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Date: 8/20/2025
Subject: Bike North Newsletter - 20 August 2025
From: Bike North


20 august 2025	Your Bike North NewsLETTER

AGM / BRD Success

Sunday's Big Rides Day and Annual General meeting were a roaring success. Perfect dry sunny and (eventually) warm weather provided the perfect conditions for a variety of rides led by BN Ride Leaders (see photos below).

Gathering at Sydney Olympic Park, members were fed and watered generously by the social committee (thanks Marilyn and Wendy!), before the formalities of the AGM commenced.

The outgoing Committee members presented a brief version of their reports - read the full Annual Report here.

And four BN members were recognised for their contributions with the granting of awards - refer article below.

The election of the Bike North Committee for 2025-2026 was supervised by Justin Holmwood and the following were duly elected:

President: David Thomson

Secretary: Tom Rubin

Treasurer: Melody Guo

Ordinary member: Chris Cutcliffe

Ordinary member: Andrew Ellison

Ordinary member: Brian Lynne

You can see them smiling happily in the photo above (Melody absent).

Congratulations to all those elected and thank you an advance for your work for Bike North in the coming year!

BN Volunteers recognised in annual Awards

Bike North's longevity and success as the largest bike club in NSW is based on the work of its fabulous volunteers.

At Sunday's AGM, four members were recognised for their contributions to Bike North:

Life Membership Award: Alison Prior
Volunteer Award: Leadership - Phill Hart

Volunteer Award: Rides - Roger Pottie (unable to attend today but photo shows Brian Lynne holding his award!)

Volunteer Award: Advocacy - Mary Ann Irvin

These members have contributed in a range of ways and articles about their contributions appear this week and in next week's edition of Chain Reaction.

Volunteer Award 2025: PHILL HART – Leadership

If you have been a member of Bike North at any time over the past five years, you will know that President Phill Hart has been highly visible, leading rides, volunteering with Cycling Without Age, speaking at Big Rides Days, speaking to members about a myriad of issues and writing to members via the Chain Reaction newsletter.

In acknowledgement of Phill’s leadership and commitment to achieving positive and long-lasting outcomes for Bike North, he has been awarded a Volunteer Award for 2025.

Phill joined Bike North in May 2019 and only a year later had put up his hand to stand for President at the August 2020 AGM. He was elected unopposed. Since then, Phill has involved himself across all areas of the club, with some standout contributions.

Common themes throughout Phill's presidency have been innovation and forward momentum, representing the club at the highest levels with knowledge and influence, and bringing a personal touch to interactions with members.

For a full review of Phill's contributions, Read more here.

and a parting word from the man himself ...

As I step back...

I was President for five years. It’s important that Bike North has the benefit of new ideas and new energy, so I did not seek re-election to the role.

I congratulate David Thomson on his taking on the role. Bike North is in strong hands; I feel confident for its future, with David and the new Executive Committee.

Stepping back, I will miss being so actively involved with Bike North; it has been a lot of fun.

Wherever possible I have tried to identify and support people’s enthusiasms, embrace new opportunities, be open to new ideas, and encourage us to be generous.

I am very proud of what Bike North has achieved in these five years. Together, we have:

Consistently held a strong program of rides, adding more and more routes
Built the highly successful Big Rides Days into one of our most popular initiatives
Survived, nay thrived through the pandemic
Supported and advocated for many many improvements to cycling infrastructure
Established ourselves as trusted and responsible partners in advocating for these improvements, building relationships most notably with new local government mayors and councillors and state government members and with agencies such as Transport for NSW
Connected people who that can ride with those who want to ride but can’t (because of age, infirmity or physical conditions), firstly through our support for Cycling Without Age Sydney North (almost all of their pilots and scouts are Bike North Members) and more recently with Riding Together on the Pino tandems
Developed and launched our fresh new online approach to supporting our members, with the IT platform that supports people in important ways.

You will certainly see me around. I will continue to lead rides and will be very pleased to support the new Executive Committee through the transition in whatever way they request.

I thank you all for the support you have given me over this time. It has been a great journey that I will treasure forever.

Phill Hart

recent past President

Life Member: ALISON PRYOR

Life membership of Bike North is the highest honour that can be granted to any member and is only awarded where a member has given outstanding service to Bike North over a period of time, service which has a profound impact on Bike North, its members and the community in general.

This year, Life Membership has been awarded to a member who has provided outstanding service across all areas of Bike North since joining on 29 December 2005: Alison Pryor.

Within two years of joining Bike North, Alison completed training and was approved as a Ride Leader in August 2007. Alison has since gone on to become a Master Ride Leader, helping other Bike North members achieve Ride Leader status and volunteering with Bicycle NSW to train ride leaders from across NSW.

As part of the Committee for eleven years, Alison held the positions of Training Co-ordinator and Rides Co-ordinator. As Training Co-ordinator, she developed a strong working relationship with Ryde Council and assisted in training both adults and children in how to ride. Individual members have also benefited from Alison’s coaching, both as one-on-one sessions and also on rides.

Read more about Alison’s contributions here.

Activ8 Your Bike

Your bike has been sitting alone all winter but, now that it’s warming up, you want to participate in Bike North’s Activ8 in September.

But is your bike up to it?

The easiest, and often most cost-effective, way to be sure your bike is ready to get going again is to book it in at your local bike shop and get it properly serviced. A basic service may cost as little as $95, plus parts, but it’s still cheaper than a taxi home if your bike breaks down.

There are a few things you can do to check your bike out first. Click here to read the full checklist.

BIG Bike Film Night

Bike North is proud to support Big Bike Film Night 2025 at the Roseville cinema screening on Thursday 4 September from 7.00pm.

Join us for a selection of short films of cycling tales from around the world.

Featured this year are our friends Cycling Without Age and the wonderful trishaw rides they provide for less able-bodied citizens.

Proclaimed as “a feast of short films devised and designed for the two-wheel devotee” it has its humble beginnings in Taupō, New Zealand in 2015. The Big Bike Film Night is now a much-anticipated global Film Festival that brings a love of cycling to cinemas, presenting an array of international movies specifically selected by New Zealander Curator | “Film Pedlar”, Brett Cotter.

“Our scintillating 2025 collection contains eight mesmerizing films that are as varied and diverse as you could hope for. With arguably the finest selection of cycling films yet, from the exotic location of northern Pakistan to the suburban streets of Santa Barbara in America, from the soaring mountain peaks of Austria to breathtaking Queenstown, New Zealand to the captivating Scottish Highlands” states Mr Cotter.

Watch this trailer and get excited: Watch this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-LelGKDh0

Book now: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1364789

BN members can email your receipts by 31 August 2025 to entries@bikenorth.org.au to go into the draw to have your tickets reimbursed in our annual draw!

...and ...

if you are going to the BBFN, why not join others at El Karim for a meal, snack or drink prior to the movies?

Bike North members are welcome to attend the restaurant any time from 5.00pm. There is no formal booking, so just join whoever is there or start a new table.

Please register via the Calendar in the usual way so that we can notify the restaurant of numbers.

CHAIN REACTION ARTICLE DEADLINE

Bike North members are keen to hear about your rides and ideas. Send your article to editor@bikenorth.org.au by 1.00pm each Tuesday for publication in our weekly newsletter Chain Reaction or for your article to be added to our News library.
Before sending your ideas please read the Guidelines for Contributors.

Submit your article

BICYCLE NSW DISCOUNT

Did you know that membership of Bike North entitles you to a 15% discount on a membership to Bicycle NSW? Use code 15NORTH when you join or renew. Bicycle NSW members receive global, comprehensive (personal accident and public liability) rider insurance and a range of other benefits as well as advocacy and legal support.

Find out more

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