Lovely morning for a quick ride past the traffic jams

JON BRIDGES, a TV3 presenter-producer, writes of his winning ride.


I knew this challenge could be mine. Anyone who rides a bike through Auckland, past lines of people sitting in their cars, knows that you'd have to get up pretty early to beat a bike to work from within a range of about 15 kilometres.

So I agreed to take part in this madcap traffic stunt.

From Lynnmall, at 7.35am, the car and I took off and immediately waited at a set of lights. The traffic was really light, rush hour was only just starting and I was worried that the devilish race car driver might get an easy run and beat me.

I'm not too hot at choosing the best route but I went up Great North Rd to Avondale where there was a bit of a jam at the roundabout. I rode up, over the railway then up New North Rd through Mt Albert where I cruised past the first really big line of traffic to Kingsland.

I turned left and went over Bond St, up the little rise to Great North Rd which got my blood pumping then at Ponsonby, past another line of traffic, then over the Hopetoun Bridge. I then coasted down to the Aotea Centre. I don't know which route the driver took, but he arrived about 10 minutes later. And it was such a beautiful morning!

I've been interested in cycling since I got a Raleigh Sport for my seventh birthday and mum taught me to ride it on the front lawn. As kids in Auckland and then in Palmerston North it was just how we got around, and I've tried to make that no different as an adult.

I've never been knocked off my bike but I've had to yell at drivers and sometime abuse them. Sometimes giving them a fright with my words, like they gave me with their cars, is a necessary means of communication.

Many drivers have no patience, they won't even stop and think for a half-second what that cyclist is doing.

I see a lot of inconsiderate driver behaviour on Auckland roads so cyclists have to have all their wits about them.

I've had some close calls with opening car doors.

At the end of the day I'm saving money, not needing to go to the gym, arriving at work on time and helping the environment.

I do love bikes - they are the most efficient method of transport ever invented by man and there is something so free about them.