Slow, uncomfortable scooter ride for charity

BY MARGARET IRVINE

"One of the slowest and most uncomfortable road trips ever" is how Mike Nicholson describes the Postie Bike Challenge, in which he and three other Kapiti riders will ride in the last week of March.

Chris Newman, Steve Sinclair, Ken Hindes and Mr Nicholson would be taking part in the challenge to raise funds for Camp Quality New Zealand, which provided recreational experiences for 300 children with cancer annually.

Their challenge would be to ride their Honda 110cc bikes, all ex-New Zealand Post delivery bikes, from Cape Reinga to Wellington. The trip was expected to take six days, travelling at about 70 kilometres per hour. About 20 riders from around New Zealand had signed up for the charity ride and all would ride bikes formerly used for postal deliveries in rural Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Newman said as well as being proud owners of the postie bikes, they had something else in common.

"We are all dads with healthy kids. It's a good charity and we are happy to be able to support it."

Mr Hindes said he had seen first-hand, the devastating effect a diagnosis of cancer in a child could have on a family. "One of the blokes I work with went through it at the time when there were no children's cancer specialists at Wellington Hospital. They've had a rough time."

The four riders each had to raise $600 to enter the challenge and another $500 for the charity.

"If we can raise more we will," Mr Newman said.

They were currently selling pine firewood at $200 a cord and were happy to put sponsored businesses signwriting on their bikes for the ride. There would be plenty of room on the flags and the panniers or carry bags.

They also welcomed donations and had other fundraising projects in the pipeline.

A logistical problem facing the four was how to get the bikes up to Cape Reinga, "because we won't be riding them both ways," said Mr Newman.

If there was a truck going through to Northland before March 25, they were very keen to hitch a ride for their bikes.

Better yet, if there was someone with a trailer and a sense of adventure who could take the bikes north then act as their support vehicle on the ride back to Wellington, the postie bike riders would be very happy.

- Kapiti Observer