It’s getting hot in here, but please keep on your clothes

If you think Sydney is balmy now, we may be in for a shock. 

The city has just recorded its warmest run of June days in more than a century, making winter bearable even for residents of brick-built terraces and century-old apartment blocks. 

And this week, the BoM declared El Nino to be active, warning it could be the strongest such weather pattern in recorded history.

Thought has already turned to how to get through a sweltering summer. Contrary to apparent wisdom, the lack of insulation so evident in winter ain’t going to save you come summer.

One reasonably easy way of surviving the coming sweatbox is to replace walking up hills with enjoying a bit of breeze as you hum through the streets on an ebike.

The recent fuel crisis led to a surge in demand, with one store reporting a quadrupling in demand earlier in the year. More than 300,000 ebikes are expected to be bought this year, up from 9000 in 2017. The number of shared ebikes has quadrupled in less than two years.

But policy and planning settings are bumping up against consumer demand. 

After a ten month inquiry that saw 1200 submissions, Queensland is set to introduce laws that amount to “probably the most hostile for ebike usage anywhere in the world”, according to one academic expert.

Sydney has been more supportive, but concerns continue over safety, particularly given a patchy cycling network. 

Londoners have taken a novel approach to the issue of safety, with 1000 riders joining the 22nd annual World Naked Bike Ride to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists in big cities. Unfortunately, around half chose to use rental bikes for the occasion. 

No matter how hot Australia gets this year, we can probably all agree that’s one way we won’t be keeping cool.