A Family Man, But Can Still Push Bike

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 25, 15 December 1939, Page 38

A Family Man, But Can Still Push Bike

Gordon Lukey Regains Record IVE years ago, Gordon Lukey thought he had finished with cycling marathons. He even put away all thoughts of his other favourite sport: pushing wheelbarrows. But three months ago a record was broken. In 1934 Lukey had pedalled from Auckland to Wellington in a record 36-hour run. O. Barnard bettered this record to dig Lukey out of retirement and into three months’ intensive training. Fit as ever, or fitter, the 33-year-old husband and father from Christchurch came to the North Island last month and, from Auckland, arrived in Wellington at 3.28 p.m. on November 30, 3 hours 13 minutes ahead of Barnard’s time. With only a few short spells, fed from a'car which accompanied him, he ‘had covered the 462 miles in 31 hours 58 minutes, Barnard, who had previously cut the time to 35 hours 19 minutes, had a happy thought and rode with Lukey from Waitara to Inglewood. Stations 3ZB and 2ZB farewelled him in Christchurch and welcomed him to Wellington. Diverted from the production of a cure for bent backs, £25 came from the manufacturer of a rheumatism cure to keep Lukey’s head down over the gruelling distance. Blistered hands and a far away look in his eye told of weariness when he left a hot bath after his arrival to take a rest before broadcasting that evening from 2ZB, On improving roads, and with gears on his bike, he said his prospects for making a new fast time had been good, although bad weather and two mishaps (a smashed light and a puncture) had made it hard going. Wellington welcomed him with the same heavy rain as had caught him off and on all the way, but the wind over the last stages was not as bad as the gale which he’d had to buck around the small hours of the same morning, just short of 24 hours on the road. He had left Auckland at 7.30 a.m. on the previous day. Following him in a car were Dave Porter, veteran cyclist, who kept an eye on Lukey’s training, and W. Willis, another well-known cyclist, who drove throughout, except for a 35-minute spell. Mental strain must have worried the driver as much as or more than the physical strain told on Lukey. With the light gone from the bike, the car had to keep close up and hold position monotonously at the average of 14 m.p.h. To welcome Lukey in Wellington, Jack Schofield, wheelbarrow partner, turned out in the rain. Schofield was passenger when Lukey averaged up to

20 miles a day pushing his burdened barrow through the North Island and from Bluff to Christchurch, an event in which radio was also interested, In despair, Trainer Porter threw up his hands at questions about Lukey’s food fancies during training. Evidently they are a close secret, for details were not forthcoming. The sleepy cyclist was not communicative and his friends only said that what he ate would kill anybody else. If seemed that Lukey ate what he pleased, and did not believe in keeping to any close regime in dietary. Whatever his methods, they seem to be successful, for Lukey was fit, and obviously liked being fit. He only grinned when someone asked him if he liked riding long distances and pushing barrows, but admitted that "it did a man good to get really fit now and again." He’s lean and wiry, with all the energy he needs. Other hobby, also sometimes profits able: ventriloquism.