YarraBUG

Chris, Faith, Val and Steve

4.4 (9)
News
Updated Fortnightly

Yarra Bicycle Users Group promotes urban cycling. Providing support to campaigns to improve cycling conditions and awareness; demystifies cycling technology and helps to reveal the diversity of cyclists, from children to commuters to lobbyists.

17 hrs ago

Whatever you do don't talk about the bike!

Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Marco te Brömmelstroet from the University of Amsterdam and Lab of Thought. We share our bike moments, before taking a deep dive into connection, sharing, the wobbling-child index of road safety, and how to share the stories that will create change. Marco will also be presenting his keynote the Hill of Hysteria at Bicycle Network Tuesday August 18th. Book your tickets online here. Marco's trip to Australia was made possible by the Public Transport Association Australia and New Zealand
10 Aug

Building confidence with Neighbourly Rides

On this weeks show, Chris catches up with Katy, who's a ride leader for weekly Carlton Neighbourly Rides, goals of connecting community through cycling, building rider confidence and making new social contacts. Katy talks about her journey from riding in Amsterdam, to becoming a ride leader, ride details and more! Follow Neighbourly Rides on instagram.The Nicer Wellington Street crew are collecting stories of people’s experiences of danger on Wellington Street. Can you share yours, anything you’ve experienced or witnessed, please contact them either on instagram or contact page.News includes please ensure your method of transport is recorded in Tuesday nights Australian 2026 census, Yarra Councils messy fall out from banning Lime e-bikes: sign the petition: Keep Shared E-Bikes in Melbourne, The Age: Answer in 10 seconds or lose your fleet: The e-bike row dividing Yarra, The Fifth Estate: Can Melbourne break its cycle of failed e-mobility sharing schemes? and a local resident facing transport difficulties due Yarra councillors vote on 14 July, The Age: Car clash: Private vehicles and the true price the nation pays.Marco te Brömmelstroet is currently touring New Zealand and Australia, watch this interview with Jack Tame. He's also appearing next week at Bicycle Network: Urban Mobility Futures with Professor Marco te Brömmelstroet.'Twenty years from now, people will look back on high speed limits we have in cities now and find them just as unbelievable as smoking indoors - a relic of the past. That's the dream of a visiting Dutch academic.'Program musicScratching, Malvern StarThe Durruti Column, Time Present and Time Past
3 Aug

New Premier, new attitude to active tranport?

Val and Faith share their bike moments; for Val a moment alongside the Yarra in training mode and for Faith a reminder of what a great night the Big Bike Film Night is! We discuss the changes in the Victorian government over the past week with the announcement of a new Premier, Ben Carroll, leading into the Victorian election. As Transport Minister in the past Ben Carroll attempted some positive changes public transport and for people interested in using a bike to get around, will this translate into his premiership? You can catch up with Peter Parker's thoughts here. And who will be our new Active Transport Minister? Or willl Deputy Gabrielle Williams want to retain the prestige of the role for herself? [sarcasm] Politics segues into the upcoming election and the Gimme 5 campaign with Bicycle Network and community groups across Victoria. Providing a dedicated funding stream for building startegic cycling corridors would certainly be a positive step towards the integrated transport system often described in government policy but rarely realised. Have you spent 2 minutes using the platform to send an email to your local MP? We also chat about the upcoming presentation by Marco te Brömmelstroet hosted by Bicycle Network on August 18th where Marco will talk about the Hill of Hysteria. Get your tickets here!
27 July

Talking to Lime e-bike users: Yarra trial ends after six years

On this weeks program Chris interviews three local Lime rental users about their experiences with the scheme since it started in 2020 in Yarra. On 15 July 2026 Yarra Council voted to discontinue the trial (refer to Agenda Item 7.1, page 8).ABC News: 'A step backwards': Melbourne council bans Lime e-bikes with Jeremy Lawrence from Streets Alive Yarra.Ari, Troy and Matt discuss how ebikes and scooter trial assisted their travel, micro mobility needs, convenience, behaviour, footpath parking issue discourse, keeping footpaths clear for people with disabilities, councils avoidance of on-road ebike parking solutions, competing vehicle space usage, public transport linkages, public space use, shared utilities, cycling safety problems, avoiding bike theft, possible effects on Yarra's night time economy, cost of living impacts, dealing with entitlement culture alongside gentrification and what they're planning to do when Lime assets are removed after the 30-day notice period.Of note is the discrepancy between Yarra Councils 15 July 2026 Agenda item that mentions 100 complaints since 2020 while the above linked article quotes 'Yarra City Council has recorded hundreds of complaints about e-bike share since the scheme's 2020 launch'News includes commencement of the Australian leg of the Big Bike Film Night, new Swanston Street protected lanes, Maribyrnong Council: Help us make Barkly Street better, new parliamentary petition from Safer Murray Road campaign and the Flemington Bridge upgrades are now finished.Program musicScratching, Malvern StarFour Tet - Into Dust (Still Falling)
20 July

Dr Cranky's and the magic of getting kids on bikes.

Val and Faith are joined in the studio by Bart Sbeghen of Dr Cranky's, a community-based bike recycle program that aims to ensure all kids have access to a roadworthy bike. We all share our bike moments before taking a look at how Dr Cranky's came about, the problem Bart is trying to address, (250,000 Australian children don't have a bike!) and how Dr Cranky's has evolved since it started twelve years ago. Bart talks about the data the program has collected about the impact of their work, and their aspirations to scale Dr Cranky's so that even more children can expeience the *magic*!
13 July

Talking to Brett Cotter about Big Bike Film Night 2026

On this week show, Chris catches up with Brett Cotter from the Big Bike Film Night screenings across New Zealand, Australia and now, internationally. We chat about what's happened since we last had a chat in 2021, audience response, competitions, how to submit your film, about the films being screened and more!Local news includes Chris riffing on about 'paratransport', Yarra Council planning to vote on E‑bike Share Scheme Tender by removing ebike and escooter rental schemes at the next Tuesday 14 July 2026 meeting (refer to Item 7.1), as Streets Alive Yarra quotes as 'massive step backward for mobility and access in Yarra' in their submission to council.As counterpoint, the NSW government and the City of Sydney are proactively working through ebike and escooter public issues.Program musicScratching, Malvern StarTim McMorris, Entwined
6 July

3CR's 50th celebration, community and bikes

Faith and Val kick things off in the studio today with a couple of bike moments. We thank all of our listeners for their very generous donations towards the 3CR Radiothon. We have reached our target this year and every cent donated will go towards keeping 3CR on the air for another year. Val tells us all about the 3CR 50th birhday celebration over the weekend at the Collingwood Town Hall, the history of those fifty years shared at the celebration and the passion and support for another 50 years shared by the 3CR community. Faith shares her weekend with another great community, the seventy or so riders who took part in Cycling Wild x Off Course Winter Overnighter at Longridge. An annual event the winter overnighter is a great opprtunity both for thise who have never bikepacked before and for those who like hauling cast iron pots and legs of lamb, not to mention the kids and families coming along for the ride!We chat about the Gimme 5 campaign for 5% of the transport budget to be dedicated to Strategic Cycling Corridors and a reminder to use the campiagn website to send a short email to your local MP. All the tricky details are pre-filled for you, it only takes 2 minutes! Do it now at this link!We finish with a reminder that the Fundraiser for the Bike Shed at CERES is coming up this weekend.
29 June

Queers on Wheels Australia + Critical Mass Moonee Valley

On this weeks program Chris interviews Andrew from Queers on Wheels Australia about starting their group rides in naarm Melbourne and eora Sydney. Andrew talks about cycling for people who’ve never felt like cycling was for them, group origins in the UK, their future plans, Chase the Sun and more.Local news includes Critical Mass: Moonee Valley and the lack of active transport and protected bikes lanes in that council area, Bicycle Network: 5% for Safer Streets campaign and Cr Ruth Jelley from Darebin Council provides great tips on how to make productive trips on your bike.3CR Community Day, Saturday 4 July, 11am - 4pm, Collingwood Town Hall, if you're local, hop on your bicycle and ride down! Val from YarraBUG is offering free tune-ups and repairs, and there are plenty of bike racks in front of the venue on Hoddle Street.It's not too late to donate to 3CR Radiothon: help us raise $300,000 to keep us on air and don't forget to make a tax-deductible donation by the end of this financial year!Donate to YarraBUG Radio on Givenow link3cr.org.au/donateProgram musicScratching, Malvern StarMark Ronson & the Business Intl, Bicycle Song

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9 Ratings

Yarra Bicycle Users Group promotes urban cycling. Providing support to campaigns to improve cycling conditions and awareness; demystifies cycling technology and helps to reveal the diversity of cyclists, from children to commuters to lobbyists.