Peddlers' News - Where the rubber meets the road!

Latest Peddlers' news

Latest Peddlers' news

Peddlers' October Newsletter

Peddlers' Trail Ride 11th June

Trail riders enjoying their hard-earned smoko. Actually, let's go with well-earned. Actually, let's just go with smoko. Trail riders enjoying their smoko

Sorting out the worries of the world over cakes, having annexed a random strangers deck. Wayne got up to Level 15 of Candy Crush, whilst Simon gave him advice

The Peddlers' AGM was held at the Matamata Club on the 21st of May 2023

Peddlers' awards presented

Change to Sunday and Wednesday start times

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge - 25th November 2023 - Entries now open

Latest Peddlers' news

Upcoming Peddlers events and committee news

Stuff article about Russell Cullen

Ride times and trail ride

All the latest Peddlers' news!!!

Spring ride start times

Peddlers' Trail Ride 21st August/Spring ride start times

Peddlers' fronts

Peddlers' arses

Also Peddlers' arses

Peddlers' Committee Meeting Tuesday 2nd August

Sunday rides now start at 09:30

From Wednesday 1st of June the Wednesday rides will start @ 3pm

The Peddlers' AGM was held at the Matamata Club on the 22nd of May 2022

Peddlers' awards ummmm, awarded

Don't forget the Peddlers AGM is coming up......

Cancellation of Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge

DON'T FORGET OUR CHRISTMAS BBQ WEDNESDAY EVENING!! -- Come along to our annual Christmas BBQ next Wednesday 22nd December! Bring the family!

POSTPONED to 22ND!! -- Come along to our annual Christmas BBQ next Wednesday 22nd December! Bring the family!

Keen Peddlers' member Dennis Murdoch has passed away

Check out our 2021 gear!!!!

Peddlers' Own Callum Nisbet Rides in the Tour of Southland

Peddlers' Committee Meeting Tuesday 26th October

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Postponed

Vintage Peddlers kit for sale

Do you fancy yourself as the next Fabio or Cindy Crawford?

Rides now start at our Daylight Savings times - Wednesday 5:30pm - Sunday 9am

From the Committee Meeting held 14-09-2021

Sunday rides now start at 09:30

The Peddlers AGM was held at the Matamata Club on the 23rd of May

Don't forget the Peddlers AGM is coming up......

The Peddlers' Mountain Bike Day was held at the Redwoods today

Thanks to Heath and Robyn for the report -

A crisp start to a beautiful sunny day greeted 14 intrepid Peddlers, who chose their own courses and soon warmed up climbing up the mountain. After the first 500m of vertical climbing Bryce sincerely regretted pouring himself into his thermals.
Covered in dust as the rich people cruised past in shuttles, we struggled to the top, led of course by Theo. Irritatingly, he was also fastest down the hill. Mind you, at his age he has less to lose.

Henry & Robin Anderson took the wrong trail and ended up doing a grade 5, which, ironically for Robin, proved easier than crossing SH27. Simon bemoaned his lack of suspension and apparently won't be fathering any more children. Don't give up Si! They have pills to help with that now!!! Sounds like an excellent excuse for a new bike, right Jo?!?!?!?.

We were wondering why Kev was so keen on completing "Mad if you Don't" and "Be Rude not to". As it turned out, it was because he'd been told there were lots of roots on the track (you're doing it wrong Kev). Ange suggested he make the most of it, whilst ensuring that the bikes were spotlessly clean before putting them on top of her NEW CAR.

The gang met for lunch and a coffee afterwards at some yuppie place Simon frequents. Rumour has it Bryce sat outside and got a pie from the dairy. (I can't confirm if this is true because I wasn't there but that's certainly what the pre-lunch banter suggested)

Importantly, there were no crashes or injuries!! A successful day!!!

The Peddlers' Committee Meeting was held this week at Henry and Robyn's home

There were a number of items discussed, including -

The annual Peddlers' AGM will be held on the 23rd of May at the Matamata Club on Waharoa Rd.
The plan is to meet at 5.00pm for drinks, AGM at 5.30pm and dinner at 6.30pm.
Dinner cost is $22.00 for members and $32.00 for non members. If you'd like to come along, please RSVP to angelathomas606@gmail.com before 18 May 2021 and pay into the Matamata Peddlers bank account on or before the night, referencing your Surname and AGM

- Bank account number is 03 0363 0378862 00.

Come along and join us for good company and a great meal. Have your say in the future of the club. Please consider standing for committee - it's very low key and a great way to give back to your club

At the AGM we will be presenting 3 trophies:- for Track rider, Most Improved Rider and Most Considerate Rider. If you have an opinion on members who deserve these very prestigious awards please email your nominations to heath@cgca.co.nz

On the 2nd of May, for those who want a change of scenery, we will be mountain biking at the Redwoods in Rotorua. The plan is to meet at the bottom carpark by the Sawmill at 10.00am We will then head off for some riding. Once we have conquered the biggest jumps on the mountain, we'll gather back at the cafe for a bite to eat. If it's not for you, don't worry, there's still a road ride scheduled on the Rides Page (enjoy Morgan!!!!).

Every 3 to 4 years we like to refresh our kit, so we've gone out again to our wonderful local businesses for sponsorship. Once again we had a fantastic response and along with the majority of our previous loyal sponsors, we're pleased to welcome Venture Scooters and Matamata Vet Services. We would like to thank all our sponsors and encourage our members to use their services. You can check them out on our dedicated Sponsors' Page
The process of getting our new club kit into print has started. The committee has decided on the design and once we have the latest logos from our sponsors, we can give these to our supplier. Depending on their workload we could have our new kit within 6 weeks of ordering. If you are after new kit in the next few months, please email Joanne joannebelton2409@gmail.com . This will help us to ensure that we are ordering the gear that our members want. In the meantime, if you urgently need new shorts (Kev!), please check out the Apparel page, which has our current stock listed

The Mike Coatham Memorial ride was a great success today!

The weather's looking un-picnicky tomorrow, so we're deferring the Mike Coatham Memorial Picnic ride until next week!

Happy Easter! Don't forget the Mike Coatham Memorial Picnic ride next week!

Former Peddlers' stalwart Jack Poole has passed away

With the evenings drawing in and maximising members' safety a priority, the Wednesday night rides will now start at 5:30pm, up until Daylight Savings finishes

From the 7th of April, the Wednesday night rides will start at 4pm. Further details of seasonal ride start times are listed below

The Peddlers' Committee Meeting was held tonight at Henry and Robyn's home

There were a number of items discussed, including -

Standardising the start times through the year according to the season/daylight hours as follows

- November to February inclusive - Wednesdays 6pm, Sundays 9am
- March until end of Daylight Savings - Wednesdays 5:30pm, Sundays 9am
- April/May - Wednesdays 4pm, Sundays 9am
- June to September up to start of Daylight Savings - Wednesdays 3pm, Sundays 9:30am
- September(Daylight Savings)/October - Wednesdays 5:30, Sundays 9am

Actual change-over dates will be advertised on the web and Facebook, but these will be the general months/times

- The annual Mike Coatham Memorial Picnic Ride will be held on the 11th of April (weather permitting). Our likely course will be variations on a ride to Arapuni and back, with a stop at a cafe in Tirau. Further details in the coming weeks

- We're planning to hold another Peddler's fishing trip on the 17th of April (again, weather permitting), this time utilising members' boats. If you'd like to take your boat or would be interested in jumping aboard one of the vessels already signed up, drop Stu a line on 70.stu.e@gmail.com, or send us a message on FB. Spots available will depend on the number of boats and keen fishos

- We've also set a date for the next Redwoods day and BBQ. Currently planned for Sunday May 2nd (and you guessed it, weather permitting). Bring the family down for a spot of mountain biking in the beautiful Redwoods, then enjoy a sausage and a chat afterwards. There are track levels from toddlers to pro, so there's something to suit everyone (except possibly Suzanne). There will be road rides planned as usual for those who don't wish to partake in the mountain biking


-Last but not least, we've set the date for the Peddlers' AGM and Dinner. This year it will be held on May 23rd, again at the Matamata Club. Come along and have your say in the direction of the club, or just enjoy a good feed and good company

Congratulations Robyn de Haas, Peddlers' own NZ Age Group Track 2000IP National Record Holder!!!

Auckland Anniversary weekend saw the Auckland Centre Age Group Track champs, held at the Velodrome in Cambridge. Peddlers' members Robyn de Haas and Dale Ertel competed in the 2 day comp. Organised by Auckland, with volunteers from Waikato & Auckland, and NZ officials, it turned out to be a great weekend of competition & presented an excellent opportunity to practise starts & tactics ahead of the Track Age Group Nationals in March. Both competed strongly and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, with Robyn picking up a number of medals, including two gold and a NZ Age Group Record!!!!

Rob's weekend

Day one was the 500TT and 2000IP, with sprints in the evening. For me, the gated starts were my first hurdle, as timing is critical if you are to achieve personal bests over 500m and 2000m. We don't get the opportunity to practise these, and it's just you against the clock. There is so much to think about - from the countdown to the power out of the holding gate and the straight line, then forgetting to stand on 2, back on 1 and go, wobbling as I try to turn the pedals, going down onto the Cote d'Azur (or, in English, off the track, not a great start). I power up and gain momentum to complete a fast 2nd lap. Happy enough with the time, with room to improve on start before Nationals in March.

Next up is the 2000 IP, ready in the gates, count down look ahead, power out, focused! Still a wobbly start as timing was again an issue. I tried to get into my rhythm to be consistent through the 8 laps. I managed to do one of my better times, going under 2min 52 seconds, so I was extremely happy with the result. Due to me jumping up an age group category this year, although not a PB for me, it was a NZ record for Masters Women 6, which gave me a NZ Age Group record and a gold medal!! (Congratulations Rob!!!)

Next up was a 5k scratch race, which due to the small number of entrants combined the master ladies into 1 race. I tried my best to hang on to the others, however I ended up riding a 4k individual pursuit, but finished the race. To my surprise they did give out medals for the 3 age group categories (racers are in 10 year periods - Cat 1 is 35-44, Cat 2 is 45-54 and Cat 3 55-64), so I achieved another gold medal.

The 7.5k (30 lap) points race was also combined age groups. It involved 3 sprints, for which points are given to the first 4 across the line (5,3, 2, 1 points respectively) and double points for the last sprint. This race ended up being my highlight of the weekend, as it was ridden at a tough pace and adding in sprints made it extremely challenging, but rewarding, as I finished 3rd overall.

Finally for me was the Keirin, which is 3 laps behind the Derny (motorbike) and then 3 sprint laps to the finish. I drew number 1 behind the Derny, which is the most difficult position to race from. I chose to swing up after Derny left the track, then sprint from behind, which ended up giving me 2nd place. It was a great weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed and it was extremely well run to the timing of the programme.

Summary from Dale on FB

Spent the weekend competing (unsure if that's the correct term) at the Auckland Track Champs held at the Avantidrome. A very well run event. Maybe not one to remember regarding results or times, but I gave it my all anyway and certainly enjoyed the company of fellow Masters riders. My highlight was a quarterfinal match sprint against Russell Scott. My plan was to stay on his bum and hope he didn't go/sprint too early. He didn't and when I made my attack he went whoosh. The inevitable result but still a lot of fun. It did however remind me of why I came up with the idea of an annual Masters only track cycling carnival, where after qualifying, riders are put into grades that best suit their ability, so that everyone could enjoy being competitive against riders of similar ability. Oh well, back to training I guess


Well done to both of you from your fellow Peddlers!!

Happy New Year! The Peddlers' Committee Meeting was held on Tuesday night at Ange and Kev Thomas's home

Items discussed were :-

Uniforms - We've decided on the basic design for the new kit and are now going to approach sponsors around the Matamata community to see if they'd like to feature on the gear

NOTE - Wednesday night rides are moving back to 6pm from Wednesday the 3rd of February until daylight savings ends.

AJ Power has tendered his resignation from the committee. AJ has been both a committee member and a strong supporter of the club for quite some time and many of us have enjoyed the McDonalds burger patties and other goodies he and Leanne generously donated. Matamata Peddlers would like to sincerely thank AJ for all his work and involvement with Peddlers committee initiatives. AJ will continue to ride with us and is still running his trail rides at 4:30 on Wednesdays if you'd like to join him and his young son Jack for an hour long ride

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

We hope you all had a great Christmas and caught up with family and friends. Peddlers celebrated with an end of year BBQ on the 22nd, which was enjoyed by all

Jo showed us this, which may give you a giggle - Check it out!

Recently Robyn de Haas competed in a couple of track events, one of which is organised and driven by our own Dale Ertel. Rob filed this report

Over the course of the past two weekends, I participated in the 'Ashes' & Drome Masters Track Carnival.

The Ashes is a new competition which started this year, based on the idea of fanning the fires of the local rivalry between Waikato and Auckland. The competition was to have Team Pursuits races in various categories, scoring points towards the trophy. Waikato won hands down, as the JAFAs didnt get any teams together :-(

I was in a team (combined age greater than 160 & less than 200), which won our catergory. We trained together whenever possible, around once a week for a month. There were other events too, like Individual Pursuits and races, but they didnt count towards the trophy.

I also enjoyed competing for the first time in the Drome Masters. Other Peddlers and former Peddlers racing were Dale Ertel, James Allen and Shane Lowry. This one is Dale's baby, based on sprint and endurance cups. Friday night is grading via a flying 200 for sprint, along with scratch heats or flying 200 for endurance. I entered the endurance and was in C grade for my races. There were also team pursuits and sprint teams.

It was all lots of fun, with great racing and camaraderie. Thanks to Dale for an excellent, well run event. I would recommend to all Peddlers interested in the track.

Peddler Callum Nisbet got a mention in the latest Spoken Cycles newsletter as part of their Cat 1 team

Well done Callum!

Our "Here Comes Summer!" BBQ was deferred a couple of weeks ago, so we'll try again Wednesday 11th November after the rides!!(again weather/temp permitting).

A couple of Saturdays ago a number of Peddlers headed for Coromandel for one of our fishing trips. Unfortunately, despite Simon not being invited, we still didn't catch many fish at all. I think Jo must have a photo of him in her wallet. It's like bananas. Mind you, Henry's been putting some seriously low numbers on the board of late with his fishing. Got totally out-fished by Rob, even having tried to nobble her by giving her a cane rod with a cotton reel attached for gear. Anyway, it was a fun day - we'll try again in the New Year and see if we can't turn our fortunes around. Henry, if you could let me know the days you're busy, I'll start the planning.

Peddlers' committee met Tuesday 20th. As a committe we decided that we'd like to encourage young people into cycling, so they'll be able to join free up to the age of 18 (remembering of course that kids under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to ride with us).

Other items discussed were a reminder to everyone about riding etiquette - please keep left and ensure that we're not riding (or appearing to ride) 3 or 4 wide when in groups. With the opening of the cycle trail we've had a bit of "Why aren't you riding on the trail?!?!?" feedback, so our rides will be structured to avoid long periods of time on the routes the track follows. Obviously, at the speeds we travel we would be considerably less safe on the trail, with loose metal, driveways and slower trail users, but Joe Public doesn't get that (and plenty wouldn't be interested in explanations), so we'll avoid riding in parallel with the trail where we can.

Our "Here Comes Summer!" BBQ was deferred a couple of weeks ago, so we'll try again Wednesday 11th November after the rides!!(again weather/temp permitting). We'll keep trying until we can share a sausage

On Sunday around 10 Peddlers made the trip out to Arapuni for a ride in the beautiful hills around the area. By all accounts it was a really cool ride and I've already had requests to schedule it again late summer/autumn.

Unfortunately 1 of our riders was involved in an accident about 10 days ago, in which he collided with a car he didn't see, when coming out of an intersection on SH27. He was very lucky and is recovering at home now. His bike and most of his body were relatively unscathed, but his helmet was smashed into about 20 pieces. It's not exaggerating at all to say it very likely saved his life and it's a timely reminder to wear them whenever you're on a bike (and to encourage your friends and family to do the same)

Peddlers' committee meets tomorrow night (Tuesday 20th), so if there's anything you'd like raised please contact a committee member (listed on the Contacts page)

Our "Here Comes Summer!" BBQ was deferred last week due to too much snow in the air, so we'll try again this Wednesday after the rides!!(again weather/temp permitting). We'll keep trying until we can share a sausage

We had 16 riders along for last Wednesday's rides and 14 for Sunday's. Next week we're off into the mountains and don't forget our Arapuni ride is now only two weeks away. Check out the "Rides" page for more details

Remember that the Wednesday night road rides now start at 5:30pm.

We're pleased to announce that there is now a family option for Wednesday night rides! Come and join us for the weekly PEDDLERS' FAMILY RAIL TRAIL RIDE - START TIME 4:25PM

Meet at the Matamata Primary School flagpole at the kid-friendly time of 4:15pm to get organised. Great for Mum, Dad and the kids! Electric bikes welcome! Get Bart and Lisa off the couch and join us for a trip out and back along the new rail trail for 45 minutes to an hour! There's no set distance, so you can turn around when you feel like it, but it's a great way to get out there and ride with Peddlers as a family (kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). We'll be back before 5:30 in case any members of the family want to do the road ride. This week there will be a BBQ waiting when you get back - saves you having to worry about cooking tea when you get the kids home.

We have limitted spots left on our Peddlers' fishing charter leaving Te Kouma (Coromandel) at 11:30 until 15:30 on the 17th of October. It's always a great day out, so feel free to join us. Kids welcome. Please contact Stu on 027 241 6351 if interested

Don't forget the "Here Comes Summer!" BBQ this Wednesday after the rides!!

Today's ride was a non-starter due to the terrible weather, so we've pushed the "Spring Chicken" Ride to next Sunday the 4th of October

Remember that the Wednesday night road rides now start at 5:30pm.

We're pleased to announce that there is now a family option for Wednesday night rides! Come and join us for the weekly PEDDLERS' FAMILY RAIL TRAIL RIDE - START TIME 4:30PM

Meet at the Matamata Primary School flagpole at the kid-friendly time of 4:15pm to get organised. Great for Mum, Dad and the kids! Electric bikes welcome! Get Bart and Lisa off the couch and join us for a trip out and back along the new rail trail for 45 minutes to an hour! There's no set distance, but it's a great way to get out there and ride with Peddlers as a family (kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). We'll be back by 5:30 in case any members of the family want to do the road ride. This week there will be a BBQ waiting when you get back - saves you having to worry about cooking tea when you get the kids home.

Great numbers for our Sunday ride!

We had an excellent turnout on Sunday with over 20 riders turning up at the new summer start time of 0900 for Bungy's Jump. It was great to see a few new faces along to join us. The summer ride lengths certainly didn't go un-noticed with some of the two's turning up for a drink as they were stacking the chairs at Robert Harris. Honestly though, it was windier than the day after bean and cabbage surprise night at Brycie's place, so it was a good effort by all the riders on the day.

Don't forget that the Wednesday afternoon rides now start at 4PM and the Sunday rides at 09:00

Only a couple of weeks until Daylight Saving starts, and from then the Wednesday afternoon rides will start at 5:30PM. The first 5:30PM ride is on the 30th of September and will be followed by a "Here comes Summer!" celebratory BBQ. Play your cards right and Kev will have a hot sausage ready for you on your return. He's good like that, just ask Ange

This weekend we're singing the blues out west, with a bit of Kiwitahi Mahi. Check out the Rides page for more details, including all new ride maps

New ride times start this week!

From Wednesday 9th September the Wednesday afternoon rides will start at 4PM.
From Sunday 13th September the Sunday morning rides will start at 9AM (and feature summer distances - check out the Rides page)

Once Daylight Saving starts, the Wednesday afternoon rides will start at 5:30PM. The first 5:30PM ride will be on the 30th of September and will be followed by a "Here comes Summer!" celebratory sausage-fest (or, more accurately, a BBQ). Make no mistake though, there will be sausages, and fest

The Peddlers' Committee Meeting was held tonight at Ange and Kev Thomas's home

Items discussed were :-

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Gazebo Site is all go for members and their families to base themselves from for the day

Wednesday night rides are moving to 4pm from Wednesday the 9th of September. When daylight savings comes into force we're going to trial 5:30pm starts to see how they suit the members. So from the 30th of September the Wednesday night rides will start at 5:30pm and on that night we'll be welcoming the extra hour in our day with our customary BBQ.

From Sunday the 13th of September we'll be bringing back the start time for Sunday rides to 9am and increasing the distances to our summer ride lengths in preparation for Taupo

We've got an Arapuni ride planned for the 18th of October and a Christmas Hauraki Rail Trail jaunt out to the Forge cafe on December 13th

To celebrate the end of an eventful year, we'll be having our annual Christmas ride BBQ on Tuesday 22nd of December (so as not to clash with the Matamata Races on Wednesday 23rd)

Check out what we've got in store for you this weekend

Beautiful Weather Brings Out the Crowd

Government announces Te Awa River Ride

Peddlers' founding member Heinz Feller has passed away

Reminder

Just a reminder that with the advent of the new cycle trail, we've decided that the time is right to move our Sunday ride starting point to the Matamata Primary School flagpole, in order to take advantage of this fantastic new asset in our community and to increase the visibility of our great club. It also means that all of our normal Wednesday and Sunday rides will start from the same place. Our thanks go to Dale and Sheryl Ertel from Tainui Press for allowing us to use their business frontage as our starting point for so many years

Wednesday night rides will be starting from the flagpole at 3:30pm (time change) from 29th July 2020

The first meeting of the new Peddlers' Committee was held Tuesday 21st July 2020

We had a full turn out for the inaugural 2020/21 Peddlers' Committee Meeting on Monday Items discussed were :-

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Gazebo Site - the committee agreed to again fund a Peddlers' site at Taupo for members and their families to base themselves from for the day

Peddlers are going to set up a private Facebook group for members to discuss topics and communicate amongst ourselves

With the advent of the new cycle trail, we've decided that the time is right to move our Sunday ride starting point to the Matamata Primary School flagpole, in order to take advantage of this fantastic new asset in our community and to increase the visibility of our great club. It also means that all of our normal Wednesday and Sunday rides will start from the same place. Our thanks go to Dale and Sheryl Ertel from Tainui Press for allowing us to use their business frontage as our starting point for so many years

Wednesday night rides will be starting from the flagpole at 3:30pm (time change) from 29th July 2020

Matamata Peddlers' Cycle Club AGM was held Sunday 21st June 2020

The Peddlers' AGM was once again a great evening, with a few drinks, followed by the meeting itself, then a yummy meal prepared for us by The Matamata Club

At the meeting we elected a new committee, headlined by our new Club President, Heath Tapper. Heath replaces Henry de Haas, who has given the Club great service, being president for the past 5 years. Thanks Henry! A mix of old faces (read that how you will) and new, you can find the 2020 committee members listed on the Contacts page

The Peddlers' annual awards were presented at the meeting. All members are given the opportunity to vote for their favourites in the categories of most improved and most considerate riders. This years recipients were

Most Improved Road Rider - Theo Brus

Most Considerate Rider - Heath Tapper

We also had Wayne Cullen celebrating his Beatles' birthday on the night. Suzanne has yet to comment on whether or not she still needs him, but it appears she still feeds him. Happy birthday Wayne!!!!