Even though we know our trips and the riding here in the North Island speak for themselves, we know there’s probably a few things you need covered off in your head before you throw it all down and get on the plane to join us. So before you commit to embarking on the best guided biking adventure in New Zealand, we’ll address some of the most common queries we get, and hopefully it’ll help convince you to join us.If there’s something we haven’t answered here, give us a call – you’ll talk to a real person who’s just as keen on biking as you are, and they’re not in an offshore call centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have Questions about our mountain biking tours?
If you’re traveling from Australia there are regular direct flights to Auckland from Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. From North America, there are direct flights to Auckland from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and Vancouver.
When you book your flights, all you need to do is add on the very short domestic flight to Rotorua where we’ll meet you.
We like to keep things small and personal, so you can expect there to be around 6 people who will be riding with you on a trip, with a maximum of 12.
We have our own comfortable van and custom built lockable trailer for bikes and luggage.
Generally, you’ll find yourself riding for 3-4 hours per day. Some days are a little longer or shorter, and if you find yourself not keen to ride on one of the trip days that’s no problem! On our grade 4 “Hero Dirt” trip, some of the rides are longer than 4 hours.
You’ll find the climbs and descents for each ride in each trip itinerary page. Check out all our trips here.
It’s super simple to book a trip with us. Just pick up the phone and call us, or fill in the “hold a space” form on the trip page. We’ll give you a call back, get a few details from you and then sign you up via a personalised booking page. Then all you have to do is let us take care of the rest. The only thing you’ll need to arrange is your flights, and we’ll help point you in the right direction for that too. All of our contact details are here.
You can change any currency on arrival at Auckland airport, and there are ATMs readily available in loads of places where we visit.
Our 1:1 lessons are for everyone. We have taught people who have never ridden a bike before, 5 year olds, 85 year olds, and riders who are absolutely ripping but want more control and confidence in the gnar. Because you have your own experienced coach, the session is tailored to your needs to build your confidence and hit your personal goals.
We are always keeping an eye on the weather and know the forest conditions because we are in there every day. If the weather really looks nasty, we will give you the option to reschedule the evening before. If it is dangerous (generally more to do with the wind) and we need to cancel, we will give you the option to reschedule. Let us know if you have any questions regarding this as we are happy to help.
Once you book, you will receive a calendar invite that includes all of this information. Most lessons meet at the end of Titokorangi Drive at the bottom of the Dodzy Skills Park where we have access to novice through to advanced terrain within a 10 minute pedal. You just bring your BIKE, HELMET, and normal riding gear (dressed for the weather). We carry first aid and tools.
No worries! We can cater for any dietary requirement so just let us know and we’ll ensure you eat well throughout the whole trip.
The central North Island of New Zealand is home to well draining volcanic soil that holds together almost better than anywhere in the world. The soil in this area has a deep top layer that holds together in all manner of weather conditions and generally allowing for flowy conditions. This makes it ideal for riding any time of year.
Pretty much everything. If you’re keen to come on a riding trip, the last thing you need to worry about is having to keep digging into your pocket for extra stuff. So we’ve included the whole nine yards – riding, lodging, great food, a couple of cold ones at the end of a ride, transport and all the guiding. If you don’t want to bring your bike, we’ve got that covered as well. Ask us for more information.
We have the choice of Zerode, Trek, Giant, Yeti, and Specialized bikes available. We can cater for any size bike required. We work with many of the local bike shops to get you the right bike to hire for your mountain bike tour.
You’ll eat like a champion on a New Zealand Mountain Biking trip. Hearty, healthy food is important at the end of a days riding, but more to the point, life is too short to not eat well, so we make sure you’ll eat great food and have plenty of it.
Being a bunch of bike nerds, our guide team are pretty good at fixing a range of issues quite quickly, whether it’s on trail, or at the end of a day. We also carry a comprehensive tool kit while we’re out riding. For anything major, we’ve got a great thing going with some bike shops who can generally get things fixed quick smart.
If you’re traveling on an Australian, US, Canadian or UK passport, you’ll be granted 90 days on entry to New Zealand and you won’t need to apply for visa beforehand. For other countries, check the New Zealand immigration website: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
Wifi is available everywhere we stay on our trips, even on the Timber Trail. We get into some proper backcountry areas while we’re riding, so you can expect there to be no internet while we’re out riding.
You’ll need to fly in and out of Rotorua, which is where we’ll meet you, and drop you off again at the airport. When you reserve your international flights, it’s easy to add on the short domestic flight (30 minutes) to Rotorua.
We stay at locally owned lodges, and small hotels that are specifically bike friendly, super comfortable, and are relaxing places to stay after a days riding. We’ve developed great relationships with our accommodation partners, so they know about the big and little things that round off perfect days riding. Ask us for more specifics about our accommodations if you need to know more. Here is one of the places that you could be staying.
Do you have Questions about our Lessons and coaching?
Our 1:1 lessons are for everyone. We have taught people who have never ridden a bike before, 5 year olds, 85 year olds, and riders who are absolutely ripping but want more control and confidence in the gnar. Because you have your own experienced coach, the session is tailored to your needs to build your confidence and hit your personal goals.
We are always keeping an eye on the weather and know the forest conditions because we are in there every day. If the weather really looks nasty, we will give you the option to reschedule the evening before. If it is dangerous (generally more to do with the wind) and we need to cancel, we will give you the option to reschedule. Let us know if you have any questions regarding this as we are happy to help.
Once you book, you will receive a calendar invite that includes all of this information. Most lessons meet at the end of Titokorangi Drive at the bottom of the Dodzy Skills Park where we have access to novice through to advanced terrain within a 10 minute pedal. You just bring your BIKE, HELMET, and normal riding gear (dressed for the weather). We carry first aid and tools.
The minimum age is 6 and there is no maximum.
We have tuned our lessons and worked out that 3 hours is the perfect amount of time for a lesson. It allows you to learn at a relaxed enough pace and some time to practice while riding some trails and have that valuable feedback from your mountain bike coach.
Generally, we ride anywhere between 5-20km on a 3-hour lesson. It all depends on the individual. These sessions are all tailored to each rider so that they can get the most out of it. We aren’t here to go the distance, we are here to learn how to go the distance!
YES, of course you can. Each lesson is booked as a 1:1 but you can add extra people. Each extra person comes on at $75pp and it’s never too late to add someone on. We do recommend that if you have specific needs, or the group you have in mind are all different abilities you split these things up.
We quite often get couples or kids and parents where one person thinks they are just there for moral support but they still learn a lot.
The maximum that we recommend is 6 people per session. We can take up to 10 but everything slows down and feedback gets spread much more thinly. 1:1 is the best quality and as you add people, it gets cheaper but you also get less input. The best is anywhere between 1-4 participants per lesson / coaching session.
Safety and T's & C's
We are very delighted that you are thinking to come mountain biking with us. Safety is of upmost importance to us so that you have a great time and go home in one piece! We also believe that you should be fully aware of the risks that mountain biking presents and that you are completely aware of what is involved in a mountain biking trip. Here is a link to our Risk Disclosure & Terms and Conditions.