Mountain bikes just part of festival

Rotorua mountain biker Dirk Peters hits the road. Photo / Nick Lambert

Rotorua's Bike Festival is not just about mountain biking, with a range of great events on offer for road riders as well.

A unique new event will officially launch the third festival on Friday, February 13. The Runway Project will open Rotorua Airport's runway to the public after 7.30pm with a 4km scratch race open to all, on any bike.

Then, as the sun sets over Mount Ngongotaha, riders with Cycling New Zealand elite race licences will compete in the straight-line Flying Kilo time trial.

Rotorua is a top all-year-round mountain-biking resort with more than 150km of world-class trails.

"And the city also boasts a vibrant road-cycling scene," said event co-ordinator Martin Croft.

Tour de France veteran Julian Dean will ride in the family event at the airport with his sons, Tanner and Val.

Continuing the road-bike theme, there will be a women-only ride on Sunday, February 15, organised by Agnes Arnold from Revolve Rotorua.

It would be a casual, relaxed, environment, she said.

Cycling Rotorua will also run a street criterium on Tuesday, February 17, and a road race on Thursday, February 19.

On the final day, Sunday, February 22, there will be the second summer edition of Bike the Lake - a circumnavigation of Lake Rotorua starting from 7.30am.

For more on the festival, see www.rotoruabikefestival.com, or www.facebook.com/RotoruaBikeFestival.