What Are The Laws On Drinking & Riding?

Logic would say that like driving drunk, cycling drunk exposes you to a greater risk. South Australia considers cycling while intoxicated to be an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1961, the same offence as driving while drunk. There is one key difference; the penalty is considerably less at $500.

If you are in Queensland the penalties are more costly as the offence can carry a maximum 40 penalty units.

In New South Wales a bicycle is considered a vehicle and as such, drink driving restrictions apply. The way the Road Transport Act 2013 is written means that low range, mid-range, and high-range drink driving offences don’t apply, but cyclists can be charged with using bicycle under the influence of alcohol. If convicted for cycling while drunk you could lose your licence for up to 12 months. If in the past five years you had a previous drink driving conviction then the maximum penalty is $3,300 and 12 months imprisonment.

In Western Australia, the Road Traffic Code 2000 states that: “A person shall not on any road or path…ride a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or alcohol and drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the bicycle” and the penalty is two penalty units.

In Victoria the laws are quite outdated and is actually ‘Drunk in charge of a carriage’, yes a carriage. If convicted expect around 10 penalty units. These rules do mean the Police can’t breath test you and if charged you wouldn’t lose any demerit points.

In Tasmania cycling is treated as per any motor vehicle, you will be subject to the same penalties as if you were caught behind the wheel.

In ACT you will not be subject to the penalties that apply to motor vehicles, instead the law states, “A person must not drive or ride a vehicle or animal on a road, or be in charge of a vehicle or animal on a road, while under the influence of alcohol.” So if you were caught while cycling you would face a maximum of 50 penalty units and imprisonment for six months.

If you were breath tested at the station, the legislation in all states but Tasmania and New South Wales relates specifically to motor vehicles.

You could face serious criminal charges if your actions resulted in a car crash.

Toddler Educational Toys Center: 16 Best Educational Toys

Toddler Educational Toys Center: 16 Best Educational Toys: The best educational toys make learning fun. Whether they’re teaching your child about colours, numbers, shapes– these toys ensure there’s...

Hargroves Cycles

First established in 1981, Hargroves Cycles are a recognised cycling retailer in the South of England who are trusted by the cycling community. The products and services needed by cyclists are readily available at the best possible prices, supported by the highest levels of customers service.

Transition TR500

The TR500 is the successor to both the TR250 and the TR450, and features adjustable geometry that lets riders build it up in multiple configurations. Everything from a mini-DH / bike park ripper with 180 mm of travel all the way to a downhill race bike with 203 mm of travel is possible, and adjustable chainstays allow the bike to accommodate 26” wheels.

TR500 details:

1.    Intended use: DH.

2.    Wheel size: 26".

3.    Rear wheel travel: 203 mm.

4.    Aluminum frame.

5.    Fox 40 FLOAT 203 mm fork.

6.    Fox DHX RC4 shock.

7.    Sizes: S, M, L, XL.

8.    Colors: orange, pearl green, raw.

9.    Weight: 37.5 lb.

10. MSRP: $6199 USD.

Constructed from hydroformed 6.061 aluminum, the TR500's frame has a modern, low slung look, aided by the fact that the linkage that drives the rear shock is hidden inside the split seat tube. In addition to the two shock travel positions, there are chips in the rear dropouts that can be flipped to set the bike up with either 434 or 442 mm chainstays, although 27.5” wheels can only be run in the 442 mm position. The bike's head angle and bottom bracket height can also be altered by flipping the chip that's located where the seatstays mount to the rear shock linkage, giving riders the option of choosing between a 63 or 63.5° head angle and the corresponding -10 or -4 mm of bottom bracket drop.

Like its predecessors in the TR range, the TR500 uses a link driven single pivot suspension layout. The Whistler Bike Park is the ideal place to rack up the vertical while testing a downhill bike, containing a wide variety of runs featuring everything from seemingly endless jump lines to trails brimming with roots and rocks that are challenging aboard any bike. Even at slower speeds on tighter, twistier trails the bike was quick and lively, diving in and out of corners without any sluggishness. 

Geometry and frame design play a large role in how a bike feels on the trails, but on a downhill bike suspension is also of the utmost importance, especially given the high speeds at which obstacles need to be dealt with. The combination of the TR500's Fox 40 FLOAT in the front and a DHX RC4 in the rear felt extremely well matched, working together as a cohesive unit to filter out those brake bumps that can wreak havoc on unprepared hands and forearms. Although air sprung forks like the 40 have become more prevalent, especially among downhill racers, the same can't be said about rear shocks.

Component check:

1.   Shimano Saint brakes: It's hard to go wrong with Shimano's Saint parts group – everything from the brakes to the rear derailleur are well designed to hold up to the rigors of DH riding.

2.   Transition HD wheelset: The TR500 rolls on Transition's house brand wheelset, which uses 32 hole, aluminum rims laced up with a 3 cross pattern to a set of sealed cartridge bearing hubs. 

Ribble Evo-Pro Carbon

Ribble is an internet bike store with its own brand of bicycles. The frame has quite racy geometry with a slightly sloping top tube.

The carbon forks are attached to a steel steerer, which means there is a nice secure star nut used to tighten the stem rather than a carbon bung. The inward curve of the seat and chainstays make the bike very attractive looking.

Astonishingly for the price of £999 the bike is specced with the full Shimano Ultegra 6.800 special edition double groupset.

The bike build gives you a choice of three cassette sizings, as well as three choices of chainset. The seat pillar can be upgraded to carbon for an extra £19.

The wheels are standard Rodi Airline 5 clinchers. A nice touch on the Fulcrums is the spoke nipples are red to match the frame.

The saddle felt quite hard but its shape lends itself well to support the sit bones and it still felt comfortable on an 80-mile ride. Out of the saddle the bike felt very easy to steer and extra pressure on the pedals was instantly transformed into speed. The two trims on the front mech saw the chain run smoothly and quietly.

Unbelievable, unbeatable value for money. A perfect first race bike or fast sportive machine.

About Cove Bikes

In 1992, after years of North Shore testing and riding, Cove Bikes emerged to release the world’s first North Shore freeride bike. The riding, testing and torn bagskins didn't stop.

Today, Cove Bikes is an integral part of the North Shore scene. No wonder Cove is a four letter word to other bike brands.

Cycling NZ Unveil Revolutionary New Olympic Bikes

Cycling New Zealand has unveiled bikes they believe will have a revolutionary impact on the Rio Olympic velodrome. Since the track team's two bronze medal haul at the London Games, local investment has helped research and develop sprint and endurance bikes to advance their 2016 cause.

Working in secret, Cycling New Zealand combined with High Performance Sport New Zealand, manufacturers Avanti, wheelwrights Southern Spars, aerodynamic experts Kinetic Simulation and Auckland University's wind tunnel in an effort to produce track bikes capable of delivering gold. Bicycle design engineer David Higgins led the project for Sheppard Industries, who market the Avanti brand.

A lot of mouths need to stay mum. Two were Yin Fai Li and Ben Goodwin, researchers based at Auckland University's wind tunnel in Newmarket.

Two 90 kilowatt electric motors power wind into the tunnel through mesh screens to remove turbulence in a looped circuit.

New Zealand's top track cyclists tested simulated designs at the venue. Higgins says the key thing for the sprint bike was reducing aerodynamic drag - eventually cut by more than 15 percent - and lightening the bikes' weight.

"We've integrated a new handlebar design into the frame. In the past it all bolted together, whereas this bike is one piece of fluid design.”

"With the pursuit bike, the main design feature is the wings. They are part of a new fork design. The fork load pass is attached to the handlebars rather than the frame. That makes a more direct attachment to the wheel which reduces the weight on the front.”

"Each set of handlebars is customised for individual riders and the new design provides substantial aerodynamic and stiffness benefits after honing in the wind tunnel."

The design team liaised with the UCI to ensure they met competition specifications. Cycling New Zealand was allocated $17.5 million of taxpayer money across the Olympic cycle.