Rotorua's Essential 50: Day 43 - Fun with bikes

Bike polo makes a return to this year's Rotorua Bike Festival, which has events for all ages and bike types. Photo/File

We all know that Rotorua has a love affair with bikes.

There are plenty of trails, bike shops and bike-friendly cafes. There are clubs to cater for the different genres of bikes and this year marks the second year of the Rotorua Bike Festival.

The festival is a must-do for all who have a bike and anyone who wants to have fun on two wheels.

This year's festival runs from February 14-23 and in those 10 days 30 events are planned. There are fun events such as the Redwoods Coast, New Zealand Home Loans Family Fun Ride, Frocks on Bikes, and Boats and the Bike Speedway. There are also serious events, such as the 2014 National Mountain Bike Championships, Skyline Sprint Warrior, Giant 2W Gravity Enduro and the Telecom Inner City Street Criterium.

Last year's festival was a big hit with visitors from across New Zealand being joined by Australian bike enthusiasts. It doesn't matter how much of a cyclist or mountainbiker you are, there really is something for everyone - even children from aged 2 can enter events.

The Rotorua Daily Post Essential 50 lists the city's must-see, must-do and must-try activities and experiences thanks to reader nominations. We will be highlighting one every day over summer.