Hanmer Springs on two wheels
Low-impact, fun, and adventurous, biking is a great exercise alternative that is ideal when exploring or holidaying.
With multiple bike tracks to suit all ages and abilities, and an invitingly picturesque village to cycle around, Hanmer Springs is even more so enjoyed on two wheels. Plan your tracks with the Hanmer Springs Mountain Bike Trail Map online, or pick one up at the information centre.
Cycling is an easy activity to incorporate into your holiday routine. Make it a form of transport, and bike down to your morning coffee or breakfast spot, or activity for the day. Plus, it can help protect you from serious diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis. Like any form of exercise, it is an effective mood booster and has been shown to reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.
Load on the bikes, or hire them once you arrive, and enjoy all that Hanmer Springs has to offer while gaining fitness. Treat yourself post-bike to some retail therapy at the local boutiques or admire the art galleries, devour deliciousness at one of the multiple eateries, or have a relaxing night in at your luxurious accommodation.
Take your bike track pick
Easy
Perseverance is a track enjoyed by all and isn’t as difficult as the name suggests. This trail invites all abilities to enjoy easy riding, with a distance of 1.5km that twirls through and around the beautiful Heritage Forest.
Intermediate
The Swoop trail transitions nicely to a trickier level of biking from the easier trails Hanmer Springs has to offer. With 1.4km of downhill track, tackle twisting corners and undulating terrain through a gentle gradient. Be ready for a sharp corner at the bottom of the track.
Advanced
Yankee Zephyr is a trail for experienced riders, that snakes between the trees with rolling corners and gravity-fed drops. Appropriately labelled a ‘true treasure’ enjoy all it offers such as beautiful native bush, two small waterfalls, and a view overlooking the Hanmer Basin. This trail follows 2.1km of uphill climbs and downhill dives, with spots of steep cycling.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mountain bikes began to appear in New Zealand from the mid 1980s, and now represent probably the most significant “new-use” issue facing managers of areas used for outdoor recreation.
Around one in five Kiwis cycle, which equates to around 21% of the population, according to New Zealand’s Cycling Action Network. The most popular type of cycling is recreational (on-road), followed by off-road cycling, and around 1% cycle competitively.
