Auckland Mtb Club

Saturday Rides

These rides are organised by Mark and Kelly, together known as The Topli and they get out every weekend, almost without fail! Woodhill is their main destination and the Saturday rides are the best way to meet other riders from the area and to have fun in our local playground. Mark and Kelly often head to different venues so if you email saturdayrides@aucklandmtb.co.nz, you can arrange to hook up with them on their first ride of 2010 – likley to be in April.

In a change to previous years, the Saturday ride regular email newsletter is only available to club members. So if you’re new to the Saturday rides, drop them an email to come along to the first one and then if you want to make it a regular thing, you’ll just need to become a club member. Easy.

Monthly Rides – updated 21/2/10

Righty-ho, have we got a corker of a year lined up for you. A good bunch of you responded to my last newsletter and we sat around a table and nutted out some details. Because of the need for good weather the first few are a bit more closely spaced than we would normally prefer but there are some real crackers in there.  We are always asked to put on new rides, both in and out of Auckland and we reckon this is a great mix. If you can’t find something in here for you then go back to riding the usual old trails you always do and carry on whinging about shit on Vorb. You want to do some cool stuff? Great, we’ll see you there. Dates shown where known otherwise we’ll keep updating this page so check back often.

Please please note: bring your up to date membership card. We’ll be charging attendance fees of $10-20 but free for members. Why? Because we buy resources, put ride leaders on first aid courses etc that subs pay for. If you are not a member but want to come along then you have to throw some money into the pot. Simple as that

Weekend trip: 27/28th February 2010 – Whangamata (single day options possible)

**Meet at 1 pm on Saturday at Whangamata Cycles – 652 Port Road as riders will need to get a permit to ride in the forest. These cost $5 per day…  It’s about a 5k ride out to the tracks from there.**
 
** Meet at 10am on Sunday for the longer Bullock track / Luck at Last ride at Whangamata Cycles – 652 Port Road – you’ll need another $5 permit. **

An attendance fee of $10 applies to non-members for either or both days.

Whangamata map:

An exciting new destination has been added to the club Monthly Ride schedule – Tairua Forest, Whangamata.  The Tairua forest (about 5km north of Whangamata), is owned by Matariki Forests and managed by Rayonier New Zealand.   There is a dedicated mountain bike area within the forest which has been around for a few years and has loads of great trails (thanks to a dedicated bunch of locals) if you know where to go.  Access to the forest is by permit, $25/year or $5/day from the local bike shop.

I’ve been riding down there for the last couple of years, know my way round fairly well now and have offered to organise weekend of riding to all interested. The type of riding is fairly similar to Riverhead (but much better) in that you ride up the forest roads and down the single track.  You can easily do a couple of 30km rides without riding the same tracks. 

Most of the tracks are intermediate level and an average level of fitness would make things much more enjoyable as there are some decent climbs.

We’ll do a 25-30 km ride on the Saturday afternoon and a slightly longer (say 35km) and more technical ride which would include the Bullock Track/Luck at Last trail on the Sunday morning.

Whangamata is a 2hr drive from Auckland and there is plenty of accommodation available ranging from camping ground/cabins, motels and private baches for rent if you want to make a weekend of it. If you’re interested send me an email to kelly.maurice@xtra.co.nz

If you only want to do a day trip for either day, keep an eye out on this page and in the newsletters and we’ll advertise start times and locations and see you there. This will go ahead come rain or shine

** Club Pres Marke J-T is heading down for Saturday only – want to car pool? I can take 2 more bikes and 2 more people. If you want to share a life drop me an email (marke@aucklandmtb.co.nz). Cheers. **

Weekend trip: 6/7 March 2010 – Whirinaki

** We’re looking for 8-10 riders max and have 5 so far. If you’re keen drop me an email asap. marke@aucklandmtb.co.nz. **

An attendance fee of $20 applies to non-members for either or both days.

We’re going by the advice of someone that has ridden this before and are putting a small-numbers tough weekend of riding together down in Whirinaki, 90km south east of Vegas. Please email me asap if you are keen – this is not for the feint-hearted.

The plan for Day 1 is to ride the new 35km Moerangi track at Whirinaki Forest Park, 90 kms SE of Rotorua.
 
The end of 2009 saw DOC with the support of the land owners Ngati Whare creating a trail that must be the best mountain bike experience in the North Island. A new backcountry grade 3  mtb track – over the Moerangi 920m pass,  crossing the picturesque ‘Te Whaiti nui o Toi’ river canyon, and along the Whangatawhia  Stream. This goes over the Huiarau Ranges, along 2 rivers and past 3  mountain huts. 

There may be a shuttle pick up at the end of the single track, or we might need to then gravel road it to the highway, adding an extra 30 odd kms – depending on numbers we’ll try and offer both but be prepared for a big day…. It is remote, long, on smooth forest floor and rough bedrock singletrack, and it’s not for beginners.

Best idea is to camp at on Friday evening at the Mangamate DOC campsite, and ride with a self sufficient full daypack for all eventualities.
 
For Day 2 , Whirinaki  has a lovely established Grade 1 , 16km loop through ancient totara forest that for 16km includes a lot of climbing.

Keen? Then drop me an email asap on marke@aucklandmtb.co.nz

Day Ride: April 2010 (Saurday 10th) – Waharau Regional Park

An attendance fee of $10 applies to non-members

True backcountry “Mountain Biking” in Auckland’s backyard that few have done. This is a  dry-season loop  ride in mountainous native forest on the east side of the Hunua Ranges. Waharau is an 80km drive from central city, past Clevedon, Kawakawa Bay and Orere Point along the lovely Seabird Coast, stopping just before  Kaiaua.

The ride has 2 options: Tuff One.
The ride is a  great  figure-8 loop; ride up a tough 20min 4WD track along the Waharau Ridge track, down the grade 4 Lower Link track and back up the same 4WD track and meeting back up with the Less Tuff loop. About 2, 1/2 hours, 25kms.
 
Less Tuff One.
Walk 30 min  up the 4WD, cruise  the ridge top track to look at the Tuff grade 4 downhill, go … naaa  …. not today, cruise back down the Waharau Ridge track, down the Whakatiwai bush track and onto the farm track, meet the highway and cycle along the coast back to the Park. Grade 2-3 , About 2 hours, 20kms.

Both options have native forest, prime singletrack, Firth of Thames sea views, big ranges all in  your backyard, with a bit of mud sweat and gears. 

Bbq and cold beers back at the park. Check for a swim at full tide.

Ride time and start location to be confirmed – stay tuned. Check out a map of the Regional Park below:

Waharau Map

Day ride: May – Waiuku or Whitford

Weekend ride: 5/6/7 June – Queens B’day weekend – Turangi, Tree Trunk Gorge – Craters, Taupo

Day ride: July – Hunua trails we’ve been building (Mangatawhiri Dam area)

Check out the Hunua trails page on our website for more info on these trails that we’re rightly proud of. Great singltrack, all weather and mixed terrain. A good day out and possibly will be in use as a race venue later in the year…..

Day Ride: August – Te Aroha

A Classic Auckland MTB Club ride that is having a revival for 2010, particularly given the hard wrok put into the trails by Geoff Buysman and the Te Aroha MTB Club. We’ll be using many of the trails used on next month’s Goat Challenge and should be a superb day of riding on some pristine trails. If you’ve not ridden at Te Aroha before you really should come along to this. We’ll be guided around by a few locals for a true taste of everything on offer.

Day ride: Sept – Royal Albany Trails

James and the boys have continued to cut and form new trails and the Auckland MTB Club will be helping them out through 2010 to keep the momentum going. September might be a muddy time of year to ride but that’s part of the fun .

A great venue, right on your door step and not too far from some good bars in Albany….perfect!

Weekend or day trip (weather depending): October – Oropi Grove/Summerhill

Oropi grove is one of Tauranga’s old tracks that has just been given a face lift. The club ride will see us head up a super short climb before dropping in to a fast flowing single track with bermed corners (grade 3), there are a few jumps with bypass options. Heading out of this trail we will head along the two way access track and straight in to a good old fashion hill climb, slightly technical. This takes us up to the “Pines”. Once at the top there is the opportunity for a few laughs with some structures, ladder rides etc.
A common theme in this bike park is for every climb is followed by a fast flowing down hill run (grade 2 – 3).
 
Heading down to the bottom of “pines” trail blasting the way thought tree roots and stumps we will come out on a huge berm leading into a pump track and 5 foot kickers for the ones keen to find their wings. Exiting “pines” and onto the access track where we will ride along the creek and ride the twisting and turning “exit track”. This will take us close to the car park before ducking behind the water tank and having options of Grade 5 tank track (huge man made drops and one mental 10+ foot vertical drop – you will need a spare change of undies on this one) or the more subdued grade 3 with multiple options corners, cross overs and ending in the same area.
 
Crossing over the bridge we will head directly for the infamous “switchbacks”, For those who may wish to bring a singlespeed this will be a real uphill challenge but once at the top of the opposing side of the park we will find hand crafted perfection throughout the descent, berms, tabletops and just a joy to ride.

Summerhill is arapidly growing MTB venue a few kms into the Papamoa Hills where we should be able to hit 20km of good riding on the challenging, mostly singletrack terrain. A great ride for those of you that have never been. 

Day trip: November – Waiheke

Weekend trip: December – 42nd Traverse