Kia ora and welcome to our latest newsletter!

It has been awhile since we have sent an newsletter to our members and we have certainly been busy over this time!  Biking is a huge growth activity in NZ and its wonderful to see all the bikes around town and on the back of cars now.  Bike Taupo is constantly working on improving the conditions and offerings available in Taupo for all cyclists and we are passionate about getting people on bikes.  We would therefore appreciate if you could take the time to complete the survey as below to provide us feedback on how we are doing.  We value our Members and Partners and your opinion is important to us for future growth.

Our good looking committee as below:- (from left to right)

Cath (Kids BT), Melissa (Administration) Lynette (Chair) Karyn (Treasurer), Rowan (advocacy guru) Clyff (IT & graph expert) Ian (the jewel in the crown!) Pete (trails and management) Mark (secretary)

Enjoy the reading and keep the rubber side down!  Cheers, Melissa.

Bike Taupo Survey

Completion of the survey gives us valuable feedback into what our members expectations are of Bike Taupo together with insight into our members understanding of Bike Taupo and our trail network.

Every person who completes the survey will go in the draw to win one of four great prizes:

2 x $50 Ground Effect vouchers

2 x $50 Torpedo 7 vouchers

Words of wisdom from our Chair

Tena koutou katoa

My name is Lynette Braithwaite, and I was elected as the Chair of Bike Taupo at the AGM held in March.  For those who do not know me, here is a bit of history on how I find myself on Bike Taupo.

I have been on many committees and event organisations over the years and joined the Taupo Mountain Bike Club in January 2011.  I enjoyed the comradery of both the club and riders, so soon took on the role of Secretary and eventually President as well as a multitude of other jobs along the way.  Little did the club know, when I first started with them, I had never actually ridden a Mountain Bike.   This proved to be quite interesting at the first few committee meetings when talking about tracks in Craters! I had absolutely no idea where they were talking about - it was like a totally foreign language!  Within the first few months I was encouraged (Ok – pushed) by my “keen as beans MTBing husband” John (JB), and I headed off into Craters for my first MTB ride and so my love of MTBing began. 

I originally joined Bike Taupo as the Liaison between the two organisations in 2016. I eventually stood down from the Taupo MTB Club in 2018, and then joined Bike Taupo, so I could be more involved with Bike Advocacy in the region.  I enjoy the “can do” attitude that seems to be the ethos at the heart of this organisation. 

I am proud of what has been built around the region from my predecessors, and know that this was largely due to huge numbers of community volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours hand building tracks.  It is a privilege to be part of this group that bring so much riding pleasure to so many people and help shape the future of mountain biking in the Taupo region.

I believe that I am approachable and open to new ideas.  With this in mind, Bike Taupo have recently held a strategic planning meeting, and will be sending out a survey with this panui.   Please take the time to fill out the survey, as this will give us ideas and show us what is important to you for cycling in the region and MTBing over the next 5 years. 

Help us to create urban tracks that will have meaning for you and your whanau, and off road track systems that will keep you riding for years to come. 

Kai kaha and happy riding! 😊

Lynette

Trackcrew Report

Things have been rocking along with the track network  in the last few months. The weather has been kind and we have seen lots of riders out and about.

We have tidied up parts of the Huka Trails around the poo plant in town and also the horrible little hill out by the bore field bridge near the Wairakei Resort. We are also about to realign the uphill section on the Rotary Ride opposite the Huka Lodge to make it more user friendly. We also plan  to repair the Spa Park end of the Rotary Ride which keeps getting washed out in the last gully.

In Craters MTB Park, we are still to finish off building Dier Straights which will be the link from the top of Zee Zee Top across to Waipuwerawera. The other new track under construction is a link track leading to the Connection which will mean you will not have to bike up and then down Tank Stand to access the tracks further out. These hopefully will be  all finished in the next three months. We have also been updating and putting in new signs around the park as well as doing some regrading of tracks so visitors don’t access tracks they don't want to.

Within the next 4 to 6 weeks logging is to start on the last section of trees over in the Steam Field area. This includes the trees around the Golf Course which will mean access from the Wairakei Resort will be closed as well as the bottom section of Sugar Daddy. There will be a short period where Outback needs to closed as well. We will keep you informed and tracks will be taped and signage in place.

The Great Lake Trail is generally in good condition We have just finished a tidy up on Orakau down to the tunnel and getting this winter's planting areas prepared. We are also planning on running a digger up the Whakaipo side of W2K this winter/ spring to re bench the track and give it a general tidy up. This may include running it around the headland.

Finally, a massive thank you to the "track fairies" who chip away building tracks and trimming vegetation in their own time and to everybody that sends tree reports into us. You are legends. This saves us so much time and therefore money and improves the tracks for everyone.

Bike Taupo recently hosted the Craters Classic MTB event from the Wairakei Resort.  We had an awesome day with 650 competitors from all over NZ coming to participate in our event.  Craters Classic is a great opportunity for Bike Taupo to showcase our awesome trail network in a fun and safe environment.  Riders choose to race competitively for podium places or just enjoy the scenery and comradery. 

Check out the below video from Waero Tomlin from Palmerston North who joined us for the weekend......

2021 Craters Cassic

Kids Bike Taupo

We are noticing a continuing interest in children and families getting into their bikes. I guess we are always
going to have new ‘customers’, unless people stop having babies! It is very useful to follow up the early
childhood sessions with visits into primary schools with their junior classes. Not everyone has seen Kids
Bike Taupō before they get to school, so these visits are very valuable.

A real highlight this year has been BMX for the Special Needs Unit at Tauhara College. I’ll admit that I was
a little nervous the first time, but the students loved the challenge. Just like everyone else, once they
learned how to control their speed the risk is reduced and they had a blast.
The Secondhand Bike Sale is always fun. We were at the Sunday Market this year, which is a great fit for
everyone. The rain scared away those made of sugar, but we made a little bit of money and the
networking is always worth it. Thanks to Bike Sale for the use of their racks and to Fiona and Rowan for
being there all day. It has been suggested that we do another one closer to spring/summer. Nothing
decided as yet.

Funding continues to be a thorn in our side. We do not charge for sessions, because we want no barriers.
Unfortunately, this seems to have created the feeling that we must have plenty of money. Melissa
continues to submit those applications and somehow we find money.
The Community Bike Shed in Spa Venture Park, at the top of Spa Road where the Taupō Cadets and Nuki’s
Gym are, still operates on a Wednesday afternoon from 3.30pm to 5pm. A big shout out to Preston for
taking over when Jonny went sailing around the Pacific with his family. We can use any reasonable bikes
that are a good brand and able to be recycled. We have been getting more discerning and would rather
not have to take care of other people’s rubbish. How do we stop people from buying bikes from shops that
sell 20,000 other things? If you know families looking for an affordable entry into biking, please send them
to Kids Bike Taupō.

It is great for our district to have a pathway for children and adults to get more confident riding as a
transport option. The Taupō District Council offers free Cycle Road Safety training to schools and groups
and adults through the Road Safety Teams ‘Pedal Safe’ programme. Check out -
https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/transport-and-water/road-safety/cycling-course
There continues to be not enough of KBT to go around, especially in the summer terms. A good place to
catch Ricky Biker is at the after school sessions. Please tell your friends to come along, particularly if they
are not terribly confident about this whole biking thing. All sessions 3.30pm to 5pm
Mondays – BMX Track
Tuesdays – SPARK Trails in Spa Park
Thursdays – Craters Mountainbike Park

Nga Mihi

Cath

Sarah Bennet

Firstly, let's add Taupō to the list of towns that claims it has "some of the best mountain biking in New Zealand". There's a pattern emerging here.

But this tasty resort town shows it knows what side its bread is buttered on by spreading bike-love across all slices of life. "From scenic cycling and family fun, to technical trails and epic descents, Taupō has it all," the visitor guide states.

The optics are good. This is the home of the legendary Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. It has a giant-sized 10-speed sculpture and bicycle art in the parks and gave birth to the national Big Bike Film Night festival. It's home to the Huka Trails, Craters MTB Park, pump tracks and BMX parks, as well as the Great Lake Trail. In all, it boasts several hundred kilometres of trail.

The lay of the land

A dramatic, volcanic mosaic shaped by fire and water, Great Lake Taupō has stacks of natural wonders and many grand backdrops for outdoor adventure. There's a lot to see.

The marketing bumf says: "There are few better ways to enjoy Taupō's epic landscapes than from the saddle of a bike." Looks like a fair call, because most of the town's main attractions can be reached on two wheels.

Getting your bearings

The excellent visitor website (lovetaupo.com) has a user-friendly trail guide (search "bike trails and parks"). The free town map features the main arterial cycleway across town.

Bike Taupō produces fab $5 maps for both Huka Falls/Craters Mountain Bike Park and the Great Lake Trail, and has interactive Trailforks maps embedded on its website (biketaupo.org.nz).

Craters Mountain Bike Park, in Taupō's Wairakei Forest. 

A town tour

The must-do is the Great Lake Pathway, which traces the water's edge from town to Two Mile Bay, to Three Mile, Four Mile and Five Mile Bays. Despite these yardsticks, the pathway is actually 13km one way.

The trail was recently revamped as far as Three Mile Bay. It's wider, smoother, and just better all-round for all its different users. Messages etched into the concrete path read "Aroha atu, aroha mai – share with care".

Along the way are refreshment stops and picnic spots, and a lovely park and playground at Wharewaka Point. The trail gets a bit rougher from there but it's worth pedalling on if you like a leg stretch and lashings of late afternoon sun.

There are few better ways to enjoy Taupō's epic landscapes, like Huka Falls, than from the saddle of a bike. Photo / Todd Eyre

Further afield

On the edge of town, Spa Park is where you go for a free soak in hot springs. It's also the starting point of the Rotary Ride to Huka Falls, a leisurely 2–3 hour return ride along the Waikato River. Allow a whole day to go all the way to Aratiatia Dam and watch the spill gates open, a spectacle well worth seeing.

Craters MTB Park is close to Huka Falls. Constantly evolving thanks to solid community support, the park has around 50km of singletrack spread across a privately managed pine forest.

The main entrance is the "the Hub" where the bike-mad FourB crew hire bikes and run shuttles, and offer local knowledge including suggestions for intro rides. They also issue the Bike Taupō membership necessary to ride the trails ($10 for a week).

Our ride highlights were the fun features on Scraggs and the pine-flavoured flow of Mr & Mrs, but our top pick was the freshly dug Megalicious, a brilliantly crafted intermediate downhill flow trail that seemed to go on forever.

For more scenery and less sport, head to the Great Lake Trail. One of Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails' 22 Great Rides, this 83km network has four tracks connecting for various day rides as well as a 2–3 day point-to-point featuring scenic boat transfers.

We recommend two-day rides, both of which start from Kinloch. The first is the Headland Loop, a 2–3 hour ride that climbs moderately strenuously to various lookouts over the lake.

The second is the K2K–Otaketake Loop, which is a couple of hours longer, more rock and roll, has superior scenery and a particularly fun descent.

Both make an even better day out when topped off with a tipple at Kinloch's Tipsy Trout.

Bike town rating

I bet Taupō folk are glad that highway bypass went in all those years ago. Cycling and walking around the CBD is pleasant, and there are plans afoot to make it even friendlier. And with the exception of the Great Lake Trail, it's also possible to bike to other places you want to go, off-road. Every time we visit, another path has been created or improved.

This isn't an accident, or reactive management. Taupō shows what you can achieve when you organise, collaborate, plan and execute with intelligence and foresight. There are benefits for everyone.

Changes you may notice:
After coming down Mr from Debs, the Mrs runs continuously to the Connection. So, as sometimes in life, the Mistress has become the Mrs.

The new tracks, Up2topte and Megalicious, are on the map, joining at the top of the hill at Old Farts Lookout. Pre-logging this area was accessed by Retro (up) and Luge (down). Watch for future developments here as a new track is planned heading west into the old horse paddocks.

Outback is now on Trailforks as one 11 km loop. It is split into six sections as shown on the map below. The last three sections have names – Outback and Beyond, Slalom and Jim Berm.

You can access the trailforks map here.

All of Outback and Steamfields are open and so is access in out of the hotel grounds. The current track system takes you back to the old link road horse crossing. Then you are required to do a bit of road riding to get around the logged area just follow the signs but you can ether go down the road and out of the park or up the road and head for Waipouwerawera or cut out around the back of craters of the moon. It’s all sign posted – please read and follow the signs!

We will be rebuilding the tracks as fast as possible and just need to tidy up some tracks first. The current plan is Walters first, then Tank Stand Down-hill as that will give access to the connection. Later we will attack the rest of the tracks to get the routes up and running There is going to be a period of time when we have to use the road around the connection.

We are thinking of running a few working bees to get them open earlier as we have no PD crews at the moment but we have to wait until we know the rules on level 2 in regards to social distancing and then flick out a notice.

Waipouwerawera has a wee slip sitting on the track at the half way point but it’s all passable Bruce is giving the track a tidy up at present We were about to do this as we went into lockdown so it’s a bit overdue.

All the rest of the tracks seem to be OK and have seen lots of traffic but please keep reports coming in as it saves a lot of time and money being able to plan our response. To report an issue please use Trailforks, the BT website or email trackcrew@biketaupo.org.nz.

Tour Aotearoa is one of the world's great bike packing trips, stretching 3,000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available.

This is a self-supported 3,000 km brevet from Cape Reinga to Bluff. A brevet is not a race. It is a ride following a set course, via 30 photo checkpoints, which you must complete between 10 and 30 days – no more and no less.

 From Monday 17^th of January 676 riders will start from Cape Reinga in daily waves of about 70. Each of these riders has donated at least $100 to a charity of their choice and Bike Taupo has been one of the charities to receive funding. In turn BT contributes by doing maintenance and upgrades on the trails on the route.

Check out the link below which is to the site providing information and progress of the participants.

https://touraotearoa2020.maprogress.com/

 Well, its that time of the year, things are just a little crazy!!

Bike Taupo has had a busy year and we are all looking forward to a nice holiday.  I am off to Tasmania for a week of mountain biking and can hardly contain myself, reckon its going to be amazing, will share with you on Facebook!

Hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year, get out there and enjoy everything that mountain biking offers you, explore, challenge and stay safe!

Pedal on  -  Melissa Johnson, Bike Taupo Administrator 

Words of wisdom from our Chair...

(Pete loves his photo in the newsletter, at least its an old photo so he looks younger!! :)

Bike Taupo have ticked some box’s this year by developing the Hub area and then getting the second underpass in on Craters Road, these have been huge improvements to Craters Mountain Bike Park in regards to running events and making it safer.

The Hub area is coming along nicely, some people may say slowly, but we have trouble visualising what we had planned on a drawing to what transpires on the ground, and progress is stage by stage!

The Underpass under Craters Road was a real game changer for the Huka mountain bike event making it safer as we had no road crossing to control.

Craters Mountain Bike Park has had a lot of logging over the last few months and we are also going to have all the Gums logged in January and February 2020. This is going to affect a large number of tracks and also the ability to ride from or back to the car park. We have arranged access on Q line Road once Walters Wiggles, Incline and Tank Stand down hill close. There will be lots of signage put up and we will open areas ASAP after the logging.

We will be bombing face book with information. We anticipate logging will start in the Chain Link area first then progress towards the Connection.

The Otaketake Track is open but we haven’t quite finished the Kawakawa Road section down to the car park on Whangamata Road.  The concrete path on Whangamata Road is in, its just the joining bits that are missing at the moment!

The Great Lake trail is riding well but have to say we did drop the ball a bit on maintaining the Waihaha section and it’s a bit overgrown! We have been too busy building new tracks and car parks.  It's under control and on the radar in next two weeks!

Don’t forget other great tracks in the area.  The Waihaha Hut track is riding the best it's ever been, Grade 4 in pure NZ native forest, its just magic riding.  Te Iringa is a great grade 5, summer riding in the beech forest.  Tongairio River trail is a lovely 18 km easy ride and the Taupo Huka Trails running from Control gates down to the Aratiatia Dam.

Enjoy the holidays.  Pete Masters  -  Bike Taupo Chair

Cycling Hub Car Park

The car park area is progressing on Huka Falls Road opposite Four B and Kefi @ The Hub.  Its been all go here, car park is now tar-sealed, shelter (looking like a small house!) and bike wash underway, toilets are in place.  

Otaketake Track

The new Otaketake track is completed!

GLT sweet single track, riding up and down from Kinloch or loop this section incorporating K2K and Orakau to give you an approx 38km of riding with stunning views.  

Please remember this is a two way track!!   -    enjoy :)

and.........

Don't forget to complete our survey on completion of your ride, this helps us receive much needed funding to keep this trail GREAT!  You can do this online or at the Tipsey Trout while enjoying your coffee!

Great Lake Trails Survey

Kids Bike Taupo has a few daycare bookings over the holidays, but generally quiet.  Several grandparents have already contacted us to borrow bikes for their grandchildren.  It is fun to see them return each year and get a bigger bike.

Cath will help with the TDC Road Safety Adventure on 15 January and possibly E Bike Introduction on 16 January.  After school sessions finish on Thursday 19 December. 

Pihanga Reserve Party was amazing and we have Waitahanui on Friday evening.  These non commercial events really fit well with our Kids Bike Taupo Programme.  I hear the Christmas parade was fun and a big thanks to Sarah Wraight for taking Ricky Biker.  She reported that there were lots of comments that she wasn't Cath!!

The set up at the Cycle Challenge went well and I love having the TDC Road Safety people helping.  It’s not so lonely or as much work.  Thanks also to GJ Gardiner for the use of their wooden pump track.

Cath was involved in a meeting with TDC about a Crown Park biking upgrade.  We want to repair the concrete and repaint the little road for now and looking at a bigger plan.  Carpark, pump track, perimeter path, drink fountain.  That will be Long Term Plan stuff, but nice to know it’s not only me banging on about it.

Happy holidays everyone.  Keep supporting those little kids to get riding as soon as possible.  Balance bikes and then two wheels!  No training wheels on those Christmas presents.

Ho Ho Ho   -  Merry Xmas from Cath!

Cath will be back 20th January 2020, all sessions 3.30pm to 5pm

Mondays – BMX Track

Tuesdays –  Trails in Spa Park

Thursdays – Craters Mountain Bike Park (in the old carpark)

Entries are now open for Craters Classic 2020  

Another epic event coming your way on 14th June 2020, you wont want to miss this!  We are working hard on some great new courses for you which will be totally different from previous years.  Watch our Facebook page for updates, all info on the  website including a new family entry and groovy merchandise!!

get in quick for the early bird entry.........

ENTER NOW

Exciting news for Craters Classic participants in 2020.  We have partnered with You Travel Taupo and "Have Fun Tours" in Australia to bring you the opportunity for a MTB adventure in August 2020. 

Our first tour has now sold out and the second is half full.

This promotion has limited numbers and you will need to get in quick to reserve your space.  Race our event in June then head off for a week of fantastic mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast to escape our winter!  Plus, we will be giving away a FREE trip at prize giving.

Ride, Relax, Repeat........

You can book your space NOW!!

Check out the website for all the details:   www.cratersclassic.co.nz or click on button below:-

Escape with my bike in 2020

Bike Taupo 2020 Membership

 2019 red tags are now expired.

Everyone MUST carry proof of their valid club membership on them when riding / running within the Craters Mountain Bike Park via the ID tag attached to their bike, helmet, bag or person in a visible location

Renewing is easy. Follow these easy instructions:

1. Click the link below to login - If you have forgotten your username or password click on the Forgot Login link at the login page.

2. Once you are logged in scroll down or select My Membership on the side menu.

3. Find your plan and click the blue Renew Now link.

4. Find your credit card

Bike Taupo Annual membership 2020  -  Join here

Join Bike Taupo Now

Thanks for reading, have a fantastic Christmas, keep safe and see you on the trails in 2020!

  Happy biking :)

Pete Masters (Chairperson)

021 744 957

Melissa Johnson (Administrator)

027 220 9389

admin@biketaupo.org.nz

SPRING UPDATE

Kia Ora Bikers

Hope everybody is enjoying some warmer weather, we are starting to experience spring in Taupo, pollen is in the air and the bikes are coming out of the garage......

Its been all go at Bike Taupo as per usual and so we thought you all might like a little progress update!

First off, a big shout out to the funding organisations who support us getting our continuous projects underway. The tubes for our second underpass beneath Craters Road have been purchased and are currently sitting in the car park. We hope to have these installed in October.

This will eliminate the need to cross this road and assist with the running of events that have previously required traffic management.

There have been logging operations underway in the mountain bike park recently with several areas closed off. Please keep an eye on facebook for recent updates. The trackcrew will have signage in place where tracks are closed. Currently:-

* Outback via Sugar Daddy to Hotel is now open but extreme care required when crossing laneways.

• Steamfield’s loop planned to be fully open by the end of October.

Cycling Hub Car Park

The car park is well underway on Huka Falls Road opposite Four B and Kefi @ The Hub. Its been all go here with the car park being tarsealed very soon. Plans are underway for the shelter construction, toilets and wash bay.

The new Otaktake track (O2K)

The new Otaktake track (O2K) is now 5km off the existing track out of Kinloch on its journey to exit onto Kawakawa Rd near Whangamata Rd. The trackcrew are working from the Kawakawa Road end and are about 1.8km down heading towards Kinloch to link up. This track is riding awesome with some stunning views over the lake. You can access this off the K2K about 2.5km from Kinloch, ride up and blast down!! (be aware - it is two way!)

Thank you to Sarah Wraight for stepping in and covering while Cath was getting her brand new knee. Nobody is irreplaceable. Sarah is the new TDC Road Safety Coordinator and with Dide Harrison moving to Sport Waikato in a role to get more kids riding across the whole region, this whole Kids Bike Taupō beast is spreading.

We purchased six new mountainbikes with funding from Pak N Save, thank you Chris Grace. These bikes are used a lot in the TDC Road Safety Programme and have been a hit at the Thursday afternoon KBT sessions at Craters Mountainbike Park. It is great to have a selection of good bikes that fit a big range of people. They have been very useful at the Tauhara College Special Needs Unit and at ADDI too.

Thank you to Brett Cotter and his Big Bike Film Night for including the KBT part of the People On Bikes series in his line up. At Craters the other day, a rider from Auckland recognised Cath from the show and wanted her autograph!! :)

The Community Bike Shed, Fix a Dunga, is being well run by Jonny and Jo. They are there from 3.30pm to 5pm on Wednesdays in the school term. They are in the shed next to Taupō Cadets in the Spa Venture Park at the top of Spa Road.

There continues to be not enough of KBT to go around, especially in the summer terms. A good place to catch Ricky Biker is at the after school sessions. Please tell your friends to come along, if they want to have bike fun with like minded people of all ages. All sessions 3.30pm to 5pm. Regards, Cath (Lady bike)

Mondays – BMX Track

Tuesdays – SPARK Trails in Spa Park

Thursdays – Craters Mountain Bike Park in the old carpark

If you have ridden the GLT recently please let us know what you thought by filling in this survey. Completing this helps us receive much needed funding for maintenance to keep this trail GREAT!

Also, as an added bonus every survey completed in October will go in the draw for a FREE Bike Taupo annual family membership!!

Great Lake Trail Survey

Exciting news for Craters Classic participants in 2020. We have partnered with You Travel Taupo and "Have Fun Tours" in Australia to bring you the opportunity for a MTB adventure in August 2020.
This promotion has limited numbers and you will need to get in quick to reserve your space. Race our event in June then head off for a week of fantastic mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast to escape our winter! Plus, we will be giving away a FREE trip at prize giving.

Ride, Relax, Repeat........

You can book your space NOW!!

Check out the website for all the details: www.cratersclassic.co.nz or click on button below:-

Craters Classic Australia Mountain Bike Tour

Bike Taupo 2020 Membership tags are now available.

Your current red tags are still valid until 31st October 2019.

Everyone MUST carry proof of their valid club membership on them when riding / running within the Craters Mountain Bike Park via the ID tag attached to their bike, helmet, bag or person in a visible location

Renewing is easy. Follow these easy instructions:

1. Click the link below to login - If you have forgotten your username or password click on the Forgot Login link at the login page.

2. Once you are logged in scroll down or select My Membership on the side menu.

3. Find your plan and click the blue Renew Now link.

4. Find your credit card!

New membership tags for 2020 will be required from 1st November 2019.

Join Bike Taupo

Pete Masters (Chairperson) 021 744 957

Melissa Johnson (Administrator) 027 220 9389

admin@biketaupo.org.nz

www.biketaupo.org.nz

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