- Friday 3 September 2010
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Is it a bike? Is it a row boat? No, it's a row bike
Row, row, row ... your bike? Rotorua's Scott Donaldson on the row bike. Picture: Stephen Parker (020206sp17)
COAST TO COAST by ANDRE MOYNIHAN Waiariki journalism student
After doing "pretty much everything you can shake a stick at" in sports, Scott Donaldson never thought he would be asked to ride 70km on a specially designed row bike.
The 35-year-old Rotorua man is tackling the South Island's Speight's Coast to Coast race this week, alongside teammate, Transatlantic rower Rob Hamill, and will complete the last cycle leg on the row bike, the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
"When you tell people you are doing it on a row bike most people just don't get it until they've actually seen it. Once they've seen it, it certainly turns some heads," Donaldson told the Daily Post.
Hamill was asked by Paul Squires from Life Cycles to try out the bike, which was imported from the Netherlands and is worth about $5000.
The rider sits low in the bike's long frame, pedalling with feet and pulling the handle in a rowing motion. A cable is connected to the handle, propelling the two-wheeled bike forward. It can reach speeds of up to 89km/h.
Donaldson, who had neither seen nor "rowed" the bike, was asked to participate less than a month out from the race, after Kevin Biggar pulled out.
Donaldson and Hamill had done some rowing together during the Transatlantic rowing campaign and they share a similar sense of fun.
"His idea of fun is fairly similar to my idea of fun.
I said 'sounds interesting, sounds like fun'. He just said the bike would be a bit different at that stage," said Donaldson.
He first saw the row bike after Hamill had ridden it halfway to Rotorua from Hamilton, with family close behind in a car.
Hamill recalled Donaldson's bemusement.
"If you could read his mind, it was like he was thinking 'what have I got myself in to?'," said Hamill.
Donaldson also remembered being surprised by the "dodgy" contraption.
"He sort of passed the bike over and gave a bit of a wry smile and a laugh and said 'go to it'.
"Rob is entertaining, he has got a really good attitude towards everything in terms of always giving 100 per cent, but at the same time he is prone to overdoing 100 per cent as well, so it keeps it pretty amusing."
Donaldson trained around Rotorua to get familiar with the bike and found it a tough challenge.
"You need rowing skills, but it's not quite like you would normally row. The action is slightly different and you need a fair bit of balance as well."
Donaldson said the bike also had its advantages.
"In terms of head wind, it is better than a push-bike because you are in a much lower and streamlined position. The traffic in Christchurch will be the tricky bit," he said.
Considered one of the world's most gruelling multisport events, the Coast to Coast course begins at Kumara Beach, south of Greymouth, on the South Island's west coast and finishes at Sumner Beach in Christchurch. The event offers one- and two-day options for individuals and teams.
Competitors endure a 140km cycle broken up into three stages (55km, 15km and 70km), a 36km run and a 67km kayak.
Donaldson will complete the run and the last cycling leg.
He previously had plans to do the Coast to Coast as an individual, but had cancelled due to a rather important personal commitment - his wedding.
"I flagged it so we could do our wedding and honeymoon. We'll be doubling it, having a week honeymoon first and then doing the race," he said.
More than 1000 competitors will vie for places in the 24th anniversary event this Friday and Saturday and Donaldson rates his chances in the race as "fair to none".
"The bike is not the sort of bike you'd ride in a bunch. The first ride is fairly hilly and you generally ride in a bunch - right from the start we'll be probably a little bit behind," he said.
Hamill seemed more optimistic about how the duo might shape up.
"I think we can win the row bike section. I think we've got a bloody good chance at it, actually," he said.
Hamill competed in last year's Coast to Coast, completing the cycle leg on a kick-bike (or scooter) and recorded the slowest time for the leg in the race's history.
"My objective is to not break that record," said Hamill.
After doing "pretty much everything you can shake a stick at" in sports, Scott Donaldson never thought he would be asked to ride 70km on a specially designed row bike.
The 35-year-old Rotorua man is tackling the South Island's Speight's Coast to Coast race this week, alongside teammate, Transatlantic rower Rob Hamill, and will complete the last cycle leg on the row bike, the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
"When you tell people you are doing it on a row bike most people just don't get it until they've actually seen it. Once they've seen it, it certainly turns some heads," Donaldson told the Daily Post.
Hamill was asked by Paul Squires from Life Cycles to try out the bike, which was imported from the Netherlands and is worth about $5000.
The rider sits low in the bike's long frame, pedalling with feet and pulling the handle in a rowing motion. A cable is connected to the handle, propelling the two-wheeled bike forward. It can reach speeds of up to 89km/h.
Donaldson, who had neither seen nor "rowed" the bike, was asked to participate less than a month out from the race, after Kevin Biggar pulled out.
Donaldson and Hamill had done some rowing together during the Transatlantic rowing campaign and they share a similar sense of fun.
"His idea of fun is fairly similar to my idea of fun.
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He first saw the row bike after Hamill had ridden it halfway to Rotorua from Hamilton, with family close behind in a car.
Hamill recalled Donaldson's bemusement.
"If you could read his mind, it was like he was thinking 'what have I got myself in to?'," said Hamill.
Donaldson also remembered being surprised by the "dodgy" contraption.
"He sort of passed the bike over and gave a bit of a wry smile and a laugh and said 'go to it'.
"Rob is entertaining, he has got a really good attitude towards everything in terms of always giving 100 per cent, but at the same time he is prone to overdoing 100 per cent as well, so it keeps it pretty amusing."
Donaldson trained around Rotorua to get familiar with the bike and found it a tough challenge.
"You need rowing skills, but it's not quite like you would normally row. The action is slightly different and you need a fair bit of balance as well."
Donaldson said the bike also had its advantages.
"In terms of head wind, it is better than a push-bike because you are in a much lower and streamlined position. The traffic in Christchurch will be the tricky bit," he said.
Considered one of the world's most gruelling multisport events, the Coast to Coast course begins at Kumara Beach, south of Greymouth, on the South Island's west coast and finishes at Sumner Beach in Christchurch. The event offers one- and two-day options for individuals and teams.
Competitors endure a 140km cycle broken up into three stages (55km, 15km and 70km), a 36km run and a 67km kayak.
Donaldson will complete the run and the last cycling leg.
He previously had plans to do the Coast to Coast as an individual, but had cancelled due to a rather important personal commitment - his wedding.
"I flagged it so we could do our wedding and honeymoon. We'll be doubling it, having a week honeymoon first and then doing the race," he said.
More than 1000 competitors will vie for places in the 24th anniversary event this Friday and Saturday and Donaldson rates his chances in the race as "fair to none".
"The bike is not the sort of bike you'd ride in a bunch. The first ride is fairly hilly and you generally ride in a bunch - right from the start we'll be probably a little bit behind," he said.
Hamill seemed more optimistic about how the duo might shape up.
"I think we can win the row bike section. I think we've got a bloody good chance at it, actually," he said.
Hamill competed in last year's Coast to Coast, completing the cycle leg on a kick-bike (or scooter) and recorded the slowest time for the leg in the race's history.
"My objective is to not break that record," said Hamill.
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