Dear Members,

I am delighted and enthused about the collection of ideas,passions
and visions represented in Mondays meeting. My personal perspective
comes from many years of cycling for transport and recreation and
discussions with cyclists of many bents in the bike shops of
Melboourne. Although I embrace the obvious connection of cycling
with the sustainable development/green ideology, and have passionate
concerns about the state of our environment both urban and "natural",
I do have reservations about equating "pro cycling" with "anti
car". On face value, the predominace of cars on our roads is nothing
short of obscene, but our visions of mass human powered transport
become less practical the further we move out of the inner suburbs.

I accept that the Melbourne Bug has its concerns in the inner
Melbourne area and I have great faith those more adept in enacting
practical change of our urban environment. I have joined MBug because
I feel that the significant individuals have a greater political
awareness and direction that other cycling organisations. Inner
Melbourne also has the greatest need and the greatest potential for
embracing cycling on a European scale.

I am a newbie to collective forums (tautolagy?) and one more likely
to adapt to my environment rather than pressuring for it to be
changed. I have reservations about elements of Critical Mass and
confrontational forms of protest/demonstration of ideas.

Is there support for some form of charter which might go some way to
defining the aims of the organisation. This may be useful to reflect
some of our ideas/initiatives before commiting them to action.



More practical subjects:

I would like to make contributions in the areas of bicycle
maintenance and riding skills.

Somewhere in my past are studies of urban traffic management design.
Might be able to draw on some resources to develop plans for bicycle
parking.

To whom do we write to express our concerns over the lifting of
restrictions in Swanston Street?

I'd like to talk specifics with other members on these subjects.



"...sisters and brothers ride on, ride on, ride on."

Dhugal Bissett.