Bike Week and Coot-tha Rock

Start of Coot-tha Challenge

The BDO Kendalls Brisbane Coot-tha Challenge was a finale fitting after a great Bike Week in Brisbane.

Cycling, already rocking post the council elections with Mayor Campbell Newman's commitment to $100m for cycling during the now current term, started to roll with a Bike Week of great cycling activities.

The first weekend's events included a well attended Women's ride and seminar and a MTB Day. Full-house signs were out for 10 Speed Dating, and Quest Ride to Work day saw more than 1000 riders celebrating in Brisbane Place, with hundreds of new cycle commuters joining the cycling push over the week long Scody Corporate Challenge. 10,000 school students across the state participated in the Ride to School Challenge.

Around 250 people enjoyed the Dendy cycle film night, leading to Saturday morning when a huge field rocked up to race across four grates around the Nundah Criterium track in the Bike Week Criterium.

Others spent the day attending cycling workshops, training camps, or hearing about the fascinating life of a pro rider in the Tour de France at a dinner with 5 time finisher Stephen Hodge.

Super Sunday was all about riding the bike. Brisbane's streets were alive with lycra as riders in the Great Brisbane Bike Ride rode out along Coronation Drive around the river, while the tougher nuts scaled Mt Coot-tha in a timed hill-climb in the BDO Kendalls Brisbane Coot-tha Challenge.

With the best recorded time of 7.38 setting an incredible benchmark, British rider Graeme Rose took home $500, as did first woman Jodie Willett, 9.01, who was up and down the hill before her 5-year-old son was awake! Way to go Mum!

Team Interbuild took out the $1000 corporate challenge for the best team time, and all 1500 riders were over the hill before the 50 minute cut-off time - so well done cyclists!

Bike Week truly rocked. No wonder the golf courses were so empty - everyone was playing the new improved golf where you get fit, travel by human power and see the sights of our great city!

Bicycle Queensland brings you Bike Week every year to get more people riding bicycles - that's our mission.