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Any Australians out there?

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Any Australians out there?

Old 08-30-10, 09:44 PM
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Any Australians out there?

I will be visiting my brother in law for a month in October, and I was thinking of bringing my bike with me. I will be in Matrabille, and was wondering what the roads are like. Mainly is there lots of traffic and are the roads in good shape, as in I will be riding a road bike with skinny tyres?
Sorry for that long run on sentence.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul K
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Old 08-30-10, 09:54 PM
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Where the hell's Matrabille?

Generally, it'll be like where you are ... 'cept maybe the side of the road, I can't remember if Canadians ride on the wrong side of the road like the yanks or the right side of the road like us normal people.

Roads?
Generally, poor to rubbish with the occasional really good one just to make a liar of you.

Bike paths?
Depends on the city and the state and the area and whether you're riding a moutain bike or a road bike (the less forgiving of surface, the worse the bike track you'll face).

Lots of traffic. No, drivers here don't drive well and cyclists are a target species.

Look mate, I feel quite at home reading these forums. Sure, situations are different but the issues are all the same with drivers and road surfaces and the like. The only real difference I notice is the wonderful bike paths shown on this forum. Most of ours are barely wide enough for a car to drive along, and we have to travel both ways on the things, the freeway wide, smooth, picturesque paths I see in photos on this forum just don't exist here ... but maybe that's the same where you live.

As for bringing your bike. We do have bike shops and there is second hand. Buy a bike when you get here and get your brother to sell it when you leave. Mind you, if freight is super cheap ...

Richard
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Old 08-30-10, 10:14 PM
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Matrabille is supposed to be near Botany Bay. In Canada we drive on the right, so I will have to get used to the other side.
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Old 08-30-10, 10:16 PM
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Whoops after looking again at the address it's Matraville.

Paul K
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Old 08-31-10, 12:36 AM
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Hi, I'm in Melbourne, anecdotally a far easier city to cycle in. I spent a year in Sydney (where you will find Matraville) 20 years ago, before I was a cyclist, and I did not even like driving there!

This link to an Australian cycling forum might be a good place to find some more positive responses, and some riding companions. Good luck!

https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/index.php
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Old 08-31-10, 08:11 AM
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Thanks for the help.
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