It takes Two!

Yes it has been a while since the last blog. We have been busy at ICT, but now with the start of autumn things are starting to ‘cool off’ and we have some time for reflection.

There have been plenty of highlights for us over the season, tour numbers are up and new challenges have presented themselves.

A particularly interesting guided tour got underway soon after Christmas. Initially I thought that a group of 22 on tandems would be fairly straightforward, little did I know that I would be introduced to a whole new world of cycling, personalities and even language!

Some of the group (all couples) had been riding tandems for many years. I was impressed with the mindset that people develop when coping with the particular challenges of successful tandem riding. You might expect that there would be lots of frustrations, reactivity and disagreements, but the impression was of remarkable serenity, tolerance and kindness. Pilots work hard to keep their stoker happy. Stokers do their best to attend to the needs of their pilots. Off the bike the serenity continues. I found myself dreamily wishing that I was not operating my ‘half bike’ (as they called it) and sharing the experience with another on the same machine.

The leader of the group and passionate tandem rider explained that the tandem ‘solves all kinds of problems’ and allows people of varying abilities to ride together. For info on their bikes
The tour ended up being extremely enjoyable both for the clients and the guides. We are really looking forward to more.

On a more personal note, the mid summer also held an opportunity to compete in New Zealand’s first ‘brevet’ ride. These rides are popular in Europe and the states and take on a number of forms. The inspiration came from mountain bike legend Simon Kennett who had competed in the 4000km Great Divide Race.

The idea was to cycle an 1100km route round the top of the South Island using (where possible) off road options and all cyclists had to be self supported, but of course could pay for food and accommodation along the way. At the start of February some 60 odd people lined up in Blenheim on a sunny day and commenced their odyssey. Those wanting to make the distance in the best possible time would ride 15 plus hours per day, eating frantically and sleeping where they could. The first rider made it home in a remarkable 4 days 2 hours.

An interesting arrangement was that each rider carried a SPOT GPS tracker; this not only improved safety and kept things honest but also allowed those at home to get minute by minute updates as to where the riders were since the positions were displayed on Google Maps. In one hilarious incident one rider missed a crucial turn off, soon his phone was ringing because the people in his office had been following his progress and informed him he had made a wrong turn. Another rider accidentally tripped the emergency button on his tracker and within minutes a helicopter was hovering overhead. On discovering the error he canceled the call and the helicopter made its way back to base. I never found out if he had to end up paying for the mis-communication. It is gratifying to know that the emergency services are readily available. Details of the event can be viewed here

That’s all for now. All the best from Kim, Paul and the crew at ICT