Paeroa to Waihi return. Bike light a good idea !! Tunnel !!

This is a very popular bike ride with good reason. Some say it is the best day cycle trip in the North Island for scenery.

The Trail:
The prettiest part of the Hauraki Trails is the trail up to Waihi... and it's a great ride down as well. Being a grade 1 trail there is nothing particularly challenging about the ride. It is generally flat gravel apart from a couple of lumps towards the Waihi end. What you do not see or feel is that the trail climbs up to Waihi on a very low gradient so that while you may feel tired at the Waihi end the run back is a glorious downhill run where you only need minimal effort.

The trail follows the Ohinemuri River through the dramatic Karangahake Gorge. A deep canyon cut through the Kaimai Ranges. This distinctly different landscape includes the cascading Owharoa waterfall, photogenic gold mining sites, the charmingly old-fashioned Victoria Battery museum, and freaky Windows Walkway that burrows through a shadowy side-gorge.

There will of course be plenty of stops for breaks and photos when and where requested or necessary.

Distance: 24 kms each way.

Fitness: You need to be comfortable being out most of the day, and biking approx 50k.

Skill: This is a gravel trail, with a 1.1km tunnel, which is lit. However, I would recommend having a bike light and removing the sunnies.

Trail Difficulty: This is rated as a Grade 1 trail, however, it is not suitable for a road bike. You need tyres designed for gravel or off road. Smooth road tyres tend to puncture on this stuff.

Lunch: I would suggest the Waikino Train station on the way back down.

Starting point:
Meet at McDonald's or there a bouts ie: roughly on the corner of State Highway 2 - Te Aroha Street and State Highway 26 and be prepared to ride at 10.30am.

We will try to ride as a group and have a "Tail End Charlie" so we don't lose anyone!!

Please note:
Mobile phone coverage can be patchy for parts of the Karangahake Gorge.

Make sure you have adequate water and perhaps some nuts etc in case you need a bit of sustenance on route. Check weather forecast for rain etc.

If you want to car pool, use the comments section to ask others that are going.

This event is subject to weather and if it seriously rains we will postpone to another week.

Follow On: For those who would like to stay over and continue the fun then Rosemary is proposing a ride on the next day from Omokoroa to Tauranga which is a 19k ride one way. On the following day a further ride from Bayfair over the Rail Bridge to Tauranga and back. These rides are of course optional - Suggest you discuss with Rosemary on Thursday to lock in details.

As normal then:

• Please bring a spare tube for your particular bike wheel size.
• We travel at circa 20 ks an hour except for down hills.
• 95% of our riders are on E-Bikes. We do not discourage people on normal bikes but you need to be very fit and fast to keep up.
• We have a tail end Charlie to make sure riders do not get lost. We are not too fond of leaving people behind.
• Assistance will be rendered for any mechanical issues but we are not bike mechanics.
• If you are signed up for the ride but change your mind at the last minute please text or phone me on 021 348 979 to advise. Same if you are running late.