Recycling Cycling Part 1. Hard Rubbish in Melbourne

Hard Rubbish Day for those who aren't familiar with the concept is when you put your unwanted household items out the front of your house knowing that your local council is going to pay some contractor to come along, collect and hopefully sort it, recycle or dispose of it. That's after all of the neighbours and seagulls from all over town have trawled your bric-a-brac on the kerbside eyeing off anything of relative value to take home with them or to take to the nearest scrap recycler.  Let's just say it's fare game for all and it's a form of modern day recycling which probably saves the council thousands in collection and tipping fees.

The story begins on my daily cycling commute from North Yarra to Blackburn, where it soon becomes apparent that the leafy council of Boroondara is having its annual kerbside carnival.  It kind of made me wonder whether there is some kind of one upmanship going on here.  Can I show off to my neighbours by showing how much new stuff I've accumulated and how much good old stuff I've got to throw out?  Mattresses, couches, BBQs, the ubiquitous CRT TVs (minimum 3 per household), furniture, kid's exercise bike.  Hang on a second, did I just see that?  An exercise bike designed for kids made out of colourful plastic, pushed out with the debris stained tide sitting along side all of the flotsam and jetsam of the inner eastern ring.  Could such a thing really exist?  My first reaction was to pull over and take a photo of that thing, but then I thought it'll be there on the way home so I'll snap it in the afternoon light. 

All day long thoughts ran through my head. Who in their right mind would buy their child an exercise bike?  Ok, I know people whose kids have personal trainers and go to gyms (subject for another day), but this was something aimed at the 3 - 6 year old market. This is the world's most liveable city, well serviced by bike paths and relatively flat too.  What parent does not delight in teaching their kid to ride a bike and spend time with them riding to and from a park?  Hang on, did I not do the same thing years ago while training for a half-ironman on my wind trainer in the backyard when I chocked my three year old son's front wheel and training wheels up on bricks so he could pedal beside me while his mother and younger brother slept?  No that was fun and father-son bonding, not fitness inspired torture for toddlers.

I returned nine hours later and now on the right side of the road ready to snap.  Something was missing, the tide of want had seduced a new owner. The kid's exercise bike was gone.  What was its brand, its history, who were the previous owners, why were they throwing it out and was it useful?  Someone definitely thought it had some life left in it yet.

A quick internet search the next day for kids exercise bike quickly answered all my questions.  http://tinyurl.com/7fqqlpo   The good people at Fisher Price were able to tell me "Smart Cycle "physical learning arcade system" is an all-in-one stationary bike, video game console, and educational tool. Your little one will exercise her brain and her body -- and have loads of fun in the process."  Quick cover the keyboard, I'm going to be sick.

It reminded me of all those bods sitting on their stationary bikes lined up in gyms all over the world sucking in some entertainment to numb the pain of physically paying for their gain. Better get used to it while you are young kid, it's going to become a way of life.

Next I uncovered the not so secret world of blogging parents reviewing and endorsing this product. There were a lot of strong arguments for the kid's exercise bike.  Let's face facts, we Melburnians don't live in a city where you can only ride a bike outside for 4 months of the year.  Ask any parent, and yes they'll be busier than they want to be and pressed for time to spend with their kids. Besides it will probably start raining as soon as the question comes up who wants to go for a bike ride?  So perhaps if you hail from Alaska I'll let you own one of these because I'd hate to see your kiddie get run over by an ice road trucker or a wayward skidoo rider.

One of the great pleasures of life is simply jumping on a bike a going for a ride or efficiently getting from A to B.  Being able to be mobile, get some fresh air and exercise all at the same time is one of the great things I love about cycling.  Cycling, it's my caffeine.