Cycling initiatives go down a treat in Bay

Cycling to work offers more than the usual health benefits this week - there's also free food up for grabs.

Bike friendly businesses in Napier and Hastings got on board with the Hawke's Bay Commuter Challenge, by providing a venue and bite to eat each morning, until Friday. A schedule of the stop off points is available on the Hawke's Bay Commuter Challenge Facebook page.

Those who chose to ditch the car between four and five days will go in a draw to win one of two tailor-made cycle trail packages including accommodation and a meal at Clearview Winery.

There are also daily spot prizes and other goodies available.

This year, the BikeNZ initiative has evolved into a twin-city event supported by Hastings IWay and Sport Hawke's Bay. It has been timed to coincide with BikeWise month and Go by Bike Wednesday.

"We want to promote, not just recreational cycling, but biking as a form of transport to get from A to B," event organiser Lyndal Johansson said.

"We want people to bike to the gym, to a friend's house, to work," she said.

Thanks to the installation of cycle paths and trails, urban cycle lanes and the work of local clubs, cycling in the Bay was growing.

"Yesterday morning we had 74 people in Napier and 102 in Hastings, which is fantastic."