GREAT CYCLE RIDE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1934, Page 12

GREAT CYCLE RIDE

AUCKLAND TO WELLINGTON. PROGRESS THROUGH TARANAKI. A cycle ride against the clock from Auckland to Wellington, is an undertaking of some magnitude, but to L. G. Lukey, the well-known Canterbury cyclist, it appeals as good training for the Oamaru to Christchurch road race to be held next Saturday. It was partly for that reason that Lukey set but from Auckland on Tuesday morning to ride to Wellington, and, though the task was made more gruelling by the severe southerly weather, the cyclist arrived in Wellington early on Thursday morning little the Worse for the experience and well ahead of the previous record time for this cycling endurance test. As a matter of fact, Lukey, in spite of adverse conditions, covered the long journey from Auckland Post Office to Wellington in 44 hours 43 minutes. That time exceeds the previous best (put up by S. Wright, of Wellington) by 11 hours 22 minutes. The distance is approximately 462 miles. It is not often nowadays that Lukey does much in the way of strenuous cycling tests; he reserves himself for big occasions. However, he has made a proper job of his latest big effort, even though it was regarded by him as something in the nature of a “training gallop.” On leaving Auckland he encountered slight head winds, and these increased as he neared Hamilton. On to Te Awamutu the going was heavy, and more solid still when ihe full force of the southerly was experienced. The worst stretch was from Te Kuiti to Awakino, 25 miles of which was ridden in the dark. The rough nature of the roads shook his lamp to pieces, and time was lost in searching for them and putting them together as well as possible. Two spills in the Awakino Gorge as he was feeling his way through in the darkness made matters more uncomfortable, but his determination to get through was not shaken. His fitness enabled him to ride right over Mount Messenger. His stops on the journey were made as brief as possible, though in some cases there were delays in getting into touch with the people to check him in at stages. The longest stop was at Inglewood, where

about an hour was spent, in getting a meal early on Wednesday morning. Right through Taranaki a very cold wind’ was experienced, so cold, in fact, that Lukey had to place a cape in front of him as a shield against the wind. He rode on to Build without much of an eventful nature occurring, but by the time he reached Otaki he had great difficulty in keeping awake. From here he met a great deal of traffic on the roads, and the dazzling headlights troubled him. Twice he. went into a ditch, and on one of these occasions a wheel of his machine was buckled. This was repaired as well as possible under the circumstances, but with the wheel not running quite so smoothly as before and the brakes worn the negotiating of the Paekakariki Hill was quite an ordeal. Then, too, the light was bad. Lukey plugged on to Wellington, completing a stupendous task in remarkably fast time, which, he considers, he could have greatly improved under better conditions. There were stoppages other than those mentioned. It happened on occasions that herds of cattle were met on the roads, which in parts were under repair. Ihe Palmerston North -Wellington section of the journey was by no means new to Lukey, though it was a new experience to cover it in darkness. On three successive occasions, 1927-29, Lukey recorded fastest time in the race held annually over this course. Since then he has joined the professional ranks, and his next appearance will be in the big race in the South Island next Saturday.