Bike’s VIP passenger revealed

A bicycle ridden by Sir Edmund Hillary has made its way to Cambridge.

Vintage ‘‘everything’’ enthusiast Tony Jecks came across the 1920s BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) bike when he went to view an old car in Howick, Auckland.

The car and bicycle happened to be owned by Hillary’s good friend, Julian Godwin.

‘‘His daughter had listed an old Triumph Mayflower on Trade Me for a cheap price, so I went to have a look at it.

‘‘It had been sitting around since the 1970s and I decided it wasn’t worth fixing, but he took me into his shed and showed me this bicycle,’’ said Jecks.

Godwin’s father purchased the bike for him in 1938 ‘‘second hand but refurbished’’ from a bike shop in Newmarket.

He rode the bike all over Auckland during World War II when petrol for civilian vehicles was strictly rationed and tyres were in short supply.

In 1943 when he enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Airforce, Godwin was stationed in New Plymouth for training and he took his bicycle with him.

‘‘His best mate in the RAF was Ed Hillary and on weekends they would ‘double’ each other out to Mt Taranaki and have a crack at the mountain,’’ said Jecks, recalling what Godwin had told him.

In Hillary’s autobiography, there are several mentions of Julian Godwin and even a reference to this very bicycle.

After the war, Godwin built his Howick home in 1950 and still lives there now.

‘‘He stopped riding the bike in the early 1950s and it sat in his shed, well lubricated, for over 60 years until he passed it on to me.’’

Jecks has had it about a year, and thoroughly cleaned it, relubed it and given it a liberal coat- ing of fish oil.

The bearings are still in excellent condition, and he put new tyres and brake pads on.

‘‘It’s still rideable, I use it to do my shopping,’’ he said.

The only thing the bike is missing is the gear shift cable, which Godwin ‘‘wore out first gear doubling Ed out to the mountain’’ so Jecks fixed it permanently in second gear.

It still has its original leather seat which is worn, but in usable condition.

Jecks has temporarily given it to Deli On The Corner cafe in Cambridge to display on its corner window. will get.’’

Fez says she met with Taupo MP Louise Upston yesterday who is sympathetic to our call for an increase in numbers and she will present it to the House of Representatives .

Prime Minister John Key recently announced provisions were being made to increase a police presence in Northland and it’s hoped that the petition will make the Government aware that towns like Cambridge have been left vulnerable by their decisions.

Fez has support from community groups like Neighbourhood watch, Greypower and the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce for the the petition.

Several members of the Cambridge Community Board have also provided individual support as well.