The road to making Wellington an accessible city for cyclists has been long and fraught with difficulties; much like riding over our hills and into our winds. But recent signs suggest Wellington is on it’s way to becoming a true cycle city. Melody Thomas investigates.
WELLINGTON is no Amsterdam, but the past five years has definitely seen more people get back on their bikes. Statistics from the Wellington City Council show double the number of people commuting by cycle – counting 787 cyclists entering the CBD over two hours in 2006, compared with 1644 in 2010.
New bike shops are opening; there are more cyclists on roads, and an explosion in the building of new off-road tracks. The Wellington City Council is fitting cycle-friendly covers on storm drains, and, along with the Hutt City Council, has recently called for a proposed cycle/walkway from Petone to Horokiwi be built immediately.
Former member of the Makara Peak supporters committee Ben Wilde, left the group in 2008 and along with other Miramar-based members began work on the Miramar Track Project.  Since then, volunteers have built three kilometres of track, removed rubbish, and planted over 1000 native plants an area of disused farmland south of Wellington prison. The track is swarmed by a couple of hundred cyclists every week in summer, and it’s not even finished yet
Wilde says, “The partnership [with the Wellington City Council] is really the key to the success of these projects …  we need them and they need our time,” he says.
The first two tracks built, aptly named ‘Conviction’ and ‘Bootleg’, take riders up Darlington Road in Miramar to near the water towers in Maupuia. The ‘downhill-style’ ‘Jail Brake’ track, takes riders back down into Miramar, ending at the Rangers football clubrooms. A track that will complete the loop by linking them all together is nearly finished.
“Jail Brake is by far the most popular [track]. Not only do people pedal up to use it, but they also ‘shuttle’, or take turns driving to the top, and riding down on their bikes. That was always intended… we wanted to create something that appealed to a wide cross section of the community. It’s being used by both ‘downhill’ types with full-faced helmets, cross-country riders in lycra and everyone in between.  By design, the track is straightforward if you ride it slow, and harder and more fun if you ride it fast.”
Wilde says the increase in numbers of cyclists on off-road tracks, has been echoed in road cyclist numbers.
“Just go look on Oriental Parade on a Sunday morning to see the weekend warriors. Commuting is also taking off… you can see a steady line of people riding out of Miramar on a weekday morning to head around the bays to work.”
And despite Wellington’s hilliness, Wilde says we have some of the best cycling around.
“The terrain and access to riding areas for mountain biking is second to none in the world …  Very few if any other cities have that on their doorstep.”
Cycling advocate Patrick Morgan says the council has met increased demand with improvements in inner city cycling infrastructure.
“Last year [the council] set up a rush-hour clearway in Thorndon Quay to make room for commuting bikers. It’s installed more bike parking stands. Its ongoing programme of safer speed limits in suburban centres and the CBD has made cycling more attractive,” he explains.
US cycling advocate Gil Penalosa cites a strong positive correlation between the provision of safe infrastructure and cycling numbers –improvements on the cycle and walkway from Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay, Te Ara Harakeke, have resulted in an 800% increase in cyclists.
Regular biker Claire Pascoe has noticed the growth especially with female cyclists.
“In countries with dedicated, safe and comfortable cycle infrastructure you see a much more equal ratio of men to women riding. Frocks on Bikes have highlighted that you can dress for your destination, not your journey, Riding a bike every day certainly doesn’t mean wearing lycra. I can’t remember the last time I wore it… I think I got a rash,” she says.
“I use my bike to come to work, or head to the supermarket, I don’t get dressed up especially for the journey… I don’t really think twice about it.”
Greater Wellington began ‘bike buddies’ in 2010, for people keen to start cycling but not sure where to start.  Bike buddies are experienced cyclists who pair up with the less experienced, offering advice, sharing tricks of the trade and helping to build confidence on the road.  
“There is definitely ‘safety in numbers’, as cyclists are seen more often, they are expected more often,” says Wilde.
While cycling in Wellington is easier now than it was ten years ago, the cycling community largely agrees that big changes still need to happen before most people get in their bikes.
Roadworks owner Oli Brooke-White has been riding his bike in Wellington for more than 30 years, and is described warmly as an “excellent bike mechanic”, as well as the best wheel-builder around. Brooke-White says “we [also] need more education for drivers that sharing the road is an obligation not an option, and more for cyclists that the road rules are there for everybody and should be heeded,” he says.
Lisa Black set up website cyclingwellington.co.nz.
“We have developed a slightly hysterical cycle-safety culture since the helmet law came in. It’s actually a lot safer to ride than most people realise, but it’s perception that’s important here because that’s the number one barrier…. if New York and Los Angeles, notorious for their ‘car is king’ culture, and if San Francisco and Seattle, notorious for their steep, hilly streets, can re-focus their infrastructure to make bike riding easier and more convenient than driving, then so can we.”
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, who’s been cycling in Wellington since 1989, says we need clearer routes across town, more bike parks, off road connections and more consideration from some drivers.
“Cycling is very convenient, I get from council to parliament in about seven minutes, with no parking woes.”
Her advice?
“Get good lights - it’s dark early. Panniers rather than a backpack improve balance. Treat drivers and pedestrians with courtesy. ”