Rochelle Free will be on her bike on Valentine's Day for Go By Bike Day. Photo/Andrew Warner.
Rochelle Free will be on her bike on Valentine's Day for Go By Bike Day. Photo/Andrew Warner.
February is Bike Month and commuters are encouraged to leave their cars at home and take part in a range of cycle activities held throughout the region.
Rochelle Free's goal is to live long enough to receive a birthday card from the future King William.
"I wan tto live forever," she says. "Or at least until I get that card, doesn't everyone?"
It might not be forever but the small business owner is on the right track for longevity— she's one of many who has recently taken up cycling for fitness.
February is Bike Month and Sport Bay of Plenty, with council support and other groups, have organised a full calendar of events throughout the region to introduce bikers to the joys of cycling.
Rochelle, from Bethlehem, is one of many who are choosing to leave the car at home and jump on her bike, especially in support of Go By Bike Day on February 14 (Valentine's Day).
She's new to road biking and has recently bought a hard tail trek bike to enjoy the beautiful scenic biking cycleways on offer throughout Tauranga, with a view to tackling New Zealand's rail trails with husband and keen mountain biker David.
Justlast month Rochelle took on her first 20 kilometre bike ride from Bethlehem to Matua and along the Daisy Hardwick walkway. "If I can do it, anyone can," says the Freestyle Events owner.
Her fitness regime was knocked back 20 years ago when she had knee replacement surgery. Rochelle has been building her fitness up again over the last six years as a regular gym goer.
She's always enjoyed stationary cycling classes but now it's time to properly hitthe road, enjoy the low impact pastime with her husband and get fit as an off shoot. She's liking the weight loss factor, too.
Sport Bay of Plenty's Play in the Bay recreation team have organised the month-long programme of cycling events, activities and workshops to encourage the region to put pedal to the metal. The idea is to connectthe Bay of Plenty with low cost and free recreational activities and to get more people on their bikes and enjoying the Bay.
The programmes are suitable for all ages and abilities, says recreation team leader Sonia Lynds.
"This calendar is a real collaborative effort between our team and local government, local recreation providers and local businesses, who all recognise the benefit of cycling as active transport or as a hobby."
First time rider and seasoned bikers alike will be pleased with the programme, she says.
Tauranga City Council have been working on theTauranga Cycle Plan for the last 12 months, putting the call outto the public about how they can help make Tauranga safer and easier for people to ride bikes.
They had a huge response to this with more than 5000 pieces of feedback, saysTauranga City Council transportation manager Martin Parkes.
"What we know from this is people want to cycle but just don't feel safe doing it, so if council can supply some high quality, safe segregated cycle facilities then that's one of the key things ... we know there's a suppressed demand for cycling out there."
Martin says it is difficult to build new roads for cars in Tauranga.
"We can not continue to cater for people who just want to drive their cars around so we need a change in behaviour."
But encouragingly, attitudes are shifting as more and more people are getting on their bikes. "It's growing, we have found from the recent traffic counters around town over last month the number of people cycling across the city is increasing."
The cycle plan will be released for public feedback in March.
Activities for all ages during Bike Month. Photo/supplied
Activities set for Bike Month
February is a biker's dream month and Sport Bay of Plenty have a calendar jam packed full of biking activities during Bike Month.
Sport BOP's recreation team have worked with local providers to put together a calendar of events including Go By Bike Day and the popular NZTA's Aotearoa Bike Challenge.
There are City by Cycle guided rides and the weekend equivalent Weekend on Wheels, a range of practical cycle skills workshops for all levels and a Ride Leader workshop to train people to lead guided rides.
There's a scavenger hunt, e-bike demonstrations, an off-road session, a starter stationary session, school programmes, social rides and more.
Go By Bike Day is the flagship event. It falls on Valentine's Day and people are encouraged to leave their cars at home and bike to work.
The has a "love me, love my bike theme", says Sport Bay of Plenty's recreation team Sonia Lynds.
Bikers are encouraged to dress up for the day of love, or pimp their ride with a love theme and they could get bonus prizes at "pitstops", which will be stationed throughout Tauranga.
Frocks on Bikes Tauranga are holding a social cycle through Papamoa and Tauranga Rotary Sunrise has a cycle adventure race through K Valley.
Bike Month also coincides with the NZ Transport Agency's Aotearoa Bike Challenge, a month-long free competition where workplaces try to get the most people to ride a bike for just 10 minutes or more.
