Bike New Zealand
Scenic, adventure, wine tasting, and special interest cycle tours, designed for you to experience New Zealand at its purest – the land of extremes where you can connect body, spirit and soul. Pacific CYCLE Tours has specialised in customised cycling tours of New Zealand since 1987. A New Zealand Tourism Award winner and family-owned business, we combine our deep knowledge of the New Zealand landscape with our passion for adventure and attention to detail – to give you the best time of your life.
With a focus on exercise and relaxation, our tours offer every opportunity to explore the remarkable beauty of New Zealand. You can experience the thrills of road cycling, mountain biking and trekking, both on and off the beaten track, as well as discover the culinary pleasures of New Zealand’s distinctive food and wines. Our tours of small, personal groups are designed for both experienced and beginner cyclists with our knowledgeable guide always by your side.
All tours are accompanied by mini bus and trailer so not only can you rest when you want to, but we also carry your luggage for you, and take care of catering and accommodation.
Pacific CYCLE Tours is concerned about protection of the natural environment and have therefore gained special concessions from the Department of Conservation and private landowners to have access to off-road areas that are normally closed to the public. In some cases these concessions are exclusive to Pacific CYCLE Tours and enable you to access, enjoy, touch and taste the special beauty of New Zealand’s natural wonderland.
Pacific CYCLE Tours is run by a dedicated team of keen cyclists. We personally research all our tours and are passionate about developing new and exciting New Zealand adventure holiday tours, which cyclists and hikers really want. We’re always researching new adventure holidays. If there’s an area you want to go, let us know. We can also create a customised tour for you. Let’s talk about your New Zealand adventure holiday!
Pacific Cycle Tours have several different bike types available for hire.
Bike Hire
All bikes have been carefully selected to suit client’s needs and preferences for the our tours. Information about our tour bikes will be provided to you when you book your tour or by request. Please contact our reservation staff if you wish would like more details.
Included in bike hire:
Touring bikes will be hired with a pannier bag (fitted to rear carrier) containing a pump, 1 x spare tube, chain link, puncture repair kit and a multi tool. Road bike and mountain bikes will be hired with a pump fitted to the frame and a seat post bag containing 1 x spare tube, chain links, puncture repair kit and a multi tool. Please note it is compulsory to wear a bike helmet in New Zealand. New helmets can be purchased for NZ$60.
Tour Grading
Tours are graded to distinguish the appropriate level fitness and expertise required to participate. Every tour is an individual just like you, by studying the itinerary in detail you will see the duration and distance covered each day. This can help you assess if the tour is within your limits.
Many tours will have support vehicles that allow you to rest at selected drop out points, however this is terrain dependent and varies from tour to tour. If in doubt, drop us an email, tell us what you’re looking for and we can assist you with tour selection.
| GRADE | NAME | DISTANCES (KM/MI) | CLIMBING | DESCRIPTION |
| 1-2 | EASY | 20-40KM/12-24MI | CLIMBS AVOIDED WHEN POSSIBLE | FEW INCLINES, SHORT DISTANCES, NO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY |
| 3-4 | MODERATE | 40-60KM/24-37MI | SOME CLIMBS | SOME INCLINES, MODERATE DISTANCES, NO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY |
| 5-6 | ACTIVE | 100KM (ROAD)/62MI 50KM (MTB)/31MI | CLIMBS ARE PART OF THE CHALLENGE | SEVERAL INCLINES, LONGER DISTANCES (E.G. SINGLE TRAIL OR HAIR PIN TURNS) |
| 7-8 | CHALLENGING | 100+KM /62+MI | LONG CLIMBS ARE THE ATTRACTION OF THE TOUR | LONG INCLINES, LONG DISTANCES, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY |
| 9-10 | EXTREME | SIMILAR TO CHALLENGING | SIMILAR TO CHALLENGING | HIGH ALTITUDE RIDING: REQUIRES ACCLIMATISATION |
Customised Tours
Are you wanting your own dream trip, your own custom cycling holiday without the hassle of organising the finer details?If so, our customised cycling holidays are for you. We offer unique flexible holiday packages to suit you, whether you’re traveling as an individual or a group. Choose your mode of transport, length of stay and type of accommodation. We’ll use our expert knowledge and contacts to make it all happen for you.
Customised cycling tours
On road bikes you can cover an amazing distance each day, but absorb the scenery, atmosphere and culture like no coach-dwelling tourist ever can. As you relax in comfort in the evenings, you’ll feel satisfied reflecting on what you achieved in the day. From your trusty steed you’ll get to know the local country in intimate detail, stopping for picnic lunches on high mountain passes, deserted beaches and secluded forest areas. Our support vehicle is never far away to offer relief to weary bodies. For the novice cyclist to the die-hard seasoned veteran, our customised road cycling options are plentiful. Some are exhilarating and challenging — others are more relaxing. Below is a small example of what’s possible.
Customised mountain biking tours
Our customised mountain biking holidays and tours are designed to take you into areas inaccessible by other means and well off the beaten tourist path. Often you may be considered odd, unusual or even insane by the locals, but you’ll have adrenalin, laughter, friends, and all the support of our local guides. With all your luggage carried for you to the next night’s location, but it a luxury hotel or camping, you’ll be free to admire the scenery and immerse yourself in the culture.We can customise tours to fit all fitness levels, whether it’s casual coasting through low-lying villages you’re after, or lung-busting climbs at altitude. Relax and unwind – tour extensions. For places too good to leave too soon, we can customise tour extensions, pre-trip or post-trip.
We indeed enjoyed our second visit (and definitely not our last) to NZ and appreciated that you enclosed so
many wonderful new bike tours in the programme. It was fantastic and I will not hesitate
to recommend you to my bike friends. Some of the highlights for us were:
small group - punctual departures in the morning the lovely farmstay for X-mas,
a marvellous New Years Eve at Portage splendid scenery, great tour organization,
and last but not least your kind emails.
- BIRGIT