KEY POINTS:
Cyclists won three of the four "commuter challenges" against cars and buses in peak Auckland traffic yesterday morning.
Competitors for each mode left from Mt Roskill, New Lynn, Ellerslie and Birkenhead at 7.15am, racing to Viaduct Harbour, where Auckland City Council was co-sponsor of a Go By Bike free breakfast for 850 cyclists.
Breakfasts hosted by North Shore City Council and Manukau City Council drew 500 and 160 cyclists respectively.
Cycle courier Wayne Williams took 15 minutes to ride from the corner of Mt Albert and Dominion Rds, Mt Roskill. He arrived six minutes ahead of TV3 reporter Penny Ydgren, who drove a car. City councillor Greg Moyle took 27 minutes by bus.
"Penny got a clear run in the traffic and was ahead of me all the way, but then she had to find a carpark and walk here," said Mr Williams.
Mr Moyle was impressed by the bus.
"It arrived dead on 7.15 am and got me into the St James stop in the city in 18 minutes.
"It was pretty relaxed... It's the fast walk to here [the Viaduct] that has me sweating."
On the western leg of the challenge, from New Lynn, TV3 news presenter Mike McRoberts showed his fitness from a regular cycling regime by a trip time of 34 minutes.
"It would have been pleasant if it were not a race," he said. "It's called the new golf ... Old guys like me are doing it because it doesn't hurt our knees so much."
Campbell Live reporter Emma Keeling did the trip by car in 44 minutes and Nightline presenter Samantha Hayes was the last to arrive for breakfast. Her bus struck thick traffic on Great North Rd and the journey took 61 minutes, including a walk from Britomart.
"I like buses ... I can watch and listen to podcasts and keep up to date with the news," Hayes said.
On the eastern leg, from Ellerslie, speed cyclist Justin Grace took 22 minutes to reach the Viaduct, while Urgent Couriers human resources manager Sue Bonnici-Carter took 26 minutes by car and Peter Clark, of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, made it in 33 minutes by bus, including a brisk walk from Britomart Transport Centre.
"I missed out the motorway and went up Orakei Rd and along the waterfront, but I was held up in roadworks on Quay St and my pedalling rival overtook me," said Mrs Bonnici-Carter.
Travelling by car proved the fastest bet across the Auckland Harbour Bridge on the challenge's northern leg, starting from Mokoia Rd, Birkenhead.
TV3 journalist Ali Akram drove it in 23 minutes, just two minutes ahead of 95bFM Try Something New producer Vince Wynn, who was in a bus.
Courier cyclist Tom Wellby seemed hot favourite for this leg, but was frustrated by a 15-minute wait for the Birkenhead ferry to arrive and carry him across the harbour via a stop at Northcote Pt wharf.
"I would have been here in 10 minutes rather than 35 if I could have ridden across the harbour bridge," he said.
His rivals were surprised at their speed, considering the horror stories about North Shore traffic.
The commuter challenge was sponsored by Urgent Couriers as part of national Bike Wise Month.
Yesterday's award for biggest team went to civil engineering consultancy Maunsell, which fielded 30 cyclists, and the best dressed team award went to frocksonbikes.org.
The longest trip award was won by Alan Moore, who rode over the Waitakere Ranges from Karekare - a trip of 45km.
Auckland Regional Council member for North Shore and keen cyclist Joel Cayford won the draw for the Avanti mountain bike.
"Auckland is a great place to bike," he said. "The hills are fun and the weather forgiving."
