Politicans ride their bikes as well

I just spotted this in the SMH.

Yes its roadie talk but hey I wonder if Mr Abbott has ever tried to take the MTB for a spin in his local backyard Forestville?. Good Luck he would have to drive round to Manly Dam

Pollies pedal for cancer research

March 31, 2008 - 8:33AM

A group of federal politicians is about to embark on a 1,000km bike ride from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for prostate cancer research.

The eleventh annual Pollie Pedal, beginning at 9am (AEDT) on Monday, will see Tony Abbott, Kelvin Thomson, Kevin Andrews, Pat Farmer, Sussan Ley, Julie Owens, Bernie Ripoll and Guy Barnett spend the next eight days in the saddle.

They will be joined along the way by Chris Hayes and Louise Markus and other members of the community.

The Pollie Pedal route passes through Yea, Benalla, Rutherglen, Culcairn, Junee, Boorowa, Goulburn and Camden before finishing at Westmead Hospital on April 8.

Mr Abbott, well-known as a keen cyclist, said it was "terrific" to be at the start of a long ride for a good cause.

He said prostate cancer touched 15,000 men every year and "tragically" killed 3,000 of them annually.

"This is for men what breast cancer is for women," Mr Abbott told the Nine Network.

"It's a killer but if it's caught early it can be beaten."

Asked if the ride would be easier this year without the pressure of being in government, Mr Abbott, dressed in lycra, joked: "There'll be a little less paperwork to do at the end of every day."

Pollie Pedal was "a chance to go to places and meet people who don't normally see politicians".

The ride raises money for the Millennium Foundation at Westmead hospital in Sydney.