Cycling enthusiast takes to water

It was Easter weekend 2011 and Hamilton man Greg Gibb was at Goose Bay in Kaikoura. The scenic coastal drive from the Kaikoura Peninsula to Goose Bay is one to remember. It leads up nicely to the picturesque bay, renowned for the spectacular marine life that inhabits the coastline. It is a great spot to watch dolphins leap out of the water, and that is what Gibb did that day, although there was a slight difference.

Gibb was cycling with three others when they went off-road with their mountain bikes. Michelle Philburn, who is now Gibb’s wife, accompanied him along with Neil Vanner and Alistair Duhs. They all cycled on the bay. Not just along the edge of the bay, but on the water.

The year before, Vanner invented another way for cycling enthusiasts to make the most out of their bikes, and named it the Akwakat. The invention allowed cyclists to convert their mountain bike into a water bike within minutes, and then change it back again. The equipment fits into a compact bag, making it easy to travel with. Riders attach their bike onto a specially designed frame, which can be fixed onto two inflatable pontoons once the bikes wheels are removed. “Sitting on a bike and knowing that there is 3000 feet of water beneath you is quite amazing,” Gibb says.

Once the four water-bikers were offshore, the dolphins came out to play. About 500 dolphins surrounded the group. They were getting up close and personal, emerging between the pontoons directly underneath the water bikes. “You could reach down and touch them between the pontoons,” Gibb says.

Gibb is a cycling enthusiast who has done his fair share of road cycling and mountain biking, but his favourite experience so far is water biking with dolphins.

The 48-year-old admits he once owned a mountain bike that spent more time gathering dust than anything else. He began riding with his wife and daughter Sasha about six years ago and soon found himself hooked.

When Gibb was made redundant from his job last year, he had a lot more time to cycle. He often rode on local mountain bike tracks with other cyclists while his wife was at work. “Someone once joked that I am a sponsored athlete. Michelle earns the money, and I go out riding.”

About five years ago, Gibb and some of his fellow cyclists decided to begin a social cycling group called No Boring Bits. Gibb was in a mountain bike club but found people were getting too competitive and it was not very family-friendly. He wanted to start a group that provided local cyclists with an enjoyable environment to ride in.

No Boring Bits is about putting the social back into cycling. It extends to people of all ages, cycling disciplines, and fitness levels. “The group is about encouraging people to go out and have fun in a non-competitive environment. You know you are going to be supported, encouraged, and motivated to do it,” Gibb says.

The group do not take cycling too seriously. They have been known to dress up as superheroes and ride around the city. Café crawls are another popular pastime. Riding casually along the scenic cycle tracks and stopping off at all the best cafes on the way is their idea of an enjoyable weekend. Families and individuals contribute to picnic lunches and everyone has a good time.

The informal cycling group aim to keep everyone entertained. “If someone does something really dumb, they have to ride with pink tassels on their bike until someone else does something dumber.” Once someone turned up to an event and left their front wheel at home, so of course, they were awarded the pink tassels.

“No Boring Bits is almost like a big family,” Gibb says. When he married Michelle Philburn last year, some of the riders in the group attended their wedding. In the wedding photos, there were about a dozen riders in the photo sporting their No Boring Bits jerseys.

Cyclists in the group range from children with training wheels, to expert mountain bikers. This year the group had a fun run ride amongst the beautiful scenery of the Karangahake Gorge. The family event was ridden at a comfortable pace, as it was more about the journey than the speed.

After being unemployed for about five months, Gibb recently got a job as a sales manager for Farrier Supplies. “Having finally got another job I had to put off some of the ‘epics’ we had planned in favour of earning a living.”

Gibb’s next big adventure will have to be put on hold until he gets enough time off work. He plans to cycle from Raetihi to the Bridge to Nowhere, which spans over the Mangapurua Stream in the Whanganui National Park. It offers 35km of track through one of the most remote and beautiful landscapes in the North Island. Gibb also plans to go for a water-bike ride on the Wanganui River  this year.

Most of the group rides are organised over Facebook. Anyone wanting to get involved with the social cycling group is welcomed to join the No Boring Bits Facebook group.