Jan 8th, 10.  The 'Great Ride for Heart' is halfway through the 2,117km two week journey, and Ron King's choice of a fixed gear bike is proving to be an exhilarating experience.

7 days down, 6 more to go for Ron King ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Back in October Ron King told RoadCycling.co.nz he was planning on riding the length of the country on a fixed gear bike to raise money for the Heart Foundation.

"The obvious answer to why I’d consider riding the length of New Zealand on a fixie is, of course, because I can.  Cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death in NZ, my professional life is committed to disease prevention, and I’ve personally seen the effect of heart disease among my family and friends," said the 38 year old.

Today Ben and Sarah from RoadCycling.co.nz met up with King in Wellington to hear how he's finding the ride.

The short answer - he's loving it.

Riding his 16 tooth fixed gear bike, King said he is regularly hitting speeds over 60km/hr on the the downhills in an attempt to keep up with the other 24 riders in the group who are riding their normal geared road bikes.

At this speed his cadence is far greater than most road cyclists ever experience.

"I hit my top speed yesterday. I reached 190rpm down a hill, which was 66km/hr or thereabouts," said King.

While most cyclists would struggle to understand how spinning at a cadence this high is possible, King, an ex Kiwi international cyclist, has it all worked out.

"You just have to accelerate into it. You can't let the pedals drive you," said King who has raised over $10,000 for the Heart Foundation charity.

King's other method of coping with the high cadence is a lot easier to understand.

"If the pitch is really steep and I am tired, I just clip out for a short period and let the cranks go," he said.  "Obviously you don't want to do that in anything too technical or in a bunch."

The fixie

King's bike for this ride is a Team Cliff Salsa Chili Con Crosso, a scandium alloy cyclocross bike which was to have been the backup to the original machine King had planned to ride.

Only two weeks prior to the start, King's beloved 1993 Daccordi Opera suffered a broken chainstay, leaving the Aucklander no choice but to revert to the number 2 machine, the Salsa.

The as yet unused 18th cog ©RoadCycling.co.nz

The Salsa is fitted with a 16 tooth rear cog, and up front, a 42 tooth chain ring.

This is an incredibly hard single gear for tackling the Desert Road and the upcoming hills of the Southern Alps, but King is loving the challenge.

"The Desert Road was a nice gradient. Some gradients are good," he said.

With such a tough gearing, King says he has to keep his speed above 13km/h to keep his cadence at a manageable level.

"Maybe I like pain," said King with a big grin.   

The Salsa is also fitted with an 18 tooth cog with a freewheel just in case it's needed if fatigue gets the better of this seemingly crazy cyclist - not that it has yet.

"I thought maybe my knees would give up before I got to the South Island, but not yet. The [18 tooth] cog is still clean," King said. The RoadCycling.co.nz team verified this.

Local Support

The Great Ride for Heart has received plenty of support from television media and from locals who come out to support the riders as they pass their town.

King, who was featured on TV2's Closeup last week, has been surprised when strangers call out his name as he rides past.

"It's really interesting in different parts of the country. Through the Rangatikei, we had heaps of people honking, and waving," said King.

"One lady yelled out my name, which was amazing."

Leaving Wellington

Riders and crew packing for the journey over the strait ©RoadCycling.co.nz

From Hamner they continue south to Christchurch, and then three more days remain as the riders cross the Southern Alps on the way to Bluff.

There are some big days climbing as the course heads over Lindis Pass and the Crown Range, both renowned hills of the region.

King says he is feeling better and better every day and is looking forward to the South Island passes.

What's next

After all this tough riding King will no doubt have great form at the end of this two week block.  Although he has some plans of what to do with that form, he's not sharing them just yet.

"That is a closely guarded secret. I have a couple of ideas, but I don't know how high they will rate in the 'wife acceptance' factor," he said.

"But I do have something in mind, but will need to see what I come up with in terms of sponsorship."

About the Great Heart Ride

The Great Ride for Heart finishes in Bluff on Valentine's Day, Sunday February 14, having covered 2,117 km, 14 days and 15 towns.

There are 24 'core riders' who are riding the 2,117km journey from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Each of the core riders has pledged to raise at least $10,000 for the Cardiovascular Research Fund, via their secure 'Heart Racer' online sponsorship pages. 

Please support Ron's Great Ride for Heart click his secure online donation page.

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