As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of our community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.
Let us introduce Batman! The Coffs Harbour Batman has requested that he stay anonymous, which we respect.
“I think UpRide is bloody fantastic! Such a valuable resource for cyclists. Especially in even more dangerous places to ride than Australia, like the USA, Canada & UK, where some of the close passes are horrific.”
Record your ride. Make it count.
Why do you record your ride?
“I started group riding in 2015 and was astonished at the high frequency of road violence we experienced by drivers, and I thought I need to record this in case of police prosecution. I went and ordered a Fly6 for my piece of mind.”
“I realised that not exposing road crime like this was never going to improve conditions for cyclists. So I do my bit to help shine a light on the problem and change driver behaviour if possible. Better driver behaviour means more people can get out riding safely.”
“Recording is also a great learning tool. If I’ve had a close pass on my ride, I can go back later and review the footage to work out what happened and how to avoid it next time.”
What do you think about UpRide?
“I think UpRide is fantastic. I’d hate to think we ever would lose it. A site with a searchable map, plotting real world cycling video clips and accompanying information from cyclists all over the world, a huge repository all at ones’ fingertips. What else like it exists for cyclists?”
“A great tool for police, town planners, engineers, councillors, behavioural psychologists, tourists etc.”
“One junction near me, featured in a clip on UpRide has since changed. I am certainly not claiming that the change was purely due to the clip, but this is the power/capability of UpRide, to assist with improvements for the community.”
What is your advice for other cyclists?
“Every rider’s situation is different, so my main advice is just to keep riding and enjoy yourself. Don’t stop riding out of fear of the unknown. Drivers generally aren’t out to kill you, a few randoms might want to frighten you.”
“Ride where it’s the safest. If that’s the full lane, away from debris, gutters or reducing the risk of a close pass, then that’s what I’ll use. When I see riders, riding in gutters or road shoulders littered with glass and other debris, it makes me nervous.”
“In NSW, riders have the same rights to use the road as drivers and it’s their choice to ride the shoulder, but only if they wish to.”
“To me it doesn’t make sense to spend my whole journey riding in the gutter, risking punctures or crashing, just to reduce the risk of hurting a driver’s feelings. So far, it has served me well. I have not had a puncture for many years now.” “The biggest change I’ve noticed since sharing footage on UpRide is the general increase in space given by passing motorists to cyclists, on many occasions passing completely in the next lane. In the past few months, I’ve also had multiple drivers pull up alongside me or by the side of the road to ask me about my bike setup, which I see as a positive indication that driver attitudes towards cyclists are softening, and more people interested in cycling on the road.”
Want to share your story?
We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.
