Living in New Zealand is like sitting on the back seat of a bus. 

You feel cool. The view’s great. But when the world goes over a speedbump, we tend to get kicked up in the air just a little bit more than everyone else. 

The Government says we have more than 50 days’ fuel either in the country or in ships that are already enroute. That’s reassuring. But as petrol prices have steadily climbed this week, I’m sure I’ve not been the only one wondering what agency I have in this situation. I don’t know about you, but it would be really nice for our household finances to be a little less dependent on the whims and fancies of Donald Trump. 

Now I totally get that everyone’s different and every household has different pressures and needs – I’m not gonna lecture you! But can I gently suggest that this crisis might be the perfect excuse to diversify your household transportation. 

One of the many reasons I hear for people not wanting to cycle is that they have kids. But in case you’ve not been paying attention, bike technology has come an awfully long way. Case in point: over the summer holidays I bought a Shotgun. It’s a special seat which attaches to a mountain bike in the space between the rider’s chest and the handlebars. It has a little harness, footrests and a bar to hold on to. And let me tell you, it is maybe the most fun you can have with a one-year-old. 

Yes. I ride with my one-year-old. We ride for fun through the local parks. We visit the ducks and the eels or cycle alongside the tram at MOTAT. He’s right there in front of me – I can whisper in his ear as we peddle. Look, a dog! We ride for practical commuting purposes, down to the local library, down to school to get his brother, to the supermarket for some milk and a fresh crop of bananas. 

My son absolutely hates wearing his sunhat but the moment I pull his helmet out he starts squealing with excitement and he gladly lets me clip it underneath his slobbery chin. It’s awesome.  

His older brother has a new bike. Well, not a new one. But a new off-Trade Me bike. He’s nine and in his second-to-last year of primary school, so I’m slowly working to teach him the road rules and get him comfortable. They finally finished the contentious cycle lanes at the top of our street, which means he now has a much safer route to ride to school every morning. The Government’s recent changes mean he can also legally ride on the footpath. I’m not going to pretend it’s a risk-free exercise, but I ride with him and we ride carefully. And with the cycle lanes and the footpath, I figure it’s a good way to build some independence and get him ready for intermediate. There’s a reason that a few decades ago, so many more kids would ride to school. It’s also an excellent way to avoid the traffic jam at drop-off and pick-up times outside his school gate. A couple of days a week, I take both the boys down to the local pump track and watch as the nine-year-old burns off a bit of gas. 

Which, speaking of, my wife and I aren’t burning when we commute to work. I ride a fantastic, light, fast gravel bike. On a busy morning for Auckland traffic, I’m in the office twice as fast as I would be if I decided to drive. Nothing makes me lose my mind like sitting in traffic, so I’m in a much better headspace when I ride to work. And I’m saving $20 on parking. My wife rides an e-bike. If you haven’t yet had a good hoon on one, honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing. For transporting a human-being from A to B, e-bikes are the most efficient powered transport every invented. By miles. Hills are a breeze. Straights are a breeze. Everything’s a breeze. It’s an unmitigated joy that opens up cycling to so many more people. 

Again, I’m not insisting cycling is perfect for everyone or every household. It’s certainly not perfect for every journey. Of course not. But I am suggesting there are many of us who might be pleasantly surprised at the upsides of saddling up. I think there are probably many more of us too, who if we were honest, could probably be riding at least some of the journeys that we currently choose to drive instead. And maybe this situation is the little push you need. 

Whether you have an e-bike or not, cycling’s obviously a lot cheaper than sitting in traffic. And trust me it’s way more fun, too.