It is easy to see why New South Wales is considered among many biking organisations as the most hostile towards cycling and cyclists in this country.
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Some of the sheer venom and mindless hate that has spawned out of the recent incident at Jamberoo has been mind-boggling.
Get a grip, people.
People have used it as a vehicle, pun intended, to unleash their own personal prejudices.
The cyclists, off duty cops or not, were perfectly entitled to be using the road and perfectly entitled to be riding two abreast.
It seems a basic premise which the blind rage and prejudice of many will not allow them to see past.
Hopefully this will be a catalyst for some good.
Hopefully this leads to some further education in our community about the rights of cyclists, which are every bit as valid as the rights of any other road user.
It is something we as an organisation here at the Illawarra Mercury will look to continue to campaign on and educate people on especially in this region as we pedal towards hosting the 2022 World Road Cycling Championships.
That one event will bring an unrivalled international focus onto the Illawarra.
They eyes of the world will be on us.
More than three million Australians ride a bike with more than two million of them riding every month.
Participation in cycling in NSW is actually growing according to the most recent studies.
There are obvious benefits for both health an environment for choosing a bike above a car when applicable.
Bike use and cycling will not be going away soon.
It would be in all our interests to learn how to share the road and live harmoniously because the upshot is if you get caught doing to wrong thing and abusing people on the road, the bike may be your only ongoing mode of transport into the foreseeable future.
Think about that for a moment.
