Cruzbike on ABC New Inventors

Last week I was in Sydney at the invitation of the ABC New Inventors program. For our non-Australian friends, the ABC is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the government funded national broadcaster, in radio, television and digital media. What is great about the ABC is its independence. Like the BBC in the U.K., the ABC is the most trusted media organisation in Australia and would rank highly worldwide. The ABC is part of what makes Australia a great country.

So naturally I was extremely proud for Cruzbike to be in Sydney recording an episode of New Inventors with presenter James O’Loghlin and panellists Dr James Bradfield Moody, Professor Veena Sahajwalla as well as Warren Brown, of Top Gear Australia fame.

The show is slated to air 8 June 2011 at 8PM on ABC1.

My brief to the panelists included the following:

THE PROBLEM IN BRIEF

How to fix bicycle ergonomics without losing the ability to ‘stand on the pedals’ climb hills and accelerate, without compromising performance. In effect, how to fix it, without spoiling it.

INVENTION IN BRIEF

A front wheel drive system that replicates the rear wheel drive system of a regular bike to retain the same efficiencies and riding modes, while the rider’s weight is nevertheless properly supported.

First, the producer, Belinda Gibbon, took Kim Tolhurst and me together with her Sound Engineer Gunter and Cinematogapher Daniel off to the Bicentennial/Federal/Jubilee Parks adjacent to Rozelle Bay. We recorded an interview. Can you imagine dancing but having to stop mid stride whenever the music stopped? Then you can imagine recording an interview yet pausing whenever an aeroplane came past, or a dog barked, or a leaf blower turned up. Whew! It's hard to keep track of where you are across those long pauses. When Belinda was happy with what she had, we got into stride on the bike, which was rather more fun!

I am yet to properly look at the pictures taken, but Kim assures me they are spectacular. And Belinda was also really happy with the Go Pro shots, done with a tiny camera taped to my helmet. We headed off for lunch, then to attack some hills on a little upright bike. The whole message I was trying to get across was that the great thing about a regular bike is how stiff the frame and rear triangles are and how this is why it performs so well. And then the cruzbike of course has this same structure and that is why it too performs so well – plus it also has ergonomic advantages to entice many back into cycling.

The day before the show, we met Warren Brown for training. Kim did his palm open training routine and before long, Warren was doing nice round loops in the open space behind the ABC Ultimo building.
On studio-day we met the other inventors in the episode, and appreciated different kinds of folks that together share an inventive nature. That was a real pleasure. At the same time there was the anxiety of going before the cameras and studio audience. Eventually I got called out of the green room to record the segment.
Not long later, Kim and I were packing up the Silvio and Vendetta, which had been the real stars of the occasion and were heading off for a well earned bite to eat.