Cycle packs punch
If you can’t choose between a tramping or cycling adventure, then bikepacking might be just the thing for you, writes Lee Slater .
Cycling events such as Tour Aotearoa and the Ko¯ piko have put bikepacking in the spotlight in the past few years. So, what exactly is bikepacking, and how can you get started?
Bikepacking is multi-day, adventure riding following routes that combine cycle trails, mountainbike tracks, back-country roads, quiet highways and more.
Think of it as like tramping for cyclists, except you will cover greater distances each day. Some days you might only do 40 kilometres, others as much as 150km.
Distinct from traditional cycle touring, which often follows main highways and other public roads, bikepacking trips tend to head off into more remote territory.
Some riders opt for off-the-grid itineraries and carry lightweight camping gear, while others bike between towns and settlements, making the most of accommodation and cafes. Many mix it up and do both.
However it’s done, this growing legion of bikepackers will tell you that this is the best way to see New Zealand, at the perfect pace.
The seeds of New Zealand’s bikepacking scene were sown in 2010 by Simon Kennett, one of the legendary Kennett brothers, when he organised the first Kiwi Brevet.
Brevets were invented by Tour de France organiser Henri Desgrange in 1903. They involve riding from checkpoint to checkpoint between certain time brackets. If you go too fast, you’re disqualified, which stops the brevet becoming an all-out race, but you can also be disqualified for riding too slow.
After completing a big American brevet in 2008, Simon Kennett set out to create something similar in New Zealand.
The result was a 1100km loop of the South Island involving plenty of tough, off-road riding. The ‘‘dirt brevet’’ was born.
Fifty-five pioneering riders took part in the inaugural 2010 Kiwi Brevet. Now there are dozens of dirt brevets run every year around the country.
Bikepacking in New Zealand has spun out of that scene.
Jonathan Kennett says the popularity of bikepacking represents a switch away from road touring.
‘‘Traditional, on-road cycle touring has been in decline since its peak in the 1970s, partly because roads have become so busy. At the same time, the wider off-road trail network has grown, so have opportunities to create amazing itineraries.’’
Modern bike technology has also made it easier to head into rougher country, with bikes ever lighter and more durable. A bikepacking bike is all about comfort, rather than speed. A typical setup is a hard-tail mountainbike with 74-centimetre wheels and 5.6cm wide tyres.
Recent battery and motor improvements mean ebikes are an option, but riders need to plan their
stops to recharge, and perhaps carry two batteries for more remote routes. Ebikers should also be able to cope with battery failures, possibly in the middle of nowhere.
Choosing kit to stash your gear is part of the fun, as a bamboozling array of lean, efficient bikepacking bags are available, many made locally. Pack as lightweight as you can, carrying as little as possible on your back.
Upping the feel-good factor is the fact that bikepacking is low-carbon, especially when you use public transport or car share for connecting or getting to rides. You can also contribute to the greater good by spending money in small, out-ofthe-way communities, and getting to know the locals.
The New Zealand Cycle Trail’s 22 Great Rides often feature in bikepacking itineraries, along with Heartland Rides, developed by Waka Kotahi as the safest, mainly on-road options for connecting trails, towns and cities.
A bikepacking trip, however, may well have a bit of everything. According to Jonathan Kennett, ‘‘Bikepackers are ‘flexitarians’. They’ll happily ride almost anything, and even walk a few sections, if it’s justified. This requires a diversity of skills and a resilience of mind quite unique in cycling. Bikepackers are true explorers.’’
Wellingtonian Garth Baker has been bikepacking for more than 15 years.
‘‘To ride for a few days in a row is a joy, at least most of the time,’’ Baker says. ‘‘The inevitable suffering and uncertainty just makes it a bigger adventure. I always return refreshed and feeling alive. My bike is my life-support machine, keeping me fit and mentally healthy.’’
Baker’s many adventures include an eight-day solo ride around the hills of Central Otago, and several trips on the Heaphy Track. His 60th birthday treat was entering the Kiwi Brevet.
The ultimate New Zealand ride is arguably Tour Aotearoa, the 3000km route the length of the country.
Pioneered by the Kennett brothers, this brevet event is held each February, but the ‘‘TA’’ can be ridden anytime and broken into shorter sections or combined with other routes.
Published in late 2020, the Kennett brothers’ Bikepacking Aotearoa guidebook details 20 routes devised and tested by New Zealand riders.
These routes include the Kahurangi 500, a truly epic loop at the top of the South Island, linking two world-class wilderness mountainbiking adventures, the Old Ghost Rd and Heaphy Track.
Ko¯ piko Aotearoa is also there, cutting a superscenic track through hilly, remote country between East Cape and Cape Egmont, as are several long weekend trips accessible from Auckland by train, bus or ferry.
Bikepacking Aotearoa is essential reading for anyone who wants to give it a go.
The book has been so popular it’s virtually sold out, but the Kennett brothers are publishing a second edition later this year, adding five new routes.
Another great source of information and inspiration is the new bikepacking section on nzcycletrail.com, developed by Nga¯ Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails and the Kennetts.
‘‘Bikepacking is an activity full of adventure, physical and mental challenge, opportunities for bonding and a huge sense of personal achievement,’’ says Jonathan Kennett.
‘‘What better reasons for giving it a go?’’
‘‘To ride for a few days in a row is a joy, at least most of the time. The inevitable suffering and uncertainty just makes it a bigger adventure.’’ Garth Baker