Mountain Biking or Road Cycling? Pick Your Favourite in Rotorua

You may not know this, but Rotorua other than being a geo-thermic wonderland and a lake lover’s delight, is also a cycling enthusiast’s paradise. Brimming with biking adventures suited to both the road cyclist and the mountain biker Rotorua certainly does live up to its billing as a cyclist’s destination.

So what’s stopping you starting your next (and probably favourite) ride? If it is the lack of equipment, look no further than Cyclezone. The centrally located bike shop and Service Centre has been around for more than 27 years – spanning three generations! They can you provide you with everything you will need to get started on your adventure, from specialized equipment and workshop facilities to advice and expertise from the people who know Rotorua the best. So, now that we are at the start line, Rotorua can offer you two routes to go down for you next best biking adventure - Mountain or Road, so let’s put the pedal to the metal and go! Read our interview with CycleZone owner and cycling enthusiast Bryce Shapley here. If you’re already decided to give cycling a go, take your pick between mountain biking and road cycling:

Mountain Biking Rotorua is really mountain biking paradise! Don’t just take our word for it, Red Bull’s dedicated web series “On Track” had this to say about the place: “When we die and go to mountain biking heaven, there is a good chance it would probably look a lot like Rotorua”. The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) awarded the area Gold-level Ride Centre status, an honour shared by only five other places in the world!

About 5 minutes from the Rotorua town centre is the Whakarewarewa Trail, one the oldest bike networks in New Zealand and featuring close to 150km of continuous purpose built track. From beginner difficulty to some of the most advanced stretches around – if you only had to choose one place to ride, this should be it!

If you’re looking for something a little bit more hi-tech, look no further than Skyline MTB Gravity Park! Home to a fit for purpose gondola assisted bike lift that takes the hard work out of the 200 metre rise in elevation, riders will be sure to enjoy the 8.5 km of trail network. This course plays host to the world famous Cranworx Mountain Biking Festival.

If you need even more help deciding which mountain biking route to take – here are 10 Great Rotorua Mountain Bike Rides as chosen by the “professionals”.

Road Cycling If Mountain biking isn’t your forte, Rotorua is a cycle friendly city and there is most certainly a bike culture and atmosphere around town. Weekend mornings are a perfect time to join in a group cycle ride or discover Rotorua’s cycle secrets. Talking to locals can be an open gate to discovering some of the most pleasurable cycle rides around, in the meantime however, here are some of the better-known cycle rides in and around.

The true beauty and point of difference of cycling around Rotorua as opposed to anywhere else, is that in and around Rotorua, you are surrounded by its majestic geo-thermal attractions – from hot springs to geysers. One of the best ways to experience all of this is to cycle the Te Ara Ahi Cycle Trail, either in its entirety or just a section at a time. Starting from central Rotorua and at its conclusion, at the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, riders experience some of the area’s most well renowned features from The Buried Village to Waimangu.

If you are short on time and would just like to spend your cycle adventure within the confines of the urban area , why not go a little green and try out an electric bike tour of the town! It is a little bit different but with plenty of fun to be had and even more sights to see, this is sure to be a winner, not to mention an eco-friendly transportation alternative!

The true beauty and point of difference of cycling around Rotorua as opposed to anywhere else, is that in and around Rotorua, you are surrounded by its majestic geo-thermal attractions – from hotsprings to geysers. One of the best ways to experience all of this is to cycle the Te Ara Ahi Cycle Trail, either in its entirety or just a section at a time. Starting from central Rotorua and at its conclusion, at the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, riders experience some of the area’s most well renowned features from The Buried Village to Waimangu.

If you are short on time and would just like to spend your cycle adventure within the confines of the urban area , why not go a little green and try out an electricbike tour of the town! It is a little bit different but with plenty of fun to be had and even more sights to see, this is sure to be a winner, not to mention an eco-friendlytransportation alternative!