Bicycle Network: Parkiteer Bike Cages

Picking a choosing the best route for your commute to a Parkiteer cage can be challenge at the best of times. On this page we've listed a few handy tips on making your commute a much more enjoyable experience. It can be tempting to take the most direct route but it can sometimes lead you into heavy traffic areas which can ruin any commute particularly if your a brand new commuter, it can be enough to put you off riding altogther.

The best option and generally the safest is to stick to the quiet back streets and designated bike paths. At times they may require more stopping and starting but are much safer options if your not confident riding on the open road.

One of the big advantages of riding along designated bike paths is the safety aspect, many road users are aware of the paths and more that accomodating for for cyclist along these paths. Another advanage is the ability to take the 'short cuts', these are generally missed while driving but can make your commute much fast and alot more interesting.

As your confidence build you we encourage you to change up your route and have a few different options. Many people alter their routes depending upon the time of day, the weather and even the direction of travel. Having a few different options will keep your commute fresh and enjoyable and will help break that 'routine' feel.

As your fitness builds we encourage you to challenge yourself and commute to the next Parkiteer cage along your train line. Plan the route carefully and get a good estimate of the distance. The best plan of attack is to test your extended route on the weekend where you have much more time to plan. It will give you an overall feel for the distance and make you aware of any obstacles and intersection you may have to navigate through.

For some extra help about commuting in your area the best people to contact can be your local BUG (Bicycle Users Group) or even a work BUG. To find a BUG and for more information click here.

Below are some online mapping and route assisstance tools to help with a route plan.

• maps.google.com.au - Google maps now has the function to plan a route through a bicycle.
• Ride the City - Presently available for Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Newcastle, Brisbane and Adelaide. Select your city, origin, destination and away you go. Choose between the safest or most direct route.
• mytrails.com.au - An Australian-based facility with some great features
• bikely.com - This one has been around for some time, and therefore has a very large number of rides and routes loaded onto it. Use locations as keywords to search on routes people have uploaded

• Map My Ride - Map My Ride is another great website as it allows you to not only plan a route but also track your speed and other information with a simple mobile app, available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

Victorian TravelSmart Maps

TravelSmart maps are an excellent paper bicycle map for your local council area.