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Crowds Respond to Go By Bike Day

Wednesday 27 February 2008, 1:16PM

By New Plymouth District Council

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NEW PLYMOUTH

The call went out and a crowd of people turned up – along with their bikes.


The inaugural Go By Bike Day in New Plymouth this morning saw 170 people turn up to Puke Ariki Landing for a free community breakfast.

“The first person to turn up right on 7am was 82 years old, and then the people just kept coming,” says Roading Systems Engineer Carl Whittleston.

Go By Bike Day is part of Bike Wise Week (23 February to 2 March), a nationwide campaign aimed at getting more Kiwis out of cars and on their bikes.

This morning’s breakfast featured entertainment from a jazz band, fresh coffee and bagels, and $800 in prizes.

“We had such a great response to the event. People cycled in from as far away as Bell Block, Upper Mangorei Rd and Oakura, and we had people stopping off on their way to work, families, tourists, a uni-cycle and an electric bike,” says Mr Whittleston.

“The success of this inaugural Go By Bike Day and the enthusiasm from so many people in the community bodes well for cycling.

“Not only do we have more people choosing cycling for transport, but also the council is taking an active role in encouraging cycling through its Cycle Strategy.

“A great way to start cycling is to get on a bike or start out with walking on a few days when the weather is fine, and that time is right now,” he says.