About Us
Al
Al has been cycling for as long as anyone can remember.
Before getting into road cycling Al started on the track. He remembers racing in his school shoes as a junior, because he couldn’t afford cycling shoes and he found the soles on his school shoes stiffer than those on his sports shoes … in other words, Al’s been cycling so long he remembers back to the days when being a cyclist wasn’t necessarily synonymous with owning a heap of cool gear and gadgets!
Since moving into road cycling Al has raced around the world for various teams, including a couple of seasons spent in Belgium after completing a degree in biochemistry here in Christchurch. Al has also ridden for a number of New Zealand teams - including Subway in its early days and Benchmark more recently - and has had a crack at most of the big races, tours and time trials around the country. Al holds a Masters in Public Health, and now juggles cycling with his work commitments and many other interests.
Al’s experience, knowledge and hindsight - accumulated over years of training and racing - and his ability to connect and pass his knowledge on, make him an excellent mentor for cyclists of all abilities. Al has intimately experienced what works and what doesn’t, and has tried pretty much everything from 12-hour training rides to crazy cornflake diets, altitude simulation, and stretching sessions with sunglasses on… for optimum coolness.
Aline
When it comes to sports Aline is far from a purist - more like a jack-of-all- trades, and master of none!
Aline’s interest in bikes started with mountain biking, which she pursued for long enough to win local races at a reasonably high level. Through mountain biking - a winter sport that relies on dry weather to prevent training rides from turning into suicide missions - Aline discovered the convenience of incorporating short, intense gym work and Spin classes into her training. Aline has now been instructing Spin for five years, and there aren’t many gyms in Christchurch she hasn’t taught a class at! Recently, she has also branched out and started exploring the world of aerobics and step.
Aline has also always been interested in running, and has trained and competed in running events at various levels of seriousness throughout her life. While she’s had a go at competitive rogaining, orienteering, mountain and road running, Aline is happiest cruising along trails in the Port Hills on hot summer days – or doing interval training indoors at the gym during the winter cold! Aline holds a Masters in Anthropology, and has carried out ethnographic research among male cyclists in Christchurch as well as East African female long distance runners in Tanzania.
Aline is a great person to talk to if you’re new to road cycling and finding the whole scene a bit intimidating, or if you’re trying to figure out how to juggle road cycling with whatever else life throws at you, including training in other sports and/or in the gym. Aline also understands the importance of variety to help keep training interesting and motivating, and has an endless repertoire of ideas that can help spice up your cycle training.
John
How/why I got into cycling:
I used to ride to school (one of a dying breed, I might add - in 1985 the high school in Gainesville Florida had parking for 200 bikes and I was one of only two or three not driving a car). One day someone on a racing bike saw me cranking along and invited me to a group ride. Nobody made fun of my touring bike or casual clothes, they just made me feel welcome. I was third in my first race and hooked for life.
My most memorable cycling experience:
In 1995 while on our honeymoon, my wife DD and I were tandem cycling across mainland Greece when we became wonderfully lost due to poor Michelin maps. We found ourselves kilometres from any civilisation and happened upon a lone Armenian shepherd. He could not understand our gestured request for directions, but made us laugh when the only thing he could say was “Bill Clinton!”. Later that day, after cycling along gorgeous mountain roads with hardly any motor traffic, we pitched our tent under the stars on a pebbly Mediterranean beach. Now that’s my idea of cycling!
Why I joined the Bike Challenge community:
To join a group as enthusiastic about cycling as I am
My favourite food to eat on a ride:
It has to be a long ride to eat anything - but if I have to eat it would be a simple home-made panini. No astronaut food for me thanks- had enough over the last twenty years to last a lifetime.
My favourite local ride:
Not too hard, eh? Long Bays, for sure.
When I'm not riding I'm... Unfortunately, it's mostly likely tapping away on a computer keyboard. Luckily, it's probably related to cycling!
A useful cycling tip:
When you are ready to quit, just look at the next regularly recurring feature of the landscape and promise yourself to make it to there and reassess. It might be the next power pole, hill, lap of the course, or intersection.
Matt
Matt has been mountain biking at a recreational level for a number of years and has only fairly recently discovered the joys of road cycling.
He has enjoyed the steep learning curve the Bike Challenge has offered over the last couple of years and is keen to help and share his knowledge to anyone who will listen. Matt competed in his first Le Race this year, and crossed the finish line a tick over 3hrs 36min.
As well as having a background in amenity horticulture, he currently is employed as a groundsman at the University of Canterbury.
Tom
How/why I got into cycling:
I first got into cycling in 1989 when I discovered Mountain Biking while living in Wellington. I started racing almost straight away and was hooked! A road bike followed a year or 2 later.
I've had many years of riding and have loved every minute of it, its a great sport/passtime that you can enjoy at any level.
My most memorable cycling experience:
I would have to say that my early years Mountain biking were fantastic! the sport was really just exploding into NZ and I met some great friends and had some epic rides!
Why I joined the Bike Challenge community:
I have joined the Bike Challenge community because I really just love to ride my bike and I hope that some of my experience will inspire others to become better bike riders.
My favourite food to eat on a ride:
Just about anything really......Bananas, bars, gels (if I must)
My favourite local ride:
Long Bays for sure is great
When I'm not riding I'm... eating lots!
A useful cycling tip:
When I first started road riding a friend put his hand on my back and said "stop bobbing up and down fool"
James
How/why I got into cycling:
My Mother used to make me ride to school in all weathers.
My most memorable cycling experience:
Closing a 200m gap to a hard charging Ryan Cull on a Sunday bunch ride - damned near killed me.
Why I joined the Bike Challenge community:
Because Al and Aline begged me to.
My favourite food to eat on a ride:
Spaghetti Bolognese.
My favourite local ride:
Anything that involves riding up Mt Pleasant first (I'm guessing that whomever named this hill never rode up it on a bicycle).
When I'm not riding I'm... dreaming about riding.
A useful cycling tip:
Never leave home without an EFTPOS or credit card - when the going gets tough, the tough buy their way out of trouble.
Helen
How/why I got into cycling:
I used to walk to work. Gradually I started noticing people going past on bikes and thought 'if I had a bike I could spend an extra 10 minutes in bed'. Perversely it's now cycling that gets me out of bed early at the weekends!
My most memorable cycling experience:
For someone who really isn't a climber I think it probably has to be getting to the top of Mt Ventoux (in well over twice the time it took Iban Mayo in the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré - but I got there!)
Why I joined the Bike Challenge community:
Because I wish that someone had been there to teach me this stuff when I was starting out. It might have meant I didn't have to go up an emergency truck escape path (filled with deep gravel) on the way back down Mt Ventoux because I didn't know how to descend comfortably and got to the point where my arms and hands were so sore I really, really couldn't stop!
My favourite food to eat on a ride:
Mushroom and mayonnaise sandwiches.
My favourite local ride:
The Summit Road from the Kiwi to Sumner; the first time I rode it after moving to Christchurch I looked down at the Bays in wonder and said to myself 'I live here'...five years later I still find myself saying it!
When I'm not riding I'm... digging my garden and trying not to kill my veggies.
A useful cycling tip:
If you only weigh 50 kilos your tyres don't need to be at 110psi - it'll be a lot more comfortable (especially when descending) if you only pump them to about 95psi!
James
James took up road cycling as a hobby about 9 years and quickly progressed from riding socially to mass-participation races, club racing and eventually riding tours both in New Zealand and overseas. In 2008 and 2009 he rode for New Zealand in the Tour de l’Amitie (Tahiti) and the Tour of Brasil; “I am amazed at where cycling can take you. When I started riding for fun and a bit of exercise it never crossed my mind how far it could go and the sort of opportunities available”. His favourite training is around the port hills but he is gradually working through all the roads in the south island.
In his spare time he works as a Mechanical Design Engineer.
Deirdre
Deirdre is a not so recent immigrant to New Zealand after moving to Christchurch 8 years ago from Brisbane. Once in Christchurch it took her a while (about 6 years) but finally her husband convinced her to give cycling a go, and she is now loving it, getting out on those hills as much as she can. Her favourite part of any ride would have to be the down hills and says she only goes up to go down!
Deirdre has ridden in nearly all levels of Bike Challenge over the past 2 years. She has also taken part in several recreational races including Girls on Bikes, SUB rides, Around Brunner, GrapeRide and a couple of Harbour rides as well - generally finishing with a time that is well able to be bettered next time round! She is one-third of the 'Hubettes', which won the women's three-person relay team event in Le Race in 2010: of course she nominated herself to do the last leg of that race, with all the ups and one fantastic down.
When Deirdre's not cycling she's often out walking her dog Bailey or at work as an Administrator for Antarctica New Zealand.
