Merri-bek BUG

The Cycling Promotion Fund, the Amy Gillett Foundation and Digicast have produced four great video clips with tips on how to avoid common risks when cycling in traffic.

These clips include:

• Dealing with Intersections
• Heavy Vehicles and Cyclists
• Dealing with Car doors
• Cyclist Visibility

The clips have been developed by bicycle riders for bicycle riders with financial assistance from the TAC Community Grants program.

Moonee Valley Pedal Party

On Sunday 22nd February, 2009, between 11am and 4pm, Moonee Valley Council is holding a Pedal Party at Boeing Reserve, Strathmore Heights, Melway 16 D5, as part of its Summer in the Valley Events.

Boeing Reserve is adjacent to the Moonee Ponds Creek shared path, so is quite accessible by bicycle.

Activities on the day include:

• Bike decorating workshop 11am- 3.30pm, concluding with bike decorating competition judging
• Australian Wildlife Lectures
• Envirocraft – interactive activities
• Water Watch – check out our water through the microscope
• Pobblebonk – an exhibition about animals on the Maribyrnong River
• Natural environment walk and talk tour
• Herb Patten – Australia’s leading gum leaf blower will perform and hold a free workshop

Information on cycling and the Bicycle User Group
Pedal Party inquiries 9243 8888 or email to pivalley@mvcc.vic.gov.au

The next Moreland BUG meeting will be held on Thursday 26th Feb, 7:30pm at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, 681 Sydney Road, Brunswick (in the small room in the courtyard). Pop it in your calendar now and there will be another reminder with agenda closer to the date.

P.S. If you’ve got some free time this weekend, head down to Federation Square and check out the Sustainable Living Festival – the festival starts on Friday and carries on all weekend. Highlights include Paul Kelly on the main stage 9:30am Friday morning, and the Cycling Promotion Fund’s great big BUG marquee.

Cycling: Taking it to the streets, safely – an invitation to the launch of cycling safety video clips as part of the Sustainable Living Festival.

Join Matt Tilley from 101.9 Fox FM and guests.

Time: Friday 20th February 2009
Venue: Federation Square Big Screen
Time: 7.30pm
Cost: Free
Registration not required

The Cycling Promotion Fund and the Amy Gillett Foundation invite you to join us to launch four great video clips with tips on how to avoid common risks when cycling in traffic.

The clips have been developed by bicycle riders for bicycle riders with financial assistance from the TAC Community Grants program.

The launch is followed by a great free program of StreetFilms list of films.

Title: Fish’n’Chips at Williamstown

Date: Sunday 15 Feb 2009

Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm

Meeting Venue: Upfield Bike Path between Railway Hotel & Brunswick Train Station

Distance: 30 km

Surface: Bike Path

Suitable: Children and all bikes

Organiser: Veena

Our friends over at YarraBUG have a bike show, broadcasting every Monday at 10-10.30am on 3CR Community Radio, 855am.

See their radio page for more information.

Those who don’t live locally or close to an AM radio, can find
YarraBUG Radio streaming live on the web at:
http://www.3cr.org.au/3CR_streaming

This is reminder that Moreland BUG has their first ride this weekend.

Title: Yarra Boulevard Challenge Ride

Date: Sunday 8 Feb 2009

Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm

Meeting Venue: Upfield Bike Path between Railway Hotel & Brunswick Train Station

Distance: 20 km

Surface: Roads, Hills

Suitable: All bikes. Road bikes are an advantage

If you are travelling the new section of the Upfield Path (through the Fawkner Cemetery) in the evening any time soon, you will notice a bunch of coloured lights marking the sides of the path. These are solar lights installed by council and Hugh Mitchell from Solar One – regular meeting attendees will remember Hugh from BUG meetings where he brought along some of his lights for us to look at.

Hugh has been working with Moreland and other councils to trial the use of these lights in bike paths for a while now, and after experimenting with a bunch of different configurations he has come up with a consistent lighting pattern for identifying hazards and marking the path. The lights are charged up by the sun through the day, and then shine all night to make sure we keep our wheels on the track.

A kilometre of lights has been laid on the new section of the path already, with the rest expected to be completed by Wednesday – head up there and check em out if you get a chance!

The Sydney Rd Street Party approaches! BUG will be running valet parking again this year, and if all goes well we may even expand our services and set up in two locations. We’ll also be running a small stall, as usual, so we’ll need considerably more volunteers to help out this year.

This is usually the BUG’s biggest day out of the year, and hanging out on the stall or valet chatting to friendly cyclists isn’t a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

The Street Party will be held on the 1st of March; if you can help out, please let Anna know so we can start making a roster. Shifts will be in 2-hour blocks and if you have a preference for valet or stall, let Anna know.