Husband and wife duo earn a historical title for the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge
Last year Nicky and Ross Owen ticked over their 25th ride in the annual event, earning themselves the very honourable Diamond status (the first married couple to do so), and the good news is they have no plans of stopping anytime soon.
“For us it is a fairly social ride, we’ve only done it two or three times separately to see what kind of time we could do. But what keeps us coming back is that we really enjoy it and every time you’ve done another race, it’s like ‘oh, we are only three away from 20’ or whatever the next milestone is,” says Nicky.
“So now we are aiming for 30, and after that, 35. As long as we have our health, we’ll definitely continue to sign up.”
It was 1985 when Nicky entered in her first Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge, inspired by friends who were doing some training for the Ironman by competing in the round-the-lake event. Living in Auckland at the time, she had never heard of the event but was really pleased she decided to tag along. And, as they say, the rest is history.
“I think there were around 120 cyclists the first year I went. We started at the old community hall where you would hand your money to the person behind the desk and you’d get a little tag with your number. Then there was a tent on the finish line where you’d get a sausage and bread while someone was handwriting your certificate,” Nicky recalls.
“Of course a lot has changed with the way the event is run today. From the entertainment to the prize giving and the technology. It is massive compared to what it used to be, but it is exciting and great fun to be a part of it all.”
Ross had only just met Nicky when she entered her first race, and he had no interest (at that stage) to join in. It wasn’t until a couple of years later when they bought a couple of mountain bikes in Auckland that they considered training for the next one. And after that was ticked off the to-do list, they moved to Tauranga and got heavily involved in the road biking scene.
“Between our mountain bikes, road bikes and motorbikes, our shed was full,” says Ross.
“Back in those days we would train and come down with the Tauranga Cycle Club, and it was always a great social time. We’d roll our bookings over with our accommodation but if we missed a year, we’d try somewhere new. We’ve also never taken it too seriously but it’s a great motivator to keep fit.”
And while there isn’t much that gets in the way of competing in the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge - from broken bones to broken bikes and even a dog bite - the pair credit being able to keep each other in check with helping to achieve so many rides over the years.
“I know that if I was doing it on my own, I would have probably said many times ‘oh I can’t be bothered this year’,” admits Nicky.
“Someone to train with makes it a lot easier, especially when you’re going out on days when the weather isn’t great. It also helps during the event in Taupō, especially if you’re riding into headwinds, as we can keep swapping places.”
With many years under their belts, there’s a lot to reflect on. And while there were years when it was so windy they saw people getting blown around, or heavy rain had riders stuffing plastic bags down their tops, most of their fondest memories have to do with the camaraderie of their fellow riders.
“I remember one event when we had rain at the start, then sunshine followed by hail, and near the end it was absolutely pouring down. We were just laughing with each other and one guy stuck his hand up jokingly and said ‘is this all you’ve got?’ Then it became torrential!” recalls Ross.
“There was also a massive group from somewhere like Telecom, who one year in bad weather helped push people up the hill and into a bunch just before the airport. They’d bring riders up, then go back down and get more.
“We also like that there are people who dress-up and do things to make it really enjoyable, as well as all the entertainment in the domain afterwards.”
They’ll also never forget the man who did the whole circuit on a Penny Farthing bike.
“He had gone around and strategically placed pine tree saplings at the top before any downhills, to use as his ‘brakes’, which all went great until he got to the big one in the last leg - someone had moved his tree! Thankfully he somehow made it to the bottom safely.”
But as it happens in life, on occasion things have got in the way of their best laid plans.
One year Nicky couldn’t compete as she had a broken ankle, which meant Ross could ‘catch up’ to her points (as he was always one behind). Then a few years ago Ross had a full rupture of his achilles which normally requires 12 months, at least, for recovery. However, come November - only seven months later - Ross did ride, albeit in a fair bit of pain. And Nicky certainly wasn’t going to let a dog bite on the back of her knee a week out from the event stop her from participating.
“I had stitches so I strapped it up well. But at the end of the ride it was about three times its normal size,” she says.
Another time Ross’s bike broke and he couldn’t get a replacement, so the pair decided to do the circuit on their tandem bike - something they both agree they’d never do again. They have also tried a few of the other, newer event categories, which they have enjoyed for something different and to challenge themselves in different ways, and the Gravel Grind might be next on the list. This new adventure event weaves its way across around 80 km of gravel roads, farm tracks and tar sealed roads, showcasing even more of the incredible scenery on offer in the Lake Taupō region.
So as a couple of well accomplished ‘round-the-lakers’, what would Ross and Nicky’s advice be to anyone new to the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge this year?
“The biggest thing is to do enough training to be comfortable. Aim for time on the bike, rather than big distances. We just enjoy riding and I think anyone can do it if they simply enjoy riding. We also found the Enduro training plan from the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge website really helpful and have used that one for quite a while now,” says Ross.
And after Ross’s recovery from Covid got in the way of celebrating their 25th ride last year, 26 might just have to be their new lucky number!
