It sounds like a recipe for disaster: more than 200 schoolchildren on bicycles in one place at one time, some cycling on the open road and others going cross-country.
But the event, the annual Top Bike contest, is well controlled, and organisers Sport Central and Cycling Southland said the behaviour of the young cyclists was "top-notch".
Children from 12 schools throughout Central Otago, Queenstown and the upper Clutha gathered in Alexandra on Thursday to take part in road races, mountain biking, a grass-track race, and skills testing on an obstacle course.
Thirty-five teams of years 5-8 pupils were vying for the right to represent the area at the lower South Island Top Bike final, in Invercargill later this year. The winner of the years 7-8 section was Clyde Primary School, and Cromwell Primary School won the years 5-6 age group.
"The competition and camaraderie was just awesome," Sport Central regional co-ordinator Bill Godsall said.
