Previous Christchurch Events

Dodging the raindrops…Cancellation of ride Fri 5th Nov

Oh, the tempestuous spring weather! Sorry – we’ve cancelled this event until next year.

For more information for the fireworks show which has been moved until Saturday …visit the council weblink.  http://bethere.co.nz/community/2010/5392-treetech-guy-fawkes-fireworks-spectacular

Show your bike some love!

Ok, so you’re sticking to your trusty old steed. But she needs a little maintenance.  Every 4 months the Inner City East Cycle (ICEcycle) group puts on a free (yes, you read correctly) FREE bike maintenance workshop. However, while these volunteer mechanics are saints, complete miracle workers they ain’t and some major jobs may have to be referred to the supporting bike shop, Cycle Trading Company.

If you have an unwanted, unloved bike, please bring it along so the guys can fix it up and find a new home for it.  Ph 379 5134 if you need it picked up.  Any sound helmets gratefully received. You’ve go bike maintenance skills? Then they would love to hear from you, too.

Saturday 19 June

Now here’s an event that seems to have been dreamt up with frockers in mind!

Check out Swap-O-Rama-Rama – A day where you can “upcycle” your wardrobe by creating amazing new creations from old treasures! With volunteers helping you alter your clothes (includes screen printing if you so wish!) for a new fresh look. This is a part of the Lyttelton Summer Festival and is sponsored by Singer sewing machines and Yudu screen printers. Parking can be a bit of a hassle during the festival so why not take the number 28 bus over? They leave every half hour. Want to take your bike? No problem- this service has bikes on busses and using these racks are very easy to use, trust me!

Sunday 20 June –

Come along to a retro bike open day and test ride the cycle of your dreams at velo-ideale, Sunday 20th June

Velo-Ideale

16/9 Matipo Street, Riccarton

1-4pm!

Christchurch Frocks On Bikes’ GRAND LAUNCH!

It’s all happening on Saturday October 24th 2009, from 2-5pm.

Christchurch’s freshest Frockers and their faithful steeds will rendezvous at Victoria Square for an afternoon of delightful divertissements, featuring…

* entertainments
* a “catcycle” (think taking to the catwalk on two wheels)
* spot prizes
* food and coffee stalls … and
* many other flavours of fun stuff  – including local celebrities!

Our MC for the event is social media guru and environmentalist, the fabulous Kaila Colbin of Missing Link.

Frock up and come along – help us kick-start the freshest Frocks On Bikes Flock, in Aotearoa’s prettiest and most bikeable city!

Sat 21 Nov – Hamper on Hagley!

Dress in your brightest, electric gear: Frock on Bikes are going Psychedelic with a Frockerfrolic Picnic in the Park!
Rendezvous: 12 noon, Saturday 21st November
Outside the Museum and near the Peacock Fountain, Rolleston Ave.

We’ll frolic around the outside North Hagley Park finishing by dining in the botanicals.

December’s outing – 6 December

Hi Ladies and Frocking Fellas! Fancy a Day Out at the Races?
For Decembers’ outing we’ll be supporting our speedy sisters at the Festival of Cycling Criterium!

Here’s the plan:

11am – 1pm: Meet ringside, at the Clarendon Hotel, Corner of Oxford and Worcester for el fresco coffee  & /or brunch.
Between 12 midday and 12.15 pm: Sally forth around the criterium course in our frock finery before the races begins. Our tables at the Clarendon will be held for us while we ride. Wear your day-at-the-races garb!

(It would be great if you could stick around for some or all of the races. Cycling Criterium are exciting, not-to-be-missed European style sporting entertainment.
Timetable for Festival of Cycling Criterium 2009
•    10:30 a.m. Course inspected – Open to riders  (this is our promenade)
•    11:00 a.m. Start “New Comers” Open Event – 30 minutes plus 2 laps
•    11:45 a.m. Start Kids Criterium 5-7 yrs & Kids demonstration under 5 yrs – 15 minutes

•    12:00 p.m. Start Antique Cycle Group Demonstration AND FROCKERS – 15 minutes

•    12:20 p.m. Start “Club Crit” Men’s Event – 30 minutes plus 2 laps
•    1:05 p.m. Start BMX Demonstration Mainland North BMX Association- 20 minutes
•    1:25 p.m. Start Celebrity Tandem Event- 15 minutes
•    1:50 p.m. Start Open Women – 35 minutes plus 2 laps
•    2:30 p.m. Start Kiwi HPV demonstration – 15 minutes
•    2:55 p.m. Start Invitation “Elite Men” Criterium – 45 minutes plus 2 laps

Don’t forget one of our sponsor events – Girls on Bikes www.girlsonbikes.co.nz is a mere 3 months away. This spot prize could see you leading the peloton! You go girls, make us frockers proud!”

Tour de Tart, Tart Café +Deli: Saturday, January 30th

Slip on a sun frock, slap on a helmet and slop on the sun block- Christchurch Frockers are heading to Sumner!

January’s ride takes our intrepid riders on a 12 and/or 6 km journey from central city east through Avonside, Linwood, Ferrymead and Redcliffs to the welcome waves and gelatos of Sumner.

Here’s the plan:

1.30pm: The 12 km option. We’ll meet at corner of Barbadoes and Kilmore where you can fuel up the body with a treat from Piko Wholefoods.

We head out east beside the Avon and then all the way down Linwood Ave to the sea. (We can pick you up at Eastgate at around 1.45pm.)

2pm: The 6km option. Riding all the way from Linwood is a bit extreme? Then join in at the very cycle friendly Café Le Tour de France, 1091 Ferry Road, extreme end of Ferry, beside the new apartment blocks. Tres bon crepes, café au lait. Claudine and Pascal are sponsors for Bike Challenge, The Bike Challenge.htm who in turn sponsored our Frocker November Ride

Depending on winds (and according to in cycling lore a wind shared is a wind halved) we should arrive in Sumner about 2.30pm. Our destination:  the lovely Tart Café, 25 Marriner Street, where Adrianna has promised us tarts a discounted coffee. Save the swimmers a seat!

Bring: Your togs, sun block, appetite, money and your friends. Unfortunately, as this is an on-road ride we can’t really recommend this ride for kiddies, unless they are really road savvy.

Frockers rules: We go at the pace of the slowest rider and at all times you must look gorgeous, elegant and stylish

While Frocks on Bikes is more about cycling for utility trips, check out www.sarahulmerbrand.com/events/christchurch-31-jan-2010/

***bike maintenance workshop***

When:        16th March, 5-7pm
Where:     Community and Public Health, 76 Chester Street East, between the back entrance of Centennial Pool and Oasis café. Come to reception.
How much:    Its free (thanks, Christchurch City Council, bouquet for that one).

• This will be hands-on session, so maybe you shouldn’t be in your best frock!
• Better still, bring a pinny and we’ll provide good hand wash.
• Don’t worry if you can’t bring a bike…there will be plenty of bits and pieces of bikes to play with

These courses have been running all over Christchurch during February and March by the lovely Helena and Ruth from mtbskills.com.

Don’t be the only one in town who doesn’t know how to mend a puncture!

ALSO…

Sounds like thirsty work? We’ll head off to “the Bicycle Thief” (21 Latimer Square) for a drink and/or a bite to eat around 7.30pm. I’m in negotiations to see if we can get a discount…Bring your bike lock and lights.

If you want to take part in either or both of these activities, phone  3786817  or email meg.christie@cdhb.govt.nz  and I’ll book you in.

Valentines outing…

If you went to the Valentines Day concert frock outing and couldn’t find the small frock flock, it was because the council was twitchy about us putting up our banner (a brick bat for that one ) – it had to be done in a clandestine manner! But we were there!

Vegetarian triathalon

One last thing, coming up this Sunday, 28th Feb: The Vegetarian society has invited Frockers to take part in a very laid back, non competitive and fun triathlon. At $50 waged and $25 for unwaged, triathlons certainly don’t get much cheaper and that price includes a t-shirt! For more info click here or phone Leith 940 9483.

May

CHRISTCHURCH’S OWN TWEED RIDE

With the chill in the air, it’s time to don your cycling chic tweeds and come for an autumnal jaunt through some of Christchurch’s most beautiful streets and parks.

• Hear the crunch of fallen leaves under your tyres!
• Feel the cool breeze on your face!
• Wave to the jealous motorists!
• Be your most glamorous as you deal the wheel!

Its frocking marvellous to be alive when you’re on 2 wheels and loving it!

When: Sunday 2nd May, 2pm.
From where:  EITHER: outside the University library, University Drive, Canterbury Uni 2pm.
OR Riccarton House, at about  2.20pm.

To Where:  the Boatshed Café for refreshmentsWhat to Wear: Tweed coats or jackets, kilts, gym frocks or twinsets, woolly tights or plus fours, pearls and cameos, tartan scarves and kid gloves. Go crazy!
How Long: Depending on photo opportunities and general faffing around, it will probably take us about an hour to get to town. The ride is about 6km.

We welcome men in tweeds and cycle-savvy young uns.
Frocks on Bikes loves biking for all its reasons –
biking as a means to an end, and biking as an end in itself.

April

Following on from the really successful bike maintenance session in March (Thanks to Ruth Stewart, mtbskills.com and the Christchurch City Council’s Season of Cycling), we’ve got another great opportunity for you.

Cycle skills classes

Do potholes give you palpitations? Do courier vans give you cardiac arrests? Do you find yourself muttering “Don’t be scared!” as you get on the road?

We have the answer!

Christchurch Frocks On Bikes is hot on the pedals of our Wellington sisters with our very own Cycle Skills Workshop.

Frocks on Bikes are organising two special tailor-made Street Skills workshops just for you:

Sunday 18^th April or Saturday 24^th April, 10am-2pm, Meet in Latimer Square, the bit near “the Bicycle Thief”

How much? Its FREE! Thanks, CCC! Places are strictly limited to a maximum of six in each session so get in quick and book on http://nzmtbskills.eventbrite.com.  Frockers are more than welcome to attend any of the other events listed if you can’t do weekends.

Bring: your bike, helmet, suitable frock for the weather (If you feel more comfy in trou- that’s fine, too) and some cash for a bite to eat part way through.

Helena and Ruth from mtbskills.com will take us through a comprehensive one-stop shop of four hours, covering road code and rights, bike-handling drills you can take home and practice, and on-the-road techniques and tricks.  We’ll do round-a-bouts, lane changes, hook turns and more!

You’ll get the skills and confidence to be a beautiful bulletproof bombshell, completely at home frocking through the urban jungle! Oh and yes, men are welcome to join in too.

..the Edwardian event hinted at in my last notice is still a goer- just needs more organisation!  Hopefully it will come to pass in time for May’s frocker outing.