Laura and Russ, my two favourite bicycle tourists, have put together a neat video on how bicycles can save small town American. The same logic can certainly be applied here in Australia. Sure, this is a big, spread out country but what bicycle tourism there already is tends to be concentrated in more densely populated parts. And there are plenty of other regions that are well suited to bicycle tourism in Australia but haven’t caught on.  My mind goes to the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula here in South Australia.

Laura mentions the Otago Central Rail Trail. The townships along the trail were at their peak during the days of the old railway. But when it closed the towns suffered. Bicycle tourism has breathed life back into these towns.

She is also very right that bicycling tends to be seen as an urban pursuit. But it doesn’t have to be. What a wonderful way to experience rural Australia: cycling along quiet country roads, breeze in your face, fields of canola surrounding you. In fact, my partner and I had a taste of this earlier this year. We spent a few days in the Clare Valley. We spent one day touring the wineries by bike, following the Riesling Trail which too is an old railway.

How Bicycles Can Save Small Town America – PathLessPedaled.com from Russ Roca on Vimeo.