A bicycle built for two

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 13

A bicycle built for two

Selling bicycles is not enough for Mr and Mrs L. Rhodes, the proprietors of Pegasus Cycles and Toys. They also ride them — and build them. Mr and Mrs Rhodes used to ride tandems years ago in England and a trip there recently brought back happy memories. The couple considered air-freighting a new model tandem to New Zealand but the cost was prohibitive. Instead Mr Rhodes brought back the parts and built the machine himself in his spare

The project took two months to complete but the finished product appears to have been well worth the effort. Similar tandems sell for more than $2OOO and are in great demand as cycling becomes a popular and practical alternative to driving. Over the summer Mr and Mrs Rhodes often cycled the 9km from their home to the New Brighton shop and could complete the distance in 20 minutes. In their younger days trips of 250 miles in a week-end were not unusual

but now they restrict their cycle jaunts to a more sedate distance. Most Sunday afternoons find the couple out on the road, though, and both of them thoroughly enjoy the outings,