (M2C) Gravel Trail 12

Prime Year for the Poseurs, Come and Join Their Fun 13

Contributing to CycleHave you something you would like to contribute to Cycle? If so we’d love to hear about it. Please contact the Bike SA office. Email: office@bikesa.asn.au

B I C Y C L E S A O F F I C E11A Croydon Road, Keswick SA 5035

Phone (08) 8168 9999Fax (08) 8168 9988

Email office@bikesa.asn.auWeb www.bikesa.asn.au

@BicycleSA @bicyclesa @bike_sa Bicycle SA

The office is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

C Y C L ECycle is published quarterlyISSN: 2208-3979

D I S C L A I M E RThe views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Bicycle SA. Bicycle SA does not guarantee the accuracy of information published herein.

© 2 0 2 0 B I C Y C L E S AOriginal articles in Cycle are copyrighted to Bicycle South Australia Incorporated (Bicycle SA) unless otherwise specified. Non-profit organisations may reproduce articles copyrighted to Bicycle SA, with only minor modification, without the permission of the authors, provided Bicycle SA is sent, as a courtesy and condition, a copy of the publications containing such reproduction.

Articles copyrighted to their authors may not be reproduced without the express authorisation of their authors. Bicycle SA and the original authors reserve the right to take legal action for breach of copyright where these instructions are not complied with.

B I C Y C L E S A E X E C U T I V E T E A MPresident, Maureen MerrickEmail maureen.merrick@bikesa.asn.auVice President, Nathan PetrusTreasurer, Michael KillmierSecretary, Anne Smith

MembersChris BeauchampWarwick CooperRowan McKeownCarol SeelyNick Spyrou

Museum of Mountain Bike — page 6

Outback Odyssey — page 9

Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail — page 4

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C H I E F E X E C U T I V E ’ S N O T E SC H R I S T I A N H A A G

P R E S I D E N T ’ S N O T E SM A U R E E N M E R R I C K

A lack of safety (real or perceived) still remains the single biggest barrier to more people riding their bicycles. Repeated surveys show that 60% of adults want to ride more but feel the risks outweigh the benefits.

The solution to this will only come from local, state and federal infrastructure funding to encourage a culture of sustainable mobility for all citizens.

Our reliance on cars turns our city streets into corridors of noise and pollution, areas of danger and speed for cyclists and pedestrians instead of places of relaxation and pleasure, where getting somewhere has been made infinitely more important than what we do when we get there.

Ponder how much worse would the shopping and social experience of Rundle Mall would be if it once again became a car thoroughfare and you’d have an inkling of the benefits so many cities around the world have already realised by taking more city streets away from cars and prioritising foot and cycle traffic.

Our city planners’ paradigm must change, with the current road hierarchy being turned upside down – pedestrians and cyclists first, freight and transit second with vehicles third.

Worldwide trends, particularly in the US, have shown it is neither complicated, onerous nor difficult and starts by providing the infrastructure to encourage and enable all those who are already motivated to choose congestion-busting, pollution-reducing and economy-boosting active transport.

And then extending arrangements to make clean, quiet, healthy and economically beneficial active transport more attractive.

Studies have shown time and again that providing cycling infrastructure does NOT reduce the available space for motor traffic. In fact, it alleviates traffic by creating space for a mode of transport

that moves more people per hour through urban traffic, by virtue of the vast difference in size between bicycles and motor vehicles.

As former Vancouver Chief Planner Brent Toderian wrote in his Open Letter to a Car-Addicted City, the good news is, when you prioritise active mobility, it makes getting around easier for everyone, INCLUDING drivers.

“I know that can seem counter-intuitive, but smart cities have proven it’s true. If you design a city for cars, it fails for everyone, including drivers,” he wrote.

“If you design a multi-modal city that prioritises walking, biking and public transport, it works for everyone, including drivers.”

The numbers are also on the side of active transport, Toderian explains, when it comes to the bottom-line argument of overall fiscal responsibility and budgetary benefit to a council, city, state or nation.

“There is this false narrative, this dangerous lie, that people on bikes are somehow getting away with something, that they’re not paying their way,” Toderian explains in an article by Chris and Melissa Bruntlett for Daily Hive. “This isn’t just a little wrong, it’s a lot wrong. We know factually that walking and biking are the two ways of getting around that actually save society money for each kilometre travelled. And that’s even before we consider all the many benefits that aren’t just about money.”

A study by the New York Department of Transport noted a large majority of people visit built-up, dense urban areas by walking, cycling or by public transport. The study found improvements to the public realm resulted in an increase in retail sales and economic activity. The study also noted that people who walk or ride to dense urban areas spend more per capita at local businesses.

This year we shall be celebrating National Volunteer week, 18-24 May, very differently

from the traditional parade through the city and a barbeque. However, with the many forms of social

media available to us, there is no doubt that our volunteers Australiawide will be recognized and acknowledged. They give of their time freely in support of so many different aspects of community life.

Volunteering is inextricably linked to our national identity, with approximately 5.8 million people across the country who volunteer formally. They donate 734 million hours of their time to the community, yielding a 450% return for each dollar invested. On a national level, this is estimated to be an absolutely staggering annual economic and social contribution of $290 billion. (Volunteering Australia 23 May 2019)

The charities and non-profit organisations, of which there are more than 6000, would find it extremely challenging without the significant contribution of their volunteers.

We have approximately 900,000 volunteers in South Australia.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all our volunteers for their continuing and significant contributions in support of Bicycle SA. Thank you all for giving countless hours of your time so freely, some of you for many years, to the many facets of the organisation.

Although the 2nd Grand/Mini Slam ride on 29 March was cancelled as a result of COVID-19, a few riders who had entered for the series successfully completed the ride on their own. Thank you for your resolve and commitment to these events. Congratulations and well done!

As we progress through this very difficult time, thank you all for adhering to the Government’s directives and guidelines.

Keep those pedals turning and safe cycling.

Transp or t Advo c ac y – Is I t Fair We’ve Vir tual ly Legislated the Necessit y to O wn a Car?

Decades of transport planning policy that has given the car unchallenged primacy

of place has proved and continues to prove destructive to our social, economic, physical and environmental wellbeing.

Decades of ever-expanding suburbia - with little or no thought put into affordable, sustainable transport solutions other than to drive – locks us all into either isolation or the need to maintain an expensive, depreciating, polluting and non-renewable-fuel-guzzling mode of travel.

That summary may be a bit harsh, of course…! After all, 98% of our members have a driver’s licence. This isn’t about being anti-car, it’s about the lack of equity in out transport system. As a community, we are not provided with a variety of safe choices when it comes to making our transportation decisions.

Continues Page 14

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A bold new plan to link four key South Australian wine, food and tourism regions by

one continuous, connected cycle trail holds the promise of economic recovery both for regions hit by fire, drought and coronavirus and for South Australia as a whole.

The Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail – the brainchild of Regional Development Australia in partnership with six Adelaide councils (Clare & Gilbert Valley, Light Regional, Barossa, Adelaide Hills, Mt Barker and the City of Onkaparinga) – would be a 250km course connecting four distinct South Australian wine regions: Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale.

This project has the potential to link 200 cellar doors and more than 500 businesses through one continuous journey and allow visitors and locals alike to experience the stories, food and wine, culture and diverse natural beauty of the South Australian landscape.

“This started off from a project we’ve been working on with the Seppeltsfield Road Business Alliance, traders who want to do a shared path connecting all their food and wine experiences,” Craig Grocke, an economic development executive with Regional Development Australia, said.

“The focus began to broaden and settle on attracting major federal government funding so a project with the scope to be of interest to the Australian Government began to crystallise and the wine tourism economy and linking wine

regions were two obvious candidates. Combine those two elements and the strength of their proposal became obvious.”

That search for funding is now at the point where they are awaiting a response for a Federal Government grant, which they hope to hear about in May, and if that is successful, work is targeted to begin on trail construction by the 2021/22 financial year.

“We already have some sections of the trail – the Riesling Trail, the Amy Gillett Trail, the Barossa Trail. There is a level of network is there but it’s not connected,” Mr Grocke said. “Tourism operators here say to me ‘Look, we’ve got some great stuff, how good would it be if it were all connected?’.”

The trail would reinforce Adelaide’s role as a strong member of the ‘The Great Wine Capitals Global Network’, for which all other capitals have established wine tourism cycling trails, ones from which the Adelaide team are gaining valuable knowledge.

It would be marketed as a whole, but also broken down into separate, shorter, unique experiences to cater to both long-term tours or adventurers as well as day-trippers or weekend holidaymakers. Mr Grocke has studied similar facilities overseas and says New Zealand’s Central Otago Rail Trail is a prime example of the advantages of such multi-faceted promotion.

“The Central Otago Rail Trail has 15,000 tourists

a year traverse it from one end to the other. But when you look at local use, informal use and visitors who might just use sections, they know that raises the numbers to between 60,000 and 80,000 trips per year,” he said.

“So we’re looking at designing the trail so it fits the nature of where it is. Some sections will be gravel, off road while others will use the rail corridors or a sealed, shared path.

“And there’s always been strong interest to have better connections into Hahndorf for tourism. If we can get more people to cycle in and out of there, that is a vital link.

“Further south we may go through Mount Bold to get people off the road and in McLaren Vale we might offer a bit of everything – off-road, shared path and on-road – and a shared path link through to the coast at Aldinga is also crucial.”

One of the core aims of the project developers is to engage businesses and operators right from the start. To ensure they are involved with access links, signage and promotional ideas from the outset will maximise the experiences and opportunities for trail users and businesses alike.

For that same reason, Adelaide will be “explicitly” connected to the trail – to make it easy for centrally located tourists to access the trail at multiple points and plan trips to make the most of every moment.

Tourism operator Joe Mullan, who, with his partner, is about to open the Australian Museum of Mountain Bike in Willunga (See pages 6, 7), is thrilled by the wine trail concept.

“It would be fantastic to see that happen, we’d love the museum to be a destination and for people

B L A Z I N G A T R A I L T O P R O S P E R I T Y – T H E A D E L A I D E W I N E C A P I T A L C Y C L E T R A I L

Picture Courtesy of Tourism Australia

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to get excited about it as another stopping point. Whether it’s a winery or bakery or popping into the museum to look at bikes and talk about bikes – these are all good things,” he said.

“This is what we as South Australians have that we haven’t connected and integrated yet. It’s a fantastic thing to have these tracks but to connect them all between wine regions and give people all of these destinations along the way, it’s an opportunity to make something out of it for interstate and local visitors to really enjoy.”

Cycle tourism provides significant economic benefit. With more than three million visitors coming to Australia to cycle, the industry has

generated more than $254 million in economic benefit for Australian communities. The 2019 Santos Tour Down Under generated a record impact of $70.7 million, an 11 per cent increase from the previous year’s event. The health benefits resulting from cycling in Australia is estimated at more than $150 million, with the bike economy growing at a steady 5.3 per cent per annum.

The proposed Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail will provide much-needed support to local communities looking to rebuild and diversify their local economy. The project will drive growth in wine and food exports, cycling events and tourism spending, ultimately supporting employment opportunities in regional South Australia.

WE’VE GOT SOME GREAT STUFF, HOW GOOD WOULD IT BE IF IT WERE ALL CONNECTED?”

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Australia has been punching above its weight in mountain biking for decades and now two

mates – and confirmed retro MTB nuts – have decided it’s high time to shine a spotlight on the excitement of some of the formative years of the sport in this country.

The Australian Museum of Mountain Bike, a passion project by long-time bike industry members Joe Mullan and Krischan Spranz, will focus on the 1990s, a “golden era of mountain biking” and a time, as Joe says, “where mountain biking was exploding globally and there was so much experimentation in bike design and riders pushing the limits of the bikes’’.

“Australia doesn’t have a lot of easy access to elevation like Europe and the US do, where a lot of the boom in mountain biking came from. But Australia and Australian riders made their mark on the disciplines for decades and they’ve done amazing things with the machinery from an industry point of view,” Joe said.

“Australia has a unique history in the role it’s played in the growth of MTB and off-road riding as well as in terms of everything it has achieved from gold medals to World Cup success to sports administration.

“So the museum itself isn’t just about the bikes and displaying great examples of them. Krischan has a significant collection, I have a significant

collection and a few other parties have come forward with their collections to be displayed. But it’s also about the story of MTB in Australia and Australians in MTB.”

Krischan has been mulling over the idea of a museum for eight years but the pair finally took the plunge recently when the right property became available, on some hallowed ground for Australian cycling, in Willunga at the base of mighty Willunga Hill.

It will take up the equivalent of three rooms of the building where Krischan runs his high-end bike component business, EightyOneSpices. “We’ve been interested in collecting MTBs from the ‘90s for a very long time and now, with the combined items from a variety of collections and a great property to display them, we can finally open the museum we’ve been waiting for,” Krischan said.

As passionate MTB racers themselves from that era, not just bike collectors, they’ve experienced the good and the bad of MTB development through the decades as bike design become less adventurous.

“This has been about 15 years in the making and we’re glad we took the time to find the right piece of real estate that would be perfect to house the display. That happened just over a year ago when my partner Selma and I found this property in Willunga, the final piece that made this come to life,” Krischan added.

H I S T O R Y T R A I L – T H E A U S T R A L I A N

M U S E U M O F M O U N T A I N B I K E

AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRALIAN (MTB) RIDERS MADE THEIR MARK FOR DECADES AND THEY’VE DONE AMAZING THINGS … AUSTRALIA HAS A UNIQUE HISTORY IN THE ROLE IT’S PLAYED IN THE GROWTH OF MTB AND OFF-ROAD RIDING.

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The team is thrilled with the location not just because of its connection with the iconic stage of the Tour Down Under each year or the annual Willunga downhill MTB race that is “such a classic example of old-school downhill mountain biking” but also because of the lessons they learned from the National Motor Museum in Birdwood when it came to all the intricacies involved in becoming an official, certified Australian museum.

And the prospect of the Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail (pages 4, 5) creating a cycle tourism mecca leaves them even more excited for the future of a booming South Australian biking playground.

“The Wine Trail would be fantastic,” Joe said. “We’d love the museum to be another reason for the trail to exist and for people to get excited about it being another stopping point.”

When people do visit the museum – either in Willunga or in the interactive experience online at www.ausmusmtb.com.au – they will see more than 60 bikes and numerous frames as well as components, clothing, banners and posters. “Some of the frames will be built up over time to as close to their original spec as possible, others will be wild combinations of the highly sought after individual high-spec parts that adorned the race bikes of the time,” Krischan said. “We will always have some restorations on the go.

“Some exhibits will be cool stuff that tells the stories of major events and major teams, others will be the weird and whacky gear engineers came up with in those days, most of which didn’t go that well but some of it was absolute genius!”

Joe added: “We have a huge flag from the 2006 UCI World Championships in Rotorua, NZ signed by the winner, Sam Hill. There’s posters, a lot of neon, a lot of anodising and some VHS MTB videos, some of the earliest professional video footage which also includes a lot of the work from Zoli Borbasi who ran an SA film company called Volatile Visions which did a lot of films back in the ‘90s so it’s really nice to have those available for a local flavour.”

There’ll be a nod to the engineering of that era – the successes and the failures – as well as the experiments with materials, aluminium, titanium and magnesium among them, showing how they pushed the boundaries of what was possible in pursuit of peak performance.

The museum’s website was to have gone live on April 1 with the Willunga venue opening before Easter. The extraordinary events of the past few months have delayed that, however. The website should have been launched by the time this edition was published but, regarding the actual museum, a determined Joe could only say: “We will be open the first day that we get out of this coronavirus environment”. Keep an eye on the website for updates.

The venue will have limited opening hours and will also open by appointment. Also part of the plan is to use it to hold small gathering and events that will feature guest speakers as well as the famous produce of the region.

Visitors will be encouraged to make a donation, especially bike parts, but entry into the museum will be free.

“We think that’s important because this will help people discover more cycling history,” Joe said. “And one of our goals is to reach people who don’t ride bikes, to help normalise it and to help build curiosity because the more we do that the more understanding we have when we share paths and roads and as a community the more we respect each other.”

The Australian Museum of Mountain Bike will be the only collection of its kind in the nation that’s open to the public and endorsed as an affiliate of the European Mountain Bike Museum, the US Marin Museum of Mountain Bike and MOMBAT, the Museum Of Mountain Bike Art and Technology.

“This is all about celebrating this amazing sport and educating people on the history of Australians in mountain biking and MTB in general,” Joe said.

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B I K E R I D E R S V P O T H O L E S : I S A C O U N C I L L I A B L E F O R I N J U R I E S C A U S E D B Y D E F E C T S I N T H E R O A D ?B Y J U L I A A R E N A O F A N D E R S O N S ’ P E R S O N A L I N J U R Y T E A M

Andersons Solicitors is frequently contacted by cyclists with queries about whether a Council

can be held liable for injuries sustained as a result of encountering a pothole in the road, or another defect on a footpath or road surface.

Generally speaking, a Council cannot be held liable in these circumstances.

Section 42 of the Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA) (“the Act”) notes, in particular, that:

A road authority is not liable in tort for a failure:

1. to maintain, repair or renew a road; or

2. to take other action to avoid or reduce the risk of harm that results from a failure to maintain, repair or renew a road.

How are “road” and “vehicle” defined under the Act?

Road is defined as a street, road or thoroughfare to which public access is available to vehicles or pedestrians and includes a bridge, busway or laneway, as well as a carpark or footpath.

Vehicle includes a motor vehicle, bicycle, and an animal that is being ridden or used to draw a vehicle but does not include a tram or other vehicle (except an O-bahn bus) that is driven on a fixed track.

Are there any exceptions to Section 42?

There are two remaining circumstances where an injured party may be able to bring a claim for compensation against the Council, including:

1. Where the Council has repaired a defect but has done so poorly and the poor state of repair has led to an accident. For example, if a Council has repaired a pothole but has left an uneven road surface.

2. Where a person could establish that not only is there a defect in the road or footpath which has led to an accident, but that the Council has been made aware of that defect on a number of occasions by concerned members of the public. In these circumstances, it could be argued that the Council has been negligent in failing to take steps to avoid a known risk.

Claims against local Councils are difficult to pursue and strongly defended. The Andersons’ team are experienced in these claims and advise injured parties to seek appropriate and experienced legal advice at an early stage.

L O C A L H O L I D AY S I N T H E T I M E O F C O V I D - 1 9 – T H E O U T B A C K O D Y S S E Y B E C K O N S

In these times of global coronavirus uncertainty, more and more people are expected – when life

returns to some semblance of normal – to holiday closer to home.

Local vacations, not just within Australia but within the state, will become more the norm as the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic changes our behaviours on a previously unimagined scale.

A recent report in the Sunday Mail said interest in backyard getaways was “soaring” and bookings in March for RAA Travel’s SA Experience packages had doubled compared to the same time last year.

With all information on offer pointing to the likelihood that this pandemic will be with us for the long term and the local holiday trend to stay with it, Bicycle SA is anticipating very strong interest in our

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L O C A L H O L I D AY S I N T H E T I M E O F C O V I D - 1 9 – T H E O U T B A C K O D Y S S E Y B E C K O N S W O R L D B I K E D AY 2 0 2 0 – A D AY T O B U I L D A B E T T E R F U T U R EOutback Odyssey adventure from May 1-16, 2021.

Our biennial Outback Odyssey along the Mawson Trail is an epic ride that takes you through the Australian Outback, one of the most spectacular places on earth. With 600 million years of secrets waiting to be revealed, it’s home to one of the greatest adventures of your life - not so much a challenge as it is a life-changing experience.

You can choose to ride the Full Mawson – 900km over 15 days from Adelaide to Blinman – or any of the three ‘Mini Mawsons’ (MM#1, Adelaide to Burra, 5 days; MM#2 Burra to Melrose, 6 days; or MM#3, Melrose to Blinman, 7 days). But whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy a fully supported ride enjoying great catering, great company and some of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth.

Each day is an adventure. We ride. We eat. We drink. We have a laugh.

Bike SA has been running the Outback Odyssey since 2002 and our organisation, planning and ride leadership throughout the trip reflect that depth of experience. Whether you’re an experienced cycle adventurer or you’re looking for your first foray into multi-day ride touring, trust Bike SA to guide you through one of the great rides of your life.

For more information about this extraordinary experience amid the rugged beauty of some of South Australia’s most storied countryside, visit our website at www.bikesa.asn.au/outbackodyssey

In 2018, the United Nations declared June 3 to be World Bicycle Day. It did so

to recognise “the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle – used for two centuries – and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit, sustainable means of transport”.

Beyond that well-deserved recognition, the main message of the UN’s declaration was to show that the bicycle belongs to and serves all of humanity.

And if that is the case, if the bicycle is an ideal, affordable, environmentally sound and extraordinarily capable servant to all of humanity, isn’t it then incumbent on us to try to make its use safer, easier and less stigmatised than it is in so much of the world today?

And in so many ways, isn’t 2020 the perfect time for us all to stand tall together and make that demand – so long ignored or drowned out - of our leaders?

World Bicycle Day this year is coinciding with the most obvious example anyone could imagine of the benefits of moving away from polluting motor vehicle transport and embracing active mobility like walking, cycling and the skyrocketing popularity of e-bikes that enable far more people to embrace healthy, cost-effective and environmentally responsible transport.

The staggering reductions in air and noise pollution in cities around the world as coronavirus has forced people into isolation has clearly demonstrated that to return to business as usual once we have weathered this crisis would be an appalling waste of an opportunity to embrace change for the undeniable benefit of the entire planet.

World Bike Day should be a moment when we passionately speak out about this fact and encourage our leaders and the community at large to see the elephant in the room. Our absolute reliance on the dangerous, destructive, polluting and unsustainable motor vehicle is an exercise in pure self-harm and we will never be presented with a better opportunity to make a desperately needed change than what we have right now!

If a proper celebration of World Bicycle Day is possible, Bike SA will

keep you advised of any activities should current coronavirus restrictions be relaxed in time. Keep an eye out for our Facebook and Twitter posts and our regular E-News messages to your inboxes.

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Bicycle SA’s Annual Tour is returning to a proven favourite for 2020.

The Gourmet Food and Wine Tour, last held in 2015 and consistently a popular, sell-out experience, takes riders for a culinary and visual treat through the beauty, tranquillity and tailor-made cycling landscapes of the Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, all with the convenience of starting and finishing in Adelaide.

As testament to riders’ enjoyment of the tour in years past, the 2020 tour almost sold out within weeks of its launch. Tickets are still available but don’t waste time if you want the chance to share in

this vibrant, picturesque adventure for your thighs and your tastebuds.

Running from 19-27 September, this tour showcases some of South Australia’s most rewarding experiences along the way. You will cover approximately 500km, exploring the many and varied delights of South Australia’s gourmet food and wine regions and the rolling landscapes of SA’s greater Mount Lofty Ranges on the doorstep of Adelaide.

You’ll enjoy overnight stops in the stunning grounds of Chateau Tanunda and Seppeltsfield wineries and roll through some of the state’s

earliest history as you ride the famous Riesling and Rattler trails between Riverton and Clare, enjoy beers and bratwurst in Hahndorf and sample the famous robust red wines of the Barossa from iconic wineries including Wolf Blass, Penfolds, Henschke, Peter Lehman and Jacobs Creek.

So don’t miss your chance to eat, drink, ride and smile through the best that SA has to offer. Join us for the ride of your life.

As we say, with the tour limited to just 200 riders - “Small is Beautiful!”.

2 0 2 0 A N N U A L T O U R T O D E L I G H T T H E S E N S E S

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G R E E N S H O O T S R E T U R N T O T H E B L A C K E N E D L A N D S C A P E A T C U D L E E C R E E K

Thanks to some healthy rain, mild weather and undoubtedly the prayers

of countless mountain bikers, signs of life, health and natural beauty are returning to the forest and bushland at Cudlee Creek that was devasted by bushfires in December last year.

The regeneration of the area - beloved by so many who take advantage of it for the fabulous outdoor entertainment facility that it is - is certainly encouraging.

However, it is crucially important that the South Australian MTB community remember that this is still an extremely fragile environment that needs extensive works to be carried out before it can once again be available for recreational use.

Please continue to respect the closure of the Fox Creek MTB trail area so that this recovery can spread far and wide and the trails we all so long to ride can be restored to their former glory.

From this vis ion of horror … l i fe is returning

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M E M B E R S T O R I E S

R I D I N G T H E N E W M U R R A Y T O C L A R E ( M 2 C ) G R A V E L T R A I LB Y K A Y H A A R S M A

Recently, I was able to christen the M2C gravel trail, riding 300km from Murray Bridge to

Clare, solo and self-supported over three days. What a joy it was, meandering along quiet country roads, with the main hazards being kangaroos and rabbits rather than cars. Sometimes we just don’t appreciate what we have in our own backyard.

The M2C was the brainchild of friends George Adams and Cam Rungie. Then Helen Dominish and others came onboard to help design the course and it came into fruition in just over 12 months. It is the cyclists’ version of the Lavender walking trail but provides dirt road alternatives to the private land sections used by walkers.

M2C can be ridden efficiently in either direction. It certainly could be completed in two long days but equally could be broken into four-to-six days, either bike-packing style or supported. There are also options to do day loops along the course. The main planning aspects are around food, water supply and accommodation or camping availability, as not all small towns have general stores. I did it during summer and it was still impressively photogenic, but autumn and spring would be ideal. The other good aspect is the availability of bike-friendly public transport to and from both Murray Bridge (LinkSA daily) and Clare (Yorke Peninsula coach lines and Genesis transport).

Day 1: Murray Bridge to Springton (85km and 1205m climbing) was mostly on fast dirt roads. The Callington spur trail was more varied and there was a little sand around Monarto Zoo. For keen mountain bikers there is an option of

including the new 6.5km Cypress trail through Kinchina Conservation Park. The former Rockleigh school at 45km was a nice stop and can be booked to stay in. Tungkillo is one of the many small towns where the pub has become a private residence, but water is available at the school. Close by in Hoad’s Road you pass the heritage-listed Teringa Station shearing shed, built in 1858 and still operating.

Mt Pleasant is a cyclist’s delight with two bakeries. I love to explore the backstreets and here I found “Recreate” in Phillis St – a community sustainability project and shop open Wednesday-Saturday. Springton is famous for its large Herbig tree, within which Johann Herbig and later his wife Anna and two children lived from 1865-70. They then built a hut and ended with 16 children!

Day 2: Springton to Eudunda (108km/1190m climbing) Big gum trees continued to dominate the scenery but also giant boulders and rocky cliffs on the hills. The day was a story of two halves. In getting to Truro (60km), the trail made big loops on undulating roads into or near Eden Valley, Keyneton and Moculta – all villages worth a visit. I even saw water when crossing the Marne River. This area was colonised largely by Germans and Lutheran church groups and many cemeteries abound, as well as quite a few wineries. I loved the small Gnadenberg community and the unique Moculta mausoleum. Did you know that many towns in the Adelaide Hills had to anglicise their names during World War II? Thus, Blumberg became Birdwood.

After Truro the trail is more direct and generally flat and fast. After the small village of Dutton there is little sign of civilisation except for many stately old ruins - perhaps a sign of the lower rainfall on the journey north. One incongruity was the three almost identical sized Lutheran churches still standing at Neale’s Flat. All were built for different congregations from 1871 – 1893. Eudunda is a large history-laden town with a supermarket and bakery. Author Colin Thiele (famous for Storm Boy, Blue Fin and Sun on the Stubble) was born here.

Day 3: Eudunda to Clare (110km/ 1232m climbing) This day’s journey is probably the most interesting. After a short climb, the trail follows Julia and then Scenic roads south for almost 20km along Bluff Ridge to Inspiration Point for some spectacular views. Looking west you will see the Tothill Range where you will encounter the steepest section of M2C with the notorious Webb Gap. Going westward, the climb involves 500m or more of hike a bike at 20% gradient on a goat track. With the rest of the trail just being undulating, one short hike a bike isn’t a worry. The Heysen, Lavender & M2C trails all meet in this saddle and there is a rainwater tank available. This could be most useful as the first town of Waterloo is 45km from Eudunda. Surprisingly, there is a well-made road down the other side. After about 5km there is another climb to Quin Gap but from my side this was a rideable 9-10%. This ridge is easy to spot as it has 43 wind turbines on it – known as the Waterloo wind farm. Onward to Waterloo where there is a nice rest area with information about its most famous resident, outback mailman Tom Kruse.

Quin Gap Near Springton

East of Springton Near Moculta

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M E M B E R S T O R I E S

P R I M E Y E A R F O R T H E P O S E U R S , C O M E A N D J O I N T H E I R F U NB Y P E T E R W I L S O N , R I D E L E A D E R

The Poseurs d’Adelaide riding group has enjoyed a great year of cycling since

last March when they celebrated their 10th anniversary. The peloton has steadily grown and now is made up of an average of 12-15 riders, with that extending to up to 20 when the weather is looking particularly good or a special ride is planned.

A typical ride is 60-80km in the hills, with a bakery and coffee stop in the middle. However, we occasionally break with tradition for a coastal cruise when the hills weather is inclement and, recently, we tackled our first “StravaArt” ride in suburbia.

Other favourites include the annual “Hell of the North” ride to celebrate the Paris-Roubaix Spring Classic, the South Coast Getaway and our Strada Bianche rides, when we challenge

our road bikes with some gravel roads. The unique thing about Poseur rides is a different combination of roads each week – no standard route here!

We entered a team of 20 in the recent Tour Down Under Challenge Ride and had a great day, capped off perfectly by the VIP rest area at the finish in Murray Bridge, complete with chairs and a big screen television.

Newcomers are always welcome at our rides and we are often joined by overseas and interstate visitors who find us via the Bike SA rides programme. We also have a weekly email to regular riders, with a review of the previous ride and any special details for the upcoming weekend.

So, come along, join us one Sunday and see if we are the right bunch for you!

I rode on through Manoora and at the 75km mark I finally hit the heritage town of Mintaro, with the Magpie & Stump Hotel, Reilly’s Wines and Mintaro Maze all having food options, the first of the day. Next it was across to Watervale, then 6km on the Riesling Rail Trail until Penwortham. Here there is a sting in the tail, with the final 20km initially involving a climb westward past Skillogalee Winery to Spring Gully Conservation Park lookout. But then some beautiful descending to the finish at the old Clare railway station.

This trail could be ridden on MTB, gravel or touring bikes. I’d recommend purchasing the Lavender Trail maps and highlighting the M2C on them, as a back-up to the GPS route. Much fun awaits.

• The Murray to Clare Cycling Trail. (M2C) Download the gpx and cycling map from ‘Ride with GPS’. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31601645

• The Lavender Federation Trail. Useful information on the country, facilities, campgrounds and printed maps for the walking trail. Just draw in the M2C in highlighter. https://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au/new/

• Uncool Cycling Club. Descriptions, cycling blog and great photographs. https://uncoolcyclingclub.com/murray-to-clare-cycling-trail/

Manoora

North of Truro

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C H I E F E X E C U T I V E ’ S N O T E SC H R I S T I A N H A A G

CITIES ARE LITERALLY WASTING PUBLIC MONEY BY NOT INVESTING IN SMART BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE.

Cycling is indeed good for business. Our federal Department of Transportation’s own economic evaluation of active travel concluded that an average 20-minute commute by bicycle delivered a net benefit of $21 to the Australian economy.

“If you care about the bottom line, and you care about budgets and taxes, then you should care about urban biking, because it’s a money saver,” Toderian concluded. “The kinds of figures we’re talking about - that would actually save public money, remember - are rounding errors in most transportation budgets,” he says. “Cities are literally wasting public money by not investing in smart bike infrastructure.”

In Australia, our younger generation is already leading the way in preferring alternative transport choices. Even as annual car sales remain high, an increasing number of 16 to 24-year-olds are forgoing driver’s licences, with 24% of those is NSW and Victoria unlicensed.

This generation is not interested in the burdensome capital expenditure costs of buying and maintaining an asset that sits idle for 95% of its life, preferring instead to use the peer-to-peer choices of car and bike share to transport themselves.

And scientific studies bear out that places that encourage active transport clearly demonstrate the physical health benefits for their citizens.

No one is suggesting that cars don’t have a significant place in our transport planning for the foreseeable future. What we are saying is that the clear evidence already exists that when they are no longer treated as the be-all and end-all of transport policy and efficient mass transit and active transport are made not just possible but preferable, the benefits are significant, indisputable and shared by all.

All that remains is the political leadership at all levels of government to make it happen. Thankfully, for those of us over the age of 18 - we have a vote!

...continued from Page 3

Pollution, frustration, congestion and danger or clean, efficient, peaceful pedalling – it is not hard to see which makes for a healthier, more liveable and enjoyable city.

P A L Y A K E E P S T H E A P Y L A N D S P E D A L L I N G

Bicycle SA’s Bikes Palya team delivered six bikes on March 31 for transport to Amata community in the APY Lands.

Bikes Palya was not able to deliver our program in the first term school holidays because of the ongoing risks and restrictions of the coronavirus crisis that is sweeping the world.

However, we continue to work with remote communities to ensure they still have access to bikes to maintain their physical and mental health regardless of these extraordinary times.

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Avanti Plus Semaphore Shop 4/135 Semaphore Road, Exeter 8449 8199

Avanti Plus Woodville 820 Port Road, Woodville 8268 6404

Bicycle Centre Mitcham 21-23 Belair Road, Kingswood 8271 0692

Bicycle Express 124 Halifax Street, Adelaide 8232 7277 138 The Parade, Norwood 8431 5711

Bicycle Fix 33 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Woodside 8389 7495

Bicycles Mount Barker 12A Walker Street, Mount Barker 8391 4777

Bicycling Australia Magazine 17-21 Bellevue Street, Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 02 9281 233

Bike About (hires and tours) 33b Onkaparinga Valley Road, Woodside 0413 525733

Bike Society 274 Waymouth Street, Adelaide 8262 5449 391 Brighton Road, Hove 8358 1500

Bio-Mechanics 260 Waymouth Street, Adelaide 8410 9499

Brooks Cycle Depot 63 Bridge Street, Murray Bridge 8532 2868

Cluster Cycles 4/60 Liverpool Street, Port Lincoln 8682 3468

Complete Cycle 45 Cliff Avenue, Port Noarlunga 8327 0200

Euride 637 Lower North East Road, Campbelltown 8336 4490

Flinders Cycles 1 Hospital Road, Port Augusta 8641 0269

G&D Cycles 7 Badenoch Street, Mount Gambier 8725 6002

Gawler Cycles 4/1 Theen Avenue, Willaston 8522 2343

Giant Adelaide 2–3/53–67 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide 8223 5978

Glenelg Cycles 754 Anzac Highway, Glenelg 8294 4741

Goggleman 1/495 Brighton Road, Brighton 1300 464 453

Hey Bikes 2/353 Anzac Highway, Plympton 0452 232 453

International Cycles 70 Payneham Road, Stepney 8362 2609

io Merino 183 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide 8201 4198

Members please note: discounts offered to Bike SA members are at the discretion of respective organisations and may not be available in conjunction with other offers.

Little Black Bike 100 Gilbert Street, Adelaide 8221 5067

Macpac 399–403 Main North Road, Enfield 8359 5866

Megabike 187 Rundle Street, Adelaide 8223 3315

Micycles 32A George Street, Thebarton 0424 569 317

Mike Turtur Cycles 55 Main North Road, Medindie 8342 1882

Moonta Cycle & Sports 49 George Street, Moonta 8825 3222

Mulga Bicycle Tours mulgabicycletours.com.au 0412 309 711

My Ride Salisbury 15/1700 Main North Road, Salisbury 8258 8885

My Ride Unley 80b Unley Road, Unley 8271 8001

North Adelaide Cycles 1 Ward Street North, Adelaide 0448 567 788

Norwood Parade Cycles 216 The Parade, Norwood 8332 1889

Over the Edge 6 Stuart Street, Melrose 8666 2222

Reid Cycles 230 Pulteney Street, Adelaide 8227 0011

Ride Union Bike Co 11/220 Mount Barker Road, Aldgate 8131 0237

SA Remedial Therapy Clinic Level 3 55 Gawler Place, Adelaide 8221 6262

South Coast Cycles 125 Beach Road, Christies Beach 8326 1664

Standish Cycles Shop 1/290 Unley Road, Hyde Park 8271 6989

Standout Cycles 195 Henley Beach Road, Mile End 8443 5435

Star Cycles 5 Barfield Crescent, Edinburgh North 8255 1979

Super Elliotts 200 Rundle Street, Adelaide 8223 3946

Supreme Pro Cycles 32 Cadell Street, Goolwa 8555 5100

Tailwind Cycles 81 Main South Road, O’Halloran Hill 8322 6714

Treadly Shop 5/4–10 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide 8232 0158

Victor Harbor Cycles victorharborcycles.com 0407 048 324

S U P P O R T O R G A N I S A T I O N S W H O S U P P O R T U S

COAST TO COAST 2020! The March 15 adventure was another perfect day on the bike for our hundreds of riders, pedalling with friends from Glenelg to Victor Harbor.