Greasy Chain Charitable Trust

01/10/2025

The case for helmets.

Rebecca Oaten spent more than six years campaigning to make cycle helmets compulsory.

16/09/2025

Yes, The Gravel and Tar is back!

NZ’s Toughest One Day Gravel Race for Men and Women is on again.

Now in its ninth year, and for the first time, the 2025 Gravel and Tar Classic and Gravel and Tar La Femme races will be held as Elite/Open events open to International, Trade and Club teams and riders. As an Elite/Open race, entry will be open to Under 19 and above “A-Grade/Elite” riders.

We are inviting clubs to join our International and Trade teams by entering their four person A-grade/Elite rider teams. More than one team may be entered.

This year will also be seeing the introduction of a Team Time Trial on the Saturday which will be part of the accumulated time results for the team competition. Our thanks to Bike Manawatu for organising the TTT.

Significant Prize money is on offer for the Individual Women’s and Men’s races plus for the top three teams in each event.
Entry can be completed using the following links:

Gravel and Tar Le Femme (Women’s Race) - https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=404006
Gravel and Tar Classic (Men’s Race) - https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=403996

Individuals may enter and will be placed in a team where available.
Entry Fees for this year’s race are $70 per rider.

For any enquiries, please contact either:
Mike Simpson 0278363520 / Nick Spark 0274853632
or email [email protected]

03/09/2025

Sadly, our founder of the Greasy Chain Charitable Trust Steve Stannard passed away on Saturday to our great loss.

Steve’s contribution to the promotion of cycling not only as a sport, but as a way of getting Kiwi’s fitter, has been enormous. On the sporting scene, Steve inaugurated the international Gravel and Tar that put Palmerston North and the Manawatu on the world cycling stage with the first edition attracting a viewing audience of 1.6 million and a wider support of some 84 million people worldwide. Wow!

And it was not just the sport of cycling that has benefited from Steve’s drive and enthusiasm, but the wider community through his regularly published opinion pieces that addressed issues important to all of us – education, health, environment – in an engaging and sometimes humorous way that had us all considering better ways of managing the way we live.

To his many friends, Steve’s character, personality, lively commentary, and the ability to put a bit of positivity or humorous spin on a topic that mattered to all of us, will be well remembered.

Our condolences to wife Katherine and children, Elizabeth, Robert and Thomas. Steve’s funeral will be held on Tuesday 9th September at 11am Sydney time (where he was undergoing treatment) and can be viewed via streaming at 1pm NZ time https://www.albertmeyer.com.au/live-streaming/client/?nid=33ac6e5f-6f91-4aa1-b780-1ecae8d29b4c

There is also a wonderful article in The Post (for whom Steve wrote many opinion pieces) at https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360809626/always-motion-steve-stannard-resilient-rider-till-end

A memorial service is being planned for October In Palmerston North.

Rest well dear friend, Steve Stannard.

26/07/2025

🔄 Trade gas for gears.
💸 Cut the costs, not the fun.
🚴‍♂️ 95% of your cycling budget goes to gears — not gas!
🌿

17/07/2025

Our own Palmy boy, Robert Stannard (and previous winner of our Gravel and Tar, leading the break in Stage 12 of the Tour de France. Read the full story here https://pezcyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/tour25-stage-12-pogacar-powerhouse/