Riding the Up’s and the Down’s
The Gentle Cycling Company has enjoyed and endured many magical ‘ups’ and the inevitable ‘downs’ as we have grown over the years. The response to covid and extensive travel restrictions created many challenges for us all; as people, and as a business.
Fortunately, we have been overwhelmed and blessed by the large uptick in numbers of adventurous Kiwi’s and intrepid international adventurers over the past two summers. The online reviews and moments shared at our depot and in our vans have carried us through tough times and into the strong recovery phase for tourism, which is still on an upward trajectory.
These metaphors lead nicely into our new offerings. We are aspiring to be the best cycle tour operator in Te Wai Pounamu; top of the South Island. Size is not an important metric to us, but quality is.
We wish to cater for a wider range of needs and deliver richer, more diverse cycling experiences. In this vein, we’re opening a second depot on the fringes of the iconic and world-renowned Abel Tasman National Park. From Spetember 1st 2024, The Gentle (or not-so-Gentle!) Company will operate a mountain bike hub in glorious Kaiteriteri.
Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park Depot
Families on their annual pilgrimage to the sunshine capital are increasingly engaged with exploring the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park. It has a skills hub, pump track, clear signage and range of well-formed tracks… there’s something for everyone. With tracks suited to beginners, novices and shredders alike, the bush clad hills overlooking the bay are truly stunning to ride and world class. There aren’t too many places where you can ride all day before swimming in azure waters with golden sands to recover.
Choose your ride
Our international visitors are often used to the expensive mountain bike parks of Europe and America which often charge premium entry fees to access their trails. Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve is run as a non-profit entity, with all profits invested back into the sustainability focused operations and assets – including the expansive mountain bike park.
We have full-suspension mountain bike options available for different budgets. Kiwi brand Avanti have Hammer bikes with 130mm of travel, dropper seat posts and cater to a range of abilities. We are excited to be able to offer a limited number of Santa Cruz rigs for riders who are highly experienced and appreciate the highest levels of control and performance.
Wait… there’s more!
We are also passionate mountain bikers who explore the wider region for adrenaline fueled adventures that the wider Nelson / Tasman region offers. We now offer a range of fully supported mountain bike tour options including a ramble in the Rameka’s; over the hill to Golden Bay. For those with a bigger apetite we have heli-bike tour options which will deliver you into rugged terrain for gravity assisted thrills on unspoilt trails. Wakamarina, Ben Nevis and Fishtail are just some of the trails we can access for those who have sufficient skills.
Visit our website or call us to find out more. Bookings essential