My first impression of Melbourne

brumby33
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My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Fri May 25, 2018 12:16 am

I'm presently visiting Melbourne as the typical Tourist (from Sydney) as I've never had an opportunity in the past to have a good look around the CBD before and noticed immediately how easy cyclists around the city seem to get around in comparison to Sydney.
Whilst you've got lots of trams criss crossing manor streets in the CBD bike riders here seem to be pretty happy with their commutes down here and don't seem to be as stressed out as Sydney cycle commuters.
I also like what i see with bicycle parking on the very wide footpath areas as well as motorcles able to park away from the actual road onto the paths...good idea.
I haven't ventured away from the CBD area as i only have 4 days and theres just so much to see but Melbournians or those who reside here seem to be a fairly happy lot...haven't witnessed any hint of aggression at this stage.
But i like what i've seen so far.
Won't have time to jump on a bike this time round but i think it might be on the cards next visit.
I spoke with a couple of bicycle cops today and one told me he tried cycling round Sydney on a visit there...he reckons never again lol...that kinda told me something.
Its good to see a city really trying to encourage people to ride more.

Anyway as I said...my first impressions and i like what i see...just wish i was a couple degrees warmer lol

Cheers

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Fri May 25, 2018 12:23 am

Before you leave, go have a coffee at Pellegrini's at the top of Bourke st. Hope you enjoyed your stay. ..
Last edited by 10speedsemiracer on Fri May 25, 2018 1:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Duck! » Fri May 25, 2018 1:07 am

I don't think it's so much as our Authorities are doing anything to encourage cycling, moreso they're just not actively discouraging it like those in Sydney/NSW are.....
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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MattyK
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby MattyK » Fri May 25, 2018 10:17 am

10speedsemiracer wrote:Before you leave, go have a coffee at Pellegrini's at the top of Bourke st. Hope you enjoyed your stay. ..
Unless it's for the nostalgia, why? There are a million better coffee places in Melbourne.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby human909 » Fri May 25, 2018 11:22 am

brumby33 wrote:Anyway as I said...my first impressions and i like what i see...just wish i was a couple degrees warmer
Yep. Melbourne's inner and northern inner is leading Australia in terms of cycling infrastructure and cycling participation. Many of our councils have been doing a fantastic job including a decent amount of regional councils too.
brumby33 wrote:I haven't ventured away from the CBD area
Outer Melbourne however is pretty poor and not particularly different from other poor examples in other states. Big fast roads, poor infrastructure, poor urban layout and angry aggressive drivers.

The success of inner Melbourne cycling is a pretty open secret which seems to have recently been lost of some cycling groups (SCA) who recently declared Victoria to be the worst state for cyclist. :roll: :lol:
Duck! wrote:I don't think it's so much as our Authorities are doing anything to encourage cycling, moreso they're just not actively discouraging it like those in Sydney/NSW are.....
Yep, our successive state governments have been completely inactive on cycling issues. But we can thank our local government authorities for infrastructure, parking and even bonuses such as bicycle repair stations. :mrgreen:

It helps to have Councillors and Mayors who cycle:

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Calvin27 » Fri May 25, 2018 11:40 am

Hot tip is to bring up google maps and chuck te bicyclepaths map up. Lots of completely off road bike trails that would make for a nice day ride. I'd recommend the collingwood childrens farm for coffee along the yarra trail.
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brumby33
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Fri May 25, 2018 3:29 pm

human909 wrote:
brumby33 wrote:Anyway as I said...my first impressions and i like what i see...just wish i was a couple degrees warmer
Yep. Melbourne's inner and northern inner is leading Australia in terms of cycling infrastructure and cycling participation. Many of our councils have been doing a fantastic job including a decent amount of regional councils too.
brumby33 wrote:I haven't ventured away from the CBD area
Outer Melbourne however is pretty poor and not particularly different from other poor examples in other states. Big fast roads, poor infrastructure, poor urban layout and angry aggressive drivers.

The success of inner Melbourne cycling is a pretty open secret which seems to have recently been lost of some cycling groups (SCA) who recently declared Victoria to be the worst state for cyclist. :roll: :lol:
Duck! wrote:I don't think it's so much as our Authorities are doing anything to encourage cycling, moreso they're just not actively discouraging it like those in Sydney/NSW are.....
Yep, our successive state governments have been completely inactive on cycling issues. But we can thank our local government authorities for infrastructure, parking and even bonuses such as bicycle repair stations. :mrgreen:

It helps to have Councillors and Mayors who cycle:
Here's hoping that the new Mayor of Melbourne will keep up the momentum for cycling around tbe CBD at least.
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tez001
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby tez001 » Mon May 28, 2018 4:46 pm

I was down in Melbourne for a few weeks over the new year period and was based out in the outer eastern suburbs. It was my first time riding out of the CBD there and it was fantastic. I was able to get from out east to the city with easy, and further out to Williamstown etc.

Ventured down south to Carrum, up the ring road path and out to the Basin, Lilydale etc. Was really pleasant riding. However it was probably made better due to the school holidays as well.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Mon May 28, 2018 6:51 pm

tez001 wrote:I was down in Melbourne for a few weeks over the new year period and was based out in the outer eastern suburbs. It was my first time riding out of the CBD there and it was fantastic. I was able to get from out east to the city with easy, and further out to Williamstown etc.

Ventured down south to Carrum, up the ring road path and out to the Basin, Lilydale etc. Was really pleasant riding. However it was probably made better due to the school holidays as well.
Glad you had fun down here. That region around the Dandenongs sees a lot of cycling activity. I'm lucky enough to live out there (here) and see some interesting bikes around the area, especially on the weekends.
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:29 pm

I was browsing youtube last night on bicycle commuting around Melbourne just from curiosity and was blown away by the amount of cycle paths you have down there....the one that captured me the most I think were from St Kilda down through to the seaside of the eastern peninsula .....incredible!!

Also the Southbank area and beyond....what great cycling infrastructure compared to Sydney. I got to see the cycleways around Southbank...very impressed.

If only the big fella upstairs could do something about the changeable weather patterns.....I see that panniers are having to be obligatory to carry Wet weather gear, hurricane jacket, wet suit, flippers and snorkels just incase one gets caught out :P :lol: :lol:

What prompted me to even contemplate researching youtube is that we have a friend down there trying to convince us to move down that way.....the bicycleways I saw on some of the videos (admittedly some up to 5 yrs old) and even some of the on-road bike lanes far exceeded anything Sydney has. It's a good start.

Melbourne doesn't seem to be as congested with traffic as Sydney although i'm aware some roads would be...but even our journey on the Skybus from Tullamarine airport didn't seem to be hampered even arriving at around 9am on a weekday morning.

So are my observations correct or near enough or perhaps somewhat misguided?

cheers

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby human909 » Mon Jul 02, 2018 12:02 am

Melbourne traffic is not great but yeah if the comparison is Sydney then yeah it doesn't have the same issues. I don't have the figures at hand but the Tullamarine freeway and CityLink is probably one of the more free flowing freeways in peak hour. There is no obvious bottleneck that many of the other arterial roads have. The Monash Freeway doesn't have a bottleneck as such but simply is innundated with population for 45km.

Same with our cycling infrastructure. There is huge scope improvements, but thankfully that is occuring. In most of our inner suburbs. The trend is gradually spreading to the middle ring

Melbourne's outer and new suburbs seem to continue to be hopelessly planned. But many of Vic's regional towns have been busy supporting cycling.

On the pessimistic side of things our cycling modal share is still very low and the improvements in inner areas are balanced out by the outer suburbs.


As far as the weather goes it is actually pretty predictable if you look at the forecast and the rain radar.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby fat and old » Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:50 am

human909 wrote: Melbourne's outer and new suburbs seem to continue to be hopelessly planned.
Maybe, depending on priorities. However, whenever an arterial road is built there's a cycle path built next to it, and these are providing good access to the outer areas. I can ride from Epping in the north to Sorrento on the peninsula only hitting the roads around Mt Martha....and then it's a pretty good ride. Similarly I can get to Werribee in the west, Dandenong, up into Croydon....about the only thing that is annoying is the lack of a dedicated cycle path going south from the city to Sth Melbourne. You can use St. Kilda Rd but that's still dodgy. It's weird actually.

I'm looking foward to what gets built alongside the North East link and esp. the continuation of the Frankston Fwy to South Rd.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Uncle Just » Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:30 am

If only the big fella upstairs could do something about the changeable weather patterns.....I see that panniers are having to be obligatory to carry Wet weather gear, hurricane jacket, wet suit, flippers and snorkels just incase one gets caught out
This is a furphy as regards Melbourne's wet weather. Since the mid nineties, apart from the rains in 2010 when the drought broke, Melbourne has endured long periods of below average rainfall. We just don't get the steady at times days long rain that characterised its climate in winter that I remember from the 50s onwards. Yes it can be changeable but it arguably has the best temperate climate anywhere. Very little humidity or the frequent damaging winds further north. Positioned as it is with a great weather engine to our south and subject to the occasional hot northerlies from the desert interior, it does pretty well overall. Sydney on the other hand..... :P

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Ivanerrol » Mon Jul 02, 2018 11:15 am

Melbourne can thank the forefathers who first laid out the city in a grid pattern with wide streets and those road engineers who designed the original suburb commuter roads with multi lanes or double roads.
Some of the bike paths are laid down on old defunct railway right of ways - inner circle lines etc. Fortunately these weren't built over.
The outer suburbs suffer because they were and are being built along old single lane access roads and are only updated when they get overcongested.

By my observation even the bike paths are getting congested at peak times.

I was under the impression that Clover Moore in Sydney was a bicycle nut. I remember some reports when she was first elected , motorists were concerned she was going to create so many bicycle lanes it would make motor commuting impossible.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Mon Jul 02, 2018 12:47 pm

Ivanerrol wrote: I was under the impression that Clover Moore in Sydney was a bicycle nut. I remember some reports when she was first elected , motorists were concerned she was going to create so many bicycle lanes it would make motor commuting impossible.
Yeah she was supposed to be....Clover had quiet a few city bike ways/ paths/lanes made THEN....we had a Roads Minister Duncan Gay who tried to pease all his Shock Jock mates and other whinging road users rip up the bike path in College street which led cyclists into Mcquarie Street...he basically over-ruled her.


She's been rather quiet since she regained office a bit over a year ago by a healthy majority.....actually she hammered the Liberal opposition candidate by a quantum leap.....but she's gone rather quiet on bikes.....don't know whats shes up to at present on that.

cheers

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby human909 » Mon Jul 02, 2018 6:35 pm

[quote="Uncle Just]
This is a furphy as regards Melbourne's wet weather. Since the mid nineties, apart from the rains in 2010 when the drought broke, Melbourne has endured long periods of below average rainfall. We just don't get the steady at times days long rain that characterised its climate in winter that I remember from the 50s onwards. [/quote]

Shhh. Don't let the secret out! Melbourne has terrible weather stay away :-P

Even decades back if you start comparing total rainfall and rainy days Melbourne doesn't fair too badly compared to Sydney. Loses out on total blue sky sunny days I believe. All the data is on the BOM.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:24 pm

human909 wrote:[quote="Uncle Just]
This is a furphy as regards Melbourne's wet weather. Since the mid nineties, apart from the rains in 2010 when the drought broke, Melbourne has endured long periods of below average rainfall. We just don't get the steady at times days long rain that characterised its climate in winter that I remember from the 50s onwards.
Shhh. Don't let the secret out! Melbourne has terrible weather stay away :-P
[/quote][/quote]

:lol: thanks
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Az0r_au » Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:02 am

I'm fortunate enough to live in Donvale (eastern suburbs) literally one street over from an entrance to the Mullum/Eastlink trail from which I can connect to the Koonung/Yarra and follow them all the way into the CBD. On weekends I can go south and connect to the Dandenong creek trail and ride all the way out to the dandenongs and up to SkyHigh. Or I can catch the train out to Lilydale and ride out to Warburton along the old rail trail and spend the day exploring back roads around Mt Donna Buang. Plus riding up and down hills like Glenvale Road with my heavy hardtail is a fantastic training.

I absolutely love riding (at least around the east) in Melbourne.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby jules21 » Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:20 pm

Ivanerrol wrote:I was under the impression that Clover Moore in Sydney was a bicycle nut. I remember some reports when she was first elected , motorists were concerned she was going to create so many bicycle lanes it would make motor commuting impossible.
CBDs are interesting case studies for cycling infrastructure and politics.

Most of the motor vehicle traffic in a CBD isn't moving CBD rate payers and voters. We've seen a backlash against 'outsiders' clogging up CBD roads with their cars being led by CBD residents/rate payers and their councils.

This is why CBD councils are often at loggerheads with state govts. The state govt takes the side of motorists, as it has no particular allegiance to CBD residents. We saw Duncan Gay and Clover Moore have a right old battle.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby Cyclophiliac » Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:26 pm

Az0r_au wrote:I'm fortunate enough to live in Donvale (eastern suburbs) literally one street over from an entrance to the Mullum/Eastlink trail from which I can connect to the Koonung/Yarra and follow them all the way into the CBD. On weekends I can go south and connect to the Dandenong creek trail and ride all the way out to the dandenongs and up to SkyHigh. Or I can catch the train out to Lilydale and ride out to Warburton along the old rail trail and spend the day exploring back roads around Mt Donna Buang. Plus riding up and down hills like Glenvale Road with my heavy hardtail is a fantastic training.

I absolutely love riding (at least around the east) in Melbourne.
Yes, Glenvale Rd isn't far from where I live also, and it's ideal for toughening up the legs. I found if you ride it enough, you can even start getting used to it.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby brumby33 » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:22 pm

Hehe sorry for bumping an older topic up from the brink but I thought best to continue on with this topic rather than starting a new one.
I'm still very much interested in having a try at living down in Melbourne, I have no ties in Sydney where I presently live and no dependants (that I know of :lol: )
I'm really interested in the lifestyle factors of a place such as Melbourne and Victoria as a whole and bicycling factors very highly.....

Even though other Northern warmer regions are popular for activities all year round due to the warmer overall weather, but it seems that Victoria may suit my lifestyle interests more than it's beachside rivals...i'm not really a beach type of bloke and nor is the Mrs (she can't swim).

After doing some research, I found that there's a very active Bicycle Touring Club down there in Melbourne...Nothing at all up in Sydney that caters for touring bicycles except a couple of random bike shops that tend to promote the Bikepacking theme more whereas i'm more interested in the traditional touring with panniers etc...but they do promote biking and camping. I'm very interested in this Touring club...is anyone here a member of the Melbourne Bicycle Touring club? http://www.mbtc.org.au/

Also that Victoria has some great rail trails to explore....

I'm getting towards the pointy end years of working life of late 50's and am looking for more lifestyle rather than just work work work....could Melbourne and Victoria give this to me? I do know some people down here so I'm not going to be completely lonely but would like to meet new friends.....so the interest in there...but it's a big move and big decision...maybe not as big a move as someone moving from Overseas but still...2 completely different climates and a noticable difference in a cultural environment. Oh yeah...do I really have to follow AFL? :roll: :lol:

cheers

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human909
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby human909 » Sat Oct 13, 2018 5:28 pm

brumby33 wrote:2 completely different climates and a noticeable difference in a cultural environment.
Completely different climates!?
Image
Different yes, but it seems to be people in Sydney just have a false impression of Melbourne. So many people think it is wet in Melbourne.
Melbourne has half as much rain and about the same amount of rainy days.

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby fat and old » Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:06 pm

And half the temperature. We’re colder here. Colder. And less humid. It sucks

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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:17 pm

fat and old wrote:And half the temperature. We’re colder here. Colder. And less humid. It sucks
This is not what I would call a problem. ..sorry F&O
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Re: My first impression of Melbourne

Postby human909 » Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:20 pm

fat and old wrote:And half the temperature. We’re colder here. Colder.
Melbourne average annual daily max: 20.4
Sydney average annual daily max: 22.5

Melbourne average annual daily min: 14.5
Sydney average annual daily min: 11.4

But maybe I shouldn't let out the secret. :wink:

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