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.

A picture of Simon C riding a cargo bike with a tree

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.

A portrait picture of Jackson smiling

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

We regularly prepare submissions on national and local consultation documents. So far we have prepared submissions for:

  1. Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2021-2031
  2. Hamilton City Biking and Micro-mobility Plan
  3. Long Term Plan 2021-2031 to:
  4. Waikato Regional Council Land Transport Plan
  5. Climate Change Commission Draft Advice

We are often asked to participate in projects as a key stakeholder. Here is what we have worked on so far:

1. SH21/Airport Road Underpass
2. Hamilton City Council Peacocke Waikato River Bridge
3. Hamilton Public Transport Centre Rejuvenation
4. Co-design participant for Hamilton Kirikiriroa Innovating Streets, Ward Street and Rostrevor Street trials
5. Eastern Pathways Schools Link and City to Uni Link
6. Eastern Pathways Crosby Road

We organise events and rides to encourage people to get on their bikes and help them explore their neighbourhood.

1. February Bike Month 2021, including eight events:
– Two Group Training Rides
– Two Boon Street Art Rides
– Bike Commuter Breakfast
– Picnic at the Gardens, with Bike Valet bike parking
– Hamilton’s Transport Future
– Getting Heard and Getting Help
2. Cargo Bike Display and Bike Valet at Love Your Bike Day 2021
3. Boon Street Art Ride to Rostrevor Street Innovating Streets opening

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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