Once upon a time, before the Major Cycleways programme and before the creation of Te Ara Ōtākaro Avon River Trail, there were few off-road options for recreational cyclists in Christchurch (other than the mountain bike tracks). But there was the …
Tag: Recreational riding
Flashback Friday – Hidden Treasures: Heathcote River corridor
Mānawatia a Matariki! I hope you are enjoying the start of our latest holiday weekend (although it does feel like so many people around me are struggling with colds and other bugs right now…). The weather is looking nice and …
In the Spotlight: Robert Fleming and the Wednesday Wheelies
Robert Fleming has been involved in cycle advocacy for well over a decade, having first gone along to a Spokes Canterbury meeting in early 2013 after being knocked off his bike. He says he sat quietly for the first year …
A loop ride to Tai Tapu
Tai Tapu has long been a popular destination for road cyclists. It’s close enough to Christchurch to be easily reached, yet distant enough to provide an opportunity for smooth uninterrupted cycling away from the city traffic. And, of course, there …
Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail: Scenery meets Distance
As I foreshadowed a while back, my partner and I recently completed the Alps 2 Ocean Great Ride in early February with a couple of friends. This cycle trail is the longest of the Great Rides in the country at …
Taking the bike on the train: completing the Hurunui Heartland Ride
I’ve written before about cycling the Hurunui Heartland Trail between Waikari and Christchurch. If you can get someone to drop you along the way, it’s a good day out. There’s hills, gravel, sealed roads and off-road cycleway. There’s rolling countryside, …
Flashback Friday – Book Review: Short Easy Bike Rides
Last Sunday I completed the 300+ km of the Alps to Ocean cycle trail with my partner – pleased to do it (more on that in a post soon) but it made for some long days of cycling, often up …
Sun, surf and cycling
There are lots of great places to cycle around Christchurch. But at this time of year, with beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures, I am particularly drawn to rides that take me to the beaches and rivers. There’s something special …
Flashback Friday: A Regional Cycle Node Network
Greetings from somewhere down the Waitaki Valley! Yes, I’m currently busy biking the Alps2Ocean cycle trail; will give you a full rundown about it on my return. The A2O is part of a growing network of off-road and on-road …
Flashback Friday – Photo of the Day: East Frame Pump Track
It’s always nice biking through town using some of the cycle-friendly corridors like the East Frame and the Avon River. Nearing Margaret Mahy Playground from the south, it can be fun to take in a little diversion via the pump …
Cycling in Chch 2023 in Review: The Good, the Bad, the in-Between
And just like that, another year is over and we ponder what has happened since we last reviewed the state of cycling Chch at the end of 2022 – suffice to say that it seems like a mix of things……
Flashback Friday: West Coast Wilderness Trail: a great tour
Happy Holidays! I hope that you have been having a lovely break; I certainly have, as I haven’t even managed a blog post in the past two weeks… Well, let’s rectify that for starters with something to cast your mind …
What cycling means to me
A recent accident has meant a few months off cycling for me. As you might expect, it has been enormously frustrating, and dented both my confidence and my mood. It also got me thinking about how important cycling is to …
Flashback Friday: Hawkes Bay – Lovin’ the Network
Robert Fleming has been a regular contributor to Cycling in Chch for many years now, with about 70 blog posts. He’s also just had another birthday, so happy birthday Robert! Last weekend I was in Hawkes Bay and took …
Flashback Friday – Guest Post: Just another day on a bike in Christchurch…
It’s well and truly Spring now, and Summer is just around the corner! That’s as good a reason as any to get out on your bike and experience the many different facets of life around Christchurch… Back in Oct 2016…
Flashback Friday: Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail
Something I’m looking forward to very much this summer is to tackle the Alps2Ocean Cycle Trail from Mount Cook down to Oamaru in late January. It’s been on my bucket list for a while, so it will be interesting to …
Hurunui Heartland: From Waikari to Christchurch
It’s a bit of a stretch to consider the Hurunui Heartland Trail cycling in Christchurch. However, because it’s so accessible to the city, cycling part of it makes for a good day out.
The trail runs from Kaikōura to Christchurch …
Biketober 2023 is Here!
It’s the last day of September, which means that tomorrow is… Biketober! Yep, Christchurch’s annual festival of all things biking continues in its 7th year, with another bumper list of activities.
Here’s some of what you can expect; for …
Flashback Friday: Biketober 2017 is Here!
As we race through September (or Mahuru or Hepetema if you’ve been following along with Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori) you’ll realise that, before we know it, it will be Biketober again! The programme for this year’s activities …
A Great Ride for Christchurch?
I am a big fan of Ngā Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trails, which form a network of recreational cycle routes in some of the most scenic parts of the country.
The concept originated in a 2009 jobs summit, …