Join the USO Bike Ride 2012

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

You can join the bike ride at Ashhurst and ride with them into the Square on Friday 19th October approx 2pm at Ashhurst

USO-“UNDERSTANDING-STRENGTHENING-OVERCOMING”

On October 13th – 26th, 2012, a group of 10 Pacific Island and Maori men including our own club member, Kelly Lawton, started their journey at Cape Reinga to cycle south on a mission to ride the length of the country to raise cancer awareness for Pacific Island and Maori men who feature poorly in the statistics. While they realise their message applies to all men, Get Checked!, Exercise Regularly, and Make Healthy choices. With the support of Cancer Society NZ they are holding community fono/hui following the end of their days riding to engage with our pacific island and maori community along the way.

A number of the group have not exercised regularly since they finished playing sport competitively many years ago and several are new to bike riding, while others like Kelly are seasoned cyclists, but NONE have done something this big! They have spent many months training and building up to complete this challenge, held camps along the way, including Camp Kelly here in the Manawatu, which Colin Anderson passed on much valued knowledge to these newbies about long distance riding and all that it entails, physically and mentally!

As at Wednesday they have Completed Cape Reinga – Kaitaia – Whangarei – Auckland- Hamilton and are currently cycling to Taupo, weather hasn’t always been kind, with full gambit of rain, sleet, sunshine and gale force winds along the way but they are working well as a team and supporting each other through the inevitable highs and lows that come with any endurance event.

Tomorrow it’s the big push Taupo to Napier and then Friday they ride to Palmerston North.The plan is to arrive Ashhurst Domain at approx. 2pm where you are invited to join them and ride with them into the Square via Riverside Drive and the cycle way. If you can’t ride in with them, come and meet them in the Square and have a chat to some of the team. (approx 3pm). They will be met in the Square by City Councillor, Tangi Utikere, outside the Information Centre where friends, family and workmates will welcome them to the city. For the riders, it will be an opportunity to be acknowledged by Palmerston North, the best place to ride a bike and also allow them to voice their message regarding health & wellness.Kelly hopes to see some familiar faces there before they push on to Wellington and down the South Island to Invercargill/Bluff.You can follow their progress either on Facebook (USO Bike Ride) or via Blog on web http://www.afolattalofa.co.nz/uso-blog.html