25 May 2012

Canberra cycling through Indonesian eyes

| johnboy
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Thanks to Ari for the tip, the Jakarta Globe has a cute story on living and cycling in Canberra.

Nearly six months after taking up cycle-commuting and mountain biking, I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy the excellent cycling facilities in Canberra and the benefits it has brought to me and my family.

During my cycling trips around town I often encounter families cycling together with their young children —with toddlers towed behind their parents’ bikes in baby carriages or fathers and daughters mountain biking together in nature reserves. I also participate in campus groups’ cycling challenges up the 812-meter-high Black Mountain and I attend mountain biking races where active teenagers, adults and seniors alike compete for prestigious titles.

It’s heaven on earth we’ve got here punters!

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velosophist said :

Also… from *her point of view, *she was right on the money.

D’oh! My bad.

Canberra: Indonesia’s Netherlands.

Duffbowl said :

Jethro said :

My favourite part of the article is where he said that in Canberra “drivers respect cyclists”.

Having enjoyed the opportunities presented in getting around Surabaya and Jakarta, I’d say that from his point of view, he was right on the money. I’ve seen a cyclist get sideswiped by a truck in traffic coming into Jakarta from Tanjung Priok on the Jalan IWW. No one stopped; no one cared. We argued with the taxi van to pull over, but he told us it as the cyclist’s fault. Why? The truck had right of way because it was bigger.

That doesn’t excuse those Canberra drivers who do not respect cyclists.

Having moved from Sydney, Canberra seems to my eyes to be a cyclist utopia.

Also… from *her point of view, *she was right on the money.

Jethro said :

My favourite part of the article is where he said that in Canberra “drivers respect cyclists”.

Having enjoyed the opportunities presented in getting around Surabaya and Jakarta, I’d say that from his point of view, he was right on the money. I’ve seen a cyclist get sideswiped by a truck in traffic coming into Jakarta from Tanjung Priok on the Jalan IWW. No one stopped; no one cared. We argued with the taxi van to pull over, but he told us it as the cyclist’s fault. Why? The truck had right of way because it was bigger.

That doesn’t excuse those Canberra drivers who do not respect cyclists.

Jethro said :

My favourite part of the article is where he said that in Canberra “drivers respect cyclists”.

All depends on what you are accustomed to. In comparison to Indonesian drivers they might respect cyclists.

Hell yeah, slipped out for a lunch time ride on Thursday. Headed west to Bruce ridge, did a single track lap & back to work in 55 minutes. You cant do that in any other city in Australia.

Canberra rawks, for MTB’ers its Mecca with Buce, Stromlo, Majura, Kowen and Sparrow all within 1/2 an hour of the city limits.

Then there is the Brindabellas or east to the coast if cycle touring is your thing.

Love it.

My favourite part of the article is where he said that in Canberra “drivers respect cyclists”.

“It’s heaven on earth we’ve got here punters!”

Absolutely true – although perhaps the ride to and from work today wasn’t Canberra at its finest…

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