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Thanks for the info, you too @WestcoastPete!
I'm taking my helmet out with me, I've seen that cars seem to have priority over bikes yet pets have priority over everything. Seems a bit backwards to me! Peds crossing sounds a bit like Europe, similar thing going on there.
Are drivers generally aggressive or fairly passive? Is it fairly easy to avoid the roads that aren't good for cycling? I'll probably just stick to the cycle paths as I'm only there for a month, just taking my bike to jam round the city.
chris_tim-
Are drivers generally aggressive or fairly passive?
The drivers are fine, generally. Perhaps a little less confident around cyclists as there a far fewer than in London.
The problems are the freeways and other main roads that go through the centre of town: the traffic is fast and there often aren't bus lanes to protect you.
Don't worry about it too much though. The worst places explicitly ban bikes, and anywhere else you find yourself becoming uncomfortable you can just jump onto the pavement and sit that one out.
cyclotron3k
I cycled around Sydney for a year or two without a helmet. I got pulled over a couple of times and only received friendly reminders so you should be fine, but as @WestcoastPete says, the laws are about to get a lot more punitive.
As for cycling in Sydney; it's not as good as London, but it's not as bad as, say, Paris. The car is king and there are roads that you just have to learn to avoid.
Also, traffic lights and laws work a bit differently, and you'll be taken by surprise when you appear to have a green light but pedestrians keep crossing the road that you're trying to turn into. They have right of way so try not to yell at them too much.
The other big difference is the weather. The humidity always seems to be above 70% so you'll struggle to get anywhere without sweating buckets.