Bike group riding for a better Bendigo

BIKE Bendigo has been offering the community a different way to explore the city since 2014 and is inviting people of all ages and abilities to hop on their two-wheeler to get active and connect with others.

Organisation president Nicola Dunnicliff-Wells said the group’s mission is to provide education and encouragement that allows people to incorporate bike riding into their daily lives in a safe and inviting way.

“Bendigo does have quite a good bike riding culture but its particularly for the sport and recreation side of things,” she said. “There are many ways to ride a bike but our focus is not sport, our focus is very much the everyday.

“If some of us can go by bike for some of our weekly trips and errands that means that there’s less traffic on the roads and there’s less space required for roads and carparking.

“Whereas if there’s a culture in Bendigo where more people will take the bike for some of their trips then we can help keep that traffic congestion at bay even as our city grows and then Bendigo can remain a more people-centred space.”

The organisation advocates for better bike infrastructure around the city that allows bike riding to be part of the transport mix.

Ms Dunnicliff-Wells said Bike Bendigo encourages people to use bike paths and quiet suburban streets to ride in a way that improves their physical and mental health.

“It’s easier than ever to not move and be sedentary and going by bike for short trips is an easy way to build physical activity into the everyday,” she said.

“That’s a real benefit for community health and wellbeing but on an individual level when taking regular short trips by bike you just feel better.

“It’s great for your mental health, your physical health, you sleep better, you’re generally happier and more connected to the community.”

The group hosts a monthly social ride on the second Sunday of every month and more information can be found by searching Bike Bendigo on Facebook.