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Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

300 followers 700 following 120 posts

Comms, formerly design and some teaching. Love books, photography and the potential of bikes. Concerned for my kids and the planet. Late diagnosed AuDHD. IRL/AUS. Wiradjuri land. Sweary and progressive.

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Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

The weather is warming and so we’ve had some absolute cracker days. Spent my Saturday indulging in slow chores, coffee and pastries. #cargobikelife #bikesky

A photo looking over a table at a cafe that has a bottle of purple drink and a table number, towards a cargo bike parked on the grassy verge beside the road. Across the road are gum trees as it’s the beginning of the lagoon- popular with ducks and geese.

August 10, 2025 at 5:50 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

What the fk? $2 billion of our taxes to a country that is building gulags and snatching people off the streets?

Screenshot of an article with the title “Albo spends big on Australian defence with $2billion US purchase.”

July 5, 2025 at 10:20 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Another week done. Longer commute home along the Murrumbidgee, trying to beat the setting sun. #bikesky

A photo of an e-cargo bike parked on the grass with the curve of the Murrumbidgee river in the background. The sun is setting through the gum trees at the far shore above a darkening sandy beach.

May 9, 2025 at 7:39 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

From another platform.

Fantastic. Great move. Well done Young Nationals. @toiletpaperaus.bsky.social #auspol

A screenshot from a social media platform with a photo showing David Littleproud and two other men in Nationals clothing in front of an election office. The comment under the photo is from the Young Nationals and reads “Thank you Young Nationals. I’m new to the area and you have my vote.”

April 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Great evening for a ride. Biking blows out the cobwebs and resets the mind, especially after a week full of politics and stress. Be well bike riders. #bikesky

A photo, taken in the evening, with a cargo bike, a power line and 2 large water tanks. The sky is overcast which contrasts against the golden glow of the evening light.

March 30, 2025 at 8:17 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Commuting on gravel paths and seeing wildlife, but 32 degrees celsius (approx. 90F) in the afternoons. Worth it. #bikesky

A photo showing the front of an e-cargo bike, looking down a gravel path with trees and scrub to the sides.

March 25, 2025 at 6:14 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

This kind of heading is ridiculous. A reader would think solar and batteries are a scam, rather than the dropping feed in tariff prices that the quote refers to.
Do better, abc news. amp.abc.net.au/article/1050...

A screenshot of an ABC news article with a heading that says ‘It’s a scam’: As solar feed-in tariffs plunge battery demand surges.” The image accompanying the heading is a photo looking down on the roof of a house that has multiple solar panels.

March 20, 2025 at 9:01 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

The cat has found a nice place to sleep. #bikesky

This photo shows a black cat lying on the tarpaulin of a cargo bike. The cat’s eyes are open but she is not making eye contact because she was annoyed at the interruption.

March 10, 2025 at 11:36 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Campaign from Clean Cities (cleancitiescampaign.org) that I found posted by Dublin based A Playful City (www.aplayfulcity.com):

A square illustration, very minimalist in only back and white, that shows the outline of the front half of a car as a 2 dimensional link drawing, in front of which is the black drawing of 2 children walking away from the front of the vehicle. The 2 children drawing I believe is taken from school crossing signs. To note is that the size of the front of the car is quite tall and the bonnet is above the height of the smaller child. The illustration has no words, but shows the car dominating the space.

A simple illustration of car sizes with three labels. "Average car 2005" is in black - this illustrates the car as a solid black cross section. In grey is the next car and the illustration shows that this car is bigger, and the text is "Average car 2025". The third vehicle is a black outline drawing that is bigger than the previous two and is labelled "Average SUV 2025". Quite a stark illustration of generational car bloat.

This is a photo of a billboard. The billboard is a black and white illustration with the text "Carspreading" I can't read the text beneath that heading - too small for me. The illustration is an outline of an SUV that takes up most of the billboard. Around it you are solid black illustrations of other road users that are being pushed off the space. There is a person with a child's pram, a bicycle, 2 children holding hands, a mother and child and a wheelchair user. None of those illustrations have room on the billboard to be shown fully.

February 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

[Cartoon by Dimitra Rizou]

A 4 panel cartoon in grey colours showing a parliament room with the person at the front of the other people in the room saying “Government should be smaller “. This room has many people seated in rows and facing the person at the front.
The second panel is the same view but with fewer people and the person at the front is saying, “Smaller”. The third panel shows a person at the front of the same room, but the layout has changed and there is one table with only 6 people facing the person at the front. Again the person is saying “smaller”.
The last panel shows only the person at the front on a throne, with an armed guard at each side. There is no-one else in the room. The person is saying “perfect”.

February 6, 2025 at 7:55 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

I really want to get back on the bike to get to work, but these temperatures are crazy.
Any recommendations?

February 1, 2025 at 10:24 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Last night in Canberra so I’m (really) enjoying food truck Korean Fried Chicken. And a free sample of twiggim (battered and deep fried clump of vegetables) from the very kind ajumma. It’s the biz.

Re-posted with alt-text. Thought of your words @kentparkskeet.bsky.social

Fried chicken in front of a can of Welsh’s grape sofa, pictured on a wooden picnic table. Bonus content is that Neil Diamond is playing in the background..

A food truck, white with 2 open windows and a sticker of a Korean flag, and the business name, Jangdokdae. Pronounced ‘Jang-dokk-day’.

January 23, 2025 at 7:28 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Thanks to @canberrabybike.bsky.social I got to see some of Canberra, by bike. Followed up with a solid cafe recommendation.

January 20, 2025 at 10:39 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Icing home made ginger bread cookies for Christmas has become a family tradition. As the kids grow the traditional decorations go out the window.

December 25, 2024 at 8:28 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Got in a Christmas Parkrun this morning with kid no.2. Never thought I’d be willingly exercising before opening Christmas presents!
How’s the serenity?

December 25, 2024 at 12:25 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Some community engagement on better streets seen in Canberra.

Photo of stickers on pavement with “Better City Streets” worn on the first sticker. They are vibrant colours against gray granite pavers.

Stickers continue with various educational messages: 1. Walking trips in Canberra average 1.2km, among the nation’s furthest. 2. People are happier in walkable neighbourhoods. 3. Shade from trees on hot days can make it up to 20 degrees cooler (note: this is in Australia so the measurement is celcius).

The last of the educational stickers says, “Shorter crossings are safer for pedestrians“.

December 21, 2024 at 6:42 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Forgot to show the christmas lights!

Photo of a cargo bike, showing multi-coloured Christmas lights and the front and rear lights turned on. The bike is a riese and muller Load 60, which carries the cargo in front of the rider. Its colour is dark grey so contrasts against the lights. The background of the photos is beige interior blinds, and the floor is wooden floorboards that reflect the lights.

December 10, 2024 at 9:44 PM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

I don’t know what it is about this year (I do though- so much wrong) but it feels frantic at work. No respite, just go go go. Counting the days until quality cat time begins.

December 10, 2024 at 6:48 AM

Spike O’Cathasaigh

@spike-o-c.bsky.social

Time to get some Christmas lights on the big bike. Having Christmas in summer means that every year I put it off and then don’t bother. Might have to ride around after dark this year. Australian summers aren’t great for Christmas light ROI in my opinion.