Gunnaina Kaur Kohli gets us pedaling for UONs Ride2Uni event.

Get excited fitness freaks and general adventurers of the university, UONs Ride2Uni event is almost upon us!

Ride2Uni is the university version of the national Ride2Work day, which encourages the health, social and environmental benefits of active travel.

Did you know that you can park 15 bikes in the space of one car park? No? Well did you also know that cycling 30km per week has immense health benefits; your risk of heart disease and stroke is halved. Now, unless you beat your head to some heavy metal while driving, you’re not going to burn nearly as much calories while driving as you will if you ride the same distance, or for the same amount of time.

Plus, there’s no need to mention students’ hopeless financial situation; the cost of maintaining a bike is twenty times less than maintaining a car. So get pedaling!

What’s happening?

The events leading up to Ride2Uni Day are so exciting you’ll want to hop on your bike now and ride into the distant sunset. There will be free (yes you read right), free strength and cardio workshops and Bike Maintenance Workshops running from late August to the end of September, to get your heart racing for the Ride2Uni Day on the 14^th of October. These will be held at the Forum and Bike Hub East. There will also be Safe Cycling Workshops where you learn to check your bike position and road rules for riders. You can check the link below for the Ready2Ride timetable.

And for those who’d rather eat a donut in front of their friends while they attack the cross trainer and weights, there will also be free breakfast on the day.

And if that wasn’t incentive enough (I know how many of you exploit the free NUSA milk and toast), there will be door prizes for both registration and attendance at the breakfast. All you have to do is register here and follow #UONbikebuddies and #ride2uni on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you need?

A bike is helpful.  If you don’t have a bike, have no fear; contact Environmental Officer for Infrastructure and Facilities Services, Megan Sharkey, for a loan bike for the event, or buy one from just $50 from Bike Love Corral at Bike Hub East (this comes with a helmet and a cool safety vest). You’ll also be needing the essentials such as a helmet, water, and a keen bean in your spleen (too dry?).

What do you want?

Pre-university party times with your very own bike buddies, in your very own bike bus.

Did you know you can make your own “bike bus” with a leader who “drives” the “bus” and a “caboose” who follows the rear to ensure everyone rides together?  So grab a few mates, try the hashtag #UONbikebuddies to find someone on our university social media pages or call/email Megan to help connect with a bike buddy.

There are also some bike busses you can join. Choose where you will be riding from and which campus you will be riding to in the registration form to see when the bike bus will be heading your way.

So think about the amazing benefits for your health, your wallet and the environment as you travel to UON with your bike buddies on one of the oldest forms of transport in the world.

Contact Megan Sharkey at Megan.Sharkey@newcastle.edu.au or call 02 4985 4034.

Designed by Hugh Pascoe