I’LL never understand why my morning radio program often becomes a battleground between motorists and cyclists.

I don’t get it, but the subject came up again with the announcement of work on the Civic cycle loop.

As a regular road bike rider and daily car driver, I’m going to try to bridge the divide and answer five simple questions that non-bike riders may ask…

• Why do you wear Lycra? When I first started riding I vowed to never wear lycra. I relented for two reasons: the fabric breathes and keeps me warm and/or cool and the specialist bike tops have built-in pockets that negate the need for a back pack.
• Why do you ride on the road when there’s often a bike path right next to it? The off-road bike path network is often incomplete or very indirect. Because my road bike tyres are thin, they need a flat surface. Off-road paths of adjacent cement slabs are often hazardous to ride on.
• Why do bike riders all drink coffee? Because we like coffee.
• Why should we spend these millions on a Civic bike loop? The cycling network is incomplete. Once you reach the city from the northside, it’s a cycling dead end, unless you’re brave enough to mix it with the cars, buses and trucks without a designated bike lane. It’s a major factor in convincing many Canberrans to not ride their bikes into town and with a bike loop, more riders will leave the car in the garage and ride into town.
• Why do magpies swoop cyclists? Don’t know, but my theory is that any bird with such strong links to the Collingwood Football Club is likely to be belligerent, narrow minded and stupidly biased.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC.