Hi Russell, up there in Windy Welly...
Check out www.herceptinriders.co.nz and let me know if its something you or any of your buddies might want to get involved with!
Max

Russ, from what I can understand, people are very keen to donate money to people wanting to raise their sponsorship.  I guarantee that you would literally be amazed at how many people would be prepared to sponsor you to do this, and maybe enough to cover your week off work too, if you were up front and honest about that bit of it, I don't think it would put people off.  Your local bike dealers may come up with enough sponsorship for you, and asking 20 mates for 20 bucks would get you almost half way there as a start. Some people are also asking their employers if they can have the time off paid without it eating into their holiday entitlement, in support of the cause, so it still would be do-able for you if you could pull that off too.  Or suggest it to a friend who might want to do it and help them raise their sponsorship. Alternatively yes, do join us for whatever part of the event that would work for you and your family, although people who are going to do that will need to organise their own accommodation and fuel, otherwise it gets impossible to keep track of what everyone is doing and keep them in the organised loop.  We are aiming for as many bikes as humanly possible to be in Wellington to join us for the ride into the Beehive, even if they can't come on the event.  Even wee scooter people will be wlecome!  Some people who don't ride but who might want to go pillion could raise half the sponsorship for the rider, as it is cost per bike, not cost per person.
Great to talk to ya, and thanks for the encouragement.
Max
P.S. As for Kiwi Biker, I am going to advertise on their website, although one of their members who I tried to speak to about it at the Nelson Maitai rally at the weekend just wasn't interested in hearing about it.  He wasn't even remotely a good advocate for the site. Hopefully they're not all that negative.