Putting a fresh spin on cycling for charity

A trio of cyclists are inviting locals to be the third wheel on the Eketahuna to Featherston leg of their charity ride across the country.

Christchurch doctor Richard Steane, Rotorua doctor Byrdie Johnston and Nelson hostel owner Jimmy Griffiths left Auckland in late November on a three-seater tandem bicycle.

They arrive in Masterton on Friday and are hoping to reach Christchurch by mid December.

The trio are raising money for mentoring trust Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Shortbread Trust which supports a school in Nepal, and Christchurch's Gap Filler.

Each leg is done by two of the cyclists - the third is auctioned off on Trade Me.

"We just love cycling on the three-seater and we would like to share the fun with more people," said Dr Steane.

Successful bidders can cycle for a few hours or a few minutes, depending on their preference. They can even ask to be dropped at work or catch a lift to a local cafe if it roughly fits in with the route the cyclists are planning.

Dr Steane spotted the three-seater for sale in February and decided the best way to get it from its former Auckland location to its new home in Christchurch was to cycle.

The Trade Me auction for the third seat through Wairarapa closes at 8pm tomorrow and can be found by searching for "Threeseater" on www.Trade Me.co.nz.