Proposed e-bike licensing laws in Queensland could have national implications, raising important questions about access, safety, and how we regulate emerging transport. While intended to address safety concerns, these proposals risk treating low-risk, pedal-assisted e-bikes the same as higher-powered, non-compliant devices. This could create unnecessary barriers for people who rely on e-bikes as an affordable and accessible form of transport.

As these discussions evolve, it is critical that policy responses are evidence-based and proportionate to actual risk. Getting this right will shape not only how e-bikes are regulated, but also the future of active travel across Australia.

Pedal Power attended Senator David Pocock’s press conference on Wednesday 24 March, alongside Greens Leader Larissa Waters, Shane Rattenbury MLA and Thomas Emerson MLA, highlighting growing crossbench focus on transport affordability and cost of living pressures.

While concerns were raised that cheaper fares could mean buses might get too full, Pedal Power sees increased public transport use as a positive sign and an opportunity to invest in greater capacity, service frequency, and active travel connections.

As National Ride2School Day approaches on 20 March, Canberra’s bike buses show how riding together can help children travel safely to school while building confidence, independence and community. From music blasting from cargo bikes to cupcakes at the school gate, these joyful group rides are reimagining the school commute.

Six tandem teams from Fitability are gearing up to ride in the Mudgee Cycle Classic this May, thanks to a 2025 Hireup Impact Grant from Hireup.

Fitability pairs riders together on tandem bikes so that people who may not be able to ride independently can still experience the joy and freedom of cycling. Some teams will take on the 120 km course while others ride the 65 km route, showcasing the power of inclusive cycling.

Click through to learn more about the riders heading to Mudgee and how Fitability is creating opportunities for more people to get out and ride.

Canberra has made the global stage for cycling, becoming the only Australian city to appear in the 2025 Copenhagenize Index of the world’s most bike-friendly cities. Ranked 80th out of 100 cities worldwide, the result highlights both Canberra’s strong cycling foundations and how much further Australia still has to go to match the world’s leading bike cities. So how did Canberra score and what can we learn from the global leaders?

Think you can spot a legal e-bike?

With more electric bikes appearing on Canberra’s paths and streets, it’s not always obvious which ones are compliant and which might actually be motorbikes in disguise. Some e-bikes look fast, flashy and a little bit motocross-inspired, but appearances can be deceiving.

So how can you tell the difference, and what should a legal e-bike actually do for you? Click through to learn the simple signs to look for and why a compliant e-bike is more about flattening hills than breaking speed records

What do you get when you combine flowers, decorated bikes and a giant cockatoo? Canberra’s 2026 Fancy Women’s Ride. Riders gathered in colourful outfits and creative costumes to celebrate women riding bikes, with speeches from Pedal Power and local MLAs, costume judging, dancing and a joyful ride through the city. The event brought colour, community and a powerful message about visibility for women and gender diverse people on bikes to the streets of Canberra.

Pedal Power is seeking volunteers to support two key community initiatives in 2026: the Bike Library and the Canberra Times Marathon Festival.

We are looking for a regular Bike Library Coordinator to help deliver weekly and monthly bike loan sessions that support refugees, increase access to cycling, and keep bikes out of landfill.

We are also inviting members to volunteer at the Canberra Times Marathon Festival in April, assisting with roles such as drink stations, course marshals, and finish line support. Volunteering is a fun way to be part of a major Canberra event while supporting Pedal Power programs.

To express interest in either opportunity, please email membership@pedalpower.org.au.

Meet our Bike Library Coordinators: Shantanu, Rhi and Sri, a passionate team supporting Pedal Power ACT’s Bike Library and helping more people access safe, affordable bikes in Canberra.

Together, they bring a diverse mix of professional experience, cultural knowledge and community commitment. From heritage conservation and social enterprise to recruitment and community engagement, each coordinator contributes unique skills while sharing a common interest in sustainability, active transport and inclusive communities.

As a team, Shantanu, Rhi and Sri support Bike Library sessions at Margaret Hendry School in Taylor, working with borrowers, managing bike loans, and helping ensure the Bike Library runs smoothly. Their work plays a key role in removing barriers to cycling and supporting more people to ride for transport, wellbeing and connection.

When women began riding bicycles in the late nineteenth century, the response was alarm. Women cyclists were portrayed as a threat to the social order and warned that cycling would undermine femininity. That discomfort with women being mobile, autonomous and visible in public space has not disappeared. It has simply changed its language.

Today, women’s decisions about cycling are still shaped by fear, poor infrastructure and the risk of harassment or violence. When women ride confidently and visibly, backlash can be swift, as seen in the abuse directed at Marisa Paterson after she shared a photo of herself cycling to work. This was not about cycling. It was about a woman occupying public space with confidence.

Pedal Power is challenging these realities through the Fancy Women’s Ride on International Women’s Day, a free, festive ride affirming women’s right to be safe, visible and confident on our streets.

When bikes in the Pedal Power ACT Bike Library reach the end of their use, volunteer Prince Jyubeh steps in to give them a second chance. One by one, he restores old bikes and prepares them for shipment to communities where access to transport can change lives.

The bikes are donated to Glorious Uniting Helps Ministries, which supports students and single mothers who often walk long distances to reach school, work, or essential services.

Through his quiet dedication, Prince turns bikes that might otherwise be scrapped into practical tools that make a real difference for families in need.

On 16 December, Pedal Power members came together at Lennox Gardens to celebrate the end of a big year and mark our 50th anniversary in true community spirit. Around 30 members enjoyed a relaxed picnic-style evening filled with shared food, great company and plenty of festive cheer. This year’s sustainable Kris Kringle, featuring handmade and pre-loved gifts, added an extra layer of creativity and laughter to the evening.

The night also saw the presentation of our 2025 Volunteer Awards, recognising the incredible efforts of those who go above and beyond for our community. Congratulations to all our award recipients, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helps make Pedal Power such a welcoming and active organisation.

After spending six months living in Madrid, Mikayla came back to Canberra with a very different perspective on what cycling can look like in a big city; both the good and the frustrating. Riding daily gave her a front-row seat to Madrid’s contradictions: impressive investment in sustainable transport alongside streets that still feel actively hostile to bikes.

From watching school bike buses roll past (sometimes ending in a well-earned bici-churro) to navigating major roads where painted bike lanes simply disappear, Madrid showed her how much infrastructure and community matters. Some parts of the city are doing it brilliantly. Others still have a long way to go.

This week, Pedal Power had the pleasure of attending the 2025 Volunteering ACT Awards, where we proudly nominated our Advocacy Team for the Team Award. Volunteer Advocacy Coordinator Mike Watson, along with advocates Rob Dalitz, Assistant Coordinator for Ginnindera Electorate and Gregg Berry, Coordinator for Yerrabi Electorate, joined Executive Director Cecily Michaels to represent the extraordinary work of the team. 

After a packed session at the National Library exploring why bicycles continue to capture our imaginations, about twenty riders joined Pedal Power Board member and long-time ride leader John Widdup for a gentle loop around the wetlands of Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday 15 November. 

The talk beforehand, Two Wheels to Adventure: Bikes and why we love them, drew a crowd of well over a hundred people. Facilitator Dr Rebecca Fleming guided a lively conversation with the panel: Tony Wheeler AO, co-founder of Lonely Planet, and historian Dr Daniel Oakman, well known for works such as Wild Ride and his biography of Sir Hubert Opperman. 

Most of the time, your rides will be uneventful in the best possible way. But when something unexpected happens, it helps to know you’re not facing it alone. 

Here are two fictional examples that show how Pedal Power’s membership insurance can support you, whether you’re injured yourself or accidentally cause harm to someone else. 

If something happens while you’re riding or volunteering, we recommend completing an incident report within two weeks, even if you’re unsure whether a claim will be needed. You’ll find the form on our website. 

Pedal Power has been advocating for years to secure a safe, direct connection between Coombs and the C5 near the RSPCA. The new shared path and bridge are meant to deliver precisely that. But the latest proposed design still poses a serious safety issue that can’t be ignored.

The path leading to the bridge currently sits at a 9.3 percent gradient. In real terms, that’s steep. For comparison, Canberra’s best-practice guidelines recommend gradients between 5 and 7 percent for shared paths, and ideally lower in areas used by children or beginner riders. Once you push past 8 percent, braking distances increase sharply, bikes gather speed quickly without pedalling, and it becomes much harder for riders to maintain control.

Cycling Without Age helps older, less mobile Canberrans enjoy a breath of fresh air and the wind in their hair.

On Saturday, 29 November, Pedal Power hosted free rides in our Danish trishaws, pedalled by our volunteer pilots. Some would say we felt a little too much wind in our hair that day, but the breeze didn’t stop us from taking a relaxed ride around Lake Ginninderra. In fact, the determination of our pilots made the chilly morning feel surprisingly cosy.

Cyclonats had very humble beginnings and has very grand ambitions. The idea for a festival of cycling began when Nigel McRae had an inspiration and invited a few dedicated cyclists to brainstormed the idea at Smith’s Alternative in 2024. These cyclists had a vision of a weekend festival that would spread all over Canberra in March every year, celebrating every kind of rider from toddlers on trikes to elite athletes on the fastest machines.

E-bikes may be one of the most sought-after Christmas gifts this year, but the market has become confusing - and in some cases, unsafe. With more Canberrans turning to electric bikes for recreation, commuting and family riding, it’s vital to understand the difference between a legal, roadworthy e-bike and the growing number of illegal high-powered devices being sold online as if they were bicycles.