Lycra ban is 'un-Australian' say cyclistsBy Wayne Flower and Phillip Hudson - The Advertiser May 07, 2010
A CALL for a controversial ban on wearing lycra in public has split opinion and sparked outrage from the cyclist community who labelled it a political stunt.
Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi yesterday sparked outrage after he called for the common cycling clothing to be banned following an earlier close shave on a Sydney bike path by a lycra clad man.
Writing on his personal blog, the outspoken senator said lycra was "emerging as the preferred disguise of bandits and n'er do wells".
He wants to see it banned, but also because it prevents cyclists from interacting in normal day-to-day life.
"The lycra isolates some Australians from others," he wrote, "It is un-Australian - and it's symbolic barrier is far greater than the measure of cloth it is created from. For safety and for society, lycra needs to be banned."
However Assisting Shift in Multicultural Australia director Janine
Evans, who is a cyclist, said it was too simplistic to say that lycra did not fit into Australian society.
"To say it doesn't fit with our way of life and culture shuts the door to cyclists becoming active members of society," she said.
Other cyclist groups dismissed the call as a political stunt aimed at tapping into anti-cyclist sentiment.
Senator Bernardi's comments were backed by security experts but Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said while there was "understandable concern in the community" about people wearing lycra, a ban was not Coalition policy.
Cycling Australia Association's Keysar Trad rejected the call as ignorant and said it was a political stunt.
Wearing lycra actually helped people to exercise, whereas a ban would only force them indoors on where they'd "miss out on the vitamin D".
"It's tantamount to denying them the right to drive, the right to enjoy all the services of society as well as equal opportunity," Mr Trad said.
In France, a bid to ban the lycra from public places was about President Nicolas Sarkozy trying to win anti-cyclist votes, Mr Trad said.
Former Victoria Police deputy commissioner Bob Falconer said most police were reluctant to search suspects wearing lycra.