On the back of our epic gravel adventure in Rotorua in issue 78 of Cyclist, we spoke to one of NZ’s most well-known mountain bikers and Rotorua locals about what makes this part of New Zealand absolutely worth a visit for those who love getting off-road.
Interview by Adam Scroggy
Cyclist: Kia ora, Cabin – let’s get straight into it! What makes Rotorua such a special destination for gravel and mountain bike riding?
Cabin: Quite simply, I think it’s two things. Variety, and ease of accessibility. The incredible network of trails in the forest kind of speaks for itself. The unique soils mean there’s never really a time of year when riding isn’t ‘on’. And the fact it’s literally on the doorstep of town makes it so easy to enjoy.
But in addition to that, there are so many quiet gravel roads, 4WD access, and cycle trails stretching out throughout the wider region making the opportunities to connect bigger rides and explorations pretty vast. While they’ve always been there, the advancement of gravel bikes in recent years has really opened up that terrain.
Cyc: How have you seen the gravel riding scene grow in Rotorua in recent years?
Cabin: It’s growing exponentially. Interestingly, I think the popularity of both gravity riding amongst the youth (driven by Crankworx), along with the surge in e-bikes, has had a positive flow on to gravel. With less youth pursuing the XC side of things, the Road Club started to suffer a bit, and events and riding groups dwindled.
So many people who would have been regular road cyclists have gravitated towards gravel instead as their bike of choice for the variety of options they provide.
At the same time, e-bike popularity has led to the development of many more easy to intermediate level trails being built; which are awesome on a gravel bike. All types of trails too – climbs, descents and ‘destination’ trails linking sections of the forest. There are now way more opportunities to put things together, or make the MTB trails a
part of a bigger, more adventurous ride.
Cyc: For people visiting Rotorua to ride, what else should they explore while they’re in town?
Cabin: As a well-settled local family guy, you’re probably asking the wrong person – we happily exist between home, the supermarket and the forest!
But I think get out and enjoy the lakes, and also some of the bush walks/hiking trails. See some geothermal. And definitely take in a bit of the history.
A visit to Whakarewarewa village, and also the Buried Village would be high up on the list, I think. And then enjoying some good cafe time, of course.
Cyc: How do you personally like to experience Rotorua when you’re not on two wheels?
Cabin: Four kids and involvement in their activities keeps us pretty busy, and that really does tie us into Rotorua at a community level.
I’ve become quite involved with hockey in recent years, coaching school teams, and we end up spending quite a bit of time down at the turfs, so get to live a real cross-section of the Rotorua community. Ironically, it’s probably where I most often interact with members of the cycling community too! So, it does have quite a small-town feel in that regard.
Cyc: Is there one Rotorua cycling memory that stands out as a highlight in your time there?
Cabin: To be honest, it’s really hard to pinpoint one memory as a highlight. There’s so much that happens every year.
I’ve been privileged to be regularly involved in all manner of events and opportunities, whether that has been as an athlete, a coach, a guide, an event volunteer, or an organiser. The way all those memories intertwine and overlap is almost quite a highlight in itself!
But if pressed, I’d say maybe my time as event director for ‘Ride the Runway’, a free community event where members of the public were let loose on the runway of Rotorua
International Airport. With all sorts of red tape and health and safety regulations potentially making lots of it ‘a bit too hard’, we were able to simplify and streamline things to turn it into a pretty fun community day with a school gala type feel.
And thanks to connections throughout the cycling community, we were able to call in heaps of favours to assemble a really competent crew of people that resulted in 1700+ people enjoying the opportunity. It was pretty epic.
Cyc: Looking back, what first drew you into riding and the off-road community – and what has kept you hooked all these years?
Cabin: Ah gee, that’s along time ago! We’re talking 25+ years. Back at the start, it was quite simply personal challenge and adventure.
I had come predominantly from team sports, so the challenge of doing something where I was really just relying on myself was pretty cool. Combined with the fact that almost every ride was a new adventure and exploration, it was very easy to become hooked.
As I started competing (which was pretty early in the piece) that just expanded the exploration. Even as I became more serious, events were an opportunity to explore new trails and new destinations. Initially in different regions. Then nationally. And then internationally. It was kind of an excuse to explore the world.
To still be hooked all these years down the track? It’s probably the people, I think. Every time I head to the forest, or travel out of town to attend an event, I’ll invariably get myself very sidetracked talking to someone I haven’t seen ‘for ages’ and realise just how vast the network of friends and acquaintances that I’ve developed actually is. And how interconnected all those people actually are. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?
Keen to learn more about the wonders of Rotorua? Check out some epic places to ride here
