Bike Fitting

I recently had a ‘bike fitting’ and now I am now riding stronger and more comfortably.  During the fitting, a specialist adjusted my seat height and placement, using various static and video measurements.  He also made numerous other suggestions about my set-up and riding technique, all of which are helping me ride better and more easily. Like many of us, … Read More

A comparison of average speeds between flatter and steeper rides

By Bike North Member John Constandopoulos I have often heard riders refer to their average speed to determine how well they did on a particular ride and I wondered how good of an indicator average speed by itself is without taking into consideration the elevation gain? So I tried to investigate this by looking at the various elements that make … Read More

Pedal and Cleats II

My feet have straight lasts.  When moving to cleats a decade ago, I wasn’t comfortable in any cycling shoe I tried.  I was offered Shimano sandals with recessed SPD cleats and have worn such sandals cycling ever since. (I wear three pairs of socks if very cold)!  I’ve been impressed with their durability. For pedals, the same shop recommended the … Read More

Pedals and Cleats

Don’t think you have to ride with cleats just because other Bike Northers do! And if you do choose cleats, don’t be afraid to ease the release settings. Cleats, like toe clips, help to locate your feet on the pedals. This is important, because if your foot slips off the pedal, you are in danger of overbalancing, and the edge … Read More

Climbing

Hill Skills For new cyclists hill climbing is one of the most daunting aspects of cycling. Fit, experienced cyclists however enjoy hill climbing immensely and realise that it is in fact one of the best parts of cycling. There is nothing better than making a good climb up a long hill/mountain and then enjoying the descent down the other side. … Read More

Group Riding

Riding with a Groupby Keith Griffin This article is NOT about peloton riding… Here we look at riding in less formal groups, much like we enjoy on Easy and Medium Bike North rides. How is a group of cyclists different from a lone rider? Of course, it depends what you mean. First of all from the perspective of the cyclists … Read More

Starting / Stopping

Many cyclists are unable to start and stop their bikes in a controlled manner. On Bike North easy rides we often see prospective cyclists with little experience and little idea of how to start and stop their bikes. The following is a step by step procedure on how to manage this and look like a professional while doing it (note … Read More

Family Cycling

This series of information sheets is designed to help parents find the most appropriate solutions for getting children into cycling in a fun and safe way. You can download the files one at a time or go for the full set in one larger document. The set consists of the following sheets: Read more

Shopping by Bike

What do I need on my bike? Well, the most obvious necessity is something to put the shopping in! This could be a backpack, which is the one you have taken on your ride to work, and has a bit of space left for a few things you need for dinner. Panniers can hold quite a lot of shopping, but … Read More

Locking Your Bike

Although you hear many stories of bikes being stolen I doubt if many correctly locked bikes are stolen in Sydney. Locking your bike is really a process of risk management. The following advice, if implemented, will help to ensure that your bike is not stolen. How to Assess the Level of Risk The overall level of risk is related to … Read More