FRESH air, exercise, flexibility, freedom and the chance to take part at your own pace.
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Not for nothing has cycling been described as the new golf.
Throughout the Border and North East, a growing number of riders can be found, sharing the road, the hills and the coffee, building bridges of friendship and support.
Or, in the case of a group of female riders, building an actual bridge.
The women have been part of She Rides, a Cycling Australia program that aims to encourage more women to cycle regularly.
Led by coach and former international competitor Julia “Indi” Boer, the nine riders met weekly at Wodonga’s Hunchback Hill to develop their mountain biking skills.
The group ranged in age and abilities but as one participant, Anna Keedwell, says Mrs Boer tailored the activities to suit everyone.
“She can take this quite diverse group and have everyone come out at the end feeling like, ‘Wow, I’ve really improved’,” she says.
Ms Keedwell, a cyclist for more than 20 years, says riding with men can be “a lot more competitive and a bit more gung-ho”, but this group worked things through together.
“It’s very supportive, but we push each other harder and push each other to get better,” she says.
Mountain biking’s adrenaline and variety also attracts her.
“The track is always throwing up different things at you, corners, hills, climbs, rocks, drops, those sorts of things and you’re constantly looking ahead,” she says.
“I’m concentrating on something else ... and so I’m doing a lot of physical exercise without actually noticing.”
The She Rides members got so much out of their experience, they wanted to give something back and so donated money for a new bridge on Hunchback Hill, a gesture that moved their instructor to tears.
“We wanted to give something really practical that everybody benefited from,” Ms Keedwell says.
“It was a way of saying thank-you for everything we’d learnt.”
Mrs Boer, of The Fastline Bikademy, would like to expand her coaching to include road safety and junior sessions, building on the success of She Rides, which has already booked out its next Albury-Wodonga program.
Another opportunity for the Border’s female cyclists will take place on April 12 when the Osteohealth/Peta Stewart Conveyancying Women’s Ride leaves from David Street, Albury.
One of the organisers, Lisa Barry, a physiotherapist and elite cyclist, says the longest ride will be 25 kilometres and the event aims to provide a welcoming and non-threatening atmosphere for women riders.
“For them to meet others and see what this great sport has to offer,” she says.
Registration numbers for the event, part of a statewide participation program, had passed 30 this week.
Cycling’s rise has not gone unnoticed by local authorities.
Tourism North East’s cycle guide, available free at regional visitor information centres, is 128 pages outlining myriad casual, road, mountain and gourmet riding options.
Stephen Kilpatrick, owner of Albury’s The Full Cycle and an experienced competitor and coach, believes councils are responding to the demand quite well, especially on the recreational side.
“If you create bike paths and rail trails you will attract cyclists,” he says.
“It’s probably some of the more direct routes and the cycle lanes that need to be better identified.
“A lot of people won’t ride to work or commute because to follow a cycle path, it’s sort of a long way round rather than a direct path to work.”
Wodonga councillor Michael Fraser says community consultation over several years has revealed the importance people place on this active transport.
“People can see some real changes around our city as a result of this, including the addition of cycle lanes on our roads and ongoing improvements to our cycling and pathway network,” he says.
“We are lucky in Wodonga that we boast a great pathway network which extends throughout our city and each day you can see how well utilised this network is.”
In June last year Albury Council endorsed its five-year bicycle plan, aiming to spend $400,000 in improvements to Albury’s bike network.
At the time councillor David Thurley, himself a cyclist, said Albury had about 45 kilometres of off-road cycle paths spread across the city.
“Cycling is the third most popular activity in Albury; 22.9 per cent of residents would choose to ride a bike than do anything else,” he says.
The pastime will also have a presence in next month’s NSW election, with the Australian Cyclists Party to field 22 candidates in upper and lower house seats.
Bicycle user groups aim to give a voice to cyclists in the community and Albury-Wodonga Pedal Power began for that purpose in 2008.
Past president and founding member Tony McLeod-Nibbs says as well as advocacy, the group took on a social aspect because, naturally, the participants were keen to go riding together.
“Once you get in a group, you suddenly have this confidence and encouragement that automatically springs up,” he says.
As well as longer weekend rides, Pedal Power offers twice-weekly beginner rides, one in Albury, one in Wodonga, as a starting point for less experienced cyclists.
Mr McLeod-Nibbs says a cafe stop always forms part of the weekend program.
“And that’s when everyone takes the helmet off, sits around the table, has a chew and tries to fix all the problems of the world,” he says with a smile.
New members may start by just joining the beginner sessions, but often that’s not where it ends.
“Two years later they’re going in Around the Bay in a Day in Melbourne, which is 200 kilometres and that gives me a great buzz,” he says.
Mr McLeod-Nibbs, 73, rode as a child but then the habit lapsed until the mid-1980s when he borrowed his son’s bike to get to work after his own car broke down.
“I thought, ‘Oh, that was a bit of fun’,” he says.
“It’s no harder than driving the car and I’m getting the offspin, the benefits of exercise.”
Daily commuting led to longer weekend rides and then joining in events locally and further afield.
“All of a sudden it can become a major interest in your life,” he says.
With many Pedal Power members in the 40 to 60 age group, the hobby suits those who may find running or swimming more difficult.
“Cycling’s got that gentle action without stressing your joints and your muscles and you’re sitting down actually while you’re exercising,” he says.
Riders keen to compete may lean towards other groups such as Albury-Wodonga Mountain Bikers, Albury-Wodonga Triathlon Club or Albury-Wodonga Panthers Cycling Club.
The freedom of cycling is often cited as an attraction.
Riders need not wait for opening hours, travel to a venue or necessarily liaise with others to take part.
“The weather looks good, I have two hours of free time, I just ride out of my door and go for a bicycle ride,” Mrs Boer says.
Ms Keedwell feels getting away from built-up areas is a real pleasure of mountain bike riding.
“It puts you in a different environment and it’s beautiful,” she says.
“I mean, there’s always the bonus of coming across an echidna on the track, those sorts of special things.”
Mrs Barry values the fresh air and scenery, noting “I particularly love going up hills and as I get older I take more time to stop at the top and enjoy the view”.
Mr McLeod-Nibbs says he’s aware of different sights, smells and sounds that would be otherwise missed.
“You can go where you like, you can go where cars can’t go, it opens up a whole new world to you in an economical, easy-to-manage way,” he says.
“When you’re driving in a car, you’re insulated in this steel thing with glass windows with the radio turned up.”
But that steel thing does offer protection a bike cannot and safety concerns are prominent among reasons why people don’t ride.
Mr Kilpatrick says every day he sees both riders and drivers doing the wrong thing on the roads.
“The impediment for cycling and the boom of cycling is obviously in our country the integration of cyclists and cars,” he says.
“The motorists and the cyclists just aren’t educated enough for it yet as, say for example, in Europe, where they’ve cycled for years and years.”
Newer riders might be older and unaware of or unwilling to learn about correct road etiquette.
“The fact is if you’ve got a motor vehicle and you’re on a bike, you’re going to come off second best so you’ve really got to be educated about how to protect yourself and look after yourself,” Mr Kilpatrick says.
“Probably the most concerning thing for me is seeing the young P-plate drivers who are not patient or courteous to cyclists because they’re the ones who should have been educated more recently about cyclists.”
“This is a person’s life you’re talking about there on a bike, you have to be respectful, take your time, and be patient.”
Cyclists don’t need much but, inescapably, they need a bike and many don’t come cheap, running into hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Those in the industry point out although the initial outlay may seem steep, a good bike can last 10 years.
Mr Kilpatrick, who started his business 20 years ago, says improved technology has made bikes far more affordable, for example a customer recently found a $1500 bike to be far superior to the one she paid $3000 for in 1996.
“Now we have women’s specific bikes that cater to women’s geometries and anatomies and body measurements and women’s specific saddles and handlebars,” he says.
Being informed and getting advice about the style you need also helps ensure money is not wasted.
“You get the right product, you will ride and you’ll ride more often and you’ll enjoy it more,” Mr Kilpatrick says.
Enjoyment certainly figures highly on Ms Keedwell’s priorities.
“Often I think we forget about giving ourselves something to get excited about,” she says.
“I didn’t think that I ever was going to get really lit up about something again, but it’s been a real bonus, it’s given me a lot of joy.”
Mrs Barry sees cycling as a sport that can continue throughout one’s life, albeit at different levels.
“I fear I won’t be able to run forever, but I do believe I will be able to ride,” she says.
Lucky the sport is just like riding a bike.
• More information available at sherides.com.au or thewomensride.com.au.