Northland retirees gear up for 7500km bike ride around New Zealand for charity

Ruth and Cliff Mail will soon set off on a 7500km bike ride around New Zealand to raise money for the Bald Angels. Photo / Jenny Ling

When 72-year-old Northlander Cliff Mail came up with an epic plan to cycle 7500km around the circumference of New Zealand, his wife initially wasn’t that keen.

But throw a mighty good cause into the mix — along with a new tandem electric bike shipped from France — and Ruth, 71, is now excited about leaving their Kerikeri home for four months of cycling unsupported around Aotearoa.

The couple is to set off on their mission, which will raise money for the Bald Angels Charitable Trust, from the Stone Store on October 12.

The first leg of their journey will be along the eastern side of New Zealand, carrying all their gear including a bike battery charger, clothes, some food and a tent.

By cycling an average of 70km a day, the septuagenarians aim to get to Invercargill by December 16, have a break for a few weeks, then return to Kerikeri up the western side of the country and be home by late March.

“Cliff was trying to coax me to do this, but I wasn’t that keen,” Ruth said.

“It’s a massive challenge for me.

“He said we could ride for charity; when he said that it made all the difference.

“That’s really given me the inspiration to do the ride.

“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to reach out and help people.

“The Bald Angels is local and it’s about helping vulnerable children.”

Though Cliff was an avid bike rider as a child, Ruth grew up on a farm riding horses.

The couple took up cycling seriously in 2011, and included undertaking the picturesque Otago Rail Trail followed by their own “Tour de France”, a series of bike rides in Germany and France that totalled about 800km.

They also did a bit of biking in Vietnam and Cambodia and a 720km ride from Rotorua to Wellington on foldable electric bikes in 2019, carrying all their gear.

Ruth Mail with their mascot Bob the “angel bear” who is travelling with her and Cliff on their epic journey. Photo / Jenny Ling

But it was that last trip that pushed Ruth a little too far.

Having found it too difficult, when Cliff decided to ride from Cape Rēinga to the South Island in 2021 while Auckland was in Covid lockdown, he had to go it alone.

“There’s still plenty of places to explore on a bike,” Cliff said.

“That was where the idea of tandem came up.

“I thought, how could I encourage Ruth back on to a bike?

“I thought of tandem; if she sits on the back and becomes the navigator and takes the videos and I manage the bike on the front.”

Cliff also reckoned by giving Ruth a fancy title, she would be more interested.

Subsequently, she has been nicknamed “the rear admiral” on the back of the bike and Cliff is “the grunt on the front”.

Though it’s a tandem e-bike, and the couple can use pedal assist mode to help them up hills, the bike will be in eco mode to conserve battery power.

That means: “We’ll have to put a fair bit of effort in ourselves,” Cliff said.

There will also be some remote areas such as a 216km stretch between Blenheim and Hanmer Springs through the Molesworth Station where there is nowhere to charge the battery.

The couple, who moved from Auckland to Kerikeri in 2015, will stay in a mix of accommodations, including backpackers, campsites, farm stays and, when there’s nothing else, their tent.

They’ve already done a “test run” on their tandem e-bike; a cool 583km around the Far North that took nine days and included the 128km stretch to Cape Rēinga.

During their main trip from October to March, the Mails will post their adventures on Instagram and Facebook along with regular blogs on their website called The Angel Tandem — Adventures on the wrong side of 60.

They have also set up a Givealittle page, which has so far raised about $2000 for the Bald Angels.

The Mails hope their trip inspires others their age.

“Life’s not over when you’re retired,” Cliff said.

“There’s plenty of life left if the body is willing.”

To donate or for more information, go to: www.detours.co.nz or www.givealittle.co.nz

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.