Report on the Bicycling Australia Show (Melbourne)

19 November 2002

The Bicycling Australia Show was held in Melbourne last month. There was a good Rail trails presence at the show:

• Railtrails Australia were giving out brochures and selling guide books
• Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail was well represented and were giving out their latest brochure
• East Gippsland Rail Trail also had a new brochure
• Bass Coast Shire had a stand which included information about the Bass Coast Rail Trail
• Shannon-Lea Lodge were at the show promoting cycling tours to the Otago Central Rail Trail in New Zealand

Vince prepares for the opening of the show. Alexander McCooke

We talked to a lot of people over six hours, and most people already knew what a rail trail was. Many had been on one or more of the trails around Victoria.

This bike was displayed in the Royal Exhibition Buildings in 1888. Alexander McCooke

Among the other stands of particular interest at the show was the display of historic bicycles including a machine that had been exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in the same building 114 years previously. The most unusual bike at the show would have had to be the wave bike - bacically handlebars, seat and pedals mounted on top of a canoe!

Looking for new places to cycle? Alexander McCooke