YarraBUG

The sun is shining but there is still a winter chill to the air as Val and Faith take to the studio, with this week's guests, Brad and Victoria of Melbourne Art Bike Grand Prix. We take a look at the news including Tess Fabry's brilliant win of the second women's Melbourne to Warnambool road race and Nathan Elliot's win of the men's race. Local council elections are coming up and you can find responses to questions put by Yarra BUG on their website. Brunswick Cycling Club is celebration their centenary this week and Anna Meares has announced her retirement while Peter Sagan won the World Championships road race in Doha. Brad and Victoria fill us in on the inaugral Melbourne Art Bike Grand Prix they have planned for Tuesday November 1st at Coburg Velodrome. Intended as an alternative to the focus on horse racing the Art Bike GRand Prix will feature decorated 'art bikes' racing at the velodrome to support the work of Bicycles for Hmanity.  Take bikes to donate, decorate your bike as a piece of ar

On this weeks show, Chris chats with Damian Auton about build up to Single Speed World Championships (SSWC) in Melbourne and Woodend, and how you can be involved in a fabulous six-day bike festival of events. Second interview: CB Mako on being a mum, disability advocate, woman of colour, cargobike rider and writing about her experiences riding in Melbournes west. Third interview: Troy Parsons, who's standing in this months Yarra Council elections as Australian Cyclists Party candidate. We discuss local issues, need for improved planning, making riding accessible for broader audience, eg: 8 to 80, increased funding and sustainable transport options for school children.Local news: Fitzroy Residents Association have organised a "Meet the Candidates" Forum (Nicholls & Langridge Wards) for City of Yarra, 7.30pm, Monday 10 October at the Reading Room, Fitzroy Town Hall.

On this weeks show, Chris talks to Jenica Brooke from Melbourne Commuter about last weeks recommendments from the Victorian governments Economic and Infrastructure Committee about the Road Safety Road Rules 2009 (Overtaking Bicycles) Bill 2015. We discuss problematic implications of flawed recommendations for intersections, riding two abreast and other proposed "solutions" to apparently perceived issues by committee members that could undermine the whole point of minimum passing distance legislation. Bicycle news includes local council elections in October, Australian Cyclist Party fielding a candidate in Yarra Council, supporting the Lightening Furies pozible campaign and The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack live at next months Melbourne Festival by Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville with Benoît Charest.

Val and Faith kick off a sunny but chilly spring morning in the studio with bike moments and introduce this week's guest, Alecks Svazas.  We run through some of the news from the week including Sarah Hammond's determined win in the inaugral Race to the Rock, the inaugral winners of the European Road Championships, a tragic death in the Paralympic Road Race and drug claims surounding Sky Racing. Our Studio guest Alecks tells us about his three weeks touring through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by bike, the planning and adventures along the way. We wrap up with some upcoming events including Pushy Women Maintenance session, Melburn Hurt's Fixies in Wonderland G'alleycat and Bicycle for Humanity's Art Bike Grand Prix. 

The Single Speed Worlds Carnivelo coming to town! Chris chats to Damian Auton about next months 2016 Single Speed Championships, with a packed week in Melbourne and Woodend, chockers full of bicycle festivities, including My Mechanic Rules at Commuter Cycles, Melburn pub ride, socials rides, early bird drinks, Carnivelo market at Hanging Rock, leading up to the main event on Sunday 23 October. News includes update over Merri Creek to CERES proposed bridge, with Darebin Council approving detailed design funding, in the UK, West Midlands Police to use a cycling officer to target close-passing motorists, Melbourne Bicycle Users Group petition aimed at upcoming Melbourne council elections for additional community feedback and design improvement on proposed Southbank Boulevard protected bike lanes. Also be quick to get tickets to Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville, with Benoît Charest recreating The Triplets of Belleville score live at the

It's a gorgeous early spring morning as Val and Faith head into the studio. We kick off today's show with our respective bike moments and take a look at some bike news including; Race to the Rock with past guests Sarah Hammomnd and Jesse Carlsson, upgrade plans for Hoddle Street and an online consultation and plans for seperated bike lanes on St Kilda Rd. We rarely mention magpies. Spring is the perfect time to drag your bike out of the shed and give it a once over before taking to the bike paths so Val takes us through a couple of the essential points to check if its been a while since you last rode your bike. And if you're looking for some local events to kickstart your spring bike enthusiasms then how about the Spring Full Moon Ride, Melburn Bike Market or Pushy Women Training session? 

On this weeks program: Chris discusses last weeks Guardian Cities article "Sydney's 'war on cyclists': 'I got fined $106 for not having a bell'" and influence of ongoing wedge politics and running interference in Australia's biggest city regarding sustainable transport options. This weeks interview: Richmond residents Aly MacDonald and Jeremy Lawrence talk about their innovative proposal, the Mondring for Swan Street/Punt Road intersection, complementing the Streamlining Hoddle Street intersection redevelopment. Mondring is an elevated path, based on Hovenring in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.  Local news includes last days to make your online entry to the 2016 Single Speed Worlds (SSWC) in Woodend, upcoming Fyxo Swap Meet at Rooftop Carpark and Squeaky Wheel's Pushy Women training for Yarra on 18 September at Fitzroy High School.

On this weeks program: Rushall Reserve recap, linking Melbourne's shared paths, campaigns & perserverance: Chris catches up with Zoe Metherell about positive result for the Let's Share Rushall Reserve campaign, that huge Yarra Council meeting on 2nd August and ongoing plans to link shared paths in inner Melbourne. Local topics include Paul Biegler's article: Bike safety: the great fluoro fallacy, decreasing number of Australian children walking & riding to school since 1971 and The Conversation: Modelling for major road projects is at odds with driver behaviour

Val and Faith are joined in the studio today by Associate Professor, Craig Fry, of Victoria University. We share our bike moments before running through some news including; Yarra Council's decision on the Rushall Reserve shared path, the women's Olympic road race cycling crashes, the CX Grand Prix at Essendon Fields on the weekend and the upcoming census. Craig introduces us to some of the research he has done into grief and bike riding after losing his own father and noticing the positive effects his  bike riding had for him. We talk about the reasons this might be hppening and some of the stories other riders have shared about this as well as Craig's own story, which he wrote about in Ride: A Memoir to My Father We finish up with some upcoming events including Archibike, an architetural tour of Brunswick, another Pushy Women training session in Yarra and a reminder about the regular BUG rides listed at bikefun.org.

On this week's show: Chris talks to Sue Freeland from Guardians of the Flemington Road Gum to catch up on last weeks sad and avoidable outcome that resulted in it's removal. This week Yarra Council will vote on Rushall Reserve shared path plans and you are encouraged to attend public question time to support the proposed path linkage. Todays second interview is with Joe Norster about Projector Bike moving to Brunswick, their new Free Friday rides and upcoming activities coming into the summer months.

Val and Faith are joined in the studio on a bitterly cold Monday morning by Sarah Hammond, Jesse Carlsson and Col Bell. We run through some news from the weekend, including the Tour de France and the Tour de Beechworth, and everyone shares their bike moments.Jesse fills our listeners in on the Trans Am Bike Race, which he won in 2015. We move on to sarah and her experience racing in 2016 and the purple dot frenzy that she inspired, the highs and lows of endurance events and whether she would do it again. We finish up with Jesse's plans for two events in Australia, the Race to the Rock and the Indian Pacific Wheel Race.  We finish up with a far too short round up of events which should ahve included, a Projector Bike Ride this Friday night, Fields of Joy CX Women's Development Day and Mixed Gender Development Day on Saturday july 30th, and of course the headlining event the Melbourne Grand Prix of Cyclocross on the weekend of August 6 & 7th (National CX Series) including the Lisa Jacobs Farewell Race

On todays program: Chris attempts to chat about Le Tour, magnificent French scenery & sleep deprivation after only one coffee. Local news includes last weeks lively Walmer Street public meeting in Abbotford. This weeks guest is Sue Freeman from Guardians of the Flemington Road Gum, we chat about this iconic Lemon-scented gum's long, rich history in Parkville, proactive reasons why it must be retained, despite the CityLink Tulla Widening Project marking it for removal and why it shouldn't be removed for either "safety" concerns or a painted bicycle lane.  Sue lets us know how to get involved with the Guardians 24-hour roster to protect the tree until a suitable solution is available and why planning issues must be more conducive towards community & local environmental concerns. For additional upcoming events, see our public calendar.

On todays show, Chris chats to Mike Waller from Walmer Street Action Group about proposed a Salta redevelopment at the old MFB site on Yarra bank in Abbotsford, it's potential impact upon pedestrian & cyclist access and how you can assist get a better outcome by registering and attending two upcoming public meetings. Local bicycle news includes obligatory mention of how wonderful the Tour de France is to watch on SBS during an Australian winter, City of Yarra bicycle lane and footpath upgrade works at Canning Street and Lee Street intersection between 4-11 July and The Squeaky Wheels Share Our Streets campaign this week in Collins St & St Kilda Road.

Val and Faith brave a cold wet winter's morning to get on their bikes and make it to the 3CR studios for the Yarra BUG Radio Show. We're joined in the studio this morning by Glenn McFarlane of Victoria Police Crime Prevention. We kick off with our bike moments and some recent news including the amazing effort by Sarah Hammond in the Trans Am Bike Race, the tragic death of a cyclist in Footscray last week and yesterday's Melburn Roobaix. Chatting to Glenn we talk about the key information you need to record about your bike so that it can be identified as yours in the event that it is stolen and the updated bicycle security brochure he has developed. We also talk about Victoria Police engraving, and the different circumstances in which bikes are stolen, especially in Yarra. There is also a reminder that the 3CR Radiothon is on and we need to raise money to help keep 3CR on air over the coming year. You can make a donation here and please make sure you mention the Yarra BUG Radio Show in the box provided so

On this weeks show: Chris discusses the topic on virtually everyones lips & social media: who is the Boulie tacker? Guests include Anna & Mateusz Emeschajmer cycling touring the world and getting ready for their next big adventure in the USA. Our second interview is with Shane Matheson & Rodney Todd from the Spokey Blokeys who are apparently the world's only podcast recorded entirely while riding.Since 2008 Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio has interviewed literally hundreds of people about cycling issues not only in Melbourne, but across Australia and internationally, including many of you reading this! The annual Radiothon is the one time of year we ask you to help keep 3CR and us on air by making a donation or subscription. You can do so by calling (03) 94198377 and pledging to Yarra BUG Radio or by donating online at 3CR.org.au. NB: Please make sure you mention that you would like your donation to support Yarra BUG Radio in the box provided or when asked.

Its a sunny winter's morning as we kick off our Radiothon show for 2016. The 3CR Radiothon is the one time of year we ask you to help keep 3CR and the Yarra BUG Radio Show on air by making a donation. You can do so by calling +61 (03) 94198377 and pledging to the Yarra BUG Radio Show or by donating online at 3CR.org.au (Make sure you mention that you would like your donation to support the Yarra BUG Radio Show in the box provided) Our studio guest Troy Bailey of New Life Cycle fills us in on his plans to ride around Australia with his dog Chloe, raising support for the refugees in Australia's detenton centres as he goes. Troy and Chloe will leave next Sunday from Federation Square and Troy fills us in the details of his planned route. Lily Smith from Lentil As Anything shares the plight of one of their Tamil chefs who after three years volunteering has been taken into detention. We finish up with a quick mention of upcoming events, Dirty Deeds CX, another Westie Women ride and Melburn Roobaix, but m

3CR Radiothon kicks off today: so please pledge your donation or subscription to Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio to keep 3CR and us on air!On this weeks program Chris chats to Senator Janet Rice about next months federal election, her first term as a senator, climate change, mandatory helmet laws and the Greens recently announced Greens Plan for Cycling and Walking which seeks to establish an Active Transport Fund worth $250 million annually for cycling and walking infrastructure.Local news includes Resilient Melbourne Strategy, a tiny bit about Contador taking out the Criterium du Dauphine time trial, some waffling on about disruption and driveless cars and how you can show support for retaining active transport and cycling funding in Yarra Councils Proposed Budget 2016-17 by attending Tuesday nights council meeting in your cycling attire ;)

Val and Faith welcome Peter (Bicycles for Humanity) and Wanjiku Mahera to the show on a beautiful late autumn morning. We kick off sharing our bicycle moments before catching up on the Bicycles for Humanity projects and a new project Wanjiku is hoping to get off the ground in Kenya. Wanjiku's community and the stuidents from the local school she set up, Mahera Academy,  would benefit greatly from the sort of positive change that Bicycles for Humanity projects have been seen to create in Namibia and Zambia. We finish the program with some brief news and upcoming events and a reminder about the 3CR Radioton coming up next week. Donate now to help keep the Yarra BUG Radio Show and 3CR on the air! 

On this weeks show: Chris chat to David Blom from Whitehorse Cyclists about utilising existing service roads across Melbourne and Victoria for cycling infrastructure. Local news includes good news from Parks Victoria about Gipps Street Steps, hopefully soon to be Gipps Street Ramp and looming accessibility issues in Walmer Street, Abbotsford for Main Yarra Trail users, where a developer has proposed Walmer Plaza, radically changing the existing cul-de-sac and potentially impinging on access and public land along the Yarra.

Val and Faith kick off a stunning autumn morning sharing their bike moments. We move on to news items, including the last days for feedback on the City of Yarra's Rushall Reserve designs, the Giro d'Italia, and the start of the Victorian Cyclocross season. We turn to the subject of lights on winter evenings (and mornings), blinking lights vs still lights, what works best, what doesn't work, safety, and also take a look at how other countries have regulated the use of lights. Are blinking lights as safe as many of us think they are? We finish off the show with some upcoming events including a ride on the Bendigo Rail Trail, Fields of Joy Cyclocross, a Pushy Women Excursion in Yarra  and Melburn Roobaix.