The Making of a Randonneur

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In the world of long distance riding, the Audax club challenges the bold to be bolder still. Sarah Chaplin tells her story of taking on her biggest challenge. The Great Southern Randonnée (GSR) is a 1,200km event that’s held every four years in Victoria’s south­west and is one of Australia’s great Audax long distance rides. It begins
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Arctic Adventure: Riding Iceland

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The Ring Road circumnavigating Iceland is oft nominated as the most spectacular – and testing – cycle tour in the world. Father and daughter, Ben and Anna Brady, relate the saga of their circuit.   The gusts of wind were so strong that I was riding on the right side of the road one minute
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Into the heart of Australia

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From the city to the deep outback, the Mawson Trail is a unique Australian bike ride. Leon Hill makes the tough journey on the Outback Odyssey event. There are some experiences that are unmistakably Australian—climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, gazing on Uluru at first light and cycling the Outback Odyssey. While the latter mightn’t be
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Bike Lights: Is Brighter Better?

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Is brighter better when it comes to lighting up at night or in low light? And what effect does your light have on other road users? Simon Vincett investigates. “Thanks for highlighting the need to point lights at the road!” reads one comment on a recent Ride On Lights test. “I live in the CBD
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Solar Ebike Outback Adventure

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Peter Foot meets a man who took on a seriously difficult ride, while towing a trampoline, and survived.    Cycle touring has grown in popularity in recent years, and at times it can seem that every bearded young man and his dog are pedalling through a remote part of the world and writing a blog
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Riding With Confidence

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Know the rules and best strategies to reduce your risks and ride with confidence. Simon Vincett explains. Communication Scan ahead and slow down if you’re not sure whether someone has seen you or if they will give way. Communicate using your bell, your voice, hand signals and eye contact. Put on your lights when it
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Australia’s 25 Most Scenic Rides

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From the coast to the mountains, Margot McGovern seeks the nation’s top routes for picturesque pedalling.  Australia is home to some of the world’s most spectacular and diverse landscapes: sunbaked ochre desert, lush tropical rainforest, snowcapped alpine ranges and pristine coastline. Our diverse native flora and fauna makes Australia unlike any other place in the
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Ride Guide: Mt Baw Baw

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There’s a reason why Mount Baw Baw is so feared, Iain Treloar discovers. Noojee – Mt Baw Baw return 97km Vertical elevation gain 2,553m Some climbs are worse than others, and in Australia there are few worse than Mount Baw Baw. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s a statement of cold, hard fact. Baw Baw doesn’t care
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Riders behaving badly

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Aggressive riders frighten others off the roads and paths, and some riders have had enough. Simon Vincett investigates. Helen Smart has just about had enough. Although she’s ridden for transport for decades, she finds herself gritting her teeth for the daily commute, which she finds regularly punctuated with conflict with other riders. After many incidents of
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I have been to the mountaintop

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Fiona McGlade reflects on cycling, friendship, cancer and recovery. It was on one day early last spring, as I was training for Around the Bay, that I rode my bike from inner city Melbourne to the base of Mt Dandenong and found myself pondering the course of the road as it rose skywards before disappearing
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