Bay of Plenty District Health Board
healthyliving News
This month several staff signed up to the
Aotearoa Bike Challenge. The annual
competition is fun and free and all about
seeing which workplaces can get the most
people to ride a bike for just 10 minutes or
more each day. As Checkup is published,
BOPDHB is sitting in top place for the Bay of
Plenty and in ninth position in New Zealand.
Checkup caught up with one of our top cyclists clocking up big kms,
Tauranga Hospital Diabetes Specialty Nurse Maureen Alleyne.
What motivates you to ride?
I live in east Papamoa and I hate sitting in traffic. Riding my bike to
work gives me the freedom to escape this. I ride for pleasure too
and it’s better than doing housework!
How many kms do you do on average
a day?
Since December I’ve been biking to work which is roughly 25km,
about 50 km round trip.
When did your love of cycling start?
Yes cycling is very social for me. I’m part of the Te Puke based
road cycling crew; Women on Wheels and I’ve also set up the Fab
Friday Flashes. I don’t work Fridays that’s for riding and coffee!
As a child I loved to bike. Things tapered off when my children
were little. But once they grew up I was back into it. I’m one of
those people who have more than one bike. Up until late last
year I had a road bike and a mountain bike and then I bought an
e-bike too! What’s your most memorable ride?
What prompted you to get an e-bike? What ride would you recommend to
staff in the Bay of Plenty?
I must admit I was a bit reluctant to make the switch but started to
have a few respiratory issues. I’m now 70 and the e-bike gives me
the freedom to keep biking and going the distance. I’ve since given
away my mountain bike to a teenager who I’d heard (through the
biking circle) had lost his mum. I thought ‘pay it forward’ and gave
him my mountain bike.
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Are you part of a regular cycling group
as well?
One of my best rides was the Queenstown trails. I had a week off
and biked along trails from Arrowtown to Queenstown. Absolutely
amazing scenery.
There are a lot of recreational rides to choose from. One of my
favourites is from Sulphur Point to the Lakes in Tauranga.
For information on cycle trails in the Bay see
www.bayofplentynz.com/things-to-do/tracks-trails/cycle-trails