Kiwi set for cycle tour — from sea to shining sea
James Wilkins set to embark on a 5150km journey across United States for Motor Neurone Disease NZ
There’s the Coast to Coast, then there’s the Coast to Coast, American style. Pongakawa’s James Wilkins has tackled the New Zealand version six times.
Next month he will take on the considerably more daunting 5150km challenge of crossing from America’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic seaboard — by bicycle.
He is riding for charity, supporting Motor Neurone Disease NZ.
Wilkins, a former captain of Te Puke Sports, will be making the journey with his brotherin-law, Craig Luxton.
Luxton played rugby for Waikato between 1983 and 1985 before playing for Harlequins in London.
He was playing alongside England internationals including Will Carling, Brian Moore and Peter Winterbottom — and it was the friendships he made then that have led to the crosscontinent odyssey.
Winterbottom is a major supporter of My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, set up by and named for Scottish and British and Irish Lions’ lock Doddie Weir, who lost his battle with MND in 2022.
Winterbottom and another England and British and Irish Lions player Mike Teague is also on the ride, along with four others.
“I think the itinerary has daunted a few,” Wilkins says.
The riders will start in San Francisco, with the Rockies the biggest obstacle to overcome.
They will ride an average of 150km a day and will cross California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, a brief sojourn into West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before reaching New York City where Wilkins jokes he may throw his bike into the Hudson River.
His sister Kate is one of the drivers of the RVS in which they will sleep, and the riders will have a bike mechanic, chef and physio in support.
The journey will take 36 days, with just two rest days.
After moving from Te Puke, Wilkins returned in 2012.
“I decided I needed to get fit again so I decided I would do the Coast to Coast.
“I’d never ridden a road bike or anything like that, so I started training ended up, in 2013, doing my first Coast to Coast one day, and I’ve done six one-days since.”
He will be glad once the Rockies are behind him.
“Riding hills is not the most fun thing in the world, so I’m looking forward getting the first two weeks out of my hair.”
Nothing about the trip is making him have second thoughts, however.
“I’m just a great believer myself, personally, in not over thinking it.
“I’m a strong believer that it’s your mind that gets you there.”
He says going on training rides with Luxton cemented his motivation.
“I just thought, this is important to him, and that, to me, is the important thing.”
He has spent some time in the US, living in Illinois.
“I do like America, so I’m looking forward to getting to little towns and meeting people, because Americans are really friendly in those areas, lovely generous people.”
At the end of the trip an event has been organised with a rugby club in New York.
“It’s a personal challenge and it will be nice to look back and say ‘I’ve done that’.
“Basically I’m going to meet some new people and spend some good times with new friends and I’m sure there’ll be lots of stories told.”
Wilkins is not a city person so will only spend a couple of days in the Big Apple before heading off on a road trip with his wife, Donna.