‘Tall bike’ draws eyes
What does a yearning mountainbiker do during a lockdown that forbids them getting their fix?
In the case of Will Heesterman, who like other devotees spent weeks pining for a ride, it was the ideal time to complete a (minor) life goal: building a ‘‘tall bike’’.
For those not in the know, that involves building one tall bike from two frames.
The 34-year-old land surveyor has spent the lockdown working from his Havelock North home while simultaneously spending time with his wife and kids, aged 6 and 3, and building his bike.
In normal times he would be mountainbiking two or three times a week, usually at Te Mata Peak. If not there, he’d be taking the kids around the home-made mountainbike track on his front lawn.
The tall bike idea came to Heesterman some years back when he saw a clip on YouTube. ‘‘I had a few frames already because I’d been planning it for a while. The lockdown came round and I thought, well, now’s the time to piece it all together,’’ he said.
It took a few hours to weld the frames together, then about half a day assembling the various bits. ‘‘I had to order some extra parts from overseas and I finished it about two weeks into the lockdown,’’ he said.
Since then Heesterman and his bike have been a regular sight as he and the kids make their daily rides around the lanes and cycleways of Havelock North.
‘‘People stop and stare, or slow down in their car to film it. It does seem to attract attention,’’ he said. ‘‘Once you’re on it, it just feels like a normal bike, just a bit higher’’.
‘‘Getting off requires a bit of planning. In town you can pull up beside street signs or lampposts, but otherwise a careful dismount is required,’’ Heesterman said.
‘‘It’s a long way to fall. It’s not much fun falling off.’’
Planning is already under way for a 3m-tall bike.