Rotorua community encouraged to don helmets and pedal for Bike Challenge

People enjoying a ride through the Government Gardens. Photo / NZME

The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is back in February, encouraging people of all ages to get those helmets clicked on and those legs pedalling.

People can ride anywhere, any time, and earn points. The more points you earn, the further you climb the leaderboards and the better your chance to win prizes.

It's free to participate and is open to everyone in New Zealand.

Niki Carling, Rotorua Lakes Council environmental health performance manager, says riding a bike has many benefits; it's good for your health, your pocket, and the environment.

"The flat, condensed landscape of Rotorua is ideal for active travel, and more people are realising just how easy it is to bike or walk around our city."

Niki says increasing sustainable modes of travel is a key aim of the council, and provides personal wellbeing and environmental benefits, with transport being the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in our district.

"The national Aotearoa Bike Challenge is free for anyone to take part. For clubs and workplaces it can provide a bit of friendly competition.

"Sign up online and track your individual and your workplace's biking success during the month of February.

"Encouraging your colleagues or other workplaces to take part will earn you bonus points."

There are prizes to be won just for taking part in the challenge, as well as grand prizes for being one of the top riders in distance and frequency.

Niki says council uses the Bike Challenge as a way of encouraging staff to use bikes to commute to work and for other short trips.

"We would love to see more organisations doing the same."

To register for the 2022 Aotearoa Bike Challenge, go to www.lovetoride.net/nz.

She says bike events are a fun and social introduction to the many benefits of biking, and an opportunity for people to experience our city in a different way.

Council's Frocks on Bikes social ride, which is also coming up as part of the Rotorua Bike Festival this month, will showcase the expanding shared path network that stretches across the city, Niki says.

Niki says riding a bike can be daunting for those who haven't picked one up in a while, or have never learned.

"The Safe and Sustainable Journeys team at council offers cycling skills training/education, maintenance workshops and events to support people of all ages and abilities to be able to ride.

"Follow @SafeandSustainableJourneysRotorua for more news and events and biking opportunities."

Sport Bay of Plenty communications team leader Danene Jones also says cycling is a great way to be active at any age, and that with Rotorua's numerous shared paths across town it's a fun and easy way to get about town.

"If you haven't already done so, then February is a good time to swap the car for a bike and to start building a fun and healthy commuting habit."

The council's Safe and Sustainable Journeys team is undertaking a survey to gather information on how local people travel to and from the Rotorua Central Business District and why they choose one mode of transport over another.

Information gathered will inform how improvements can be made to enable people to travel more sustainably for short trips.

Survey participants go in the draw to win one of four $200 vouchers for a local business of their choice. The survey closes on Sunday, February 13, at 5pm. More information about the CBD Travel Survey is available at the council website.