The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is underway this month, and for the third year running the challenge has encouraged thousands of New Zealanders to get on their bikes.

More people have participated in the first two weeks of this year's challenge, than in the whole of last year's challenge.

Over 17,000 people across the country have logged a ride and over 2 million kilometres have already been cycled, and there is still two weeks left to go.

More than 1,400 Bay of Plenty residents have already signed up for the challenge, nothing up more than 120,000 kilometres and 9,294 bike trips so far.

'We're excited with the number of New Zealanders that are getting on their bikes for the challenge this year,” says acting senior manager system design, for NZTA Kevin Reid.

'It's great to see that organisations throughout New Zealand have embraced not only the challenge but cycling in general.”

More than 150,000 trips by bike have been made as part of the challenge for far this year.

'The next step for cyclists is to turn their efforts in the challenge into lasting habits,” says Kevin.

Not only is the challenge beating its records from last year, but Love to Ride founder, Thomas Stokell says it stacks up well against other challenges held globally in terms of participation.

'The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is no one of the most successful bike challenge programmes of its kind in the world. By comparison, per capita, it is performing 24 times better than the USA's ‘National Bike Challenge', and 10 times better than the UK's ‘Cycle September'.”

To get involved with the Aotearoa Bike Challenge in the Bay of Plenty, Sport BOP are holding Go By Bike Days.

There will be plenty of pit stops in both Rotorua and Tauranga offering refreshments and loads of sport prizes.

Rotorua:

When: Tuesday February 26 7-9am

Pit stop locations:

Corner of Lake Road and Railway Road

Te Ngae Road, Roadside near the Redwoods Centre

Corner of Basley Road and Moray Street

Old Taupo Road, outside New World.

Pit stops include refreshments, spot prizes and your chance to win 1 of 3 $100 vouchers from Cyclezone Rotorua.

Tauranga:

When: Wednesday February 27 6.45-8.45am

Pit stop locations:

Red Square

Cameron Road, opposite Boys College

Corner Chapel Street and Maxwells Road

Simpson Reserve, Papamoa

Harbour Bridge (marina, cycleway)

Opposite Salt Marsh Reserve, 428 Ngatai Road, Otumoetai

Omanu Bowling Club Car Park, Golf Road

Grenada Street – by Reilly Avenue Reserve

Reserve opposite Katikati College

Pit stops include refreshments and spot prizes.

To find out more about the bike challenge from Sport Bay of Plenty, click here: