Published 2020-07-10

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered our Trail Tips Competition. Reading your entries left us enlightened, entertained and inspired to get out there and ride more of the trails!

AND THE WINNER OF A $500 GROUND EFFECT VOUCHER IS…

 

Rob…

…who will ‘take warm ears over shame any day.’ Even if it means his family disowns him. Rob’s repurposed microfleece balaclava, with its mesh front, keeps the cold off his noggin while letting him talk and breathe easily. We were won over by his shameless ingenuity and this wonderfully unsettling selfie snapped on the Timber Trail. Keep an eye out for him on the Great Rides.

–RUNNERS UP–

Our three worthy runners-up each receive a copy of the Kennett Brothers' classic New Zealand Cycle Trails book.

Taking kids on the trails, and loving it

Tips that get kids on bikes are winners in our books. A bit of extra planning, allowing time for breaks and choosing the right trails mean fun family biking for Natalie, even with a wee one like this cheery soul. She also recommends sharing gear and advice with other families to save cash, make things even easier and meet new riding buddies at the same time.

Read our Tots to Teens blog for more advice on how to stop the wheels falling off your family biking adventures, with great tips from bike-mad dads Damian Stones and Harry Escott.
 

Never forgetting to keep fueled

Ross has got a terrible memory but an excellent tip for keeping his energy levels up. He used to be bad at remembering to keep fueled on long rides but now he sets the alarm on his phone to stop and scoff something down every hour. ‘It helped keep me going and also broke up some of the tougher parts of the trail!’ said Rob. Here he his snacking on the Waikato River Trails that he knocked off over two days.

Snuggly on the St James Cycle Trail

Frosty mornings and icy winds are no barrier to Heidi heading out into the hills. By filling her Camelbak bladder with hot water her back stays snuggly warm, and she’s got something to drink on the go! Thanks for the tip, we look forward to trying it on our winter rides.

 

Read more trail tips and riders' stories in our Community Area. Thanks again to everyone who entered, and to all who have joined our online community. We look forward to sharing more of your fabulous adventures.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, or The Great Rider newsletter for our next competition; you can sign-up here, if you haven't already!