With over 100 enthusiastic local participants involved in the Surf 2 Turf – The Great Family Bike Ride made a colourful contribution to raising the level of interest and support for cycling in Geraldton.

Now into its 23rd year, The Department of Planning and Infrastructure’s Cycle Instead Bike Week 2008 ran from Friday 7 March to Sunday 16 March.

The Surf 2 Turf – The Great Family Bike Ride was held to celebrate the end of Geraldton’s successful Bike Week 2008 activities.  The Geraldton community was invited to enjoy a social ride from the Geraldton Surf Club to Pages Beach. This scenic 4 km route utilises a dual use pathway for most of the distance and is one of many cycling routes available in Geraldton.

The occasion saw a colourful stream of families, children and friends peddling a range of bikes including tandems, child carts and included a family of four on a custom built quad.

Great prizes were up for grabs on the day with City of Geraldton Greenough Mayor Ian Carpenter first to arrive at Pages winning a Bike Week 2008 cycle pack and voucher from the Bicycle Entrepreneur Geraldton.

A tandem bicycle kindly donated by Bike Force went to an ecstatic winner in Greg Porter who immediately put it to good use on his homeward journey. 

Bike Week 2008 was deemed a great success with more partners than ever before getting behind the event and encouraging more people to get active and cycle instead. Activities included the Up4it project Come n’ Try sessions, activities at the regional library, Spokes Cycle Club events, four schools holding a Ride to School breakfast and the ongoing Cycle Instead Corporate and Community Challenge.

Mayor Carpenter said that “Councillors are very aware of the need to have good cycle ways to ensure members of the public have safe areas on which to exercise and to use as an alternative means of transport to and from work.

“The City has been working on it’s cycleway program over a number of years and the benefits are now being realized.”

The support and enthusiasm from the community for Bike Week events is an indicator to the potential for a range of successful cycle events in the future and highlights the need for continuing work on path networks and cycle friendly facilities.