Dunc's Big Bike Ride FAQs - part 1
As featured in my subsequent book, The Big Loop, here's the original bike ride FAQ.
Here are all the questions I get asked about my bike ride around the coast of New Zealand:
Where are you cycling from and to?
I’m riding from Auckland to Auckland. Along the coastline of New Zealand. I’ll depart Auckland, ride around the actual country, return to Auckland, leave Auckland, before returning again to Auckland some time after that.
How far is it?
It’s slightly less than the length of all of New Zealand’s beaches and sea cliffs added together. I have drawn a rough projection of the NZ coastline, based pretty much on where the roads, tracks and some cyclable beaches go, plus where my crayon went as I scribbled. My current estimate is 8,152km (815,200,000cm - more than 27 million rulers).
How long will it take?
It’s difficult to say right now, having not yet finished the ride, but I envisage it to take sometime between one hour and six months. I am hoping that I can complete it closer to the one hour mark, but people who know about cycling have told me that this is unlikely.
Where will you sleep?
I will have one of those fold-away, peggable, mini-houses with me on the bike. Sometimes, I will sleep overnight in it. Other times, I will stay at backpackers. The majority of the time, however, I intend to take full advantage of that good-old Kiwi hospitality and crash at your auntie’s place.
How will you fund it?
I recently sold my 1992 Honda, plus a few other unnecessary items (pens, bags, rocks), so I have about $233 in the bank. Other than that, I hope to earn a bit of cash acting as a gold statue in various town centres. I'll also say nice things about your cafe on the internets if you feed me.
Why are you doing this?
Walk into your supermarket in just your underwear and you'll be asked exactly the same thing. I guess because I love physical pain while being rained upon. And I don’t want to get to the end of my life and wish that I had ridden a bike around the entire coastline of New Zealand.
Are you going to take your phone?
I know, it’s 2014, so my answer may stun you, but: yes. In fact, I’ll be taking two. I won’t name the upstanding and responsible member of society who asked me this; twice over two weekends. But, yes, Steve, I will be taking my phone. Call me.
Will you take photos?
No.
Get a job!
I’m going now.
Dunc's Big Bike Ride was completed on 29th August 2015.