This is the page dedicated to those who aren’t really into full-on MTB or roads cycling, but like riding to get around.
Here are some great commuting tips: http://www.bikenow.com.au/tips/city_tips.htm
Feel free to post your tips, or courses for navigating the streets of Melbourne and around campus.
Try to park your bike in a busy area, inside the campus. Unless your bike is a really heavy rustbucket that noone would want to steal, it’s worth paying the $40+ for a decent D-Lock, as thieves can slice through $15 cable locks with no effort at all.
Be especially careful if you are staying late at uni, or are doing summer semester, as this is a popular time for dodgy dudes to come in and pinch your pride and joy (either after work, or when they’re on holiday!).
Don’t lock your helmet to your bike, unless it is a 90’s stackhat, or a crappy bit of foam. (In either case maybe you shopuld consider a new look; pop into Borsari’s and get 15% off a new one). Leaving it locked up asks for someone to wreck it with their bike, or cut it off and pinch it.
If you have a decent mountain or road bike with good wheels (with quick release levers), you may even want to consider removing the front wheel and locking it to the frame or back wheel. Other precautions include removing the seat, or using more than one lock.
In the end it probably comes down to a tradeoff between how safe you want it to be and whether or not you can be bothered unlocking and locking everything each time, but Melbourne Uni is unfortuantely one of the worst places in Melbourne for bike theft, so a little extra effort each time could save you having to report it to the police, muck around with insurance (if you have it), and get a new bike.
If you travel through a lot of traffic on the way home, or ride a little too recklessly, you may want to consider the cycle insurance offered by Bicycle Victoria (BV). As part of membership, you are covered if you are injured, injure someone else or damage someone else’s property (like if your body goes through their windshield).
Play it safe, think about it!
When coming up to busy T intersections, ride right to the frnt if you have time, and the space. Be especially careful of jerks who intend to turn left and either forget to put their indicators on, or turn left into you because they “didn’t see you”.
Remember that even if you are in the right, a car is going to mess you and your bike up, even in the most minor of collisions.
If the lights are likely to change before you reach the front of the grid, don’t risk an accident by lane splitting or riding up the inside of the lane, while cars are in motion. It’s best to act as if you are invisible, as even if you manage to stay out of motorists’ blind spot, they might not be looking.
It is possible to ride assertively without annoying drivers. If you have space, try to ride a metre out from the kerb, or parked cars. This means that if someone does come up behind you, you actually have room to turn into on your left, and you will also avoid glass and other crap in the gutter, as well as people who open their car doors without a thought for the poor student riding along.
There are TWENTY brand new bike loops outside the Baillieu Library. This means there is good parking for 40 bikes and should alleviate the parking problem around the library with people locking up on the fence.
Hi,
thanks for the helpfull tips
I was just wondering if there are showers and a changing room somewhere available anywhere on campus, besides joining the pool?
And one more thing is there no parking for bikes that is monitored by a security camera, or a bike shed secured with a key??
thanks for all the information and help,
Jan David
There are showers in Union House, if your a union member it’s just a matter of going to the desk and asking for the key. It’s what i do and it works quite well. Though keep in mind the desk isnt open till 9, so if you have early lectures…well…use deoderent.