Bicycles continue to outsell cars

January 7, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

cadent_1_small.jpgIt seems that more Aussies are taking to the roads on two wheels. For the ninth consecutive year Australians have bought more bicycles than cars. I take pride in that statistic, especially seeing that I was one of those who bought a new bike in 2008. (Mine’s just like the Avanti Cadent 1.0 in the picture.)

While fuel prices have taken a temporary tumble, they’re sure to rise again and by the time you factor in all the associated costs, driving is still an expensive habit.

We’ve been a one car family for many years now and we save a huge amount of money due to the fact that I commute by bicycle. I’ve especially enjoyed the past couple of months since the radio station moved to new premises. My new cycle commute has me pedalling three times the daily distance and I’m loving it. I’m feeling healthier by the day.

In a News.com.austory titled Bicycle sales rise in Australia, we’re told that Australia is still experiencing a boom in bicycle sales.

Data released yesterday revealed that – for the ninth consecutive year – consumers bought more bicycles than cars.

Bike sales last calendar year reached 1.4 million, just 2 per cent down on the record 1.42 million sold in 2007.

That far outstripped the 1 million auto sales over the same period.

Climate change and a bigger focus on health are just a couple of great reasons to get out and ride. It’s time to rediscover what we’ve always known; cycling is fun.



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Christmas Morning 2008

December 25, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

christmas_baubles.jpg(Yes, this post is almost word for word for the post I wrote last Christmas but the details remain pretty much the same.)

I’m always amazed that so many people think that I shouldn’t have to work Christmas Day.

Each year when I tell people that I’ll be at work on Christmas morning they seem to think it’s rather sad but of course you can’t just switch off a radio station so that everyone can have the day off.

I’ve got to admit that I don’t really mind working on Christmas morning. It does take me away from my family for a few hours on this very special day but it’s not too bad.

No matter what day the 25th of December falls each year, all the regular weekday announcers at 98.5 Sonshine FM make their way to the studios to spread some Christmas cheer.

One of the things I enjoy about working on Christmas Day is that I get to enjoy one of my favourite activities even before the work day starts. I cycle to work each Christmas morning and enjoy the quiet roads and the smiles and waves from those who are out and about. This year, thanks to our recent studio relocation, I got to ride even further. A good 20 km bike ride is a great way to get ready for the rest of Christmas Day.

Since arriving I’ve been sitting at the broadcast desk with Christmas music playing and I’ve been talking about Christmas stuff all morning. Each year for Christmas Day we play Christmas music for the entire 24 hours. In fact, we started playing only Christmas music at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and we’ll keep it going until midnight tonight.

I’ve already had a couple of listeners phone to wish me, my family and the rest of the team here a very happy Christmas. I’m sure there’ll be more calls before the morning’s over.

I’ll still have plenty of time to spend with family but it’s wonderful to be able to join the celebrations of thousands of other families on such a special day.



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Cadel Reignites Car versus Bike Debate

December 12, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

If you want to get emotions running hot there’s nothing that works quite as well as talking about cyclists on our roads.

Cycling star, Cadel Evans, has stirred things up by claiming that Australian drivers are far too agressive, especially towards cyclists. He has been quoted by News.com.au in an article titled, Australians drive cyclist star Cadel Evans to despair.

I drive on the road and I don’t like people just not having respect for other road users.

I spend half my year in Europe so I know what the traffic is like there.

It is really strange, to be honest, the way Australian drivers are.

Our roads have much less traffic, are far larger, and the drivers have much more space, but they are much more aggressive and negative to other road users.

When you ride a race in Italy or Switzerland or France, the roads are much narrower and there is much more traffic, but the drivers are much more tolerant and easier to deal with. It is a bit of a shame.

His comments have started a flood of comments on the article with both drivers and cyclists throwing insults.

I see the main problem being the lack of education for road users. Many drivers are unaware that it is perfectly legal for cyclists to ride two abreast. Unfortunately some cyclists will ride two abreast even when it isn’t safe to do so.

I’m currently cycling about 250 km a week and I’d admit that the majority of drivers are courteous but it would only take one errant driver to put me in hospital or a morgue so it concerns me that there are many drivers still don’t get it.

The argument from a lot of drivers is that cyclists break the road rules all the time. Let me tell you something, it not only annoys you, it annoys me. For some reason we all get tarred with the same brush so when some cyclists do the wrong thing, there are motorists who take that as a license to harrass the rest of us.

Common sense tells us that not all cyclists break the rules. Common sense also tells us that even though I’m seeing more and more motorists running red lights and making other dangerous and careless errors on the road, I don’t have the right to make blanket statements about ‘all drivers’.

Some drivers are dangerous. Some cyclists are dangerous.

Some drivers complain that cyclists slow them down. I wonder what those drivers would do with the extra 10 or 20 seconds they would gain if they didn’t have to slow down to pass a cyclist. (And lets face it, you probably don’t even lose that much time. You probably just get to the next red light a little later.) On the other hand, if the thousands of commuter cyclists in each city decided to jump into a car instead each day, could you imagine the extra traffic chaos? Could you imagine how much longer the daily drive to work would take?

Thankfully, most of my new commute is on a well built and well maintained cycle path. I have great joy in whizzing past rows and rows of cars which are stuck in peak hour traffic.



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Summertime … and the living is easy

December 2, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

sunflower.jpgAre you ready for summer? Whether you are or not, it’s officially arrived here in Australia. The warmer months are now upon us.

Already throughout spring we’ve seen more people in shorts and t-shirts but we need to get ready to see more white legs making an appearance for the first time since last summer. My cyclists’ tan is coming along nicely. My brown arms stop where my cycling shirt starts and my legs have a similar thing going on with the very white bits suddenly turning very brown where my shorts end. By the end of summer I’m sure the difference will be even more pronounced. I could always try to tan the white bits but a cyclists’ tan is a badge of honour.

I’m sure that BBQs are being wheeled out everywhere and their gas bottles being filled, air conditioners being serviced. Summer has arrived and we’re getting ready for some scorching hot days.

A white Christmas is the last thing we’re ever likely to experience here, unless it’s the magnificent, white, sandy beaches along our coast.

How’s the weather where you are? Is it getting hotter or colder right now?



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Ten things I've done you probably haven't

November 17, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

So let’s get the conversation going.

I’ve been so busy recently with moving offices that I haven’t had the opportunity to reply to many of the comments readers have left here or get involved in conversations through this blog. I thought I’d try to spark things by listing a few things I’ve done that you probably haven’t.

While you may find one or two things on the list that you’ve done I sincerely doubt that you’ve done all ten. 🙂

I’m hoping that you’ll come up with a few of your own in the comments section of this post or that you’ll write a similar post on your own blog and link back here. If you’ve done any of the things on my list let me know.

I’ll just list the ten things and leave it to you. If you have questions about any of the items in the list, feel free to ask.

Ten things I’ve done you probably haven’t

1.  Cycled across Australia five times.

2.  Escaped a country when rioting and looting in the capital became widespread. (Haiti)

3.  Hand fed a rhinocerous.

4.  Stood on stage with Mikhail Gorbachev.

5.  Cycled from Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) to Delhi in India.

6.  Met General ‘Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf.

7.  Interviewed at least seven Australian Idol finalists and winners.

8.  Preached at a cathedral in India.

9.  Been mentioned at least twice in Australia’s Federal Parliament.

10. Cycled up and down an aisle at K-Mart in Miami, Florida.

So there you are. Now it’s over to you.



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