Rotorua Lakes Council's safe and sustainable journeys manager Jodie Lawson encourages everyone to get on bikes this month. Photo / Shauni James
Rotorua Lakes Council's safe and sustainable journeys manager Jodie Lawson encourages everyone to get on bikes this month. Photo / Shauni James
Rotorua is known for its passion and role in the biking scene, and even more people within the community are encouraged build up their pedalling passion this month.
The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is a month-long challenge which encourages Kiwis to make everyday trips by bike and have the chance to win prizes.
The Challenge is back this month and as 2020 is a Leap Year there are 29 days to clock up rides.
Rotorua Lakes Council's safe and sustainable journeys manager Jodie Lawson says riding a bike has many benefits.
"It's good for your health, your pocket and the environment".
The National ABC-run challenge is a good motivator, as it puts you in contact with others doing the same activity, to encourage and compete against others as individuals, groups and organisations, she says.
"This year Rotorua Lakes Council has set the goal of winning a national title – it's ambitious but I know we have the capability based on the recent active modes commute challenge we did."
Jodie says the benefits of biking as transport includes less congestion on the roads, better for the environment and improved health and financial benefits for the users.
She says the Safe and Sustainable Journeys team offers many opportunities each year to encourage new users to ride on Rotorua's urban network.
A Frocks on Bikes event is being held during February.
Jodie says Frocks on Bikes is all about fun, fine weather, friends and a frock, should people be inclined to dress up (it is optional).
"Each of our rides targets different audiences and in the last 12 months the team has run the Tweed Ride, Diwali Ride and the Dementia Ride.
"We take all the stress away and remove the barriers that prevent people from having a go."
People enjoyed a ride through stunning tulips at a previous Frocks on Bikes event. Photo / File
She says the summer ride is generally their most popular due to the weather and people's motivation to get out and give something new a go.
"This year we will be riding the newly built Linton Park shared path which is wide enough for you ride side-by-side and be completely separated from traffic."
Jodie says council is working towards building a connected urban network to enable people to get to the places they want to go by bike or foot.
"Raising awareness of these projects as they are completed is important as it makes people aware of an alternate attractive transport option to them for recreation and daily commute.
"The local residents around Linton Park shared path are already enjoying the facelift of the existing track completed at the end of last year."
She says future planned projects will connect this path on to the network.
Sport Bay of Plenty recreation team leader Sonia Lynds encourages people to get behind the Bike Challenge because bikes are a great transport choice for getting around Rotorua, and local businesses and organisations can play a key role in encouraging employees to bike more.
She says the challenge is a fun way to encourage active transport.
"You can track your progress against your own goals or have a bit of a friendly workplace competition, and there's over $30,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. Organisations of any size can participate and you can compete against workplaces of a similar size.
"Entering is also super easy - it only takes one 10-minute long ride, and you just need to record your trips online."
(From left) Blaise Houston-Amor, Kim Rust, Simone Rose and Phillip Seed are getting on their bikes for the Aotearoa Bike Challenge 2020. Photo / Supplied
Sonia says biking is great for your health as it improves cardio fitness, has a low impact on joints and helps improve joint mobility, and decreases stress.
"There's also loads of great cycle paths across Rotorua that take you through some pretty amazing places and make cycling really enjoyable. A bike is also very cheap to run compared to a car."
She says the challenge has loads of benefits for employers and employees.
"Having more staff ride to and from work, between meetings or on a lunch break ultimately means a healthier and more alert workforce which contributes to greater productivity.
"And in an age where we can all feel a bit pressed for time to be active, a workplace that supports and encourages physical activity and active transport can make it feel much easier to incorporate some exercise into our day-to-day lives."
More information about the Aotearoa Bike Challenge and registration is available at www.lovetoride.net.
The details - What: Frocks on Bikes - When: Saturday, February 15, 2pm to 4pm - Where: Linton Park Cycleway - Free - More information: Email the team on cycling@rotorualc.nz
Aotearoa Bike Challenge 2019 stats - More than 2000 people in the Bay of Plenty registered in 2019, and completed over 20,000 biking trips during the 2019 Challenge period - 24 per cent of the Bay of Plenty participants last year were new riders, and 32 per cent of the 2000 participants said they were occasional riders. - More than 50 per cent of the 2019 Bay of Plenty participants said they usually commute to work by driving alone. - Fitness and enjoying the outdoors was the main motivation for Bay of Plenty participants last year.
