With a wave of intense humidity behind us, Autumn’s edition of Ride Leader training took place in comparatively beautiful conditions: blue skies, warm temperatures and a cooling breeze for those pedalling around Sydney’s Olympic Park.
Once again, participants and volunteers gathered in the morning at the Park’s Educational Centre. This time to assess nine new ride leaders looking to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead safe and enjoyable rides.
It was a big day out for Bicycle User Group (BUG) Bike Marrickville, who had three candidates undertaking the program, a chance to expand the BUG’s collective knowledge and build upon the busy ride schedule they already have.
We spoke with Bike Marrickville’s President, Ellis Bou-Harb, about the value of Ride Leader training and how it went on the day.
Ellis finishes his candidate ride, in which a number of volunteers participate in role play scenarios that he must respond to (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Q&A with Ellis Bou-Harb
Bicycle NSW: How many Ride Leaders does Bike Marrickville currently have?
Ellis Bou-Harb: “Bike Marrickville currently has 3 Ride Leaders, who all lead very active and busy lives. So we had three more doing the program last Sunday: Tom (Secretary), Mariska (elected committee member), and myself (President).”
Bike Marrickville Secretary, Tom, briefs his group before setting off on his candidate ride assessment (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Bicycle NSW: What is the value of Ride Leader training for Bike Marrickville?
Ellis Bou-Harb: “It's important for us to have a bunch of Ride Leaders, as we want the flexibility and capacity to host more rides each year. We don't just ride for the sake of getting out and about. We are hoping to build community and connection, with a goal of demonstrating to governments, at all levels, that bike infrastructure is valued by all segments of the population, and is necessary to improve quality of life as Sydney continues to grow and urbanise.”
Bicycle NSW: What type of rides does Bike Marrickville currently lead?
Ellis Bou-Harb: “At the moment, our rides focus on advocacy for bike infrastructure, and celebrating all the wonderful local businesses (and culinary delights) the Inner West has to offer. We hope to one day host a regular bike bus, but rather than commuters, our first focus is likely to be students! Our part of Sydney is fortunate to have walkable and bikeable school catchments, so we want to encourage even more families to choose to ride or walk together.”
You can explore Bike Marrickville's famous 'Chocolate and Fine Food Ride' in this article.
Bicycle NSW: How was your experience of Ride Leader training?
Ellis Bou-Harb: “The training was great. It gave me a newfound appreciation for the wide range of challenges to consider, plan for, and be prepared to navigate on a ride. While I'll still focus my rides on community building, advocacy for better streets, and the delicious stops along the way, I will also be better placed to ensure all participants have a safe and enjoyable time. I want to run rides that feel well organised and will attract people to return time and time again. Having several trained Ride Leaders is essential for Bike Marrickville to continue its advocacy work.”
Mariska, Bike Marrickville’s elected committee member, reviews her ride assessment with Master Ride Leader, Andrew Ellison (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The brilliant bicycle community
We’d like to give a special thanks to Central Coast Touring Cycle Group and Western Sydney Cycling Network for bringing along many of their group, and extend our gratitude to all the other volunteers who helped make the day happen.
Volunteers gather to be briefed on the roles they’ll play throughout the Ride Leader candidate assessments (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Are you interested in becoming a Ride Leader?
Members of our Bicycle User Groups can read more about the training course on our website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Before you pedal away to explore the bike network…..
Bicycle NSW is the only bicycle advocacy group based in NSW with full-time staff advocating every day for all riders. But did you know that we are funded only by membership fees and donations?
If you are not ready to join the Bicycle NSW family, then we would love you to consider a donation to the Australian Bicycle Advocacy Fund.
