• WHAT OUR MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS ARE ALL ABOUT... Whakarewarewa Forest on the southern outskirts of Rotorua contains one of the oldest trail systems in the country. These master crafted trails have an unbeatable blend of proximity to the city centre, riding surfaces, topography and they are surrounded by trees that have size & variety.
Riding on the trails is free to all as the costs of building and maintaining MTB trails is met and informally shared by:
• the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club (Inc) through volunteer efforts.
• the channelling of charitable trust funding into trail development (to pay contract part-time trail-builders since 2005).
• enthusiastic freelancers who give up their own time to build and maintain trails like Old Chevy, Hot X Buns, Rockdrop, Pig Track, Gunna Gotta, The Tickler, Be Rude Not To and Mad if you don't.
• Red McHale from the Department of Corrections who organizes PD work crews ("do the time" comes to mind but all power to their elbows). Notable work by them over the last few years: the "hard landscaping" on HXB and Old Chevy (including the two bridges).
• and a team of helpful staff employed by the local Rotorua District Council.
The forest land is owned by Te Arawa; the tree crop itself is owned by a US investment company. The commercial forest management operations are conducted by a local private company as a production forest and they generously allow recreational use in the forest.
The Redwoods is a trail system that has been growing since the late 80s, and it has been designed to pack as much fun into a small area as possible. You can take a 2.5 hour ride without any repeated sections, while never getting further than about 2 kms in a straight line from the trailhead. Even when the carpark is full, the mainly one way system keeps the forest from feeling crowded. The trails are ideal for introducing friends and family to the sport, as they are generally pretty mellow. But they have enough challenges if the speed is cranked up that expert class riders come back again and again.
The trail system is continually being extended and enhanced. Further afield there are heaps more trails than a fit rider can do in a weekend and various groups are always building new ones.
Recreation and events are managed by Rotorua District Council.
There is a legal right of access by the public for recreational activities but forestry management go far beyond their obligations to make the forest such a great playground for bike riders.
There is a Visitor Centre on Long Mile Rd where you can get up to date information and a trail map. Call in and tell the staff how cool the trails are. The Redwood grove around this area is full of walking tracks, and horse tracks, and is off limits to bike riders. If you want to start your ride here, go to the far end of Longmile Rd from Tarawera Rd and go around the gate to head up the tarsealed climb of Nursery Road. The trail system has an entrance at the top of the hill.
RideRotorua.com - live since 17 August 2007
04/07/09 ..this week.. ...working bee on Sunday... • RMTBC WORKING BEE...this Sunday July 5 - MORE INFO... • ROTORUA MTB CLUB AGM: July 6, 7PM, upstairs at Pig & Whistle... • KIWIBIKES NDURO WINTER MTB SERIES... Round 2 is on Sunday July 12 - the three race series incorporates a Duathlon for the first time...enter online... RESULTS RACE #1... • Whakarewarewa Forest (& Ride Rotorua) gets a mention in latest issue of Air New Zealand in-flight magazine KIAORA... • WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDES: are on again from Waipa carpark... • WEATHER UPDATE... more rain on the way - draw your own conclusions about state of trails! • TRAILS:...muddy and wet - so no braking on Old Chev!!
Core trails like Genesis, Challenge and Creek are holding up well. So is Old Chevy, most of Pondys and BRN2.
Richie's doing good work on RollerCoaster - well worth riding all of it, not just the section at end of Pondy.
Soakhole in Tokorangi Pa triangle, in north of core network, is riding really well - it's a great Winter trail. That's old-school, but the new trail that intersects it - Turkish Delight - is also working well because of pumicey ridge line location.
South facing trails are all struggling with less sun when it does come out - though recent southerlies are doing their big hair-dryer thing!
Here's a tip: ride a trail you haven't been on for a while.
Trails always need work and you can help: ADOPT-A-TRAIL OR HELP ON RMTBC WORKING BEES... • DAWN 2 DUSK RESULTS: now available to download...and PHOTOS... • WHAKA 100...the ultimate challenge is on again in October - get training NOW... • DH WORLD CUP IN MARIBOR...Fabien first in Slovenia; Kiwis: Leov 4th and Blenkinsop 11th...RIDE ROTORUA TV: Video highlights of a weekend in Maribor... • DR KAT"s BIG ADVENTURE...Katrin (Dr Kat) Walbert is in Canada for the BCBIke seven day stage race, late June/early July - and raising money for a good cause... • UCI MTB & TRIALS WORLD CHAMPS - Canberra, September 1-6, 2009 • NZ MTB BIKER MAG ...June/July issue out now... • SPOKE ...Issue 32 out now... • ROTORUA CYCLING ACTION... these are the guys who advocate for all things cycling in our town. It is free to register and the more the better... • IMBA TRAIL BUILDING...Definitive guide - on video, on line,
on Ride Rotorua... • Willkommen, Bienvenue etc...
