Bikes to rule roads as festival launched

Melissa Gordon

Dust off your bike helmet and put on your lycra for Go By Bike Day.

Sport Bay of Plenty launches the Rotorua Bike Festival on Friday and encourages everyone to make their way to work or school by bike.

Four aid stations will be set up around Rotorua between 7am and 9am, providing water, morning tea and spot prizes. They will be at the corner of Te Ngae and Tarawera Rd, City Focus, Westend New World car park on Old Taupo Rd and at the Koutu lights corner outside Rotorua Heat & Gas.

More than 250 people are expected to take to their bikes.

Schools are also encouraged to participate, with Mamaku School and Te Kura o Te Koutu registered.

Sport Bay of Plenty recreation adviser for the Central Bay of Plenty Melissa Gordon said she hoped more schools would register.

"We've always encouraged school kids or workers to go by bike. We just thought by encouraging schools to get involved we could get students cycling to school.

"We have only had a week to promote it in schools, and it was only the first day back last week so they haven't had much time to register. It's only a new initiative so maybe next year more schools will register," she said.

Ms Gordon encouraged drivers to be aware of extra cyclists on the road on Friday between 7am and 9am and for cyclists to use caution.

Those interested in road safety should attend Sport Bay of Plenty's Family Fun Ride and Truck Cyclist Demo next Wednesday at the BMX Club carpark on Te Ngae Rd, she said.

"People will be able to see the truck drivers' blind spots. People will be able to hop in a truck and see what view truck drivers have of cyclists and that will be really cool."