Martin's Long Ride To Work

Day 7: Kotemaori to Mahia

Day 7 Kotemaori to Mahia

Leaving the shearing quarters

Another long day of sitting on our butt. Yep – that’s what we did all day – sat on our butt (except when riding up some parts of the hills). It is amazing how tiring it can be to sit down all [...]

Leaving Napier

Day 6: Napier to Kotemaori

Our accommodation at the end of this day has no electricity (more about this later) so today’s blog is uploaded from Mahia one day late.

Our Day 6 started in Napier with an appointment with a photographer from the Hawkes Bay Times. Keryn & I had an interview with a [...]

Ready to depart Waipukurau

The Day 4 ride today from Waipukurau to Napier was the first day we detoured off the main highways. The day started with no wind, under high dark grey cloud. Not cold, but not sunny and warm either. The day also started with a couple of kilometres of road works – [...]

The Day 3 ride today from the Brown Trout Motel in Pahiatua to Waipukurau was one of the longest of the Long Ride – 101 km overall. Accordingly, it was a long day on the seat. This day was always going to be a challenge, regardless of the length (distance or time) of the ride. [...]

Leaving Carterton

Today’s blog is being sent from Pahiatua, which I have just discovered is not the internet capital of the world (the interwhat??). Getting a wireless connection is difficult enough, but having enough speed and stability to upload photos is likely to be out of the question. On Saturday night the ride stops overnight [...]

Leaving Wellington beside the harbour

So today is the day we started the ride! After all the training, arrangements for travel, accommodation, fundraising etc. now is the time to actually go through with this crazy idea.

Beside the Hutt River

The day dawned sunny and calm – good weather for cycling. We left Wellington this morning [...]

So here we are. Nearly crunch time.

In only 7 days time we will climbing the Rimutaka Hill, leaving Wellington and the Hutt Valley behind as we head towards the wine growing country in the Wairarapa. At that time I expect I really will be wondering whose idea this madness was, and remembering with some fondness [...]

The local newspaper was kind enough to print this story about the Long Ride To Work.

Tom’s mates at school asked if that chap in the newspaper story was any relation to him (having the same surname). Tom said yes.

Despite requests from several people asking me to start training out of Auckland (everyone is sick of putting up with the rain each time I go out training) I am sticking with the Auckland routes, at least for now.

The blog title is a bit misleading, but after the run of wet weather in most of [...]

It has been a while since I regularly got up before 6 am – a thought that occurred to me as I headed out the door on this morning. Today is Sunday, and this morning I was on the road before 6.30 am. The street lights were still on as we headed out for my [...]