Queenstown Mountain Biking Holidays

Queenstown is a world class biking destination. Now bike operators are trying to make it even easier for you to get in on the goods of the local scene...

Queenstown Biking Holidays

Anyone with a passion for two wheels and rough terrain owes it to themselves to get to Queenstown New Zealand The jaw dropping beauty of the surrounds, combined with a trail network that offers something for every bike enthusiast, from mellow scenic cross country loops, to adrenaline pumping down hill, make Queenstown a truly world class destination for mountain biking.

Even the fabled destinations of Whistler in Canada and Morzine in France do not outshine our more southerly offering. The difficulty with bike travel to any destination, however, has always been unlocking the true potential of a place as an outsider.

How do I as a Kiwi arrive in Whistler and find out about that wicked downhill shuttle the local boys are doing just out of town? Or for that matter how to get my bike from the airport to my hotel?

Or even decide which bike to bring? Logistics are the other conundrum of bike travel, making it stressful and challenging. In Queenstown today there are a raft of operators that are trying to smooth the wrinkles out of bike travel and, also proposing to let outsiders in on those hidden gems of single track goodness that make the destination truly magical.

Bike Queenstown is a great example of what these businesses are all about.

Local bikers Mitchey Greig and Eric Wilhite have started the company Bike Queenstown.It is a subsidiary business to Pinewood Lodge, started by Greig’s parents 23 years ago.

“The idea is to basically make Pinewood a one stop shop for everything mountain bike related in Queenstown. We want to share the fun and take the hassle out of taking a bike holiday,” says Greig. The pair have bought new top of the line downhill, trail and cross-country bikes to rent from Pinewood Lodge, which is a mere 300 meters from the base of the Skyline Gondola, accessing the Queenstown Bike Park.

“We are now a full service bike lodge!Bike in bike out,” laughs Greig. The pair equipped Pinewood with bike racks, and cleaning stations to make the lodge bike friendly and their intent is to organize custom holidays for their guests.

“Buy your airplane ticket, pack your riding cloths and we’ll take care of the rest Pinewood has a great range of accommodation to choose from and we organize bikes, airport transfers, lift passes, shuttle runs, heli-biking, trail-rides, cycle tours, you name it,” says Wilhite. It is obvious that these guys have a lot of local knowledge and passion to share.

With companies like Bike Queenstown, the number of excuses for not jumping on that plane and checking out the goods down in the south island are rapidly decreasing.A traveler can now basically plan a bike holiday with the click of button.Looking at what Queenstown has to offer the only question is, why wait?