Ballarat’s Biketober to roll into the city

Biketober is coming to Ballarat – a fun, free and friendly biking challenge for the entire community to take part in throughout the month of October.  

Biketober is the state’s biggest bike challenge. Riders who hop on their bikes and encourage others to do the same throughout October have the chance of winning amazing prizes.  

To take part, all you have to do is register at www.lovetoride.net and get pedaling. You can ride to work, for leisure, for exercise, with friends and family, any way you wish to ride.  

The initiative is for everyone, especially non-riders. It’s a great chance to try it out and join up with an experienced rider to enjoy an active mode of transport.  

You’ll earn points for each day and kilometre you ride, as well as every person you encourage. Those points will turn into entries into the prize draws!

Biketober is an initiative run by Love to Ride and supported by local councils across Victoria. Love to Ride has 557,210 participants, which includes 129,236 non-cyclists, and counting.  

As a Ballarat resident, registration is simple and free. Follow the instructions at www.lovetoride.net to fill in your details and link your profile to your workplace or club. Anyone aged 13 years and over can participate for free.

When you register and sign up with a workplace or club, you receive a free first year of RACV bike-assist, to ensure you won’t be left on the side of the road if you can’t ride.  

Biketober aligns with the City of Ballarat’s Cycling Action Plan 2017 – 2025 which seeks to help transform Ballarat into one of the great cycling cities. This program specifically supports two goals of the plan:  

change travel behaviour to increase bike riding, particularly focusing on those groups not currently cycling to help build an everyday bike riding culture in Ballarat so that it is seen as a legitimate use of the road with mutual respect between riders and drivers. 

Ballarat is becoming increasingly bike friendly with recent openings of major new separated bike paths on the Canadian Creek Trail, Sturt Street and Learmonth Road towards Miners Rest.  

Works on further infrastructure will commence this financial year with an additional separated trail along Sutton Street (linking Victoria Park to Doug Dean Reserve), while consultation has recently closed on a new link along the Glenelg Highway and early scoping is underway for a range of other linkages across the city.  

Spring is the perfect time in Ballarat to get back on the bike and explore.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Belinda Coates said riding a bike is a great way to get from A to B, or simply for enjoyment.  

“Communities with high levels of bike riding are healthier, more connected, consume less energy, produce less emissions and experience less congestion on the roads than those with low levels of bike riding,” she said.  

“Nothing compares to the simple joy of riding a bike at any age. I ride my bike most days to get from A to B, work commitments or the shops. I also enjoy getting out in nature and cycling the recreational track and trails. I often ride along the Yarrowee River trail, Specimen Vale and Canadian Creek trails.”

For those unsure or nervous about Biketober a try, check out the Ride Ballarat section of the Visit Ballarat website for some great off-road and completely separated routes.