Along For The Ride is an entertaining cycling-inspired TV series that hunts down bike-related Kiwiana,
starting on TV One at 7pm on Saturday 14th February.
Radio presenter and cycling aficionado Simon Morton starts his tour of the country trying to find ‘ground zero’ for the bike, in North Otago and South Canterbury, before pedaling his way up the country over 7 entertaining weeks.
ALONG FOR THE RIDE - Episodes and Regions.
Feb 14th – Simon starts his nationwide quest to find out why NZ would be lost without the bike. Starting in North Otago, he hunts NZ’s first photo of the ‘iron-horse’, learns how two wheels helped conquer Mt Cook, and races penny-farthings in a Steampunk style. From Richard Pearse’s inventions to Kiwi world-records, Simon discovers they all started with a pushbike. More description: Episode 1
Filmed in Oamaru, Geraldine, Temuka and on the Alps To Ocean trail.
Feb 21st – Heading for Christchurch, Simon, braves a cycling town where the women have always worn the pants. Via Ashburton he learns how the ‘sociable’ help Mrs Benz promote the motorcar? In his all-wheel adventure Simon finds the hidden secrets of big bloomers, big air in girls BMX, Kate Sheppard’s wheels, and how bicycles revolutionized the early dating scene. More information: Episode 2
Filmed in Ashburton and Christchurch.
Feb 28th – Hippies and hard bastards have always loved the West Coast, but what about Simon Morton? He cases the scene of NZ’s first ever bicycle-train-robbery in Otira, and considers buying a whole town. On his way through Nelson to Takaka’sWorld Nude Bike Day, he uncovers ghosts from the past on an old miner’s trail where West Coast bushmen are building the best ride in the world. More information: Episode 3
Filmed: Arthur’s Pass, Otira, Hokitika, Old Ghost Rd, Nelson Free House, Takaka
March 7th – Rolling through Wellington and onto the Kapiti Coast, Simon Morton connects childhood memories with the rebirth of cool. He considers the groin-clenching dangers of the Raleigh Chopper and its place in Te Papa, hacks tracks with a renegade 80 year old, and joins a genuine bike gang of low-riders. He visits the site of the first ever BMX Nationals. No shandy drinker’s here, but at Tuatara brewery Simon tests a style of beer actually called ‘cyclist’, in German. More information: Episode 4
Filmed in: Wellington, Wainuiomata, Kapiti
March 14th – It’s wild in the countryside, as presenter Simon Morton takes his nationwide cycle quest to the dark heart of Taranaki. From the twisted tales of Ronald Hugh Morrieson, to the Forgotten World Highway, Simon is stoked to discover how cyclists could one-day cruise the back-country on railway tracks. Meanwhile beer-cans and pig tusks are order of the day at the only independent Presidential Election reached by the NZ National Cycleway. More information: Episode 5
Filmed: Wanganui, Hawera, New Plymouth, Stratford and Whangamomona
March 21st – Can you reinvent the (bicycle) wheel? Cycle-explorer-slash-evil-genius Simon Morton finds out how inTongariro, Taupo and Rotorua. He rides a bike that went to war, and one that catches slippery fish. Meeting Taupo legend Walter De Bont Dodging mudpool mayhem he races a cycle-sized monorail sponsored by Google and tests Graeme Pearson’s controversial carbon creation, born in a weathered woolshed but banned by world cycling bigwigs. More information:Episode 6
Filmed: Waiouru, Taupo, Rotorua and Lake Karapiro
March 28th – The final leg of the journey takes cycle-psycho Simon Morton into the heart of Auckland to find out why the bike is still in fashion. He meets a bobby on a bike in the King Country, discovers you can ride on water in Hamilton, and learns the synchronized cyclists ‘drug-deal’ in Grey Lynn. He considers a frock, but thinks better of it - the humble bike has proved bigger than a passing fashion. More information:
Filmed in: Otorohanga, Hamilton and Auckland.
NEW Cycling Series on TV ONE from Saturday February 14th.
