Quick ride before breakfast to celebrate Christmas
At 5.50am a group of 60 cyclists only have two regrets – they won’t get their usual drip at the bar and one of their beloved riders isn’t making the trip with them.
Up at the crack of dawn, keen Palmerston North cyclists gathered at Evo Cycles on Ferguson St in the city for their annual Christmas Day ride run by store owner Garry Buys.
From one keen 5-year-old to those well into their 60s, they made their way to Whakarongo, through Bunnythorpe, over to Kairanga and back to the city.
The team had biked 30 kilometres before many homes woke to open presents.
Lukas Ryan, 5, seated behind his grandfather Rob Ryan, 57, began his cycling journey on a trailer bike with socks on his hands to fight the morning chill.
‘‘Hopefully he’ll be riding his own bike soon,’’ Ryan said
For many of the riders a one hour, 30km ride wouldn’t be worth it, but it’s an excuse to gather on a special day before heading back to families and festivities, Buys said.
‘‘For a lot of us it’s quite a big part of our day because we don’t have family, or they’ve grown up and moved on, and for some unknown reason we tend to be a family.’’
Typically, the crew finishes at the Distinction Coachman Hotel for a champagne breakfast before heading back to their families, but with Covid-19 rocking the hospitality industry the bar opted to cater just for its overnight patrons instead.
Buys began the ride 16 years ago at his flat on Victoria Ave.
The crew would quietly gather at the roundabout, eager not to wake anyone in the surrounding homes – although they’ve not always been successful.
‘‘A lady in her dressing gown came out into the car park one morning and gave us all a good dressing down.’’
Missing from this ride was fellow founder Pat Nolan, who died shortly after lockdown.
Buys and Nolan had travelled thousands of kilometres together on their bikes and had planned to track the French Alps this year.
‘‘He just loved biking.
‘‘He was one of those guys that would just go anywhere and talk to anybody.’’
Although champagne was off the cards, Buys said the group was lucky to live in a country where families – and cycling buddies – could meet on the special day.
‘‘Compared to some people in Australia and the UK we can actually get out on the bicycles, so let’s be thankful of that.’’
Buys pledged that next Christmas’ ride would end with a glass of bubbly, and maybe a few more to make up for this year.