On the eve of World Car-Free Day, September 21st, we organized a group bike ride through Split and a fun program for everyone in Đardin. The 14th Split Bike Tour gathered 216 cyclists and around 300 participants in the accompanying program.
A new route, the same positive energy!
“We are happy that our now traditional Split Bike Tour once again brought together so many participants. We advocate for the development of cycling and green infrastructure in Split and hope that activities like this contribute to that goal,” said Tihana Arapović, organizer of the Split Bike Tour.
After completing the 8 km cycling route through Split, which this year both started and ended in Đardin, participants could join games and various fun activities.
“It wasn’t difficult to complete the route, I enjoyed riding with my brother, mom, and uncle,” said Filip to program host Pinija Poljaković.
Employees and volunteers of Sunce made sure everything ran smoothly, welcoming cyclists in Đardin with free refreshments and a variety of light snacks. This public event in Split was completely free of single-use plastics! All visitors used reusable cups through a deposit system, reducing waste and ensuring no one went thirsty.
“Sunce has been running the ‘Together Without Plastic’ campaign for years. We raise awareness about reducing waste generation, which also reduces the need for landfill disposal,” said Tea Kuzmičić-Rosandić, Head of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department at Sunce.
BMX spectacle in Đardin
The BMX show by the cycling club Trotul drew the most excitement and applause from both participants and passersby.
Juan Paulo, a Colombian based in Zagreb, received the loudest cheers with his breathtaking tricks.
“Safety comes first! I advise everyone interested in BMX to invest in quality equipment,” Juan told the young people inspired by the show.
Roko Jelaska, a licensed BMX coach from Trotul, emphasized that Split lacks adequate training facilities for freestyle BMX.
“Our biggest challenge is winter and rain because we don’t have any indoor training space. Outdoors, we use the pump track in Mertojak and the skate park in Žnjan, but they are not suitable for this sport,” Jelaska explained.
“If you didn’t know, BMX is an Olympic sport. Croatia even has its own representative in this discipline, Marin Ranteš from Varaždin,” added the team from Trotul.
Fun games and valuable prizes
Trotul also organized a BMX workshop for children, while older participants competed in the cycling alka. The three best competitors won valuable prizes.
“I’ve already tried the zip line in Omiš, but I can’t wait to go again!” said Roko, the winner of the Alka competition.
The runner-up won a kayaking tour for two with Red Adventures and cinema tickets for Ekran, while the third-place competitor received two hours of private CrossFit XV training and a bio&bio healthy food package.
“I’ll give the training to my dad Nikola so he can get in shape, and we’ll all enjoy the bio&bio package together,” said Dominik.
With the biggest smile, Zlatko—the raffle winner—went home happiest from this year’s Split Bike Tour. Along with his smile, he also took home a brand-new bicycle donated by Extreme Shop.
“This isn’t my first Split Bike Tour, but it’s the first prize I’ve won here!” said Zlatko.
The raffle attracted great interest, and many participants won valuable prizes. Winners of three matching numbers received annual Nextbike subscriptions, cinema tickets (Ekran), bio&bio healthy food packages, tickets to the Museum of Illusions and educational games, as well as a meal for two at the Makarun restaurant.
Winners of five matching numbers can look forward to active leisure time, with prizes including a kayaking tour for two (Red Adventures), a monthly membership at Joker Gym, a clay modeling workshop by Uručak, and a wine & paint workshop by Art Bottega.
Sunce is here for you!
Anyone who noticed an environmental issue could report it yesterday in Đardin at the Green Phone stand. The Green Phone is a free tool for citizens who want to report environmental problems but are unsure who to contact. Sunce staff distributed the brochure “Lend Your Voice to the Environment” to all interested visitors. In 2025, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund co-finances the project “Green Phone – Lend Your Voice to the Environment III!”
Visitors also had the opportunity to become members of Sunce. At the Sunce stand, everyone could learn more about the organization, and new members immediately received various discounts on products and services from Sunce’s partners.
Cooperation for a sustainable future of Split!
“The 14th Split Bike Tour would not have been this successful without the support of our sponsors, partners, and donors. The City of Split, the Split Tourist Board, Split-Dalmatia County, Split Parking, Promet Split, and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board co-financed the event. We would also like to thank the Health School Split, V. Gymnasium ‘Vladimir Nazor’ Split, and the Natural Science School Split, whose students enriched the organization with their enthusiasm and volunteer work,” concluded Tihana Arapović from Sunce.
With yet another Split Bike Tour, Sunce has shown that Split can choose sustainable mobility—but better cycling and green infrastructure are needed to make that possible. The use of alternative modes of transport, such as bicycles, is essential for protecting our environment.
This year’s Split Bike Tour also highlighted how challenging it can be to cycle through Split’s busy streets. Although the cycling group had a police escort, participant safety was not fully guaranteed. That is why temporary road closures are necessary for such events to ensure safe and uninterrupted riding.
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