Unsung Icons: Bikes

Comedian David Smiedt takes an irreverent, but appreciative, look at the classic things that define you-beaut Aussie life

- Matt Cosgrove

Those lucky enough to have had a childhood of Australian summers most likely also have a memory montage filled with sunburn, blowing out a thong mid-sprint, dropping an ice-cream cone before you had the chance to take a lick… and bikes. Nothing provided more of a taste of two-wheeled independence than a bike. With a working chain and enough sugar-fuelled energy, your little world instantly grew a tiny bit bigger. A park or beach that was once just a bit too far to walk to was suddenly in reach.

For generations of Australians, that first intoxicating taste of wind in the hair and grease on the ankles came courtesy of a Malvern Star. Yes, it sounded like a suburban newspaper – remember them? – but its pedigree stretches back to 1903 when the first Aussie team to take on the Tour de France had Tom Finnigan’s steeds beneath them. They’re still going strong, albeit with model names updated from the rather pedestrian-sounding ‘5 Star Dural’ to ‘Storm’ and ‘Hurricane’.