Inspired by the formation of The Great Taste Trail, The Gentle Cycling Company was the first cycle tour company to be formed in sunny Nelson. Since 2009, thousands of cyclists have made use of our knowledge, support and inspiration to explore the Top of the South Island on two wheels. Our passion and commitment towards providing bespoke cycle tours to suit the needs of your group makes for peace of mind travel at your own pace.
When you visit us at The Gentle Cycling Company, you will be welcomed by a family who are passionate about Nelson. For us, travelling by bike is the best way to really explore and experience the many varied pleasures to be found in the top of the South!
Meet the Gentle Cycling Team
The Whitaker whanau
We don’t make chocolate…
But we love to have regular adventures on two wheels together.
Will loves to race ahead, race birds, race rabbits… even his shadow! Lily prefers to stop and create structures with rocks & flowers or watch the clouds (and her brother) race by.
We all love to take time cycling around our backyard and Rabbit Island is a favourite spot to stop and explore the beach and forest alike.
Bernie Whitaker
The boss
Bernie is the organised member of the family. She works tirelessly to make sure that everybody is happy and prepared for what’s ahead.
Being surrounded by nature keeps Bernie grounded and she will encourage you to take your time whilst on your tour. Her mantra is not to rush, but to regularly stop, breathe and take in the wonders of the natural world around you. An accomplished cyclist and triathlete in a former life, Bernie prefers extolling the virtues of life in the steady lane.
“Breathe in the world around you”
Chris Whitaker
The chatterbox
Chris enjoyed 18 years of teaching, before literally getting on his bike and leaving the whiteboard for a set of spanners and a shed full of wheels, maps and tools to play with.
Happy to talk for hours on end, Chris is the person to ask questions; large or small. Once started, he might not stop so be careful what you ask!
Felix Laufcotter
Fix it Felix
We are very lucky to have Felix as our “on-call” bike mechanic. Felix’s bike workshop is a pristine wonder-land of bike tools, and his attention to detail is legendary. This is no doubt one of the main reasons he has been the bike mechanic with the NZ Paracycling team in Italy in August 2018. Felix is a treasure. Enough said!
Will
Junior mechanic
The next generation inspired by cycling and adventuring on two wheels
Our kids bikes can handle a bit of off road cycling and mud, but Will can give it a clean afterwards, he’s used to getting dirty!
Lily
Junior mechanic
A rocket on two wheels and with great attention to detail.
Lily loves to take breaks on bike rides to climb trees and build huts. There are some great places to build or add to huts and teepee’s along the Great Taste Trail.
Proud to be Climate Positive
and Kaitiaki (guardians)
As a Climate Positive business and Kaitiaki (guardians) of The Gentle Cycling Company, we are evolving and adapting as best we can to minimise the impacts of our tours. Choosing to offset 120% of the carbon emitted by our vehicles and electricity consumption, the wonderful people at Ekos are rewilding Mohua, an indigenous forest in Golden Bay. We’re proud to support this and many other great initiatives to improve the biodiversity and resilience of our natural habitats.
Sustainability means more to us than simply paying for trees to be planted. We are continually reviewing what, why and how we do things to reduce our use of the world’s precious resources and to reuse whatever we can in innovative ways day to day. Furthermore, we take part in community planting, weeding and pest eradication programs and regularly clear up plastic and glass waste around the Great Taste Trail, coast and bush, recycling / upcycling whatever we can.
See below about the Zero Carbon Weekender, an amazing eco-friendly holiday that we are proud to be a part of.
The Zero Carbon Weekender
A joint Nelson Tasman Tourism initiative
We are proud to be part of the Zero Carbon Weekender – your eco-friendly holiday in the Nelson-Tasman region.
It is a joint initiative created by Nelson Regional Development Agency involving like-minded businesses that are Zero Carbon or Climate Positive. That means we are regularly audited to measure, reduce and offset our emissions. What’s more, when you book this itinerary through Nelson Regional Development Agency, they’ll help tailor it, especially for you and will offset your travel to, from and around the region. Check out the Seven Sharp feature video below and click on the button to book your spot!