Winston Aldworth: Spin cycle

Near Opua on the Twin Coast Cycle trail. Photo / Phil Taylor

I went to my first ever Spin class at the gym last week. It's not really my thing - pedalling a bike in a room with a bunch of sweaty strangers, going nowhere. If I'm pedalling a bike, I prefer to actually arrive at a new spot. To get a change of scenery. Or even to just get the buzz of getting home from work without driving a car.

Travel writer Shandelle Battersby got a sweet change of scenery when she explored New Zealand's newest bike path, the Twin Coast Cycle Trail for us. Running from Opua, in the Bay of Islands, to the Hokianga Harbour, it's the only one of the 22 Great Rides to connect the country coast to coast.

Cycle tourism is good for the country and good for the tourist. Shandelle's verdict: "Cycling is bloody great. These trails are a wonderful way to see the country."

I think it sounds like my kind of ride.