CYCLING: Torckler pushes toward US in her bike career | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

THE view from a bicycle saddle can vary, depending on how fast the legs are pumping the pedals.

After all, it was Albert Einstein who once said: "Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving."

While Kerri-anne Torckler is no Einstein, the elite Hawke's Bay rider knows what she wants out of her cycling career.

"It's my passion and when I'm riding I want people to hurt," the 20-year-old tells SportToday as she packs her gear before catching the Cook Strait ferry this morning for Nelson to compete in the New Zealand National Club Road Cycling Championship, from tomorrow through Saturday.

Of course, when Torckler is packing her bags this time next year she hopes to be jetting off to the United States to pursue a more lucrative professional career than what this country can offer.

"In New Zealand you earn $500 in a race, if you're lucky. In the States you can get US$5000 ($6700) or more," says the New Plymouth rider who moved to the Bay in July to be with boyfriend and professional Syracusia Ramblers Team member Josh Page, 23, who is recuperating after a car crash 500m before the finish line of the annual Caltex Tour of the Bay funride last Sunday.

Bay pair Sean Joyce, 18, and Andrew Barlow, 38, are also nursing injuries although Joyce was hopeful of racing in Nelson tomorrow in the Tasman Cycling Club-hosted nationals, which start with the time-trial before the road races run from Thursday.

But, Page aside, Torckler, who works part time as a cafe waitress, also gravitated towards the Bay because of the robust competitive environment that the Ramblers club has built over the years as well as the sunny climate ideal for to riding.

"It's way much better here than New Plymouth. We live at the base of the hills so it's always raining," says Torckler, who comes from Okato where her parents, Linda and Brohn, own a 20ha property where they graze dry stock.

In New Plymouth she has no elite female rider who can push her during training, but here Torckler relishes clocking up kilometres with seasoned campaigners such as Sunday's Bay tour winner, Serena Sheridan, Ashley Neaves and multisporter Bridget Robertshawe - all nationals-bound bar Neaves, who couldn't shrug off the effects of influenza for several weeks, thus disrupting her build-up.

Fancying herself as a powerful flat-road rider, Torckler is looking forward to tomorrow's 25km time-trial on the picturesque Moutere one-hill area. She finished third in the Wanganui nationals last year, behind some "random" rider from the South Island who won and runner-up Dale Tye, of Invercargill, a jovial Torckler reveals, agreeing they breed female pedal pushers tough down south.

On Friday, she'll tackle the "a bit undulating" but gruelling 125km road-race course.

Into surf lifesaving, netball and crosscountry at New Plymouth Girls' High School, Torckler had her first taste of cycling when she took up triathlon and her school sports coach pointed out pedal pushing was the strongest of her three disciplines in the multisport.

The coach gradually coaxed them into competing at school and age-group national events and Torckler found herself on the podium for the top-three placings with some regularity.

While her parents and their families have not traditionally being sporty, Torckler suspects her father's German background may have triggered off something in her chromosomes.

Nevertheless, New Plymouth coach and former Olympian and Commonwealth silver medallist John Dean has inspired her the most with his reservoir of knowledge based on the foundation of a career spanning 39 national titles.

Boyfriend Page also motivates - "some random guy" she first set eyes on during a race in New Plymouth two years ago before he became friends with her brother, Michael, 22, riding professionally in Spain for the past six months.

Page is likely to join Michael in Spain when Torckler heads off to the US next year.