Rail trail final fling for 80's faithful three-speed
JOHN EDENS IN ALEXANDRA
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An 80-year-old Southlander fortified by port biked the 150km Otago Central Rail Trail in two days on a 1971 model Raleigh bike – with no brakes.
George Crack, a retired publican and hotelier, accompanied by his daughters Sharon, 45, and Phillipa, 44, biked from Middlemarch to Ranfurly on Monday and from Ranfurly to Clyde yesterday.
Mr Crack is no stranger to challenging rides – in 1971, as the "Pedalling Publican", he biked from Auckland to Bluff in 23 days to raise money for a Stewart Island school to build a swimming pool.
Wensley's Cycles in Invercargill donated a three-speed Raleigh racer for the fundraiser and the same bicycle has accompanied Mr Crack on his outings ever since.
It was third time lucky for the cyclist, whose two previous attempts to bike the Central Otago trail "for enjoyment" were foiled by weather.
Daughter Sharon, who rode alongside her father, said she had struggled to keep pace at times.
Philippa drove a support van.
Mr Crack said the bike's brakes failed some time ago so he used his foot to slow down.
Asked how comfortable he was on a racing bike with no brakes on the somewhat rocky 150km ride from Middlemarch, he said it was "a bit bumpy" and he was a little stiff.
He had his "head down and arse up" on the lookout for stones and estimated he reached about 40kmh on downhill sections.
"To realise what those early settlers did with all those tunnels is just out of this world. To bike that is just unbelievable."
The only concession to modern cycling was the addition of a comfort saddle, otherwise "the rest is original, including the bloke on it", he said.
He intended to gift the bicycle after completing the rail trail, possibly to a cycling club or the ILT Velodrome in Invercargill.
His wife Ursula, speaking from Ashburton, said her husband kept himself fit "for an old fella".
Oturehua Tavern publican Grahame Jones said the "gutsy" cyclist called in to the pub about 11.45am and sank a couple of ports to bolster him for the ride ahead.
Mr Crack, originally from Thornbury, and his wife, originally from Gore, worked as hoteliers at Stewart Island, Lumsden and the Chatham Islands before moving to Ashburton.
- © Fairfax NZ News
