In his own words

Chris' experiences and thoughts on cycling

I often refer to ‘we’ when I am writing about cycling. This is because, other than mid-week training rides, Chris and I usually cycle together. Often we share similar views about our rides, but not always, and I am conscious that I can’t speak for him. So this week, I decided to interview Chris and ask him to share his experiences and views on cycling.

Why do you cycle?

Because I enjoy the exercise. It’s environmentally friendly, and I find it easier and less stressful than driving. Often it’s quicker than driving too – and it’s cheaper. I bike to work every day, rain or shine.

What kind of cycling do you enjoy?

I enjoy commuting. I enjoy the benefits of it and see the value of it, although there are times when it gets stressful and unpleasant. I also enjoy fitness training – for example, going for a set ride as part of training. And I enjoy the new adventures – exploring new places and seeing new things. Exploring by bike and commuting are what I enjoy most.

I don’t enjoy downhill or technical trails where you really have to concentrate on what you’re doing (like avoiding rocks and not falling off) rather than being able to look at your surroundings. I don’t enjoy jumps or mountain bike or BMX tracks where you’ve got lots of quick ups and downs. That holds no appeal for me. But I do enjoy trails that have big hills and downhills (like what we’ve recently done with the Tour Aotearoa).

How did you find the Tour Aotearoa North Island?

I enjoyed it overall. I really enjoyed undertaking an adventure with you, so it was something we could do together. I enjoyed the physical challenge – training for it, having a goal, then undertaking it, and it all working out fine without any physical breakdowns or bike breakdowns.

I enjoyed seeing different bits of the country I’d never seen before or seeing them from a different perspective. I also enjoyed being exposed to different viewpoints and different people’s experiences – both their life experiences and their cycling experience. That was a good thing about doing it as part of a group; it enhanced the Tour Aotearoa experience.

How did you find going on a group tour, rather than a self-guided trip?

I enjoy both kinds of trips but I thought the group tour was a reasonably safe, supported way of doing a significantly bigger trip than we’ve ever done before. It potentially opens up an avenue for doing something like that unsupported down the track and feeling that we’ve got enough confidence and experience to undertake it.

There are issues with being in a group. For example, with a large group, there are issues with logistics and being as fully supported as you should be – like having enough van space or the guides having enough time to support everyone, especially if they’re dealing with multiple high-demand people. Most of the personalities and behaviours were fine on the group tour but there’s always the potential for that to sour the experience – it didn’t in this case but the potential is always there.

What were some of the highlights for you?

Completing it – that’s the first one. Spending time with you undertaking an adventure. Seeing new parts of the country.

I enjoyed going up into the Kauri Forest, around to Rāwene, and the Timber Trail. I enjoyed a lot of the native bush sections on the trip – they really appealed to me. I enjoyed going through some of the farmland too and being able to see farming practices, the different animals, and the different crops. Essentially, I got to see what helps fuel our country and what other people do. I enjoyed that aspect of it.

Any memorable moments?

The trauma of navigating through Auckland! I didn’t enjoy that whole day of going into Auckland. The roads setting off from Parakai were a rat-race and felt very unsafe and very stressful. There was also a snarl-up with a planned stop to regroup at a non-existent café, and then overshooting the meeting point and having to come back to it (uphill). The cycleway into Auckland was pretty good but once we got over the Mangere Bridge and into South Auckland, the map was wrong at times and put us into some potentially dangerous roads and situations. It is hard when you are head down, trying to cycle and trying to navigate at the same time in busy traffic. I didn’t enjoy that.

Other memorable moments were little things like getting on the ferry to cross the Kaipara Harbour because everyone pitched in to help load the boat, and it was a nice cruisey ride that gave a different perspective on a vast harbour.

I enjoyed seeing a lot of the artworks, murals, and sculptures along our journey – small things like that, which helped to beautify and put interest into the environment.

Some of the physical exhaustion was memorable. For example, the longest day we did from Thames into Cambridge was physically exhausting and ended on a very stressful note navigating along the highway. Again, that’s dangerous when you’ve got tired people at the end of the day, although that was circumstance and not the plan for the ride.

What about any lowlights, or things that didn’t go so well?

My exhaustion on the first day was a lowlight for me because it had me wondering if I could keep going with the whole trip. It was a nice scenic day but I found it exhausting for various reasons. Once we got into the beach riding, the substrata (the sand) slows you down and my seat had been adjusted without my knowledge just enough to affect the biomechanics of how I was biking. The combination of that with some poor sleep beforehand, and probably some dehydration because I was trying to pace my water supply on the first day made it physically exhausting. So when I reached the end of the beach section for the day, I was physically shattered. It had me wondering whether I’d even be able to keep going, or whether I’d have to be taken back to Pukenui in the van.

When we had a refreshment stop at the end of the beach section, I adjusted my seat because I thought this is just so wrong. Probably I should have taken my time right at the very start of the day to check my seat, or tried varying it earlier on, and it would have been clear then that it was wrong.

The upside though was resting overnight and then hitting the beach again the following day for a redemption day. That was a long day as well with hills and beach, but that was the validation I needed that yes, I could manage the ride and that the first day was a one-off.

Would you recommend the Tour Aotearoa trip to others?

I’d recommend it to people who aren’t quite sure of their physical capabilities and whether they can do such a long ride. I’d also recommend it to fit mountain bikers if they enjoy group environments and want additional support so they have back-up if things go wrong, and potentially just want to enjoy the scenery rather than being fixed on doing big distances each day to get somewhere as fast as they can.

Some people are used to doing major multi-day missions and being self-sufficient so I wouldn’t recommend it them.

What about some of the other rides or trails you’ve done in New Zealand – which rides stand out for you?

The West Coast Wilderness Trail, particularly the section from Hokitika to Ross. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail was a stand-out. I also enjoyed the Alps to Ocean, the Lake Dunstan Trail, and the ride we did up north between Kaikohe and the Hokianga Harbour [Twin Coast Cycle Trail]. I really enjoyed the Timber Trail but I would want to do it again with ‘fresh legs’.

All of them stand out for me because of the natural environment. I really enjoyed the scenery, all the plants, the animals, and the history that goes with those things. The enjoyable thing about these trails is that you can stop to see historical sites and learn about how people used to live on the land. Although the trails have a physical test to them as well, you’re not overwhelmed by it so you can still appreciate the environment and the setting.

What about any highlights from the short rides you’ve done overseas?

I’ve enjoyed different rides for different reasons. For example, biking through the old temple ruins in Cambodia was a brilliant way of doing it, because we were away from busloads of tourists and it was all very intimate. It’s not a sanitised view – you’re in it, you’re in the environment.

In Bangkok, you get to go through all the back streets. While the ride takes you to the sights, the rest of the scenery is seeing normal people living, how the city lives. It’s the same with the countryside rides – you see how everyone lives and how the whole human ecosystem works, rather than being transported from A to B where you miss out everything in between. By biking, it’s a continuous experience rather than isolated windows.

With the Delhi bike tour, that was our first introduction to India, straight up in your face with a lot of stuff that you’re not normally exposed to (like poor sanitation) and which is quite confronting. You’re within hands reach of all the butchered meat that’s been hanging up and there’s rubbish right around you that you have to navigate around. Navigating Delhi traffic is quite confronting but quite rewarding too when you successfully get through it. So, the cycling opens up a way to embrace the experience a lot more. When we were touring in India, we were mainly in a tour bus but when you’re on your cycle, you’re not separated from the people and the place.

What rides you want to do next – in New Zealand or overseas?

We’ve got a Queenstown Lakes trip coming up. When they open up the Whale Trail, I would like to go from Christchurch to Picton; that would be interesting to do. And then somewhere overseas – I don’t know where.

Have you got any tips or advice for anyone looking to get into recreational cycling, or increase their cycling?

Embrace the challenge and experience. It’s good to push your physical limits (within reason) and to challenge yourself. For example, with the Tour Aotearoa, we didn’t use to do those big long distances so building up to it was challenging, but then you know you can do them. So, I’d say push your boundaries and test your limits.

Make sure you have a comfy seat. Also, you don’t have to spend megabucks on getting all the flash gear because basic stuff that’s well-made and well-maintained will usually see you right. You don’t have to have a $10,000 mountain bike or the most expensive clothing or all the mod cons and expensive gear. I’m quite pleased that we could buy reasonably priced mountain bikes for our trip and they served us really well.

Any final words on cycling?

It can be an awesome part of your life. Embrace it – it’s good for you and it’s good for the environment.