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		CSIT RTW Bulletin #3: Tue Jun 1 1999
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Hi Everyone! OK, I have been slack the last 6 weeks, but from now on
will do me best to make a bulletin at the beginning of the month....

***** If you would like to make a contribution to these bulletins, *****
*****    please send it to me by email by the end of the month 	   *****


LIGHTS!

On our notice board, I have put up a Pedal Power article `All About
Lights' on the range of bike lights available.  I can make a copy for
anyone who wants one. 

A month ago, I moved to Belconnen, with a longer often dark ride home. 
I have a 4.8w CatEye Halogen light powered by rechargeable batteries
(need to recharge 2x a week) but in places I could do with more power. 
Well, after enquiring, you can get more power, but not only does it cost
you but you have to carry heavy batteries as well... 

The other important thing about night riding is to ensure you and your
bike are VISIBLE.  Apart from lights/reflectors/reflective vests (I use
all of these), you can put reflective tape on your helmet (yes I am
wearing one now, Trevor!) and your bike. The only catch it is expensive
if you buy it from bike shops / car spare parts shops (~$20/m).

Courtesy of Roger Bacon (via Elaine Fotu) is the following solution:

"Reflective material on the bike can make a big difference to safety at
night. Use the light from cars and other riders to protect yourself,
especially to the sides and rear.
 
"Some car accessory shops (eg Autopro) sell rolls of reflective,
self-adhesive tape about 1 cm wide in a range of colours.
 
"A cheaper and more effective solution is available from a Queanbeyan firm
that manufactures road signs for local authorities in the region. They use
sheets of material made by 3M which is highly reflective, weatherproof, easy
to keep clean and highly adhesive on removing the paper backing. For a
couple of dollars, they can sell you offcuts in a range of colours: red,
white, blue, green and yellow.

"I bought some offcut sheets and guillotined them into 1 cm strips, which I
applied liberally all over my bike - red and some yellow on the rear-facing
surfaces, white to the front, and a mixture of everything to both sides.
Frame-tubes, mudguards, stays, spokes, cranks and chainwheel all got the
treatment.

"The offcuts are available from De Neefe Signs Pty Ltd, 3 Shropshire St,
Queanbeyan (tel. 6299 7922)."


GRAB RAILS - ARE THEY EVER HELPFUL? CAN THEY BE A DIRE MENACE?

These are the rails they put on the road crossings of bike paths. 
Presumably, they are for cyclists to lean on while waiting for cars to
pass.  Often, they are painted while and put in the centreline of the
path, although recently installed rails tend to be put on the left side. 

I have never found them useful.  Once after having relied on them, I
even managed to fall face first in front of a line of waiting cars
(nothing hurt but my pride...).  

But on the ride back to north Belconnen, there are 3 sets of rails that
present a deadly hazard at night.  The worst one is where the path
crosses a small access road in AIS.  Upon the northbound approach, one
suddenly has to look into bright flood lights from the playing fields,
but the rails themselves are in deep shadow.  The designers of the path,
for no good reason that I can see, made a dog-leg at the crossing.  This
only serves to heighten the hazard, as the second rail *is* visible as
its about 25 degrees off the line of approach (but the first is not, and
is brilliantly camouflaged at night by the white centreline).  Thus, to
get a better line to negotiate the visible 2nd rail, one is induced to
move to the centre of the path... 

Well, I tried putting reflective tape on the first rail - but with my
lights, that only gives a half second earlier warning.  So I have put in
three hazard reports to Pedal Power.  At the same time, I decided to
join Pedal Power too - its worth supporting any organization that can
improve your daily safety.

Upon closer examination of these rails, there are plentiful scores and
dents, even some that were apparently caused by motor vehicles (or so
one would hope from their size).  What do you think? Does anyone find
grab rails are useful in general, for any reason?


RTW SURVEYS:

I will send to each of you a short survey to fill out - please return to
me, so I can return to the overall RTW coordinator Elaine.  These
provide stats to Healthpact, and will help RTW to maintain its operating
grants. 


UPCOMING PEDAL POWER EVENTS:

1. Environment Week Breakfast Ride.		8 am, Friday Jun 5.

Meet at the Acton Ferry Terminal 8am, riding to Muffin Break at Garema Place.
(I myself cant feasibly make this time :-( ).

There will also be plenty of environment type stalls at Garema Place that day.

2. Healthpact RTW Winter Solstice Lunch. 	Friday June 22, 12:15pm - 1pm.
				  correction: ^^Friday June 25 !!!	

Its on at the Carillon - BYO food but fruit provided! Those wishing to
go, meet me at our Bikeshed 11:55. 


Well thats it for the time being. Happy cycling! -Peter.

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    RTW: sponsored by Pedal Power, HealthPact & (ACT) Heart Foundation
		 oooooooo Be Active for Life ! oooooooo
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