Pedal-powering locals enjoy life in the pits

BIKIES: Vernei Mullen (front) with her team, June Joseph (left), Anabella Vidal and Julianne Wilkinson. PHOTO/STEPHANIE WORSOP

Lycra-laden locals of all ages ditched the bus and their cars to pedal their way around the city.

Rotorua held its annual Go By Bike day yesterday, signalling the official start of the city's Bike Festival.

There were four pit stops across Rotorua - the corner of Te Ngae and Tarawera Rds, City Focus, Westend New World car park and the Koutu lights corner.

Bikers who stopped at the pit stops were given water and morning tea, and had the chance to enter the draw to win Rotorua Cycle Centre gift vouchers.

Vernei Mullen, Rotorua Lakes Council's community engagement and events advisor (Sport and Recreation), took part in the event doing a round trip of all four stops.

"I'm a biker anyway so I decided to take part to show my support of the initiative and hopefully get other people interested in taking part."

Mrs Mullen said she thought Go By Bike was an excellent initiative.

"It would be good if it were more than one day a year but I definitely think the community is getting behind it more," she said.

"It would be awesome for it to grow to the point where there are no cars on the road on this day."

Sports Bay of Plenty's Kati Steindorf and volunteer Janine Kavanagh said there was a steady flow of people riding through the City Focus pit stop.

"It's the third year we've held the event so most people know what's going on. We are getting more people taking part every year."

Ms Steindorf said the event was suitable for all ages. "We just saw a 3-year-old on her bike and earlier we saw an 80-year-old so there are no limits as to who can do it.

"There are people who have gone to all four stops which is about 12km in total, but then other people go to one or two stops, it's completely down to what the individual person is comfortable doing."