Cycle to a free breakfast in Hastings

Choosing pedal power will be rewarded with a free breakfast on Wednesday at the Hastings Go By Bike Breakfast.

The annual event, held as part of Bike Wise month and the Hastings walking and cycling project iWay, will be held between 7.30am and 9am near the Hastings clock tower.

Convoys of cyclists from Flaxmere, Havelock North and Napier are expected to meet in the city centre.

Flaxmere councillors Henare O'Keefe and Jacoby Poulain will lead Flaxmere riders on the 7km trip into the city.

"We've got school kids, parents, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunties and uncles, police on bikes, athletes and recent cycling converts all making the trip," Mr O'Keefe said.

"As we'll be a large group we'll have police vehicles escorting the group to make sure cars are aware of us on the road but I think they'll see us coming. We're expecting around 100."

Owen Mata, iWay project manager, said he was hoping for a bigger turnout than last year's attendance of 200.

"Just making a few short trips by bike or walking each week, instead of getting in the car, can make a huge difference to your fitness, your petrol bill, road congestion and your general enjoyment of life," Mr Mata said.

The Go By Bike Breakfast is one of the events being held to mark Bike Wise month, this month.

Others included the two-week iWay Commuter Challenge starting in Hastings next week, and Big Bike Fix-Ups in Havelock and Flaxmere in March.

Visit www.iway.org.nz for more information.