Feb 2021 – Time for Aotearoa Bike Challenge again!

We’re almost ready for another calendar month to tick over, but of course these days February is no ordinary month in the cycling world – it’s Aotearoa Bike Challenge month! Yep, it’s that time again to join some of your work or other group colleagues to put in the pedal-kilometres throughout the month. It’s a semi-competitive, semi-fun exercise; you might get some new biking habits, you might earn some cycle-friendly bragging rights over your competitors – and maybe even win a prize or two along the way as well…

If you haven’t already signed up for the ABC, either individually or for your organisation; just head along to the Love to Ride website and register your details. Then just make sure you record on the website all of your rides throughout the month (and encourage your colleagues to do the same). As well as the chance to win some national prizes (and most of them are lucky-draw for just registering or logging some rides), there are also some special Christchurch-only prizes and discounts available.

Obviously you can just hop on your bike and ride wherever you want; to work, school, shops, friends, etc. But if you want some specific excuses to get riding, here’s some of what’s coming up in February:

• Do you feel like grabbing some blueberries? Frocks on Bikes will be hosting their annual Blueberry Bliss Ride this Sat 6th Feb, starting 9am from the Westlake Reserve carpark in Halswell and then riding out past Prebbleton to Blueberry Bliss Farm where you can pick your share of their gorgeous berries.

• Attention women! Do you need a bit of guidance about how to look after your bike? Throughout Feb-Apr, Chill are offering Women’s-only Bike Maintenance Workshops, with the first two on Wed Feb 10th and 24th, starting from 6.00-8.30pm at Chill’s HQ in Durham St Nth. Cost is $45; numbers will be limited so book now.

• Sat 13th Feb sees the annual Nostalgia Festival out at Ferrymead, and that also means the growing institution that is the Bike Gang Ride to Nostalgia. Multiple rides will start from various locations around Chch (start times vary from 10.50am – 12.00pm), all leading to the Festival (make sure you grab a festival ticket too).

• If you’re in need of brushing up your bike skills or confidence, then Go Cycle Chch can help you there. Two Cycle Skills for Adults sessions are being held in February; first on Sun 14th Feb 10am-12pm at St Albans School, and then on Sun 21st Feb 3-5pm at Northcote Primary School. These involve starting with a friendly practice of your skills in an off-road environment and then trying them out on nearby quiet streets.

• You may have heard that there is a cool new bike path all the way from Papanui up to Kaiapoi now. If you’re keen to try it out (and to have an excuse for lunch somewhere new), then join the Northern Corridor shared path Bike Ride & Café Lunch, leaving Rutland Reserve from 11am on Sun 21st Feb; all welcome!

As always, you can keep track of cycle happenings around Chch via our Events & Activities calendar, and we’ll try to keep it as up-to-date as possible.

What will you be up to this Bike Challenge month?