Finding a New Way

November 13, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

cadent_1_small.jpgI guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I may never see ‘dog guy’ again.

With our change in studio location this week I now have a very different ride to and from work each day. 98.5 Sonshine FM has relocated to a brand new building in Como, a suburb of Perth. My daily cycling distance has gone from just under 13 kilometres to around 42 kilometres.

I’m loving the extra time on the bike, especially with the perfect weather we’ve been having, but I guess I’ll have to get used to seeing a whole new group of people as I ride. When you go the same way at the same time each day you get to see many of the same faces like the guy who exercises his dog in the park every morning before he drives off in his truck for the day. I’ve never met him, which is why I refer to him simply as ‘dog guy’, but we give – or should I say gave – each other a hearty way and hello each day.

The new ride takes me along a number of really good bike paths so I can forget about traffic and just ride. Brilliant.

Part of my commute takes me along the Swan River. It’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying our magnificent waters. There are cyclists, walkers, joggers and sightseers using the pathways beside the river, overlooking the bird life and boat life on the water.

When I get beyond all the busyness of the move I’ll take some photos along the daily ride so you can see just how good it really is.



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Riding out an attack

November 3, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
5 Comments

magpie.jpgMost of the time I like them but I think that they need to gain a better understanding of personal boundaries.

It’s that time of the year when enemy number one for every cyclist is the humble magpie. There are a couple of spots on our regular Saturday ride where local maggies decide that they should swoop our group. In both instances the offending bird tends to attack the riders at the front of the group. It must figure that that’s the head of the huge monster it considers to be a threat.

If you’re new to the idea of swooping magpies, it’s what these birds do to supposedly protect their nests during the breeding season. They will sit high in their tree until they see you and then they’ll fly towards you at a rapid pace. They use their sharp beaks to do whatever damage they can as they swoop at you as many times as they can until you leave the area.

A six year old girl south of Perth recently lost sight in one of her eyes after a magpie attacked her.

Swooping magpies are yet another good case for head protection while riding. I’d rather not have a sharp magpie beak gouging out pieces of scalp so I’m glad I wear a helmet and sunglasses while riding..

On the positive side, magpies can be a great incentive for improved sprinting. It’s amazing how quickly you can ride when a maggie is heading your way.

I know that birds need to protect their nests and their young. I’m very protective of my family too. I just wish the magpies would understand that cycling past at 35 kilometres an hour does not mean that I’m about to stop, get of my bike, climb their tree and harm their family.



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National Ride to Work Day

October 15, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
7 Comments

ridetowork.jpgDid you cycle to work today? I did. 🙂

It’s National Ride to Work Day in Australia.

The day is heavily promoted by Bicycle Victoria and has yet to make a real impact on this side of the country but I’m happy to support anything that encourages cycling.

Here in the west we have BikeWeek much earlier in the year and that’s generally when the local population is encouraged to dust off their bicycles and get riding.

According to the National Ride to Work Day website, there are many reasons to get on your bike.

Here are some great reasons to give riding to work a go.

1. Health – feel great and reduce your likelihood of suffering from obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
2. Save money – reduce the costs associated with driving to work or catching public transport.
3. Help the environment – reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Everyone is doing it! – avoid traffic jams and commuter congestion by joining the bike riders

I reckon they’re only just scratching the surface. There are dozens more reasons to use two wheeled transportation.

Are you a cyclist? Why do you ride?



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Bike for Bibles 2008

September 26, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

RedFort.JPGThis is a photo of me during a rest day on my most recent Bike for Bibles ride. It was in India back in 2005 and I’m sitting on the throne of Jahangir at Agra’s Red Fort. Over my shoulder you can see the Taj Mahal.

The throne of Jahangir was built in 1602. They sure don’t make seats to last like that anymore.

I’ve had some amazing experiences through Bike for Bibles and cycled many thousands of kilometres. My involvement started way back in 1987 with the first-ever Bike for Bibles crossing of Australia. I’ve cycled from Perth to Canberra twice, Perth to Adelaide, Perth to Sydney and Perth to Hobart as well as taking part in many rides within Western Australia.

I’ve also been overseas with Bike for Bibles on three occasions. The first time was in 1992 for the first ever Canadian Bike for Bibles. We cycled through the Rockies and it was absolutely magnificent. I battled Indian traffic in 2003 and 2005 for Bike for Bibles and would go back there tomorrow if I could.

From August 1999 to August 2004 I served as the Western Australian Bike for Bibles Coordinator for the Bible Society. After my five years service there I returned to radio.

I had the opportunity to combine my love of Bike for Bibles and radio this morning when I interviewed David Pascoe about an upcoming ride from Perth to Albany. You can find the details of the ride at the Bike for Bibles blog or click play on the audio player in this post to hear what David had to say.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR260908_1126.mp3]

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World Carfree Day

September 22, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

carfree_day_logo.jpgI didn’t know until a very short while ago that today is World Carfree Day.

We’re all supposed to be ditching our cars today in favour of public transport, walking or cycling.

I guess I’ve done my bit by cycling to work as I usually do.

The organisers are very keen for people to get out of their cars not just for the day but forever. I must say that while I love cycling and truly believe that we could use our cars a lot less, I’m not convinced that abandoning all cars is the answer. I think it’s like so many things, we need to find some kind of balance.

I agree that we rely way too much on cars and that a lot of trips would be better suited to walking, cycling or public transport, but cars can make our lives easier if we use them correctly.

I was interested to read some of the information on the World Carfree Network website about the amount of time the average American male pours into his vehicle.

The typical American male devotes more than 1,600 hours a year to his car. He sits in it while it goes and while it stands idling. He parks it and searches for it. He earns the money to put down on it and to meet the monthly installments. He works to pay for petrol, tolls, insurance, taxes and tickets. He spends four of his sixteen waking hours on the road or gathering resources for it. And this figure does not take account of the time consumed by other activities dictated by transport: time spent in hospitals, traffic courts and garages: time spent watching automobile commercials or attending consumer education meetings to improve quality of the next buy. The model American puts in 1,600 hours to get 7,500 miles: less than five miles an hour.

Do you find that you’ve become a slave to your car? Do you use other methods of transport when it makes more sense or do you just jump in your car every time?

As for me, I’m happy to stay healthier, reduce pollution, save money, feel more energised and enjoy my daily commute more by staying on my bike.



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