If you have an odd, quirky, old or unusual bike, the team at Cyclemania, Taupo’s festival of cycling, want to hear from you. Better still, they want you to join the parade of ‘old and unusual’ bikes that will ride the Criterium circuit on Friday 27 November in the build-up to next month’s Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.
Bike collectors have confirmed they’ll have a range of bikes for the event including a penny farthing and uni-cycle. Cycling legends Jonathan Kennett says he and his brother Simon are helping local man Roy Baker to restore one of the first bikes ever used in the ride around Lake Taupo. They hope to have the bike ready in time for the event. They’ll also bring ‘the triple’, their three-person bike which they’ll ride in this year’s Cycle Challenge.
“I remember when the flashest thing on a bike was the bell, boy’s bikes had bars and all bikes had mud guards” says Lianne Fraser, Cyclemania Event Manager. “It would be good to have a few of those dusted off and in the parade.”
She says watching the odd and the old alongside the racing technology of the Criterium riders will provide a great sight for spectators.
“Cyclemania involves just about every aspect of cycling, including spectator activities. We really want people to use the event as an opportunity to get out and give biking or a different style of cycling a go,” she says. “It has the potential to develop into a much broader and lengthy programme which will benefit Taupo and get more people on bikes.”
A full progamme of Cyclemania events is on the website, www.cyclemania.co.nz and events get underway on November 23.
Cyclemania was launched in 2008 and is a joint venture between Bike Taupo, Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, the Taupo District Council and Sport Waikato.
