Bicycle Network: Join the Commuter Revolution

Telstra proves smart with pedal power

Marking the launch of Ride to Work Day ’09, Telstra was awarded first place in the TravelSmart National Workplace Challenge ’08 at Bicycle Network Victoria’s annual Tour de France Breakfast series.

Telstra, a strong nationwide participant in Ride to Work Day are back to back winners of the TravelSmart Challenge in ’08 with 681 participants, an 18% increase on ’07, giving Telstra the largest number of registered participating employees in National Ride to Work Day ’08.

Group Managing Director of Telstra Consumer Marketing and Channels, David Moffatt, who accepted the award, is a strong supporter of the annual event and has come on board in 2009 as an official National Ambassador."We are happy to encourage every Telstra employee to ride to work so they can reap the physical benefits, as well as the environmental benefits of leaving the car at home,” Mr Moffatt said.

CSIRO came in second with NAB following at a close third.

The Ride to Work program estimates that more than 110,000 Australian workers participated in National Ride to Work Day last year, a 26% increase in registrations on the previous year.These three large corporations are leading the way encouraging employees to adopt this sustainable and beneficial mode of transport, supporting the annual event that gets people thinking about cycling and encourages them to have a go.

Nick lost 15kg by riding to work!

And he's excited about registering again for National Ride to Work day 2009.

Nick received a bike for Christmas in 2007 and has been riding regularly since January 2008. Having been an occasional runner for many years he took up riding as it was a lower impact sport and wanted to set himself a personal physical challenge to ride in the ‘Around the Bay in a day’.

Nick lives in Blackburn (Victoria) and rides into work in Melbourne CBD twice a week along the Eastern Freeway bike track which is a 26km, one hour, one way commute. If Nick were to catch the train into work it would take him the same amount of time, door to door.

Nick has been riding to work since January 2008 and during this time he hasn’t changed his diet at all but lost 15kg simply by riding twice a week. He notices that he arrives to work with more energy and also sleeps better on the days that he rides.

Within his workplace at Money Managers there is a cycle friendly culture with shower facilities and bike storage.

The only influencing factors that alter Nick’s decision to ride into work is the weather and if he has early morning meetings.

Nick’s wife has also taken up riding again and rides a hybrid. She drives part way into the city, drops the kids at school and then rides into work in the city.

Nicks’ advice to new riders is to:
• Plan your route
• Decide what kind of bike you will ride according to your route (e.g. some road bikes are better off kept on the road rather than on some of the bike tracks)
• Leave a change of clothes at work so you don’t have to carry as many things in with you.
 

There’s no stopping Phil (except to tie a shoelace)
Phillip Bromley’s disability didn’t stop him riding in National Ride to Work Day in 2008, and it won’t stop him this year.

Phillip Bromley participated in his local Ride to Work community event in Morwell in 2008 with the support of Steve Stainsby, his house supervisor at Spring Court Community Residential Unit. Steve got hold of a tandem bike, with the help of Rural Access worker Bill Lawler and Moe Life Skills, so that Phil could practice riding in his local area ahead of Ride to Work Day.

Steve says of these training sessions that 'they were quite a learning curve for both of us, being novice tandem bike riders. It took a few laps of the circuit to get it right! I would like to thank Phil for his willingness to 'give it a go', Latrobe City for their encouragement to participate and Moe Life Skills for the bike.' Phil adds that 'the tandem was really good', and he enjoyed riding it.Phil and Steve were both up bright and early to participate on National Ride to Work Day and completed the 3.6km ride with only one stop to tie a shoelace! At the finish line they were greeted by other riders before indulging in a hearty breakfast.

Phil says his favourite part of Ride to Work Day was 'the bike riding with other people, and the big breakfast afterwards.' Steve says the ride was 'most rewarding, especially seeing Phil having such a great time as we rode along with the other riders - he was chatting away and seemed to be really enjoying himself.'Similar events will be held on National Ride to Work Day 2009 and Phil is keen to participate. 'It was lovely, and I'd like to do it again,' he says. Let’s hope that Phil and Steve’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of the event is contagious. Well done guys - we look forward to seeing you again in 2009!

Below: Phil provides turbo boost from the back while Steve steers.

39% of new riders are joining the commuter evolution

A recent follow-up survey for the National Ride to Work Program shows 39% of first time commuters are now riding to work at least once per month and 55% of survey participants are riding more often than this time last year. For more information on commuter habits read the National Ride to Work Follow –up survey.