happybaboon wrote:

jacks0n0 wrote:If you're into jungle riding there are some great options close to Palmerston North (nowhere in the world has jungle riding in town).

Wellington... Rotorua...

Those places have great riding, and the Akararawas have great jungle riding, but they're not in town. The riding in town is all frequently ridden, so is all groomed and predictable (even Rata ridge, great fun but definitely ridden in). Give me some out-of-town, only been ridden twice before, have to carry your bike to get there mission any day.

phunk wrote:

There is also a steepish up and back down, out Pohingina ways (the name of it escapes me right now)

Takapari road? Im pretty sure thats the one we used to ride.

Yes thats it

jacks0n0 wrote:

happybaboon wrote:

jacks0n0 wrote:If you're into jungle riding there are some great options close to Palmerston North (nowhere in the world has jungle riding in town).

Wellington... Rotorua...

Those places have great riding, and the Akararawas have great jungle riding, but they're not in town. The riding in town is all frequently ridden, so is all groomed and predictable (even Rata ridge, great fun but definitely ridden in). Give me some out-of-town, only been ridden twice before, have to carry your bike to get there mission any day.

Yep.

I really should get back to the jungle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr7EBuz-2xI

Forgot to add that there's the jumps by the recycle centre out maxwells line, there was also a track out behind them built by the manawatu MTB club, unsure if it's still in use as I've heard rumors about the land slipping/settling recently

Come over to wanganui!!!! We have 30k of tracks in Harakeke forest. There are night rides every Thursday meeting at the gate on Pauri Rd. Chexk out the Facebook page "Wanganui Mountainbike Club" for up to date info. Forest is well mapped and signpostedand Manky maps can be purchased for the Palmy or Wanga bike shops.

I am partial to Wanganui, actually. It is a very convenient town. Good parking availability, less people than Palmy. So it's easy to go to the supermarket and shit. And there's easily more to do than there is in Palmy. That's not saying much, but still!

Also the Wanganui river is supposed to be brown on account of the volcanic plateau and the terrain what it drains outta, whereas the Manawatu is brown because it is basically used by the disgusting people and industries of the Manawatu as an open-air sewer - it is literally a river of poos.

happybaboon wrote:I am partial to Wanganui, actually. It is a very convenient town. Good parking availability, less people than Palmy. So it's easy to go to the supermarket and shit. And there's easily more to do than there is in Palmy.

I've found palmy pretty easy to park in, especially with the new plaza parks etc, just wish the palmy people would learn to use roundabouts properly

You haven't tried parking in Wanganui, obviously. The Trafalgar Square "mall" is basically a countdown with an underground carpark, and a Te Warewhare if you feel like buying some overpriced plastic bullshit, and an EB games, and a bookshop... With no irritating parking barrier arms. Also if you want to go to Briscoes you can pretty much park right at the front door. Same for most of the other common chain-ish shops in the middle of the "town". And a plethora of drive-thru liquor stores.

RugbySucks wrote:Like the man says, ALL the Good tracks are 170km SOUTH........

148 between the Wellington Airport, and Palmerston North..... so you are suggesting he scuba bikes?

Malcy wrote:

on Fri 8/Jun/12 RugbySucks wrote:Like the man says, ALL the Good tracks are 170km SOUTH........

148 between the Wellington Airport, and Palmerston North..... so you are suggesting he scuba bikes?

maybe it was back then ?

Having lived in Palmy all my life and for the foreseeable future, I have taken to the attitude what am I gonna put into improve the riding around here.

KLoop (renamed Arapuke Forest Park) is now owned by the PN City Council and in collaboration with the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club is being developed as a mountain biking, walking, running park. The aging pine forest is being felled over the next 3-4 seasons and replanted with long cycle exotic and native forest.

The council is returning the money from the sale of the trees back into development in the park. This has included track design from Trail Solutions (Rotorua) and provision of a Mini Digger to speed up the process.

The club has built 5 new trails in 2 seasons with more to come as the forest is cleared and more of the park is available for building. New trails include;

Cross country loop
Cross country down hill / berms
Cross country climb / corners
Lite aggressive trail / bike park section
Freeride Jumps / Downhill section

3-5 Year Planned Development
# Extended internal trail loop/s 20km+ ranging from cross country to aggressive trail
# Summit to river trail ride
# Summit to river downhill, National series standard (intended shuttle-able). 270m elevation / drop.

If you are keen on your riding and committed to PN for a couple of years, it would be great to see you out at one of the monthly track working parties. As everyone from other city centers knows, you don't get great trails without great effort!!


For what it's worth I enjoy trail riding and mostly ride K-Loop and circuit 4 - 6x Jumping Jack and alternate with the Cross country loops before bombing down the old downhill through the forest. The other regular is a trip down to Levin and do the excellent loop up the switchback single track climb, along the summit past the cell town (stop to enjoy the view) before heading down the most excellent Gardner's track. This is a track I would LOVE to emulate at Kloop in the future summit to river trail ride!!

Hope to see u on the trails!

Cheers
RUs