Tour De Whanganui 2022 gears up for people-powered vehicles

Any people-powered vehicles such as bikes, ebikes, scooters and skates can be used for the event. Photo / Bevan Conley

You may see a few more locals riding their bikes on Whanganui's shared pathways for the next month.

It is the third year of Tour De Whanganui, organised by local business Velo Ronny's.

The event is part of BikeWise Whanganui, with the month of February dedicated to a range of cycling-related activities.

In Tour De Whanganui, which will run throughout February, entrants must try to accumulate as many kilometres as they can.

The store has outlined four loops of various lengths - 4.6km, 7km, 7.3km and 10.8km - which make use of the bike pathways on both sides of the Whanganui River.

Any people-powered vehicles, such as bikes, ebikes, scooters and skates, can be used for the race.

Entrants then record how many laps they did of their chosen route, and send the entry form into Velo Ronny's or any of the tour's sponsors.

Started in 2019, Cath Cheatley is the main organiser behind the event.

Husband Dayle Cheatley said every year more and more people had been signing up.

"It has been fantastic. It has grown and grown and grown and this year it will be even bigger. You can see that with just the amount of people out riding their bikes.

"It is great to make use of all the bike paths around the river and a good opportunity to get out there and be active."

Cheatley said the support from local businesses and sponsors had been amazing, offering up prizes for competing locals.

The top prize this year is a bike worth up to $700.

More info can be found at https://veloronnys.co.nz