Solar-powered electric bike odyssey: Hawke’s Bay man Shaun Gilbert has NZ-to-Scotland route in his sights

Hawke's Bay's Shaun Gilbert is about to embark on a cross-continent journey on his modified solar e-bike. Photo / Warren Buckland

Just like the popular Queen song, Hawke’s Bay’s Shaun Gilbert wants to ride his (solar-powered electric) bicycle, and he wants to ride it where he likes.

In this case, it’s a multi-continent adventure from Hawke’s Bay to a “semi-fixed destination” of Scotland, using his heavily kitted-out e-bike.

With walking poles supporting a large solar panel and various attachments highlighting the epitome of Kiwi ingenuity, Gilbert has been tinkering with the bike and saving for his mammoth trip since last year.

It’s not adrenalin he’s seeking, but purely a chance to “meet some interesting people and see some interesting things”.

“I fly to Melbourne, ride to Darwin, fly to Bali and then go on from there,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today before his Saturday departure.

“There’s no great philosophical want or need to; it just seemed like a good idea, really.”

Gilbert’s “wee overseas trip” route will depend on the political situation in some countries, but he hopes to cover a fair bit of Asia and Europe.

“[Scotland] is about as far away as you can get from New Zealand.”

A tent serves as his main accommodation and Gilbert said the sense of adventure would be his ultimate guide.

“I’m just going to ride my bike and see what happens.”

He had somewhat of a trial run last year on another modified bike, so lengthy periods on the saddle would come as no surprise.

“I had a great trip a couple of summers ago where I modified a Brompton folding bike. I electrified one of those, had this trailer, and wandered around Fiordland for a couple of weeks and then rode my bike to Cape Reinga.

“That was seeing what was possible, and I really enjoyed it.”

Shaun Gilbert's modified e-bike is Kiwi ingenuity at its finest. Photo / Warren Buckland

Gilbert described using the modified contraption almost as if it were an item of clothing and commended its versatility.

“It’s like wearing a bike rather than getting on it. You can’t run it just on the battery, but as an assist, it’s just magical.”

Inspiration for the build and the trip had come mainly from online and seeing what other adventurers were doing. In his words, the internet “opened up a whole lot of things” regarding innovation.

Everything folds up nicely for checked-baggage airline travel, and Gilbert said he had a couple of last-minute modifications to make, such as possibly cutting a small visibility hole in the front screen.

He said it might look a bit No 8 wire, “but it does that job”, he said of his handiwork.

A big question remains, though: what happens when Gilbert reaches Scotland?

“Do I bike back? If I’m enjoying it, I might.”

Shaun Gilbert's impressive machine can run partially on solar power. Photo / Warren Buckland

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.