We begin with a short vehicle transfer to .. the train station! That’s right your tour begins with a scenic ride on the famous Tranz Alpine railway line out to Arthur’s Pass. Take a walk through this village steeped in history or clamber some stairs to the Devil’s Punchbowl waterfall before lunch. Then we hop on our bikes for a warm up ride, enjoy the mountain scenery as we roll on sealed roads towards an iconic hotel steeped in history.

Cycling Distance: 12km

A short vehicle transfer takes us to the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area – or Castle Hill! We’ve got time to explore the famous limestone rock battlements before we gear up and hit the road on our bikes. Its smooth seal to start, then we turn south and take a 4WD road past glistening alpine lakes towards Windwhistle and the mighty Rakaia river. Taste buds will tingle tonight,  as we’re taken on a culinary journey using quintessential  Canterbury ingredients in a bespoke dining experience.

Cycling Distance: 45km

We start the day ON the Rakaia River! An exhilarating jet boat ride up the gorge gives us a whole new perspective and some interesting insights to the geology of the area. We meet our bikes up river and pedal on dirt tracks through a working merino sheep station. Our accommodation is a bit different this evening. Inaccessible to the general public, we stay at a beautifully renovated musterer’s hut. It’s shared quarters like you’ve never seen before.. Even the shower has stunning views! 

Cycling Distance: 36-50km

Wake up to enjoy the scenery and sip your coffee out on the deck. Today is your last day of riding! We’re pedaling past the working station buildings this morning, and we might be lucky enough to  see a mob of merino sheep being brought down from the hills.  Then we are on our way to the edge of Lake Heron, following quiet rural roads down towards the canterbury plains. Our last night is close to Escape Adventures headquarters, you’ll be eating like a local but with a decadent twist, the menu has been designed to showcase the best of what New Zealand has to offer, with locally sourced ingredients stealing the limelight. 

Cycling Distance: 55km

After our final leisurely breakfast together we transfer back to Christchurch for approximately midday and say our goodbyes.

How does a ‘Supported Cycle Tour’ Work?

YOU – RIDE . NAVIGATE . ENJOY . EAT . SLEEP .

WE PROVIDE:

• Daily ride information.
• Digital navigation and cue notes.
• Mechanical and first aid support.
• Carry your luggage.
• Ride sweep.
• Sag Wagon.
• Breakfasts, lunches, water and riding snacks, and all but one dinner. 
• All the logistics.
• And all Accommodation

We’ll sort the nitty gritty. Before your tour begins, we will organise all the logistics and book all accommodation.  We will give you daily digital route maps, that you can follow on your phone or GPS, and route cue notes so that you can ride at your own pace, stop when you like to smell the roses and grab a coffee when the opportunity presents, while always knowing that we are there if you need us.

On tour, your awesome Escape Adventures support crew will have your breakfast ready for an early start and provide snacks for you to carry with you. They will provide daily ride information and ride sweep with first aid and mechanical support. Our support vehicle will carry your luggage, and on most days set up a ‘floating picnic lunch’ on route so that you can dine’n’dash and top up on water and snacks. The support vehicle is also there if you need first aid or mechanical support, or if you need a break from the saddle.

Preparing for your Cycle Tour

This cycle tour includes rides of 12-55km per day. Please do read about the daily riding distances taking note of the riding terrain in the itinerary and prepare accordingly. The more prepared you are the more you will enjoy your adventure! 

Preparing for your cycle tour should involve:

• Riding on gravel and unpaved terrain.
• Some hills
• Ride 1-2 times a week with rides of 10-30km in length.   

Support: Our trusty support vehicle carries all your luggage, has lunch, snacks and water at hand, and is there if you need a break from the saddle.

Included in your tour: All breakfasts and riding snacks, lunches and evening meals. (One evening meal is at own cost.) 

We are most definitely able to cater for vegetarians and special diets. If this includes you, it is essential to advise us of this before your tour begins, so that the support vehicle can be stocked with the necessary supplies.

Typical Included Meals:

•  Breakfasts – Fresh fruit, muesli, toast and spreads, hot drinks. Some mornings cooked breakfast will also be an option.
•  Lunches – Picnic style lunches, fresh salads, cold meats, cheese & bread.
•  Snacks – Fresh fruit, salty snacks, home baking.
• Dinner – Dining in house at our accommodations, you will be treated to a couple of hearty home cooked meals, and also elegant fine dining which really showcases the areas local produce.   

Accommodation is included for all 5 nights of the cycle tour. Our job is to explore and find the most fitting accommodation to work in with the riding route. The Canterbury High Country Classic is a remote, rural riding route and the availability of accommodation is limited, so on some nights only basic options are available. We will be staying in a combination of  hotels and lodges with one night in a historic musterers hut on private property, which has been beautifully renovated! Where possible we choose accommodation with ensuite bathrooms, however for some nights it will be necessary to share bathrooms.

Accommodation is on a share twin basis. If you’re traveling alone, we’ll pair you to twin-share with another biker. If you do not wish to share a single supplement is available. *Single room options may be limited in some locations. The musterers hut has bunk style shared rooms, however they are large single bunks with all linen and bedding included, this is not a DOC style hut stay!

The ideal bike for the tour is a hardtail mountain bike or a touring bike with off road tyres. A gravel bike is also an option – but only if you are familiar with riding one on unpaved surfaces! You will need to be able to carry up to 1.5-2L water, a jacket and snacks in a backpack, front roll or frame bag.

Bike Hire

Escape Adventures have a small fleet of bikes and E-bikes (from November 2023) available for hire in S M, L & XL. (Bookings Essential).

• Trek X-Caliber mountain bikes $200
• E-Bikes (Brand and model tbc) – $450

When you hire one of our bikes – they are maintained by us and kept in excellent running condition. Contact us if you plan on hiring a bike.

This trip has 6-10 bikers, plus two experienced Escape Adventures tour leaders.