Love to ride
Today marks the start of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. The challenge runs every February and aims to get more people cycling more often.
Most people register as part of a workplace, and leader boards are kept for different sized organisations in different locations. You can also register as an individual. There are heaps of prizes on offer, with many simply requiring you to log a ride to be eligible for the draw.
How it works is simple. You log each ride and get one point for every kilometre you cycle, ten points for every day you cycle, and 50 points if someone else acknowledges that you encouraged them to cycle (100 points if they are a new cyclist). You have to be riding outside - either for recreation or transport; sitting on the exercycle at the gym does not count.
If you're a little bit competitive like me, you’ll soon find yourself making sure you ride every day (even just a few kilometres to the shops) to get maximum day points. The encourager points make a big difference too - pushing me into second place in my workplace last year. (To be fair, it was a Wellington-based organisation with few active cyclists so not a lot of competition.)
I have signed up again this year, as has Chris. I won't be competing for workplace bragging rights this year, but I will be aiming to better last year’s results and quietly keeping an eye on how I am doing compared to Chris.
It is not too late to sign up, or to register your workplace. Check out the Love to Ride website.
The website prompts you to write a short statement about why you ride (but it’s not compulsory). For me, the answer is that it makes me feel good. I am one of these people who get a bit antsy if they don't exercise regularly, and cycling is an easy way to do that. I find it's good for my physical health and my mental health.
Often, getting into the rhythm of cycling frees up the mind and I resolve all sorts of decisions or problems while I’m riding. Other times, I am totally in the moment and focused on the cycling (especially on mountain bike tracks when I really don’t want to misjudge a bend and bang into a tree). Then there are other rides where the scenery is just so awesome that it’s impossible not to take a deep breath and simply enjoy it.
Cycling is also a convenient way to get around, especially in Christchurch with its calm weather and mostly flat terrain (although you can’t beat the views from the Summit Road). The increasing number of separate cycle paths also helps. For short trips, cycling is usually quicker and easier than taking the car (or bus) and parking is a breeze. Just make sure you have a good bike lock.
Then there are the environmental and financial benefits. It costs next to nothing to cycle to work, or the shops, or wherever. And every car trip not taken reduces carbon emissions.
Really, what's not to love about cycling?
A short post-script: this blog is and will always be free. Substack recently introduced a feature to automatically seek pledges, which some of you may have received with the last post. I have now turned this feature off so you shouldn't receive any requests for payment. Happy reading!