Self-confessed ‘cycle-hater’ Paul Hays got into the spirit of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge by having a go on one of the Unitec e-bikes. Here’s his story…
“I never got into cycling as a kid, in fact I really hated it. So getting me onto an electric bike took a LOT of persuasion by my colleagues, but in honour of February’s Bike Challenge, I faced my fears and gave it a go.
Sustainability Manager Maja Zidov kindly agreed to facilitate what I assumed would be the death of my dignity. We met at the appointed time to minimise the risk of being seen / hit by traffic, and following the safety induction, we were off.
One of my team-mates described getting on the bike as an adult following a lengthy absence as a feeling of “child-like freedom”; I have to say I agree completely. Riding along the path, with no cars around, reminded me so much of the first time I rode a bike when I was five or six, but it was so much more. Overcoming a psychological barrier gave weight to the experience, making me feel all the more liberated. So many responsibilities fall on your shoulders as an adult and this one 15-minute experience made me feel like they simply melted away.
This was before the ‘e’ function was turned on. I was urged to exercise caution. I didn’t – I set the accelerator to its highest setting and let the engine power me along. For an adrenaline junkie, it didn’t quite reach the heights (both literally and figuratively) of sky-diving or bungy-jumping, but man it was fun. It was a blast and I came away smiling from ear to ear. This ride was pretty short, but I’ll be back for more and longer rides, to get another fix of that child-like freedom.”
Keen to give cycling a go?
February’s bike challenge finishes on Thursday but that doesn’t stop you from doing a last minute registration and logging your ride. There are opportunities every day to get cycling at our campuses and around Auckland:
- Join our Burgers & Bikes Event at Mt Albert tomorrow afternoon. Bikes and kai provided!
- We have a permanent fleet of push bikes and e-bikes available to book, either for short rides around campus or to take home and return the next day
- There are showers around campus if you make cycling part of your commuting routine
- There are heaps of bike paths around Auckland – find the maps on the Auckland Transport website
Also check-out today’s Nest post – Bike Challenge: Just two days left to build our points!