Cycling attitudes in Sydney

An unsurprisingly crap article on cycling in Sydney, by the unsurprisingly crap Sydney Morning Herald

http://www.smh.com.au/national/how-can-we-be-friends-20090813-ejov.html

When I get back to Syd it's going to be a tough decision whether to ride on the streets or not. Sydney driver are generally crazy and because there is less traffic than London it is also faster moving.

I used to ride to work about 3 times a week, from the northern beaches into Mosman. Was way more scary than commuting across london.

Most of Australia is far scarier than commuting in London.

Yeah, there are fuckin snakes and spiders and sharks all over the place!

Aussie Drivers

Yeah, there are fuckin snakes and spiders and sharks all over the place!

the sharks are more reasonable than the drivers.

I haven't driven for about a year and I can say my rage levels have dropped. Slowly getting replenished though.

And lions.

Last year when I was there I made the mistake of riding from Parramatta to the centre of Sydney along the Parramatta Road - I took a lot of abuse for that!

Lions? Old decrepit ones. I used to get almost as much shit from driving old peugeots as cycling.

Last year when I was there I made the mistake of riding from Parramatta to the centre of Sydney along the Parramatta Road - I took a lot of abuse for that!

did they shout "go home you pommy bastard!"

I bet they did.

ALL australians shout that, ALL the time

Aligators.

200,000 cycle trips a day with 430,000 bikes being bought last year.. and 6 deaths on the road...

It's hardly a death trap out there is it...

You wouldn't last 5 minutes, Greasy... Proper hard out there.

Lions? Old decrepit ones.

YouTube - M.e.a.t

I thought you aussies would love anyone who is active, the fuckers over here don't do a day without playing 6 sports, you leave a patch of grass alone for 10 minutes and it's littered with these sandle clad vest wearing fuckers playing frisbee, touch rugby, extreme frisby, rounders, softball.. before going for a run to the swimming pool to do some laps..

used to like to race downhill on william street especially at night ;-)

You wouldn't last 5 minutes, Greasy... Proper hard out there.

I am of west country stock, i grew up fighting cows, tractors and herds of sheep. I'd make wholesome smoothie shakes of australian drivers

did they shout "go home you pommy bastard!"

I bet they did.

ALL australians shout that, ALL the time

Sweeping generalizations....... I love it!! :)

Give them drivers a break, they are probably all just drunk and a bit lippy.

200,000 cycle trips a day with 430,000 bikes being bought last year.. and 6 deaths on the road...

It's hardly a death trap out there is it...

20% of the london number of trips, 33% of the deaths, sugging it's about 60% more dangerous than london...

But wtf is going on with number of bikes being bought?! How many were bought in london last year?

I am of west country stock, i grew up fighting cows, tractors and herds of sheep. I'd make wholesome smoothie shakes of australian drivers

You'd be bent over the bumper of some Kenworth driver's big rig in 5 minutes..

did they shout "go home you pommy bastard!"
I bet they did.
ALL australians shout that, ALL the time

Go home you pommy bastard!

20% of the london number of trips, 33% of the deaths, sugging it's about 60% more dangerous than london...

But wtf is going on with number of bikes being bought?! How many were bought in london last year?

http://www.thehippy.net/nucleus/index.php?itemid=776

*Sales of Australian-made cars collapsed from almost 250,000 in 2005 to just 201,623 last year — a drop of almost 20 per cent, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

For those in the bike business, however, it's a different story, with bicycle sales out-stripping vehicle sales for the seventh consecutive year last year, according to the Cycling Promotion Fund.
Australian bike sales extended their lead over cars for 2006, with almost 1.3 million sold.*

You forgot rule one...

You'd be bent over the bumper of some Kenworth driver's big rig in 5 minutes..

The standard of driving in Sydney is absolutely diabolical. Every other car being covered in dinks is testament to that.