by Jo | Mar 19, 2015 | get Inspired
The goRide women profiles tell stories about everyday women who ride bikes.  These stories will connect you to real women and perhaps spark an idea about what you could achieve with your riding or remind you what you have done.  We are all on a journey, regardless of whether you are beginning or an experienced rider, so be open and curious and see what happens.  Lets begin to build a stronger you and a stronger riding community.  Enjoy your reading…
RIDING WORD – ALIVENESS
When did you learn to ride and why do you still ride?
My first set of wheels…when I was 5 years old my school had a raffle for a secondhand red tricycle. I went home to explain that I needed threepence to enter the raffle for the red tricycle that I was going to win. And I did win! An early memory of riding is dragging a 3 geared Raleigh up a grassy hill at the back of Portsmouth to speed down to the villages behind. That was the start of a love of downhills. I still ride because I want to live life to the full and be as active as I can for as long as I can. I love the speed of biking, walking can be a bit slow and in a car you are too enclosed everything goes by too fast, you don’t get to engage the senses, be with nature and the environment.
 What kind of biking do you do…mainly commuting with the occasional fun ride in the hills thrown in when I have time. I commute to and from work. I have a bit of a rule as long as I can fit it on the bike then I ride. That is, it needs to fit into my two panniers. Sometimes you just have to take the car and that helps to keep the car battery working so you don’t end up with a flat battery like I have now. I often change the route that I commute, add in a few hills, a change of scenery. It just keeps it interesting and keeps me fit.
Your Favourite Piece of Bike Equipment. My bright yellow slap bands. They are VISIBLE and keep those trouser legs under control and away from the chain on those winter commuting days.
Do you have a biking tip or piece of advice that you would like to share?
I often walk a trail first before I ride it. That way I get to enjoy it from a walkers perspective and I can decide whether I want to ride it. I can answer questions like can I be safe on this trail, do I have the skills, will I enjoy it?
There are downsides to riding when you start out – you’re uncomfortable, tired, or there may be a relentless headwind. There can be tears, frustration, fear but all these things means you are rewarded with stamina, endurance, perseverance, achievement and resilience.
What, if any, are your frustrations with riding? Personally and generally.
Equipment. Just not understanding equipment enough to put things right myself and back wheel punctures. Also having the strength to get the tyre over the rim and back in place . Arrhh (through gritted teeth).
What is your favourite ride now?
Usually, on any ride, the special moments you get.  The exhilaration of riding downhill like on the railroad reserve on my commute to work.
What is your favourite ride from the past?
I get moments of inspiration from every ride. Some memories and moments that have stayed with me.
- On a trip in England, it was getting late, I was unsure if I was on the right route, riding through a tunnel of trees – quite beautiful
- A borrowed bike and riding trails in Tanzania and Kenya.
- A six week bike trip of the South Island, the need to get to Franz Joseph, I was tired, the hills, the undulations, the windiness, the scenery, the whooping descent into town. Wow.
Do you have a riding goal at the moment? Â (think equipment, skills/technique, rides)
Now:Â Keep riding, keep fit and active
Future:Â I want to do more rides, just not sure what at the moment, so as long as I keep fit and active my options are wide open.
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Thanks for reading. Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.Â
goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way. Â Contact goRide. Â Your thoughts, comments or feedback are welcome. Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.
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by Jo | Jan 29, 2015 | get Inspired
We are already well into 2015 but it only seems like yesterday that it was New Years Eve. Staying up late and seeing the New Year in is not something I chose to do but our family loves to start the first day of January with a special breakfast watching the sunrise from a picturesque location (often up a hill). We love New Years because it offers so much hope, energy and clarity for new goals and change.
The main theme for the goRide entry into Bikefest Nelson’s Sprig & Fern Bicycle Art Competition is change.  We wanted to represent the influences that the bicycle has had on women since its introduction. What we found was how the simplest of machines, the bicycle, facilitated so much change for women…
Consider, a women of the 19th century;Â dressed in a corset, voluminous burdensome petticoats and stiff skirts. Bound by many social restrictions. Riding was dangerous, completely impractical, and socially unacceptable.
The bicycle paved the way for change. It facilitated; freedom from restrictive clothing, new mobility, a means of transport, independence, athleticism, improved health, belief, shenanigans and joy.
And a woman of today; where we have pants, and all sorts of clothing options to ride in, freedom of choice, improved equality, voting rights …
Oh so different and so much change yet no matter whether you are from the 19th century or from today; a beginner or experienced; female or male; 8 or 80 years old the bicycle still offers all of us the same benefits;
independence, freedom, empowerment, improved health, joy and transportation
What benefits do you and/or your family get from riding? Are there things that you would like to work towards? Are you keen to take action, to make change or set some riding goals. goRide would like to support you to make change so you can goRide more places, more often the goRide way. Let us know your plans for 2015 in the comments below.  Happy New Year.                                             Â
A Woman’s Journey – Changed By the Bicycle. From corsets, voluminous skirts and social restrictions to pants and freedom.
Have a good look at the images of the goRide entry into the Konica Minolta Nelson Bikefest Art Competition.
The corset is covered in all sorts of bike bits and pieces like chains, cogs, clusters and stem caps. It is held together at the back with brake cable.
The corset is connected to the skirt with rubber from tubes.
The voluminous burdensome stiff skirt is made of photos of women riding from the 1880’s through to today.
Konica Minolta Nelson Bikefest 31st Jan – 13th Feb 2015,  finishes on the 13th February with a carnival at Trafalgar Park, 4 – 9pm, “Carnivelo – a celebration of cycling”. The entries in the Sprig & Fern Bicycle Art Competition will be on display at Carnivelo. If you are from Nelson or visiting then head to the official website here for more details. Hope to see you there!
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Thanks for reading. Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.Â
goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way. Â Contact goRide. Â Your thoughts, comments or feedback are welcome. Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.
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by Jo | Dec 17, 2014 | get Inspired
Early mornings, longer days, good weather, holidays, kids to entertain, less hustle and bustle… means it is a fantastic time to goRide, more places, more often. It’s a fantastic season of biking.
That is what goRide is planning over the holiday season. A bit of a break to goRide. Well nearly a break as we do have a couple of projects to complete over summer. One of them a goRide art project as part of the Konica Minolta BikeFest Nelson art competition. Here is a bit of a sneaky peak at some of the props.
Now what are we going to do with those props? What would you do? We promise to share the completed art project with you. For those of you from Nelson or visiting, you could view the bike art and take part in the Konica Minolta BikeFest from the 31st January to 15th February. Check out The Bikefest website for more details. A festival designed so there is something for everyone. There are a couple women specific events and some family events to consider like;
- Mountain Bike Orienteering – Rabbit Island
- Go By Bike Day- with a free breakfast
- Kaiteriteri Family Adventure Race
- Motueka Family Fun Ride
For goRide 2014 has been a year of planning, development and a launch. Thank you to the support and feedback that our friends and family have given.
goRide is looking forward to 2015. We are excited about what we have created with goRide and what we have planned to help support you to; get safe, get ready, get better, get together, get riding, get inspired so you can goRide more places more often. Enjoy this season of biking.
Merry Christmas from Annette and Jo at goRide and we look forward to sharing 2015 with you.
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Thanks for reading. Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.Â
goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way. Â Contact goRide. Â Your thoughts, comments or feedback are welcome. Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.
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by Annette | Oct 27, 2014 | get Inspired
The goRide women profiles tell stories about everyday women who ride bikes.  These stories will connect you to real women and perhaps spark an idea about what you could achieve with your riding or remind you of what you have done.  We are all on a journey, regardless of whether you are beginning or an experienced rider, so be open and curious and see what happens.  Lets begin to build a stronger you and a stronger riding community.  Enjoy your reading…
RIDING WORD – ADVENTUROUS
When did you learn to ride and why do you still ride?
I learnt to ride when I was 8 years old and it is one of my clearest childhood memories.  I still ride because I love being connected to the outdoors.  It is one of the few things that I can do that still makes me smile like I’m 8 again.  Its also a great way to get around and feel like you are connected to your community.
 What type of riding do you do?
At the moment I mountain bike, ride in the weekend with the kids and try to ride the kids to school down our hill and through central Nelson. Â I still have the Avanti Sprint road bike that I got for my 21st birthday so you could say I’m also into vintage bikes!
Do you have a biking tip or piece of advice that you would like to share?
Join a riding group that interests you or get some friends together to make it social. Â It’s so much more fun when you can share in experiences and learn from others.
What, if any, are your frustrations with riding? Generally and personally.
I get really frustrated with my lack of knowledge about tools and how to use them so when something simple goes wrong it takes way longer than it should for me to sort it out or in some cases I just can’t and have to rely on someone else.  I don’t enjoy how cold I get on the bike at times – so I need to think more about good clothing choices.
In general terms it frustrates me when I hear men talk about taking their partners, girlfriends out for a ride and how they ended up walking!!  This puts off so many women – there are all types of riding we don’t all have to be mountain bike downhillers.
What is your favourite ride now?
I would have to say The Coppermine in Nelson for me and I did a bike/walk into Whispering Falls in the Hackett Valley with the kids which was amazing also Nelson area.
What is your favourite ride from the past?
Oh so hard to choose one. Â When I was 21 I did a 4 day cycling tour around the Mt Cook area which was magical because of the scenery, Â because it involved bunch riding, because I was extremely fit and because we had a van following us with all our gear.
Do you have a riding goal at the moment? Â (think equipment, skills/technique, rides)
Now: Â My goals at the moment are to get fit and technically capable to ride The Heaphy next season and to learn a couple of repair techniques e.g. fixing a snapped chain and dealing with slipping gears. Â I also want to ride to school with my kids more often.
In the future:Â To start riding a greater variety of mountain bike trails. Â I would love to do a bike tour with the kids especially overseas, so preparing them now with local bike rides/touring and thinking about the equipment we would need.
Thanks for reading Annette’s profile.  Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.   Do it, at your own pace, in your own time, in a fun, supported way – the goRide way.Â
Related goRide Resources and Stories
Women profile page
goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way.  Contact us with your thoughts, comments or feedback in the box below. Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.
by Annette | Oct 27, 2014 | get Inspired
Its great to feel like you’re a part of something.  It doesn’t matter whether your part is big or small.  If you ride a bike you’re part of a world wide riding community. In New Zealand biking with kids is a big part of what we do. There are so many places to go and experience that kids would love.
We could think of no better way to start than with The New Zealand Cycle Trail or Nga Haerenga – which means ‘the journeys’. Â The New Zealand Cycle Trail is a diverse offering of purpose built cycle trails in some of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand. Â These cycling trails vary widely in length, trail surface and difficulty to ride. Â So finding the perfect one requires a bit of time & consideration.
Browse through what stories we have to offer on parts of the NZ Cycle Trail with more of a family twist as we gather great bike touring tips for families wanting to ride in different parts of New Zealand.
West Coast Wilderness Trail
The Great Taste Trail – Nelson to Kaiteriteri with Kids
The Central Otago Rail Trail – Â Bike Touring with Kids
The WestCoast Wilderness Trail – Bike Touring with Kids
Alps to Ocean – The Vercoe Family’s Inspiring Story
Above are the stories of how our NZ Cycle Trail journey went – see below for the details, the planning & preparation that gave us the outcome that we wanted – lots of riding SMILE moments…
The Kids Guide to Riding – Planning & Preparation
The Great Taste Trail – Planning & Preparation
The Central Otago Rail Trail – Planning & Preparation
The West Coast Wilderness Trail – Planning & Preparation
Alps to Ocean – Planning & Preparation
Check out the New Zealand Cycle Trail website at www.nzcycletrail.com and be inspired, gather ideas and begin to plan for you & your family…
Thanks for reading. Used together our stories, resources & products support you to achieve and develop as a rider.
Related goRide Resources.
Get Ready to goRide with Kids
Taupo – Mountain Biking with Kids
goRide helps you to find your riding smile…now it’s your turn. Contact us. Your thoughts, comments or feedback will make us SMILE.
by Jo | Oct 27, 2014 | get Inspired
The goRide women profiles tell stories about everyday women who ride bikes.  You will discover all sorts of tips from women who ride bikes. These stories will connect you to real women and perhaps spark an idea about what you could achieve with your riding or remind you what you have done.  We are all on a journey, regardless of whether you are beginning or an experienced rider, so be open and curious and see what happens.  Lets begin to build a stronger you and a stronger riding community.  Enjoy your reading…
RIDING WORD – SAFE AND CHALLENGING
When did you learn to ride and why do you still ride?
I think some of my memory of learning to ride is triggered by photos, but I was 5 years old and I was with my dad in the back yard. I can still feel and visualise my determination. I just kept going until I could ride. Â I still ride because I love the simplicity.
 What kind of biking do you do…All sorts. We commute by bike. Living close to central Nelson (we call it living in the village) allows us to primarily get around on our bikes. I have been asked a number of times, do you have a car? Yes we do! Other biking includes mountain biking, recreational rides and cycle touring with the kids, and in the past road cycling but I would have to dust the cobwebs off the road bike, I haven’t been out on that one for a while.
Do you have a biking tip or piece of advice that you would like to share?
Set a goal and don’t let it feel too big. Know that every goal is just about taking steps. What can I do next, or what can I do today, to work towards achieving my goal.
What, if any, are your frustrations with riding? Personally and generally.
Being a woman, and 5 foot 1″, the riding world just doesn’t feel set up for me. I feel like my needs and desires are not understood. Knowledge needs to be my weapon to ensure I get gear that is appropriate and works for me and I am not pushed into gear because that is all “they” have on offer.
What is your favourite ride now?
I love going up so anything that gets me high with great views makes me smile.
What is your favourite ride from the past?
Has to be cycle touring. When I was 27 I went on my OE to the UK.  As a physiotherapist I was able to do locums, so I could work for a block period of time and then travel, run out of money head back to the UK for another locum, and so on. When I travelled I did a lot of cycle touring Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain. The highlight the Pyrenees (the hills of the Tour de France), so we were a little slower than those guys. Loaded with gear  we were traveling up hills at about 5-6km/hour. Up 16km hills you can do the maths on how long it took us to get to the top. The achievement, the scenery, the villages, the locals and well deserved lunch stops …….eh bliss.
Do you have a riding goal at the moment? Â (think equipment, skills/technique, rides)
Now:  My trusty old bike has done a lot of miles, it has been a great companion but it is really holding me back on my enjoyment of a ride, and achieving my goals, so after 20 years it has to go… time to upgrade. Also gaining confidence on the downhill so it doesn’t limit my rides too much. Being organised, organised, organised so I reduce the barriers to getting on my bike.
Future:  Cycle tour with my family……starting with New Zealand. We have already completed the Rail Trail. The Heaphy is also on my list, that means new bike, more practise, more confidence.. can’t wait.
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Thanks for reading. Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.Â
Related goRide Resources:
goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way. Â Contact goRide. Â Your thoughts, comments or feedback are welcome. Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.
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 What kind of biking do you do…mainly commuting with the occasional fun ride in the hills thrown in when I have time. I commute to and from work. I have a bit of a rule as long as I can fit it on the bike then I ride. That is, it needs to fit into my two panniers. Sometimes you just have to take the car and that helps to keep the car battery working so you don’t end up with a flat battery like I have now. I often change the route that I commute, add in a few hills, a change of scenery. It just keeps it interesting and keeps me fit.
