Our city is turning into the cycling capital: an extensive network of cycle routes is being built as we speak, pedalling fast towards our 10-year goal of 166km of connected cycleways across the city. It can be hard to keep up with progress and cycle-maps might not yet show every new cycle lane, but that’s a great problem to have! Here are some great resources to help you plan your commute and recreational rides:
Check out Wellington’s Bikes in Schools tracks! These are purpose-built bike tracks for kids that are safely away from traffic, on school grounds - and freely usually available to the community outside of school hours (check with your local school).
Many cycle routes are suitable for children. You could try the Wellington waterfront, the award-winning Cobham drive cycle way, the new separated Newtown to City cycleway, or you could even connect the two by cycling along Oriental Parade and Evans Bay.
You could also try mountain biking – a short and fun entry-level kids mountain bike track is “K2” at the back of Karori Park, near Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park.
Although you can cycle on most roads and trails, selecting a pleasant route on a bicycle isn’t as simple as riding the same roads you'd drive in a car. Sometimes the shortest route may also be the hilliest, or the busiest, or have really fast car traffic!
For a better experience, look for roads that are less direct options and may have a lot of cross streets, run through slower neighbourhoods, or will otherwise have slower cars. If you have the opportunity to use dedicated facilities (like multi-use paths, bike lanes, or cycletracks) then definitely do so - these sections will be smoother, safer, and faster. You can identify many of these facilities via Google Maps’ cycle route feature.
There is an increasing number of dedicated bike parking facilities across the City. Wellington City Council has a bike parking map you can use to find bike parking near places you commonly visit, or ahead of a trip you are planning.
Locky Dock bike parking is also a great option for extra security, or for when you forget your bike lock. These are free and you can use your Snapper card or mobile phone to lock/unlock.
You’ve come to the right place - Wellington’s mountain biking trails are second to none. Between the trails on the Miramar Peninsula, Mount Victoria, Waimapihi Polhill Reserve and Te Kopahou Reserve, Mākara Peak Mountain bike park, Wrights Hill, and the Skyline ridge route between Karori and Johnsonville – you are spoilt for choice! Or venture further afield to the Wainuiomata and Belmont Mountain bike trails. Why not challenge yourself to ride them all during the Aotearoa Bike Challenge!
Need a map? Here’s a Where to Ride Interactive Map by Wellington Mountain Bike Club, or try Trailforks – Wellington.
Are you after a “Top 5” selection of local rides, featuring flat cycleway rides close to the central city, scenic gravel coastal trails, ridgeline rides with mind-blowing views and single-track mountain biking? Here’s the Top Five suggested by local waterfront bike rental place Switched On Bikes.