Rotorua residents get out of their cars and celebrate pedalling during Go By Bike Day

(From left) Juanetta Juggins, Rotorua Lakes Council sustainable journeys co-ordinator Rachel Doelman and Bridget Anderson at the Jean Batten Square pit stop. Photo / Shauni James

Cycling was encouraged and celebrated this morning in Rotorua for 2019's Go By Bike Day.

Go By Bike Day is an annual event which is part of Sport Bay of Plenty's Play in the Bay Bike Month calendar.

Rotorua Lakes Council sustainable journeys co-ordinator Rachel Doelman said there had been about 26 cyclists through the Jean Batten Square pit stop, with about half an hour to go.

She said people who stopped by one of the pit stops could enter the draw to win Cyclezone vouchers, Te Puia passes and Redwoods Treewalk passes.

Good Buzz Kombucha was a sponsor, so they had also been giving bottles of kombucha away to the cyclists, she said.

"It's a nice, positive way to start the day and it's nice to see some parents with kids on their bikes, dropping their kids off to school on the way."

Bridget Anderson was one of the cyclists who stopped by the Jean Batten Square pit stop.

She said Go By Bike Day was great, especially with the new parking regime.

She said anything that encouraged people to get moving and out of their cars was good.

"It's great for the heart rate... it helps clear my head and I feel so much better during the day."

Juanetta Juggins said she was doing the Aotearoa Bike Challenge as part of Bike Month, and Go By Bike Day was another way to get involved in the month and the challenge.

She said Go By Bike Day was a great idea because it got people out on their bicycles.

Juggins said she liked cycling because there was not as much of a stop and start like in the car and because she was getting her daily exercise in.