Pedal into History – Bicycle Network
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Learning to ride a bike is one of the joys of many children’s (and adult’s) lives – a skill passed from generation to generation. For some, it is their first taste of freedom to travel independently – a rite of passage.
Bicycle riding has become a major mode of transport in Victoria, as it was in pre-1970s Australia. It is an extremely simple and important part of a healthy lifestyle which Bicycle Network promotes and advocates for.
Bicycle Network started in Melbourne in 1975 when a group of like-minded and passionate bike riders met to bring the Victorian bike riding community together.
It was originally known as the Bicycle Institute of Victoria and founders including Keith Dunstan (who became the first President of our organisation), Ron Shepherd and Alan Parker worked tirelessly to get the organisation off the ground.
With the help of patron and former St Kilda MP Brian Dixon Bicycle Network’s founders worked to put bike riding, and improving conditions for riders, on the Victorian Government agenda.
The organisation quickly grew…
Recruiting members (they had 3000 members by 1978) and volunteers to run successful bike events like the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride – the first of which was run in 1984 to coincide with Victoria’s 150th birthday celebrations.
Over the years, Bicycle Network’s name has changed from the Bicycle Institute of Victoria, to Bicycle Victoria, to Bicycle Network Victoria.
In 2011, the organisation’s name was changed to Bicycle Network, to reflect the fact it represents all Australian riders. That same year, it was given status as a charity.
Since its early beginnings, Bicycle Network has grown into an organisation with almost 45,000 members, running world-class bike riding events, behaviour change programs including National Ride2School and National Ride2Work days.
Bicycle Network is a charity promoting the health of the community and is owned by its members. The organisation combats physical inactivity by making it easier for people to ride bikes, and, aims to get more people cycling more often.