The mood of the 15 cyclists was buoyant as they showcased their employer’s initiative to make Bendigo a more bike-friendly city. Some regular riders, others novices with each wanting to show riding was fun and safe.

In the past year, City of Greater Bendigo has trialled a program in which staff could access bikes to ride to meetings. More than 250 trips were made with 860 hours booked and about 1000km travelled. Most trips were within 4km of the CBD. The bike pool has successfully grown to 14 units with riding a regular practice.

“It is a more nimble way to travel around the city, and it lessens demand on the city’s car fleet,” city planning officer Robert Kretschmer said.