Pedal power: Tim Jones loves Melbourne streets

How many bikes and how do you know when you have too many?

Two bikes. In agreement with my partner, Em, it is a one bike in, one bike out policy. Following a serious accident I got rid of the time trial bike. I am one bike down and on the lookout for what the third bike will be.

How much did they cost?

I have a titanium Motobecane that I picked up in the US on a business trip after my carbon race rig was stolen from the office and a recent addition, a Specialized S-Works Venge that I bought lightly used from a triathlete. Each bike cost $3000 to $4000 and then I spent extra money on them.

Kind of riding

Road riding exclusively (racing and group rides). I bought a mountain bike a couple of years ago, but sold it after I had only clocked up a couple of hundred kilometres. It was fun, but not for me.

I love the freedom of riding roads around Melbourne. I can head out of my garage and ride to the bay, to hills, coffee or (often!) all three. I don't need to drive a car or organise other equipment to ride or race.

Tips to become a better rider

Riding with people better than you is a must. If you want to take riding to the next level, though, coaching is invaluable. This is the best "bang for buck" you can spend to improve your cycling (much more worthwhile than new bling wheels).

Do you stop at a stop sign if there is no one around?

I don't wait the three seconds I was taught as a learner driver; I do come to a stop, however.

Kilometres a week

Approximately 400. Goes up and down (sometimes by a lot) but this would be a long-term average.

Most like to go on a long ride with

My regular riding group. There is always something to chat about, always somewhere to race towards, always someone in the group to poke fun at. I'm still a little boy at heart.

Favourite refuel station

CoffeeHead in Camberwell. It does the best coffee in town and is close to home, so I have just a short roll once I have had the caffeine fix.

Favourite piece of cycling gear

My Stages crank arm power meter. I love numbers and statistics, tracking progress and drop-offs. It assists with training and informs me when I should be pushing harder.

Favourite ride

My cycling team's midweek ride, the "hurtbox". This is a loop from Burwood, through Mordialloc and back up Beach Road to Port Melbourne. Always a fast, challenging ride, it gives me (as a large-framed fellow) the opportunity to put the hurt on all the guys who seem to climb hills effortlessly.

Crashes? Catastrophes?

Last year I was finalising training for Ironman Melbourne. I had been on a long ride and the coach had told me to do 30 minutes hard effort. This led me to try pushing hard near Mordialloc on the TT bike – "head down, bum up" so to speak. Unfortunately it was a little too much "head down" and I crashed into the back of a parked 4WD at full speed. I ended up with a serious skull fracture, neck fracture, four broken ribs, a fractured wrist, tendon damage to the hand, laceration to the bone on the knee and various other lacerations and bruises. Thankfully everything has healed and I am back to racing bikes (but have no triathlon ambitions).

If you could improve one thing about the world of cycling what would it be?

Respect on the road. I give respect to others on the road and treat them how I would like to be treated. This is reciprocated almost universally. There is a small percentage, though, who hurl abuse or objects, including such comments as "I hope you die" from someone in a car next to me at the lights.