About

We are working towards creating a western community cycling hub, to be built in the inner-west of Melbourne, promoting cycling-safety, healthy lifestyles choices and and cycling across the West.

President: John Symons has lived and worked in the inner west for 14 years. He has been passionate about cycling since he was 3 years old when he cycled down hills way above his skill level. He has raced with Blackburn, Brunswick, Randwick Botany and Archer (London) Cycling Clubs. Before he had children, John and his wife spent a year cycling from Vietnam through China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Turkey to Greece and then cycled the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University. He has worked extensively on the economic benefits of road safety interventions in developing countries as well as active transport and green infrastructure. He has just returned from a 6-month sabbatical in Sweden where he visited road safety and cycling experts and projects in several European cities including Copenhagen, London, Seville and Gothenburg.

Silvan Nellen is a passionate mountain biker, whose primary mode of transportation is cycling and who’s never owned a car in his life. On weekends, he can often be found hitting the trails around Melbourne and in Quarry Park. A native of Switzerland, he was surprised to find such a huge wealth and variety of trails so close to his new home.
During office hours, Silvan is usually daydreaming about the next trail adventure while pretending to work as a software developer. At BikeWest, he’s invovled in all things mountain biking and IT. Silvan is looking forward to sharing his years of experience from being an active member of the mountain biking club in his former hometown of Zürich.

Nick Hall is a relative newcomer to the west, reaching the end of a southerly trajectory that started in Yorkshire and took in stops in Birmingham, London, Canberra and Fitzroy on its way to Footscray at the start of 2018. He rediscovered a childhood love of cycling, and discovered an enthusiasm for cycling evangelism, whilst mostly successfully dodging traffic in London. He found trading capital cities to Canberra opened up more opportunities in mountain biking and is now a keen fat tyre racer.

He is currently running a number of technology projects and change management for a national charity.

Elena has lived in Footscray and West Footscray since 2011, quickly falling in love with the community, vitality and diversity of the inner west. She has a background in architecture and an extensive knowledge in urban systems and regenerative development.
As an enthusiastic bicycle rider, she is primarily concerned with increasing traffic congestion and inhospitable active transport alternatives. Elena is passionate about ensuring an integrated transport approach, benefiting all ages and for all abilities, supporting local economic exchange, reducing pollution and creating vibrant communities.

Megan Bridger-Darling is a fair weather cyclist. She has scars on her knees and elbows from when the training wheels came off. Her yellow Graegoose has three working gears. She does silly things like long distance ocean swimming without a wetsuit and often leaves the house without her mobile phone.