How to be a better cyclist

The lure of golden beaches and leisurely vineyard lunches was too great to resist. Before I knew it, I’d signed up for a two-day e-biking adventure exploring Tasman Bay’s finest. The fact that I hadn’t ridden a bike in close to 30 years barely factored into my decision making. But it probably should have.

City cycling requires certain skills. Photo by Dan Freeman.

I’m one of a growing number of Kiwis getting back in the saddle after a long hiatus. And as the popularity of e-biking soars, and New Zealand’s cycle networks rapidly expand, more of us are squeezing into bike shorts, strapping on panniers and getting out amongst it.

While running out of battery or getting a puncture is probably the worst that can happen on our coastal trails, those venturing along our city cycle lanes have significantly more to contend with. 

As cyclist and trainer Marilyn Northcotte explains, if you’re planning on dusting off your 10-speed, or splashing out on the latest e-bike, it’s a good idea to sharpen your skills before taking to the road. “In recent years there’s been a crazy increase in the number of people cycling. There are so many benefits – the freedom, the flexibility, the environment! But, at the same time, it’s becoming more important than ever for people riding bikes, particularly in the city, to know how things work.” 

Marilyn has made it her life’s work to teach people these skills, starting in Toronto back in the 80s and continuing her crusade after immigrating to New Zealand. She has delivered educational programmes to school kids, council cycle programmes, adult skills classes and teacher training classes with the Police. In 2017 she received an Outstanding Contribution to a Bike-Friendly Future Award for her efforts. Founder of Wellington’s cycle skills organisation Pedal Ready (one of her proudest achievements), Marilyn was also a driving force in the development of our national cycle skills syllabus, administered by the national organisation BikeReady. Now she delivers Women’s Learn to Ride classes through Pedal Ready, coaches women’s and girls’ mountain biking through JoyRide and WORD, and even teaches couples how to e-bike.

Primarily Marilyn works with newer riders, and those returning to cycling (aka ‘re-engagers’), getting them comfortable on a bike, boosting their traffic knowledge, and laying the foundations for CROP, her model of teaching. 

“C is for communication, communicating your intentions to others on the road by looking over your shoulder, using signals and positioning yourself correctly in the lane. R is for rules of the road, that’s things like letting people know if you’re turning, and understanding who goes first at an intersection. O is for observation – look ahead and look all around, including behind, and P refers to your position on the road.” 

Marilyn’s Pedal Ready classes cover grade one, two and three cycling skills. A three-hour course for adult re-engagers kicks-off with bike handling skills in a non-traffic environment (using your brakes, looking behind without getting the speed wobbles and riding one-handed).

This is followed by a stint in a low-traffic environment to practise skills like joining and leaving a road, and then a neighbourhood ride. Those keen to upskill further can tackle multi-lane roads and learn how to safely navigate around buses and trucks. 

Climbing onto an e-bike for the first time? “E-bikes are much heavier and faster than regular bikes. Give yourself time to warm up, don’t just jump on and be all gung-ho. Get to know what the bike can do and how it handles.”

New Zealand is not yet a cyclists’ sanctuary but we’re certainly making progress, and as more people look at ways to tackle climate change – and speed-up their daily commute – attitudes are slowly shifting. 

Bike Auckland’s Chief Biking Officer Alessandra Francoia talks about ‘Drive Lightly,’ a less staunch, more moderate approach which recognises that although we need our cars for many trips, for some, bikes offer a great alternative. 

“I don’t have a car,” says Alessandra. “I have a lifestyle which allows me to get everywhere I need to go by bike – but obviously that doesn’t work for everyone. Some people need to drive. 

We don’t expect this to change, but what we’re proposing through Drive Lightly is that people think about some of the shorter trips (under five kilometres) that they could make by bike. Could you go to sports, visit friends, or do a small grocery shop by bike? This could be a great place to start.”

The small contribution we make by opting for two wheels over four can have a huge impact.

“We need to do something about carbon emissions and biking is the easiest, cheapest and most effective way to tackle it. Not only that, but by taking your bike, you’re lightening up the roads for those who really need to be driving on them. On top of the physical and mental health benefits, you’re contributing towards a better society for everyone.”

It's a concept that’s being rolled out the world over, from Tokyo to London, Paris to New York, and even in Greater Manchester, which in 2018 committed to a 10-year plan to add 1,125km of cycling infrastructure. Meanwhile in Sao Paulo, where Alessandra spent seven years, up to 300km of city roads are closed to traffic every Sunday morning so that cyclists can enjoy them.

A die-hard cyclist from way back, Alessandra has been working in the road safety arena for over 20 years. She’s worked with SafeKids in Brazil and New Zealand, and prior to joining Bike Auckland, she had a role with International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), a charity dedicated to saving lives by improving infrastructure.

There’s no doubt we need to make roads safer for our cyclists. According to the Auckland Cycling ten-year plan, 60% of Aucklanders would ride a bike if we had better infrastructure. Our own AA Member Survey figures show that 84% support the development of more cycleways and biking facilities.

Although we may never follow Sao Paulo’s lead and close our streets to cyclists on Sundays, Alessandra is confident we’ll make some pretty significant progress.

“This year is a big year for Bike Auckland. We’re growing our community groups, have more bike lanes in the pipeline and lots of new infrastructure projects underway. In ten years’ time, Auckland will look very different.” Her dream? “I’d love to see cycling become ordinary in Auckland, with more kids riding to school and more adults taking their bike instead of their car. My dream is to see people healthier, happier and safer through cycling.”