A Tour Of Her Own
The Age
Wednesday October 15, 2008
On Ride to Work Day, Helen Cocks, mother of champion cyclist Cadel Evans, talks about her two-wheeled commute.
I HAVE been riding to work on and off over the past 17 years. It was considered a bit odd back then. One time when I was working for a government department in Melbourne's northern suburbs, I needed to go to a meeting on my way home. It happened to be more convenient riding my bike to the meeting and I remember the startled looks on everyone's faces when I arrived. People simply didn't ride to work on bikes in those days, let alone arrive at meetings on them. Now it's more common practice, particularly for people working for the government.I live on a small holding on the outskirts of Melbourne, which is about a 1 1/2 hours commute to my work in the city. I leave home at 7.30am, drive to Macleod, where I leave my car, and cycle the rest of the way, which takes me another 40 minutes. This means I'm in the office by 9am.Cycling to work was the most efficient way of fitting exercise into my working day. I wouldn't be able to do it otherwise. Most importantly it's a lot of fun. I also like to think this is my way of doing my bit towards the environment. And I don't particularly enjoy commuting and getting locked into train timetables. I prefer my own timetable.I usually wear Cadel's cast-offs - his really old ones. So the full lycra bit. It is more comfortable. Unfortunately it makes me look like a real professional, which is far from how I feel. I carry my underwear and skirts in my backpack. Fortunately any creases in my skirts seem to drop out during the course of the day. I usually leave several pairs of shoes and four to five jackets at work. I will bring in a fresh towel too. (At work) there is a special cage in the basement and all cyclists have their own pass code. It's hard to believe how far things have come in a few years; it was not that long ago that I was locking my bike to a water pipe in the basement of the car park.There has been a noticeable increase (in bike traffic) over the past five years, particularly in the past two. Increasingly I'm coming across bike jams, which I'd never encountered before. I'm also seeing a lot more women biking in. I'm seeing a lot more young women riding to work. What I'm also noticing about the new female riders is that not all of them are dressed in cycling gear and many arrive on their bikes in their office gear, particularly those from nearby suburbs. There's a more European approach about riding to work. HELEN'S TIPS:- Make sure your bike fits you properly and select something that is specifically built for your size. Have it custom-built if you can afford it, or at the very least make sure it is fitted to suit your frame. - Also make sure you have a comfortable seat - a seat designed for women is good. - Let your ride to work become part of your daily routine and don't allow it to be a big deal.- Be organised.- Drink heaps of water and have a snack handy - something healthy and easy to digest. - If you need to ride on main roads, wear very visible clothing and be obvious about your intentions - signal clearly and ride confidently.
© 2008 The Age