It's funny who you meet on a ride to work

[find_bruce]

I was doing my usual ride to work this morning & found myself chatting to another cyclist as we rode along, in the rain. He looked vaguely familar but I couldn't quite place him. He then asked me if I was a member of Bicycle NSW, to which I said yes, but I was probably not going to renew. Cyclist asked why, so I told him, nothing rude or offensive, but in my usual direct & to the point style.

Anyone figured out who the other cyclist was yet ?

[rkelsen]

Stab in the dark: The President of Bicycle NSW?

[CommuRider]

Omar?

Tony Abbott?

Clover Moore in drag?

[Sydguy]

Piers Ackerman?

Barry O'Farrell?

Alan Jones?

Hot or cold?

JM

[uncle arthur]

The Crown Prince of Denmark?
The Easter Bunny?
Russell Crowe?
Chuck Norris?

[CommuRider]

Second vote for Rusty

[find_bruce]

ha ha - thanks for the laughs guys & gals.

Rkelson was close enough - it was Mr Missing In Action himself, Alex Unwin - the same person who had failed to return my emails - it was a bit hard for him not to answer my questions when I was right beside him & not going away

Funnily enough my answer would have been pretty much the same whether it was directly to him or otherwise - it's always nice when you get to give a free & frank character assessment

He seems a nice enough guy and interestingly he appeared aware of his own shortcomings in relation to media presence & claimed to be looking for someone to be the "public face" for BNSW. It seems we have a couple of votes for Rusty, but I'm goipng to second Chuck Norris.

Sigh, if only I could have confidence that anything is going to change.

[CommuRider]

I thought Alex was a bit too obvious.

Anyway, what bike does he ride? Still wearing that Portfolio Partners jersey? Did you let him know you were still waiting for his email response?!! Hahahahahah....karma.

I wouldn't mind catching Rusty cycling one of these days sure he played a wanky banker inheriting a French chateau and vineyard but his deep voice oozes sexiness.

That Daily Terror journo who criticised his weight and smoking while cycling a coupla yrs ago got a very good deal.

[sogood]

Expecting Alex to respond to every member email is unrealistic. I don't think that's a basis for judgement. Or maybe he timed his commute deliberately to answer your question in person.

[trailgumby]

Well done, find_bruce. Not only on saying your piece, but particularly on keeping it civil.

I doubt I'd have been so restrained... and that would have (justifiably) have led to me being written off.

[find_bruce]

Sorry CR, I will try to meet someone less obvious next time. Alex was riding an old avanti road bike & appropriate for the weather he was wearing a yellow rain jacket.

Actually sogood one of the first things he said once I told him my name was "I owe you an email", so either my email was either particularly memorable or he doesn't get many emails from members

TG given that he asked "is the new bloke a bit of a f...wit" I suspect you would not be the first person who was less than civil Part of the reason I was civil to him is that most of what I am upset about is not about him. As one person so gently put it, Alex was never the bloke to get up on his hind legs and roar. I think that any fair minded person would accept that Alex is performing the role in the same way he did before.

My problem is with the board - it was the board that used the proxies to kill the resolutions at the AGM, it was the board that drove Omar to quit, it was the board who decided to reappoint Alex, despite knowing exactly what he brought to the table.

[CommuRider]

For the board:



seems the board does not like change or definitely is not too keen to change and embrace the fact that BNSW is not about them but about the needs of its members.

However, whoever here wants to nominate for election, am sure we can canvass enough votes eg for TG. Still the board would have been nominated by insiders whether by Alex or not. The board isn't being paid and for most non for profits, the CEO has more power than the board esp when it comes to who to nominate.

I blame both management and board imho. Alex has had 5-6 years to progress with the needs of its members but didn't. Omar was too radical for the old fogeys and we are stuck with the same-old, same-old.

It will take at least 3 years to change the current culture at BNSW esp when it has had a big CEO/board fallout ala Omar. Best to take my membership $ elsewhere. I hear BVIC is actually interested in professionalising the board as opposed to the incestuous and cloistered atmosphere infecting BNSW.

Btw, for those interested we are going to have a new non-profits/charities regulator from 1July and BNSW will come under the auspices of the new regulator called the Australian Charities and Non-Profits Commission (ACNC). Would be a good avenue for accountability of membership $.

[sogood]

Blame the board, blame the CEO, blame the volunteers and don't forget to blame the "voters" too.

[Rockford]

If they need a face for BNSW they should look at getting Jennifer Hawkins. (in lycra bike shorts and Italian fit jersey she would be a very good face for the organisation and would no doubt represent our best interests)

[CommuRider]

Rusty. Hawko doesn't really represent my interests. Do we really need another commercial outlet for her? She has too many modelling contracts already. Enough dumbing down of cycling to anorexic models. I would infinitely prefer Chiara, Cadel's wife, to promote cycling. Much more DTE and can speak Italian. Far easier to look at than Hawko with her airbrushed image.

Anyway, as for female eye candy: Rusty - being an ex-smoker - would better promote cycling's benefits. He told Warney to get on his bike

[Rockford]

Mine was sarcasm btw, probably should have put a few at the end of it.

[CommuRider]

I am sure others are thinking of half-naked models for cycle promo...see ride a bike naked to promote cycling. Where 90% will be overweight males who haven't had a thrill for a while trying to capture the 10% (or less) of naked females. One word: YouTube.

[zero]

At least he was on his bike on a rainy day.

[timbo]

So my vote for Warnie would have been no good.
I agree, its good to see him out on the bike.