National Ride to Work Day

Last updated

National Ride to Work Day
also National Ride2Work Day
StatusActive
Genre Commuter cycling social movement
FrequencyAnnually; in October
CountryAustralia
Inaugurated1994
Previous event16 October 2019
Participants circa 100,000 nationally [1]
Organised by
Website www.ride2work.com.au

The Australian National Ride to Work Day (also National Ride2Work Day) is a commuter cycling social movement and participatory event that encourages commuters to bicycle to and from work. The event is held in October annually at various location in most Australian states and territories. The event is organised by various Australians state and territory bicycle organisations and local government authorities. [2] It is a free event for individuals to register and participate, with registrations over 100,000 in 2010. Workplace bicycle user groups are formed and workplace coordinators are encourage other colleagues to participate. Workplaces are recognised for outstanding participation. [1]

Australia Country in Oceania

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Cycling riding a bicycle

Cycling, also called biking or bicycling, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bikers", or less commonly, as "bicyclists". Apart from two-wheeled bicycles, "cycling" also includes the riding of unicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, recumbent and similar human-powered vehicles (HPVs).

Social movement type of group action

A social movement is a type of group action. There is no single consensus definition of a social movement. They are large, sometimes informal, groupings of individuals or organizations which focus on specific political or social issues. In other words, they carry out, resist, or undo a social change. They provide a way of social change from the bottom within nations.

Contents

Event synopsis

The inaugural event was held in 1994 in Melbourne, organised by the Bicycle Network (then Bicycle Victoria) with 615 cyclists. Since then, the event has grown substantially and this year[ when? ] there was an estimated over 60,000 active participants from all over the country. [3] In October 2006, 10,000 first-time riders and regular commuters registered prior to the event. An estimated 30,000 took part on the day throughout Victoria including sponsorship by more than 1,300 businesses. [4] 34% of those who took up riding in the Victorian event in 2006 were still riding to work five months later.

Melbourne City in Victoria, Australia

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Its name refers to an urban agglomeration of 2,080 km2 (800 sq mi), comprising a metropolitan area with 31 municipalities, and is also the common name for its city centre. The city occupies much of the coastline of Port Phillip bay and spreads into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of 5 million, and its inhabitants are referred to as "Melburnians".

Bicycle Network organization

Bicycle Network is a charity, one of the largest cycling membership organisations in the world, whose mission is to have More People Cycling More Often. It was, prior to 2011, known as Bicycle Victoria.

Victoria (Australia) State in Australia

Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia. Victoria is Australia's smallest mainland state and its second-most populous state overall, making it the most densely populated state overall. Most of its population lives concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Victoria is bordered by Bass Strait and Tasmania to the south, New South Wales to the north, the Tasman Sea to the east, and South Australia to the west.

Nationally, the event features public breakfasts in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin , Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne (at Federation Square), Perth and Sydney. [2] The event also often includes free massage, helmet hair repair, bike engravings by police, "Spokespersonalities", high-profile ambassadors including CEOs and politicians, prizes and giveaways.

Adelaide City in South Australia

Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. The demonym Adelaidean is used to denote the city and the residents of Adelaide.

Brisbane capital city of Queensland, Australia

Brisbane Or otherwise known as ‘Brisse’ or ‘Bris Vegas’ by the locals, is the capital of and the most populated city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of approximately 2.5 million, and the South East Queensland metropolitan region, centred on Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3.6 million.

Canberra capital city of Australia

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory; 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne.

In 2005, up to 6,000 cyclists met at Federation Square to have breakfast as part of Ride to Work Day, double the number from 2004. About 10,000 Victorians are estimated to have left their cars at home in favour of the bike. [5] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bicycle touring Holidays with bicycles

Bicycle touring means self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure, and autonomy rather than sport, commuting, or exercise. Touring can range from single-to multi-day trips, even years. Tours may be planned by the participant or organised by a holiday business, a club, or a charity as a fund-raising venture.

Bicycle culture

Bicycle culture can refer to a mainstream culture that supports the use of bicycles or to a subculture. Although "bike culture" is often used to refer to various forms of associated fashion, it is erroneous to call fashion in and of itself a culture.

Cycling in Melbourne

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Around the Bay in a Day

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Bike-to-Work Day annual event held on various days in the Spring across various countries that promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work

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Cycle chic Cycling in fashionable everyday clothes

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Cycling in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia takes place for recreation, commuting and as a sport. Sydney has a hilly topography and so may require a slightly higher level of fitness from cyclists than flatter cities such as Melbourne and Canberra. Sydney depends heavily on motor vehicles where traffic and public transport operate at capacity. This means that cyclist are often competing with motorists for limited space on busier roads, and for limited government resources for expenditure on road infrastructure. In its favour, Sydney has a generally mild climate and there are active cycling groups.

Walter William Greaves was a British cyclist who set the world record for distance ridden in a year - despite having only one arm and falling off numerous times. Greaves rode 45,383 miles (73,037 km) in 1936.

Bike paths in Melbourne

Bike paths around Melbourne have developed since the campaigns of Bicycle Network and the strong awareness that nine editions of the Bike Paths & Rail Trails Guide have created of the network. With the increased recognition from all levels of government of the benefit of cycling activities, Melbourne today has a comprehensive set of shared bicycle trails along its river and creek systems and alongside its freeways and train lines.

Cycling in Perth

Cycling in Perth, Western Australia is common on the roads and paths for recreation, commuting and sport. Between 1998 and 2009 the number of cyclists in Perth increased 450%.

Bike Week (cycling)

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Cycling in the Australian state of New South Wales is a common form of recreation. In 2009, cycling was the fifth-most popular sports/physical activity in NSW.

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Cycling in San Francisco

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Great Victorian Bike Ride Cycle tour in Australia

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Richard "Fatty" Lamb was an Australian racing cyclist who competed on both road and track, as was typical of Australian cyclists of the era such as Hubert Opperman. Throughout his career, Lamb was associated with Malvern Star Bicycles and Bruce Small.

References

  1. 1 2 Rissell, Chris (11 October 2011). "Try cycling on Ride to Work Day … it might change your life". The Conversation . The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "National CBD Breakfasts". www.ride2work.com.au. Bicycle Network. October 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. "Danger in a roundabout way, part of Cycling the City - an AGE series". The Age . 2 October 2006.
  4. Doherty, Ben; Moynihan, Stephen (4 October 2006). "Thousands of cyclists push for the record". The Age . Retrieved 4 May 2007.
  5. Shtargot, Sasha (5 October 2005). "Pedal power pulls a crowd". The Age . Retrieved 4 May 2007.
  6. Shtargot, Sasha (6 October 2005). "Petrol price fuels surge in bike sales". The Age . Retrieved 4 May 2007.
City of Sydney Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, the City of Sydney is the oldest, and the oldest-surviving, local government authority in New South Wales, and the second-oldest in Australia, with only the City of Adelaide being older by two years.