With February now over, so too is the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. Collectively New Zealanders rode nearly 4 million kilometers during February 2023. Over 2,900 workplaces registered for the challenge.
Here in Whangarei, we celebrated Bike Month with coffee giveaways and a free public Bike Fixit session. Bike Northland teamed up with Northland Transport Alliance, Whangarei District Council, and Northland Road Safety Trust and spent a few hours on the shared paths in central Whangarei. We gave away coffee vouchers to anyone on a bike.
Early morning on the Kamo shared path near Vinery lane saw more than 60 cyclists come by. Most were commuters on their way to work or school. Many were regular riders who were well set up for commuting with paniers and backpacks, high visibility clothing, and most importantly big smiles!
Our second session was on the Onerahi Shared path mid-morning. Most cyclists at this time were retirees getting their regular exercise or off to get the groceries. However, we also encountered several visitors to Northland checking out the cycle paths.
Two volunteers from Whare Bikes came along to Pohe Island Bike Park to lend a hand for our free public Bike Fixit session. They were amazing quickly fixing bikes with grinding gears and ceased brakes. Kylie brought along a bike she had been given but which had a seized chain and brakes. A bit of work from Jesse, some oil on the chain, and a few adjustments to the seat and she rode away happy. We had a few bikes from Onerahi School on hand to be worked on when there was time.
