who is bike waikato
We are a non-profit community organisation, run by volunteers, that represents people on bikes in the public forum and fulfills the stakeholder role on transport projects where facilities for people on bikes are needed.
what is our purpose
To encourage the use of bikes
To promote biking as a healthy, sustainable, and convenient form of transport
To improve the image of people on bikes
To present the case for biking in public debate and to relevant authorities
To work to improve the conditions for people on bikes
Our vision:
More people on bikes, safely
At Bike Waikato we love bikes. It doesn’t matter what you ride, or how far, we are your voice for a better Waikato for bikes.
Our vision aims for a simple outcome: to see more people on bikes.
We focus on advocacy, collaboration, and promoting ways to empower people to get on a bike.
Our Team
Our committee is made up of everyday people making positive changes for all people who use bikes.
A lot of our work is produced by volunteers who are passionate about advocating for change to create better places for people on bikes.
Melissa Smith
Chair/Spokesperson
Melissa is a co-chair and spokesperson for Bike Waikato. They have commuted by bicycle since they were a student, enjoying the independence, health benefits, and affordability offered by that mode. They became involved in cycling advocacy after moving back to Kirikiriroa Hamilton following their undergraduate studies.
Melissa is passionate about using evidence-based policy to improve communities and livelihoods. They split their time between working as a public servant and studying Environmental Planning at the University of Waikato, where they research how to make cycling safer and more attractive. In their own time, Melissa enjoys bike-packing, creative writing, and learning foreign languages.
Stephen Hay
Committee Member
Stephen is a Hamilton-based teacher who enjoys biking as his daily commute to school, rain or shine, along with his daughter in her royal trailer. His family have embraced local ‘car-lite’ living and cycling for the health, well-being and social benefits, as well as climate concerns.
He has volunteered at bike repair workshops in Dunedin and Hamilton, and has submitted on more transport policies and consultations than he can count. He likes to advocate for protected and well-connected cycle routes, so that people of all ages and abilities have genuine options for getting around town. He joined Bike Waikato in 2022 in the hopes of making more progress towards this goal as part of a team of like minded people.
Kelli Pike
Committee Member
About five years ago Kelli rediscovered a love of riding her bike, after wanting to reduce her environmental impact. Replacing a five minute drive with a ten minute bike ride seemed like an easy but impactful change to make. Kelli now loves that it helps keep her fit, and connects her to her neighbourhood more than driving a car ever could.
Kelli works at Go Eco, an environment hub, based in Frankton, where she can flex her cycling advocacy muscles at any opportunity, to remind elected members of their role in enabling climate action in our city. She lives in Dinsdale, with her husband who is a committed commuter cyclist and an 11 year old would-be cyclist- if our cycling paths & driving culture was safer.
Simon Campbell
Committee Member
Simon started looking at e-bikes as an environmentally friendly alternative to driving around Hamilton. He found the concept appealing as he recalled the fun riding around Te Awamutu in his childhood. Simon was sold on the concept after hiring an e-bike to ride the Te Awa river tour.
Today Simon rides a front-loading e-cargo bike (bakfiets) style bike with his family of four and finds excitement in educating others on utilising active transport. Simon’s interactions with others while riding helps him find a deeper connection to Hamilton and its people. Each ride he sees a detail of the city he had never seen before, or has an interaction opportunity not possible via car.
Simon is a self-employed software engineer by day, which means you will most likely find some doing the more analytical activities of Bike Waikato. Helping with the website, writing articles and general planning.
Jackson Fankhauser
Committee Member
Jackson is a massive fan of multi-modal transport options and creating safer and convenient transport options. During intermediate and high school his key mode of transportation was cycling. Jackson enjoys cycling and has a great love for using cycling as an active form of transport that fulfils the daily exercise needs. In the hunt for a new bike Jackson currently uses an e-scooter to navigate the centre city area.
Jackson is an advocate for safe and efficient transportation around the city and has the fundamental belief that everyone should be able to get to their destination safely and return back home.
Jackson works in the road safety and transportation space as a Transport Planner, so you’ll see him involved in some of the technical work behind submissions and assisting in the information and membership spaces.
Felix Hoornaert
Committee Member
Felix has been introduced to the biking way of life from a young age, as he was born and raised in the cycle-obsessed nation of Belgium. Getting used to the transportation landscape was therefore one of the biggest shocks when he moved to Hamilton in 2019. Yet, a less bike-friendly environment does not stop a convinced two-wheeler. After all you can take the cyclist out of Belgium, but you can’t take the cycling out of the Belgian. So he and his whole family continue to commute and do errands by bike, and even their toddler sits shotgun on the handlebars.
For a brief phase, Felix also ventured into setting up a cargo bike courier service with Go Eco. Which turned out to be an equally rewarding as challenging enterprise! Nowadays he works as a carbon consultant, giving sustainability advice to organisations.
Be sure to talk to Felix if you want to hear why cycling is the key to more sustainable transportation, more healthy lifestyles and a more livable city. And if you would be so keen to mention that nfrastructure comes first, and that people’s habits and culture comes after, then you will for sure have made a new ally!
Our Achievements
in the media
How we are run
Bike Waikato Incorporated (Bike Waikato) is an Incorporated Society (registration number 50051420) and a Registered Charity (registration number CC58854).
The Bike Waikato Committee members serve on the committee for two year terms. The Committee sets the course of organisation and runs many of the day to day tasks as volunteers.
Membership is available to anyone who agrees to the society rules and pays an annual membership fee. Membership fees and donations are used to fund the activities Bike Waikato undertakes to connect with the community and decision makers to make biking in the Waikato easier, safer and more enjoyable.
agm minutes
The Bike Waikato Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held after the beginning of September of each year. You can read the latest confirmed AGM minutes here.
2020 Confirmed AGM Minutes
Society Rules
The society rules state how the Incorporated Society is to be run. All members of Bike Waikato agree to adhere to the society rules.
The rules may be amended at an AGM or Special General Meeting (SGM).
You can read the current society rules here.
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