Bike Month and Love Your Bike Day will see wheels turning in Hamilton and the Waikato on the newly opened Te Awa River Ride.
Bike Month and Love Your Bike Day will see wheels turning in Hamilton and the Waikato on the newly opened Te Awa River Ride.
Dust off your helmet and get pedalling this Bike Month, as Hamilton City Council (HCC) and Bike Waikato are gearing up for the annual Love Your Bike Day and other community events.
Love Your Bike Day - a free event - is just one of the events and activities planned by the council, Bike Waikato and other partners during Bike Month this February.
After a Covid-19 hiatus last year, Love Your Bike Day is back at Claudelands Park for its ninth year on February 26.
HCC’s transport education team leader, Mihi Bennett-Smith, says it’s exciting to see the event back on track.
“There’s been a resurgence of people’s love for biking, and it’s exciting to see even more bikes out and about this month,” Bennett-Smith says.
“Our team will be ... at pop-up commuter stations, running skills lessons for the community and in schools, taking group rides and, to wrap up Bike Month, we hope to see you at our big Love Your Bike Day event. There’s something for all ages and skill levels.”
On Love Your Bike Day, there will be prizes, a bike valet, biking activities for kids and lots of information for families and individuals about biking, maintaining your bike, bike safety and security.
Hamilton City councillor Louise Hutt took part in the Tour de Coffee Culture in 2021. Photo / Louise Hutt
Other highlights throughout Bike Month include a Boon Street Art cycle tour, a bike film night, bike training and the Tour de Coffee Culture.
The Boon Street Art cycle tour will lead participants through Frankton and Dinsdale on Saturday, February 18 to showcase the awesome street art that Hamilton/Kirikiriroa has to offer.
The tours will be guided by representatives from Bike Waikato, with stops along the way to talk about street art. Numbers are limited, so people are asked to pre-register online.
The Big Bike Film Night on February 16 will showcase the best cycling short films from around the world at The Lido Cinema, and the Tour de Coffee Culture leads participants through cycling spots throughout Waikato for prizes.
The Waikato is home to numerous scenic cycle trails, including the Hauraki Rail Trail. Photo / Tourism New Zealand
Bennett-Smith says there are many reasons why biking is “a great option” for getting to work, school, a friend’s place, or just for going out and about.
“You can avoid traffic, get some exercise, be more environmentally friendly and not have to pay for petrol or parking,” Bennett-Smith says.
“We’ve been making lots of changes along our roads to make it safer and easier for people on bikes to get around. There are more separated bike paths, painted bike lanes, shared lanes and safer road crossings in our city than ever before.”
The recently completed Te Awa Great New Zealand River Ride. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
Hamilton has more than 150 kilometres of on and off-road biking paths, plus 30km of stunning river paths. At a regional level, the Waikato is home to numerous scenic cycle trails, including the recently completed Te Awa River Ride, the Timber Trail and the Hauraki Rail Trail.
Matamata-Piako District Council will also start to see some wheels turning soon, as they are inviting locals to a Matamata Bike Day Out on February 25.
The day includes a guided cycle tour around a temporary cycle route, a toddler bike track, bicycle-related stalls, food and entertainment. The council says it listened to locals who wanted to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get around town, which sparked the creation of the temporary cycle route.
