It’s December again and Kirihimete (Christmas) is rapidly approaching! We’ve put together a few ideas to get you relaxed, creative, and feeling the vibes.
Getting into the Spirit of Kirihimete – on wheels!
Join us for Pōhutukawa Pedal
Pōhutakawa Pedal is a festive-themed group ride! Bring donations for City Mission (non perishables and essential items, as well as new nice gifts) to put into Santa’s sleigh! Kai and inu (food and drink) are on us, and tamariki (children) are welcome!
Where: Meet at Dunkirk Road Playground (Pt England)
When: Sunday the 10th of December, 10.30am
Who: Anyone, young or old, on any bike! This pathway is very safe, off road, and we’ll be going at a slow casual pace. Dogs (on-leash) are welcome too!
The Gift of Experiences
Life is about great experiences with the ones you love! So, why not make some time to go for a beautiful adventure this Kirihimete? You could…
- Decorate your bike with colourful lights, and take your friends on a night cruise around your local neighbourhood. See if you can spot houses that have been lit up for Kirihimete.
Check out this list here for great Central Tāmaki Makaurau Xmas displays – and this one for houses that have been beautifully decorated. - Take your kids on some of the awesome kids rides we have in Tāmaki Makaurau. They would love to dress up for it!
- Explore bike places across the region – have a look at our discovery map for ideas!
- Get creative with old bike parts! Do you happen to have a bike wheel that’s bent too far to repair? Turn it into a festive bike wheel wreath. Got some unusable bike chain or cassettes taking up space? Make these stylish xmas tree ornaments.
We would love to see photos from your awesome adventures.
Some radical gifts
The gift of creativity
Gift your kids a creative kit to decorate their helmets with! This could include:
- Stickers
- Colourful paint markers
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Decorations such as sparkly gems, fake feathers, spikes, or cat ears
The gift of a bike
If you don’t have one yet, the best gift is always a bike! We have many awesome bike shops across Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) – you can find one near you here. Alternatively, buying second hand can be more affordable, keeps bikes out of the landfill, and are more emission friendly as they’re already in Aotearoa NZ! If you’re buying second-hand online, make sure to look the bike up on 529 Garage to check if it’s been marked stolen. Or, you can check out second hand push bikes in person at your nearby bike hub. You can also gift your old bikes to a bike hub to be fixed up and given away to someone who needs them.
There are affordable second hand bikes available for you or your loved ones at Bike Hubs across the region. Sometimes they even give the bikes away for free! Best yet, they’ve already been given a tune up by the lovely bike folk who work and volunteer at the hubs, so you know they’ll be safe to ride. You can take your bike to the hub to repair it too! Find out more about bike hubs here.
Register your new bike
If you do get a new bike this Christmas remember to register the bike to 529 Garage. Police often recover stolen bikes but are unable to trace who the original owner was. Registering your bike with 529 Garage gives you the best chance of getting your bike back, if it gets stolen. Register here.
Give the gift of peace of mind!
What do all people who ride bikes need? A decent bike lock! If you want to give your family peace of mind biking next year, a sturdy bike lock is a really thoughtful gift. It may not receive squeals of delight compared with the more exciting presents under the tree but, like a good book, it will give years of lasting rewards.
The most effective locks to buy are :
● Sold Secure gold or diamond level
● ART two-star rating or higher
● Angle-grinder resistant D-lock, such as the HIPLOK D1000, the LiteLok X1, or X2
● Chain lock, 6mm or bigger
● Thick folding lock
The gift of comfort!
Whether out on our bikes for transport, joy, or sport, we all want to feel comfortable when we are ride. Riding comfort can be improved by wearing padded underwear or pants, choosing the right saddle, and / or fine tuning your bike seat position and bike setup, also known as a “bike fit”.
For the bike riders in your life (or for yourself!) a voucher for a ‘bike fit’ from an experienced bike shop would be an amazing gift, opening the door to a bike perfectly set up for them and their needs. Alternatively, the right bike seat or some stylish padded pants would go a long way towards a more joyful ride. Tips for finding the right seat for you or a loved one are available here.
Wearable gifts!
Our awesome Bike Auckland Merch would make for a super cute gift for the people in your life who ride bikes. We also have super cool limited edition Liberate the Lane stem caps for a more stylish ride!
In the spirit of giving
For many people, Kirihimete is all about giving, and helping where you can. Here are some awesome initiatives you could support:
Adapt MTB NZ
The team behind Adapt MTB NZ teach mountain bike event organisers how to make their events more inclusive. They encourage mountain bike parks to remove physical barriers for adaptive mountain bikers. And they support disabled people to gain access to adaptive bikes, and to experience mountain biking.
“For many with disabilities, mountain biking is either something they have never tried or something they have had to give up. We want to change this! With the advancements in e-bikes, trikes and hand-cycles, riding “off road” has become more achievable to the masses, rather than a lucky few. It’s our goal to organise opportunities for disabled people to give it a go and work with various foundations that support people with disabilities to make it happen.”
Support them to make mountain biking more accessible through their Givealittle page.
World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief gift life-changing bikes to rural communities around the world, enabling students, health care workers, and women to get out of transport poverty, and empowering their independence. They also train local bike mechanics to keep people moving once they have a bike! Their ‘Buffalo Bicycle’ is purpose-made for the challenges these communities are facing, and the environments they travel across. Give the gift of a bike to a stranger this Christmas, or join The Hub to provide ongoing support.
Bike Auckland
Hi, it’s us! We’re Bike Auckland! We are a volunteer-led and member-supported charity working for a better region for people on bikes! But more than that: we believe that more people on bikes makes for a better region. Call it a virtuous cycle.
We advocate for safer streets for everyone, and run projects to reduce barriers to cycling for transport – on behalf of every person who rides a bike in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and everyone who would love to give it a go. Check out what we’ve been up to here – we need your help to keep up the momentum!
With your help, we can achieve even more. You can support us by becoming a member or by donating. Members get the following benefits:
- First drink free at each Bikes & Beers event
- $4 coffee, or 15% off the whole bill at the Wynyard Quarter Coffee Club
- $250 of free accessories when they purchase an E-bike at Electrify
- Discounts on some items sold through our website
- Limited time offers from a range of partners
- The right to vote at our Annual General Meeting
Donations over $5 are tax-deductible for you.
The Gift of Time
A bit of spare time can go a long way when put towards advocating for safer streets for Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), encouraging your community to get moving on bikes, and keeping ‘em moving by fixing their bikes at your local hub!
Volunteer at your local Bike Burb, your local Bike Hub or with us at Bike Auckland – you’ll be joining a fantastic community and are sure to have a bit of fun too!
Meri Kirihimete from our team at Bike Auckland!
Do you celebrate a cultural tradition other than Kirihimete? We would love to hear from you how you might celebrate your culture’s traditions by bike.
