The Ride
You’ll start in the history of Shantytown. Until the Gold Trail Mountain Bike Ride, there had never been a peloton of mountain bike riders ride down the Main Street of Shantytown, now it happens annually.
Option 1 Cockeye Creek:
From here you’ll hit a bit of tarseal to spread you out until you hit Cockeye Creek.
No creek can be named like this anywhere else other than the West Coast. This creek will have you looking at riders beside and behind you as you ride for about 10km experiencing the true beauty of New Zealand’s native history. You may have to get off the bike a couple of times here and there, but what’s a few creek crossings and may be a tree "although we don't expect any to be down" to get over at times if winds have been through close to the race.
There is a short portion going up Cockeye Creek around the 13km mark that you will have to walk your bike due to the creek having been in flood and has washed out the track. This will be marked for you.
The rest of the ride is all ride-able, with some great uphills and downhills.
Option 2 Mosquito Creek:
Mosquito Creek will see the riders ride an extra few km on the road before entering the Forestry, where you will ride up forestry roads, with some spectacular trees and ferns. This will join up with the Cockeye Creek ride after 19km. The Mosquito Creek option takes out the 15+ creek crossings and any other natural obstacles that may be thrown at you.
The rest of the ride is all ride-able, with some great uphills and downhills.
Last half of both rides:
On to some fast and furious forestry roads, and narrow road ways that will make you wonder where you are. Pines for ever and then harvested pines and more. May be a bit of gold “if you find anything it has to be handed to the Race Director”.
A downhill that will make you wonder where the track has gone and is going. A bit of dairy, moss, urban subdivisions and a swing bridge river crossing from nowhere, a lake, and at the finish a Hotel. Yeah - that’s the ride.
Please note:
That a number of roads used for this event are on private land and to access these roads you will require permission from the individual land owners. Some parts of the route may only be accessed by obtaining a “Forest Access Permit” from Ngai Tahu Forestry. The route from year to year may also change due to forestry work in the area. Please refrain from trying to ride the route outside of the event without obtaining the appropriate permissions.
