Tour Aotearoa

'Your' TA may be as fast as 10 days, as luxurious as the thirty day maximum, or anything in between. Over the next few months we'll countdown various topics to help prepare your bike and body for the challenge.

I’m a huge fan of badly sung music - at the end of a long day with the prospect of a soggy bivy and soggier chips your only reward.

The Inaugural Tour Aotearoa saw 250 cyclists pedal 3000 km along the NZ Cycle Trails, from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Ground Effect sponsored rider Ollie Whalley, arrived in Bluff after just 10 days. That's a daunting 300 km per day.

The TA takes its lead from the rapidly evolving NZ Cycle Trails network and the burgeoning popularity of Brevets. These 'competitive' bikepacking rides have lured a bunch of nutters like me into the pain and reward of travelling far and fast by bike.