A chat with Daniel

Daniel asked what bike I wanted him to bring for our catch-up, and I left the decision to him, knowing fully that whatever he'd bring would be not only interesting, but also beautiful. Based on Daniel's Instagram feed, I knew that I could possibly get to see a Roadini or an Appaloosa - Rivendells. Or a Brompton.

We arranged to meet at the northern end of the footbridge - I figured it would be an easy spot to take some photos, and then move on to Bowden or surrounds for a cup of coffee. Daniel turned up on none of the bikes I knew about, but one that I'd seen (yet again) at Treadly while it was being built up. An absolutely gorgeous single-speed Bassi Bloomfield with wiiiide bars.

We set off for Bowden along the Torrens linear park, chatting as we went. (Note to self: figure out a way to record conversation while riding)

We stopped at A Place for a coffee and a chat - an obviously popular place with locals. Our conversation ended up being a lot about public space, making space for people, and how we would like to see developments run going forward.

Launching in:

KO: When did, because I assume you're in love with bikes, did you fall in love with bikes and biking?

Daniel: There was a period when I was young where I rode bikes a lot, and then I stopped when I got a car. Dad was a big car head, but he taught us how to ride a bike and on the weekend we'd ride to town from Prospect, to the markets, through the back streets. Ride to my cousin's house. I remember through high school there were fun adventures I went on with my cousin, particularly where this girl I liked I delivered a love-letter type thing.

KO: Bikes are the freedom machines when you're young.

Daniel: It really was, and before having my licence to literally go anywhere, and I feel like the 90s was still a time when it was ok. I don't know what it's like now, I don't have kids...

KO: I think we've raised ours slightly differently, in that if you want to go somewhere you ride, or walk, or catch a bus. I do drive them around occasionally, but not in the way that a lot of parents these days do. I'm fully into emulating the 80s-90s childhood.

Daniel: Do you get any weird looks from people around you?

KO: Yes, but not in a negative way. It always felt like surprise, and nearly a little bit of envy. Especially when I'd roll up with my Bakfiets with kids in it and more kids would just pile in and sometimes I'd have 6 kids in this thing and we'd be rolling around having the best time. Weird looks have never bothered me.

Daniel: I've never seen more cargobikes. Year on year I see more and more.

KO: Absolutely, and diverse in style.

Daniel: Then at 16 it really tapered off. There were about 10 years when I wasn't really riding bikes at all, and they rusted away. The catalyst to get back started was that I moved out of home and into a little unit in Goodwood and I saw the parklands trail and thought I'd just get a bike to ride on the weekends and my days off. Just recreationally. Then I went back to uni at 26 to study architecture, I had to sell my Toyota sports car and haven't looked back. Quality of life upgrade all round.

At this point I got distracted by Toyota 86-chat, AE86, Initial-D, Treuno-chat, where Daniel and I agreed that cars can be a lot of fun and the problem is car dependency and people not feeling like they have a choice when it comes to non-car mobility.

Daniel: ...and people forget that not everyone can drive. Kids, and older people. When my grandfather lost he was isolated and lonely, relying on people coming to visit him.

KO: They took dad's licence a while back, and he had a gopher instead. When I took that to put it into storage when he moved into a home, I could not believe how bad the footpaths are for mobility aids. I was Snap-Send-Solving like you wouldn't believe. And to their credit, both Unley and Mitcham councils were great with getting stuff sorted out. I expected it from Unley, but surprised by Mitcham. It was an eye-opening experience moving through places on four wheels and being really worried about the state of footpaths.

Daniel: And crossing the main roads.

KO: I've been meaning to invite the councillors from Norwood Payneham and St Peters council for a bike ride. Suggesting they bring their kids or grand kids, and let's try to cross Magill Road. Or the Parade. I've been trying to figure out the worst route to take them on.

Daniel: The worst route between places you would want to go to. Cafe to park to school.

KO: Perfect, yes.

Daniel: Do they have a bike plan?

KO: I think so, but I think it's outdated. It feels like their bike plan is "sharrows". (At this point Daniel pulls a face)

Daniel: They're good for showing you where to ride. But they're an ongoing joke in my group of friends.

KO: But this place is good (referring to Bowden)

Daniel: If you just look at it. They've slowed traffic down by narrowing the streets. There are lots of pocket parks. And something you don't see anywhere are places to sit and hang out in the streets, where you might want to kick back for a while. In the city, if you want to sit somewhere without paying money, it's nearly impossible.

KO: I was cruising around the city last week with my laptop, looking for somewhere to sit and do some job applications. In the end I gave up and went home. I know there are park benches around, but I also want a table.

Daniel: Benches are often just facing in a random direction, too. With your back towards something uncomfortable.

KO: A distinct lack of thought when they put them in.

Another diversion, and we're talking about design rules of apartments and neighbourhoods. It feels counter-intuitive, but we both like the idea of cutting regulation in design standards, and replacing it with considered design and thoroughly reviewed.

Daniel: You can be more permissive, but pay more attention to the quality.

KO: And pay attention to parking needs, and proximity to public transport. The government doesn't seem to even pay attention to making sure developments are connected to sewer.

Daniel: Have you heard of Strong Towns in the USA? Hearing about the water and sewer issues they have here with the new developments, because one of their big messages about fiscal sustainability of suburbs, and how they just aren't sustainable. The number of people you have per area, all the infrastructure costs a lot more to install and maintain. Not just when it's new and the developer pays for it, but ongoing after it's been handed over. So they're coming at it from a conservative view so that places can be self-sustaining.

KO: I'd never thought of that. Increase density and you collect more rates for similar amounts of infrastructure.

Daniel: And they argue that dense spaces subsidise the sparse suburbs. So we're all levied for it. I'm not blaming the people who live there...

KO: ...no of course, because what option do you have if you want to buy a house? The apartments that get built feel like they're pretty shitty. Certainly not a place where you feel like you can raise a family. And that's such a big part of making people feel like they can live in an apartment is making sure that it's three bedroom, has access to good facilities, green space nearby, quiet, well insulated, good on energy

Another diversion into thoughts and plans for housing, modifications to sash windows, and Australian houses. Diversions inside side-tracks among tangents.

KO: So started uni and fell in love with cycling again with the parklands and the loop.

Daniel: I had a Giant hybrid that got me around. I didn't want to carry stuff on my back, so I got a rear rack and a basket and fell over because rear baskets get in the way when you dismount if you don't have a step-through. Then I discovered that I could be practical and look cool at the same time, and then I was down the rabbit hole.

KO: When the style side comes out, then it becomes part of your personality. It might sound a bit ridiculous, but you accessorise a little bit to how you want people to perceive you.

Daniel: I was into that with cars, too. But I never could do it, because the car cost so much, and the accessories cost so much. It's not cheap by any means, but it's much more manageable with a bike.

KO: For me, the accessories are the pink pedals, which were cheap...

Daniel: And the handlebars, and the basket.

KO: Yes, the handlebars. The box was picked up from the side of the road. It certainly customised, and I think that it suits me and the image that I think myself of. Practical, not flamboyant, but a bit unusual.

Daniel: You look at it, and think "this person uses this bike for everything".

KO: Yours too, but with a bit more flare maybe. It is just gorgeous.

Daniel: This was my third bike. I had the Giant, then I discovered Surly, which is practical-do-everything. I have a Straggler, which is a drop-bar commuter. That was a good one for learning about what I like. I like silver and chrome, and I like looking good and the proportions of the frame. That one always looks a bit weird to me. I learnt a lot and I wanted to be upright...

KO: But not Tin upright...

Daniel: No, not Tin upright. Performance-upright, I guess. But I had ideas that I took to Sam. I knew I wanted wide tyres, which is why we picked the Bloomfield. I like rim brakes. They look good and they're easy to maintain. It works great aesthetically.

KO: They're so gorgeously practical.

Daniel: And easy to adjust.

KO: I've got a rubbing front disk at the moment and I don't mind it so much until it starts howling. I don't like noises when I ride. I've got a crunchy bottom bracket or pedal or something and it bugs me. Not enough that I'll pull it apart just yet, but I will.

Daniel: It's the beauty of a mechanical bike.

KO: Are you doing any travel on your bikes as well?

Daniel: I'm trying to get into it more. I've done three overnighters in the last year and a bit. I come from this practical-commuting side of beautiful bikes, and then there's this world of road riding on the one hand, and adventure off-road/gravel riding on the other. I'm getting into those two. But while still having beautiful aesthetics. My purple Riv you've seen is my touring/ATV bike. It's not a mountain bike, but it's my go anywhere slowly bike.

KO: That's why bikes are so amazing. They'll do basically anything you ask of them, without any issues.

Daniel: If you're willing to walk every now and then, you could go anywhere on that Omnium.

KO: I'm certainly not too proud to get off and push.

Daniel: The most memorable bits of an adventure ride are when you're walking.

KO: Did you see my post about the camel? That is definitely my most memorable ride, and that involved throwing my bike over a gate and realising I was on private land and it was just one of those memory making things. The only thing I regret about it was that I was alone. I would have loved to have shared it with someone.

Daniel: I'm down for those sorts of bike. Ask Tin - I love route planning. I need a destination, and I try to connect them and I'm notorious for finding questionable connections. Walking trails or private land.

KO: Things are marked as a path on the map, I'm going to use the thing!

Daniel: And we look back with hindsight and enjoy it.

KO: Your multimodal trip to Mt Barker the other day looked really good.

Daniel: I love Bowden where we are, as a demonstration of a good new development, but I want to still experience maybe what's "normal" and that is Mt Barker, or Riverlea, or Seaford.

KO: That's right. I think it's really important to see those, because it gives you fodder on seeing what's wrong.

At this point we chatted family stuff a bit, and then set off on a ride around Bowden, up over North Adelaide, down to Melbourne street and parted ways after some more photos.

I'm loving learning about people's attitudes towards bikes, and the different ways we get to where we are with biking. And the way that what was meant to be a chat about bikes, really became a chat about urban planning, housing, politics, and social-good.

Hit me up if you want to be part of this.