Stories by region
Telecomers up for the Challenge
Telecom New Zealand Ltd participants are thrilled to be getting out on their bikes and experiencing a different side of life. They enjoy the benefits of cycling to work and some employees have shared their own special stories.
Brendon Byrne says, “I used to be a cycle courier years ago, so if a car cut you off the required response was to bang on their door and yell expletives. Funnily enough, my wife said she's not so keen on this approach when I need to get home in one piece to help with the kids. The other day I was riding behind some roadies when a car saw us and still pulled out. The lead rider pointed into his window while the rest of us waved our hands in the air laughing. It took a lot less energy than yelling, and these days I need my energy for the Ngaio Gorge.” Good to hear Brendon!
Iain MacAulay has had both human and animal encounters that have shown the lighter side of cycling. He says “riding though Richmond Park in London on my way to work I used to scan for the deer herd that lives there. One morning I was looking out on the fields and upon rounding a corner had to skid to a halt to avoid the 20 or so animals standing on and around the footpath. Magic.”
While the urbanite in him says “at the start of another commute, a very expensive Aston Martin passed me as I struggled up a hill, 40 minutes later, as I cycled the final 100 metres towards my destination, I passed the same Aston crawling in traffic. Score one for the second hand thirty dollar bike against the many hundreds of thousands of dollars for the car!”
Team coordinator, Sridhar Ekambaram, says that the Christchurch earthquakes have affected nationwide participation levels as a lot of staff is located there. However, there are still lots of people keen to get involved in the Challenge. “While Telecom’s participation this year sounds a bit quiet, there is still a lot of enthusiasm among us. People in Wellington and Auckland are enthused by their new workplace that has a more modern facility for cyclists in terms of changing facilities and dedicated secure cycle stands. Srihdar adds, “It has been a pleasure for me to lead this organisation in the 2012 Bikewise Challenge”.
