We’re past the Bike Week half-way mark but there are still plenty of events for you to get along to before it all wraps up on Sunday.
Our north-west riders warmed us up for the week with their family ride from Pioneer Park in East Devonport out along the Heritage Trail last Saturday.
Pioneer Park has a road safety circuit that children can ride or scoot around to become accustomed to road signs, traffic lights, emergency services and rail crossings.
The next day was the official start of Bike Week and in the south we ran our monthly Women on Wheels social ride from Margate down to Snug and back using a mix of foreshore and river tracks, shared path and quiet roads.
Women on Wheels had been run as an annual event for more than 20 years but last year the feedback we got from riders was that they wanted to ride more often so our volunteers have converted it into a monthly ride.
These can be longer trips out along the cycleway, more rugged expeditions up through Knocklofty or Wellington Park or explorations further out of town such as the Margate–Snug loop.
Still to come
This Friday 12 March we are co-hosting with the Tamar Bicycle Users Group a screening of the Dutch documentary Why we Cycle followed by lunch from 12.30 pm at Macquarie House in Civic Square, Launceston.
Why we Cycle is an exploration of the benefits that creating a safe cycling culture can bring that may not be so obvious to people outside, or sometimes even to people within. While we know the physical benefits of riding, the mental health benefits are not talked about as often, from reducing stress, to increasing social connectivity, to providing freedom and independence for people of all ages.
On Saturday 13 March in the south there are two social rides to choose from depending on your life circumstances with both leaving from the Cenotaph car park.
The Domain Triple Loop from 9.15 am is a popular route exploring the tracks and roads on the Queens Domain, ending with a big loop around utilising the Intercity Cycleway, quiet roads and lesser known underpasses.
The Cornelian Bay family ride is suitable for people with younger children who want to go for a ride but know the shorter legs can’t get that far.
Meeting at 9.45 am we’ll ride down the Intercity Cycleway to Cornelian Bay where we’ll stop for a play and coffee before returning at about 12 noon.
The week finishes on Sunday 14 March with the Kingborough Treasure Hunt at Peter Murrell Reserve with starting times beginning from 2 pm. Register to help us with our COVID planning and choose your starting time.
The treasure hunt mixes the fun of rugged riding on bush tracks with the challenge of solving the puzzle for the older kids.
Other groups around the state are also holding Bike Week events, for a full listing of what’s going on near you visit www.tasbicyclecouncil.org.au/bike-week