It was not without a little trepidation that I joined a bunch of Bendigonians on a lunch-time bike ride around the CBD. 

I had only seen one other news assignment where a journalist was required to ride a bike affixed with a GoPro camera – to film magpies in prime swooping season. 

In comparison, a winding adventure through the city streets seemed like a gentle induction to the Bendigo Advertiser. 

It was a wobbly start on the pushbike, but riders of all abilities soon found their rhythm and we were off. 

Having lived in Bendigo for just over a week, I soon discovered bike riding was by far my favourite way to discover the city. 

I was able to drink in the architectural sights, weave over the Bendigo Creek and admire the sprawling trees before pulling up at the Art Gallery for a breather.

As journalists are often tied to their desks by tight deadlines and pulled into a virtual realm, the midday jaunt was refreshing.

As I rode alongside City of Greater Bendigo’s manager of strategy Trevor Budge, he said he hoped the strong visible presence of riders – minus the lycra – would change the sometimes hostile relationship between motorists and cyclists. 

“We’re trying to demonstrate you don't need to suit up in lycra, it’s not a special occasion, this is just normal activity,” Mr Budge said. 

“So we’re hoping to break down some of those hostilities.”

Planning and policy officer Robert Kretschmer said the main objective was to give employees a chance to test run one of the council’s fleet bikes in a group.

“We wanted them to build skills during their lunch break in a supportive, friendly environment and to get a little exercise, as we know this contributes to greater staff productivity,” he said. 

“We want to raise the profile of people on bikes as a regular part of everyday life.”

With the wind whipping my hair and the sun on my face, I counted myself lucky to live in such a bike-friendly city.