Get into Gear for Bike Wise Week

The sound of bicycles whizzing throughout the city should become more prominent later this month when Bike Wise Week 2006 kicks into gear on February 26.

The week, which runs until March 5, is a national campaign designed to get more people cycling and consists of an array of cycling activities that take place throughout the city.

From a casual ride through Bottle Lake Forest, to how to make a bicycle trailer, the week has something for cyclists of all fitness levels.

This year there are also two Go By Bike breakfasts (rewarding those who bike to work by providing them with a free breakfast), one at the traditional venue of Victoria Square and one for students on the University of Canterbury’s C-Block lawn.

Competitive training rides in preparation for Le Race are on the agenda, and cyclists even have the opportunity to chase Mayor Garry Moore around Hagley Park in a new event called the Mayoral Challenge. The Mayoral Challenge is a national competition which pits mayors from around the country against one another, with the winner taking bragging rights for their city.

Points are awarded to each mayor in the event, the number they receive is determined by the amount of cyclists, VIPs and senior council staff that follow them around a set course.

“C’mon Christchurch, get on your bike and follow me around Hagley Park on February 26. This is one competition that I would love to win, it would really show that Christchurch folks are enthusiastic about being fit and active,” says Moore.

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