Free, from Bethlehem, is one of many choosing to leave the car at home and jump on their bikes, especially in support of Go By Bike Day on February 14 (Valentine's Day).
She is new to road biking and has recently bought a hardtail 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.
Just last month Free took on her first 20km bike ride from Bethlehem to Matua, and along the Daisy Hardwick walkway.
Her fitness regime was knocked back 20 years ago when she had knee replacement surgery but Free has been building her fitness up again over the past six years as a regular gym goer.
She has always enjoyed stationary cycling classes but says now it is time to properly hit the road, enjoy the low-impact pastime with her husband and get fit as an offshoot. 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 connect the region 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, said recreation team leader Sonia Lynds.
First-time riders and seasoned bikers alike will be pleased with the programme, she said.
Tauranga City Council had been working on the Tauranga Cycle Plan for the past 12 months, putting the call out to the public about how they can help make Tauranga safer and easier for people to ride bikes.
It had a huge response to the plan with more than 5000 pieces of feedback, said council transport manager Martin Parkes said.
"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.
"We cannot continue to cater for people who just want to drive their cars around so we need a change in behaviour," Parkes said.
But encouragingly, attitudes are shifting as more and more people are getting on their bikes, he said.
"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.
What's going on?
* City by Cycle guided rides, Weekend on Wheels, cycle skills workshops.
* Scavenger hunt, e-bike demonstrations, an off-road session, social rides and more.
* Go By Bike Day is the flagship event on Valentine's Day and people are encouraged to leave their cars at home and bike to work.
* Check out Sport Bay of Plenty website for more info.
