8 days of shredding hero dirt with like minded riders while taking in mountain bikings greatest show on earth – Crankworx.
Drift Bikes Crankworx
Rotorua Epic
AUD $3449
USD 2599
GBP 1999+TAX
NZD 2999+TAX
CAD 2999+TAX
EUR 2199+TAX
0800 872 457
CALL FREE
0800 872 457
CALL FREE
0800 872 457
CALL FREE
0800 872 457
CALL FREE
0800 872 457
CALL FREE
0800 872 457
CALL FREE

8 days of the best time you'll ever have on a bike
GRADE 4 INTERMEDIATE – ADVANCED
DAYS 8
BACKCOUNTRY AND LOCAL
DEPART AUCKLAND
ARRIVE AUCKLAND
COST AUD $3449
COST USD 2599
COST GBP 1699+TAX
COST NZD 2999+TAX
COST CAD 2999+TAX
COST EUR 2199+TAX
MARCH 1st-8th 2020
FLIGHTS – Book your own or you can purchase ex Sydney return flights through Drift Bikes for AU$550 including 2 x 32kg Baggage allowance. Please note only 10 flights are available at this price so be quick!
Join the Drift Bikes and New Zealand Mountain Biking teams for the best week on the worlds mountain biking calendar – Crankworx Rotorua 2020. If you love riding single track, want it loamy and want as much ride time as possible, then THIS is THE trip to take. In the down time experience the worlds best mountain bikers showcasing their talents on the Crankworx stage and take in awesome kiwi hospitality. There’s a tonne of variety here and it’s right on our doorstep – technical and tight, steep, fast and flowy, and just plain sendy if you want to push it. We’ll even top it off with a helicopter shuttle into epic back country. Stay in cool lodging, have all your meals, transport, refreshments and details taken care of by an awesome team. Register your interest by clicking the “Check Availability” button below.
DAY 1 Arrive Auckland, head to Rotorua & ride
DAY 1
Arrive Auckland, head to Rotorua, ride
Our trip begins in Auckland where we’ll meet you at the airport. We’ll drive south through cow and sheep country and head to Rotorua – the capital of mountain biking in New Zealand. That’s our very biased local opinion, but you’ll see what we mean as soon as we hit the trail after settling into our accommodation. Rotorua is famous for its “Hero Dirt” – tacky, with minimal rocks – all set up for maximum fun.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 2-3 hours DISTANCE: Up to you MEALS: (L,D)
DAY 2 Ride Whakarewarewa Forest, Crankworx
DAY 2
Ride Whakarewarewa Forest, Crankworx
We’ll kick things off today with a ride on some local favourites, mixing in some tech, steep stuff and flow trails. Our riding house is just across from the forest so no need to travel a great distance to get to the goods! Later we’ll head over to Mount Ngongotaha – the home of Crankworx. We’ll check out the stalls showcasing new products and check out the downhillers practicing their lines.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 3-5 hours DISTANCE: Up to you MEALS: (L,D)
DAY 3 Ride Rainbow Mountain & Rafting
DAY 3
Ride Rainbow Mountain & Rafting
A very short drive south this morning brings us to “Kerosene Creek”, where the Rainbow Mountain ride begins. We’ll start out with a short climb to the summit of Rainbow Mountain. From the summit, the views out to Lake Taupo and North to Rotorua and the surrounding forests are awesome. Then it’s time for the steep, tight, technical descent through the forest on winding single track, all the way back down to Kerosene Creek. The beauty of this run is that we can do it all over again and double the fun! There’s a chance to soak in the natural hot springs after the ride, then we’ll head back to Rotorua. If you’re up for some more gravity action, we’ll do it again this afternoon, only a whitewater raft on the Kaituna river – home to the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. We’ll then head over to Crankworx to check out the action.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 3 hours DISTANCE: 11 km CLIMB: 500 metres MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 4 Land Rover Shuttles Day
DAY 4
Redwoods Land Rover Shuttles
Rotorua is, without a doubt, home to the best single track riding in New Zealand. Today we’ll have access to every corner of it. Our Redwoods Land Rover Shuttles day means we’ll have access to an entire network of 200km of single track, have it to ourselves and do it in style on our very own Land Rovers. We’ll tailor the day to the type of trails you want to ride, and there’s no need to pedal uphill! Later we’ll head back to Crankworx and take in the action of the day.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: optional MEALS:(B,L,D)
DAY 5 Heli biking the Moerangi Trail
DAY 5
Heli biking the Moerangi Trail
Things are always better when you introduce a helicopter into the mix, and the fun factor is ramped up even more when we’re dropped off in arguably one of the worlds most beautiful forests – and then we get to ride through it with absolutely no one around. After the chopper drops us into the mix, we’ll ride the tight single track through pristine forest, traverse big bluffs, take on some grunty climbs and enjoy a lengthy downhill descent to the end of the trail to finish it all off. It really is the jewel in the crown of New Zealand back country riding. Later we’ll take in the dual slalom action held in the evening at Crankworx.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 5 hours DISTANCE: 32 km CLIMB: 2331 metres DESCENT: 2513 metres MEALS: (B,L,D)

DAY 6 A bit more Redwoods - backcountry!
DAY 6
A bit more Redwoods – backcountry!
It’s back into our Land Rovers and straight to the goods. Today we’ll get a little rowdier and delve deeper into Whakarewarewa Forest, exploring some of the lesser known gems and check out some local secrets. If you thought our first shuttles day was epic, then you’ll be frothing by the end of this day. With trails that have names like Kung Fu Walrus, Billy-T and Hot X Buns, you KNOW it can only mean it’ll be a tonne of fun, and just a little bit rowdy. We’ll then head over to Crankworx to check out the slopestyle finals.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 5 hours DISTANCE: open CLIMB: none! DESCENT: As much as you want MEALS: (B,L,D)
DAY 7 Enduro action and Redwoods Shuttles
DAY 7
Redwoods Enduro action & Shuttles
We’ll mix things up a bit today, with a combo of heckling/spectating the Enduro Race held in the Redwoods. We’ll watch the best of the best tackle the best tech in the forest at speed – get the cow bell out! As we’ll have our Land Rover, we’ll be able to get to the best viewing areas with minimal effort, and be able to shoot off for a few laps ourselves.
ACCOMMODATION: Rotorua Riding House RIDE TIME: 5 hours DISTANCE: open CLIMB: none! DESCENT: As much as you want MEALS: (B,L,D)
DAY 8 Depart
DAY 8
Depart
Today is the last day of your Drift Bikes Crankworx riding adventure with New Zealand Mountain Biking. We’ll head back to Auckland late morning in time for your afternoon flight back to Australia. We hope you’ll have enjoyed your time here, having ridden some of the best trails in New Zealand, taken in the best scenery on the planet and experience the best mountain biking showcase in the process. Our specialty is first class guiding, being welcoming hosts, taking care of all the logistics and nitty gritty details, and ensuring it’s all done in style. We’ll send you home relaxed, refreshed and looking forward to the next epic ride.
MEALS: (B)
The Dirt on the Details
RIDER SKILL LEVEL
Grade 4, intermediate to advanced
ACCOMMODATION
Resting up in comfortable lodging and surroundings at the end of a days ride is important. We don’t like to dirtbag it anymore, so neither should you. We’ll be staying at our own lodge (right next to the forest) tailor made for riding trip and the needs of mountain bikers. We understand the importance of a place to hang out, wash your bike, socialise and exaggerate about riding experiences at the end the day on the trail.
INCLUSIONS
Entry into Crankworx for the entire week
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners as per itinerary
Riding snacks and post ride refreshments – because you need fuel
All transport and shuttles – all you need to concentrate on is riding
Guiding and hosting
All park entrance fees to our national parks and riding areas
All accommodation
EXCLUSIONS
International flights – see Drift Bikes for a killer flight deal of AU$520 Sydney-Auckland return including baggage.
Travel insurance
Extra personal riding gear. Eg. elbow pads, water/hydrations system backpack etc
GET IN TOUCH WITH DRIFT BIKES FOR GEAR YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS TRIP
Gallery
