http://www.pedalpower.org.au/rtw/index.htm 14 August 2002

"Be active for life"

Ride to Work

is sponsored by

Pedal Power ACT

www.pedalpower.org.au

Healthpact

www.health.act.gov.au/healthpact

The National Heart Foundation

www.heartfoundation.com.au

Hi cyclists

August is turning out to be an exciting month for Ride to Work. In the coming weeks weve scheduled lunchtime sessions, in five locations around the ACT, on Avoiding Cycling Injuries.

These sessions are so good, you just cant afford to miss them! See below to find your most convenient session.

We have news from Bicycle Victorias Ride to Work Day, and some fantastic news of overseas success by one of our local Ride to Work contacts. And we feature more Life Cycles of the people who make Ride to Work happen.

Be active for life,

Leon

"Avoiding Cycling Injuries" workshop schedule

These lunchtime workshop sessions are being presented by specialist sports physiotherapists. They will cover topics including:

* choosing the right size bike and being correctly fitted to it;

* appropriate clothing and equipment;

* looking after your hands, feet, bottom, neck, back and knees; and

* stretching exercises to pamper your muscles.

In conjunction with these sessions were launching the Ride to Work policy and Guidelines on Injury Prevention. A copy of the policy is included below.

The schedule of Injury Prevention sessions is as follows. All sessions will run from 12.30 to 1.30 pm. Please note that some venues have limited capacity. Where an RSVP is indicated, please confirm early to ensure that you dont miss out.

Mon Aug 19: Meeting Room 1, Belconnen community Centre (Corner of Swanston Street and Chandler Street).

Presenter: Cassandra Carey, Sports Care, Dickson

Tue Aug 20: Back of the Sirius Café, Worgan Street Woden

Presenter: Robyn Armstrong, physiotherapist

RSVP: Rick Phillips (Rick.Phillips@ipaustralia.gov.au)

Thur. 22 Aug: Room 4, the Griffin Centre, Bunda Street, Civic

Presenter: Ros Penfold, Atlas Sports Physiotherapy, Braddon

Mon Aug 26: Room 1, Tuggeranong Community Centre

Presenter: Meeta Lad, Valley Physiotherapy and Sports Injury

Tue 27 Aug: Reef Room, Ground Floor, John Gorton Building, Barton

Presenter: Robyn Armstrong, Good Sport Physiotherapy.

Life Cycles

In this issue we have two life cycles: Rick Phillips the RTW Woden Co-ordinator and Sep Westerhuis Vice-President of Pedal Power

Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips recently organised the bike maintenance session for people in the Woden area. Rick is the Ride to Work area coordinator for Woden and works with IP Australia, or patents, Trade Marks and Designs. He lives in Gowrie and rides his mountain bike the 11kms or so to Woden on most days throughout the year, sticking to bike paths wherever he can. While a mountain bike isn't the most efficient form of bike on sealed surfaces, he reckons the extra effort is good exercise and the bigger tyres are good in the wet and on icy mornings. He has been riding to work for over eight years as it saves on parking and petrol costs, helps keep the middle-age kilos off and is a great start to the day.

Rick says there about 30 people in the Ride to Work program in IP Australia. Not all of them ride every day of course, especially in winter. However, the good bike parking facilities and change rooms that IP Australia provides for its staff do help to encourage a good number of staff to ride.

Sep Westerhuis The singing cyclist

Sep works in the MIA (he assures me that this does not mean missing in action) section in DFAT, and mainly does people, I mean number crunching. Sep has been in MIA for about two years and was previously the OHS officer.

Sep has been riding to work for about eight years. He has a Giant Hybrid (bike that is), and rides 12 kls from Fisher each day. The ride to work takes him about 35 minutes, which he can do in under half an hour if pushed (but it has to be by someone running extremely fast).

As well as riding to work most days Sep is a very busy lad.

All the bike riders at DFAT are very grateful to Sep for keeping riders in touch with what is going on in Canberra for bike riders. He came up with the idea of doing the bike riders profile as well as coordinating news from pedal power.

Sep plays Bridge twice a week, belongs to a book club, is the vice president of Pedal Power, and still has time for the DFAT Choir. He did a solo ride to Corowa in 1999, which was a five day trip. Sep also rode round the Netherlands for three weeks, and Ireland for six weeks in 2000.

Sep is just about to go on holidays - to Canada for a family reunion, England and Holland where he will spend time riding, and then a bus tour of Central Europe for two weeks. Have a good holiday Sep, and we will see you when you return at the end of September.

EU plans for car insurance to cover bicycles.

The European Parliament plans to change the onus of proof in insurance cases, from the cyclist to the motorist. This appears to mean that cyclists would no longer have to prove driver negligence before they could claim compensation. This may seem like a non- issue in Australian States with 'no-fault' car insurance, but it is being greeted with great alarm in UK motoring circles. The Guardian recently carried an article headlined 'Two wheels good, four wheels bad' http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,2763,769369,00.html.

(If you notice any articles in the media that may be of interest, let me know Jaron.Bailey@health.gov.au)

Keep Left on Shared Paths

Pedal Power ACT recommends that all users be required to keep left on shared paths. Cyclists should sound a bell at a reasonable distance before reaching other users and give them adequate clearance when passing. Cyclists should give way to pedestrians.

The "Keep Left" policy is already followed in Victoria, Queensland, NSW and SA.

All users keeping left should mean more certainty and less accidents on shared paths.

Charity Auction to Help Fight Cardiovascular Disease

Did you know cardiovascular disease is Australia's number one killer, claiming a life every 10 minutes? Support the Heart Foundation's life saving work by attending the Pfizer Wine & Fine Living Auction at 7pm on Saturday 19th October at a private reception in Yarralumla. Tickets are $80 and include a delicious three-course meal, drinks, and the chance to win the lucky door prize - a 'Wine Tasters Weekend Away' valued at $650. Tables often will be acknowledged with table signage. Reserve and pay for your ticket before 31st August and enter the Murramarang Resorts 'early bird' prize draw! To inquire or purchase tickets, please contact Natalie on 6269 2639 or e-mail Natalie.Salvestro@heartfoundation.com.au

Way to Go, Ray!

The coordinator of Victorias Ride to Work Day, Ray Becher, says, Bicycle Victoria's Ride To Work Day is now receiving the strongest levels of support it has ever had, and will extend itself to a Ride To School Day initiative as well. Some very exciting times ahead!

Local Ride to Work Contact gives the poms a run

Congratulations to David Baldwin and Environment Australia Ride to Work contact Julie Quinn, who came second (only one point behind the winners) in the Mixed Pairs at the summer UK Polaris Challenge last month. They've tasted glory before - Julie was one half of the winning Womens team at this years Australian Polaris, while David was one half of the winning Mens team at last year's event.

Ride to Work Injury Prevention Policy and Guidelines

Ride to work recognises that cycling is a healthy form of exercise when conducted properly, and also that cycling also offers particular injury risks. These risks can be minimised by taking appropriate precautions.

To minimise the risks of injury to cyclists - in particular those who ride to work, Ride to Work will:

A. Promote the messages that, to minimise the risk of injury, cyclists should:

B. Provide information that supports the above messages.

C. On all Ride to Work rides, ride leaders will:

Wednesday August 21

Pedal Power Social Night -

"Make your heart throb"!

Meet at Hellenic Club, Woden,corner Callum and Matilda Streets at 7.30pm.

Presentation by the Heart Foundation!!!! Have a heart and come to the Social Night to hear about how to maximize your health and fitness and learn about some of their simple and quick but delicious recipes! Lucky door prize

All welcome!!!

Contact: Celia Walsh

Ph: (m) 0412541447

Email:vicepresident@pedalpower.org.au

If you have a community event that would be of interest to the Ride to Work participants please send details to: Jaron.Bailey@health.gov.au

Be Active for Life Ride to Work is an initiative of Pedal Power ACT and is supported by Healthpact and the Heart Foundation.