Stories from New Zealand

Read stories and get inspired! Share a cycling story and inspire others to get out and ride!

Wildlife incounters on night ride

During lock down to maintain shift separation I had to do night shift. On my ride home over a week I encountered two possum and was confronted by a rat that decided he had more rights to the path I... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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10 minutes a day

This February, I have been inspired to ride every day. I normally travel everywhere on my bike, but now there's more reasons to bike on my days off. Even a 10 minute ride does wonders for my feelin... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Creating Memories

Creating Memories

Here we all are, ready to make some memories on a recent family trip to Hanmer.

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Image for story Wee man goes to dirt

Wee man goes to dirt

So my boy just turned 3 the other day and he loves riding bikes no matter if its with me on the Mac Ride, one of his bikes (he has quite a few) rain or sun. This month I did my first 100km ride in ... read more

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Image for story Child hood memories to be created

Child hood memories to be created

I have my memories of riding to school. And now i want my kid to make those memories. When i was walking along his biking then either i was dictating and my boy was thinking i am biking so only i ... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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Image for story The work Ride

The work Ride

Hi I moved into my new house on the Otago peninsula at the same time as the new cycle way was being built. See how great this looked it was the perfect opportunity to get out of the car and back ... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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School's Cool!

Due to the latest Level 2 alert for ChCh and working from home for the next 3 days, I decided to take my daughter to school by bike this morning. She is still small enough (just..) to fit on the S... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Image for story Getting riding doesn't have cost much.

Getting riding doesn't have cost much.

Since living in Hamilton riding with the kids has been a big part or our spare time. One thing I love about cycling is how cheap it can be, especially compared with motorized transport. I bought a ... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Starting small

I have become really unfit and sedentary over the last few years, but I bought a simple bike and have started biking to work - it's less than a kilometre, but walking has been a challenge due to pl... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Shock of my life

Peddling along on my ancient bicycle, on a country road, I thought my bike was making more noise than the usual squeaks and groans, I checked it over casually, while peddling, was unable to see any... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Image for story You’re doing really well

You’re doing really well

So after a big crash on my bike, I was getting back on the proverbial horse. Cardrona on Saturday, Skyline Gondola Sunday and Glendhu Bay on Sunday. At Cardrona, I rode a track that I refused to ri... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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New cycle way

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/435893/major-walking-and-cycling-link-between-wellington-and-lower-hutt-gets-go-ahead

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

Image for story 100km and over the Maungatapu to see my daughter.

100km and over the Maungatapu to see my daughter.

I found coming back to work in 2021 really hard. So, at the end of week two I decided it was all too much - I took a few days off to go and see my daughter in Nelson. I bought a ferry ticket for th... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

Image for story Up For the Challenge

Up For the Challenge

http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/environment/20210202/up-for-the-challenge-5/

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story My bike is a bat mobile!

My bike is a bat mobile!

My first ride for the AB Challenge was to use my bike to ride out to four field sites that a part of my automatic bat monitoring (ABM) project around Thames. I've placed them at three sites around ... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story Auckland Anniversary

Auckland Anniversary

Hubby and I, loving our E-biking adventures, first time on the pink path, was a tad shorter than we imagined, and cycled for ages trying to find it? Happy times!

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Image for story Bike Breakfast 2021

Bike Breakfast 2021

If you're in Dunedin and looking for motivation to get on your bike during the Aotearoa Bike Challenge, Spokes Dunedin is hosting it's 7th annual Bike Breakfast for anyone who turns up on a bike! ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Riding a bike is one of the great joys of life

Riding a bike is one of the great joys of life

I don't remember learning to ride a bike, but it was my father who taught me, and later my children, holding onto the back of the saddle and running along beside the moving bike until he judged tha... read more

Topic: Other

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Love to ride

I’ve always loved riding a bike and came some croppers as a teen often after ‘borrowing’ my older brothers bike. But it never stopped me loving it. I bought an E bike this year and after years o... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

Image for story My romance with cycling thanks to my ebike...

My romance with cycling thanks to my ebike...

I have always been interested in riding a bike. Growing up (in Malaysia), or family could hardly afford a bike and I always watched with envy our neighbours having their bikes. It was until years l... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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In love with my bicycle

My romance with my bicycle started when I was just 4 Years old and increased ever since. I just love my bike, love being outdoors, love nature, love to be fit and healthy, love to save petrol and ... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Clutha Gold Bike Trail

Clutha Gold Bike Trail

We set out from home nine and early and arrived in Roxburgh where our friend lives who offered to help us with transport. Got to the Roxburgh Dam and loaded up my bike with all the food, drink, ... read more

Topic: A happy riding memory

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I want my bicycle

Fell in love with biking since 8 years old. With well used tricycle, nothing like riding and cornering till one back wheel comes up. Since then had few bikes, Dad's old Morrison and Raleighs bi... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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10 years of commuting to work

This last week of September 2020 marks 10 years of riding to work. I remember the first day vividly. I thought shorts and a t-shirt would be sufficient as I would be riding hard and probably be wor... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story Riding tandem with Telzey

Riding tandem with Telzey

The thing is, I live and work in a small town,so I don't really need a car. The main reason I have one is to get my cat to the vet. What to do? Find a bike-compatible, cat-friendly pet carrier of c... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story Biking the mariua saddle road

Biking the mariua saddle road

Generous daughter dropped us off at frog flat. So 2 hours out of her day... and off we went..4 ks to saddle summit and then cruising down 11 is to the oldest (well, that what the locals say) concre... read more

Topic: Other

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Image for story Recapturing my youth

Recapturing my youth

When I was 18 I traded in riding my pedal power bike for a 360 Honda and swore I would never ride a bike again. Why would I got beautiful wheels will travel. Many, many years go by..... Then in Fe... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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Image for story I believe the children are our future...

I believe the children are our future...

I think that my eight year old son sums it up with this quote which he put on a poster which he made for his classroom recently.

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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fitness gains

I like competing in triathlons, but I'm a weak runner, so I normally over-train on running and skip the cycling as I'm a stronger cyclist. This month I've done almost 200km on the bike, and just h... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story DUNEDIN BIKE BREAKFAST - Postponed

DUNEDIN BIKE BREAKFAST - Postponed

Dunedin riders! The Bike Breakfast has been postponed due to Level 2 restrictions, but we're planning to hold it on Wednesday 24th Feb (same time 6.30-9am and same place - Train Station!). So as lo... read more

Topic: Other

Image for story NZ Gran Fondo

NZ Gran Fondo

I had a great day out in Cambridge and the mighty Waikato as a participant of the NZ cycling festival on Saturday (13th Feb 2021), that also hosted a number of national championship races and $50k ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

Image for story Nostalgia Bike Gang

Nostalgia Bike Gang

It's getting to be quite the institution, the annual "Bike gang" ride from various parts of Christchurch to the Nostalgia Festival at Ferrymead. Today was my first time going to the festival and of... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Did You Know?

Did you know that using a bike is up to five times more efficient than walking? As a matter of fact, an unaided human does pretty well in terms of efficiency as a function of body weight, but s... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story The Only Way To Get Around

The Only Way To Get Around

Sometimes I pity those peasants that drive EVERYWHERE. I ha been riding since age 8, never driven one of those car thingies, have been a passenger in a few when needed. I hate winter because it li... read more

Topic: Other

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Image for story carrying bikes on  a bike

carrying bikes on a bike

I am involved in the Aranui Bike Fixup which receives old bikes which we restore and pass on to locals in Aranui who need them. I had six collected up and had to transport them 6km to the workshop,... read more

Topic: Carbon Crushers

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Oops...

Just did me first ride on my recovered free bike i picked up last year and spent january getting ready. On the way home after biking 7km I changed gear and somehow wrapped the rear derailleur aroun... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Silly old fart.

Hi all, I was told of this event by a friend at work and so far I am loving it. I had been thinking of riding the old bike again for some time but was put of by the traffic on the narrow county roa... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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Image for story Bouncing back to health

Bouncing back to health

2020 was the year I discovered cancer in my body and the treatments commenced. Six months of aggressive treatments before returning to full time work in November. Then I needed a challenge to get m... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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PNCC Group ride

Good effort Palmerston North City Council Infrastructure staff - 20 of us on a 10km lunchtime ride to the eel feeding platform on the first day of the 2021 Aotearoa Bike Challenge.

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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New job, new team and new challenges

I joined Landcare Trust late last year and have been inspired by my awesome colleagues all over the country to sign up our organisation to participate in the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. Most of us wor... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story Fossil Fuel Free Coast to Coast to Coast

Fossil Fuel Free Coast to Coast to Coast

I'm really looking forward to the 2021 starting 19th Feb. We transport our kayaks by bike from Christchurch to Arthurs Pass using tandem bikes, then onto the West Coast and back doing the Minga De... read more

Topic: Carbon Crushers

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Image for story Our first e-bike ride

Our first e-bike ride

In November we went for a short break to Stewart Island. On the last day we had a few hours to fill in and hired a couple of e-bikes. We had not ridden them before, and in fact it had been some con... read more

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Riding to Port Waikato

Every year I go out to camp at Port Waikato for a week in January. We went car free in 2019, so when the PW trip came around we looked at riding - train to Pukekohe and then ride from there via Tu... read more

Topic: Carbon Crushers

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I ride an E bike and am also a human

I am now over 60 years of age and still commute to work most days and ride at weekends for the fitness, health benefits and to help out the environment. I have brought an E bike with a motor to ass... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story From 0 cycling, to travelling for months by bicycle

From 0 cycling, to travelling for months by bicycle

Growing up, I was lost confidence in cycling. In the few times I dared to get on a bicycle I was nearly hit by cars and was car-doored in undergrad in Ōtepoti Dunedin. It was terrifying for me, and... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Proud to be carrying on with a family tradition.

I have to be honest I prefer bikes to cars and love looking at other peoples bikes. My grandparents owned a bike shop which was famous in the Eastleigh UK area. The shop had a very distinct smell,... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Northern Corridor cycleway is awesome

I took advantage of Saturday afternoons open day for the new Christchurch Northern Corridor. Headed from Edgeware Rd, joined at the Cranford St roundabout, then all the way north up the cycleway, a... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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13 years commuting

December 2007 I started riding to work at a new job with Palmerston North City Council Parks. In the 13 years since I have probably gone by car no more than 20 times - car for service etc. Its been... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story First pedal bike

First pedal bike

My 3 year old had so much fun riding on my bike during the ABC this year, for her 4th birthday last week she got her first pedal bike (thanks for the discount Torpedo7!). I've never seen her so exc... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story Riding the Waikato River Trail

Riding the Waikato River Trail

We had a lovely day out on Sunday with workmates and friends and even dragged my partner's son Matthew along, who at 21 years old had never rode a mountain bike, he loved it! We had a delicious lu... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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