skip to Main Content

0800 932 453 Email us

Home
Our Tours
About
News
Contact
BOOK NOW

maryjane

This author has written 3 articles

6/24/2022

Cycle and Sail for Sustainability

6/14/2022

Film Shoot Fun

3/19/2022

It’s a Sinch!

Newsletter Sign-up

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our latest offers, tours, events, news and updates directly in your inbox. We will not spam and you can cancel at anytime.

Newsletter Sign-Up

Name *

Email *

If you are human, leave this field blank.

411 Nayland Road, Stoke
Nelson, New Zealand
(Off-street parking available, subject to availability)

Phone: 0800 932 453
International: +64 3 929 5652
Email: info@gentlecycling.co.nz

Facebook Instagram Tripadvisor

Qualmark-Bronze-150

Google Rating

4.9

Based on 89 reviews

The Gentle Cycling Company

4.9

Karl Kitchen (Kitch)

07:02 14 Jul 22

Chris & Bernie provide a A++ service. From great condition bikes to Chris's chat, our day was easy, carefree and the kids had a blast on the trail aswell. Cheers again for looking after us while we were in Nelson👍🏽

Adrian Irwin Jerah

08:35 26 Apr 22

Totally recommend this. I had an amazing time riding around Nelson using the rented e-bike. Bernie was willing to accomodate my schedule, so everything is easy as. Special thanks to Bernie for the encouragement for going the extra miles 😊.

02:38 18 Apr 22

Friendly and accommodating family run business. Great communication and efficiency. We’ll see you again next time we’re in Nelson!

22:19 15 Apr 22

Chris & Bernie were incredibly helpful and accomodating, definitely eager to share the best that Nelson has to offer! We had an awesome day out, with easy pick-up and drop-off, can't wait to plan a longer ride for our next trip.

07:16 14 Apr 22

Great bikes and great hire price! Love the basket on back of the bike to put backpack in

22:27 29 Mar 22

TGCC really went above and beyond for customer service! Highly recommend the e-bikes for a fun activity in Nelson.

Charlotte te Riet Scholten-Phillips

20:52 14 Mar 22

Great bikes, and a lovely area. But most importantly such lovely people! No problem to fit out an ebike with a child bike attachment when our small person had a bit of a wobbly about riding her own.

20:56 05 Mar 22

A fantastic way to see the sights of the area, we had such a cool day!! Chris was incredibly helpful with transfers to and from our accommodation and with planning a personalised route so that we were able to visit wineries, cafes and breweries, as well as riding part of the Great Taste Trail along the coast. Well maintained and set up bikes (carry box on each bike for the essentials) . Couldn't recommend this company highly enough. A must do when in the region!!

08:35 05 Mar 22

Brilliant company, the bikes were really comfy and well-maintained and the owners Chris and Bernie couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating for us and our young kids, even offering a pick up service. 5 * service, thanks Gentle Cycling Co

Rachel Richards

02:39 26 Feb 22

Excellent team. Very accomodating to meet us where we wanted, and provide great info.We changed a few elements due to poor weather and they were great.Even considering doing it again with them :-)

23:58 23 Feb 22

Just back from a four day cycle trip with this team. Highly recommended. Both Chris and Bernie go the extra mile to ensure the success and happiness of the tour is maximised. Nothing is a problem to them. Good bikes, good quality stops, interesting country side. Great accommodation, and we visited excellent wineries and wine tastings and restaurants. Put them to the top of your list.

Judith St John Ives

06:20 14 Feb 22

Great experience. Great owners who run a really good operation.Well worth taking the time to use their bikes to go for a ride.

21:07 01 Feb 22

Great company, with amazing people and service. Bikes are perfect for all sizes... e-bike for my pregnant partner was perfect. Easy to get on and off. Very informative before you set off on your journey. 10/10

11:30 24 Jan 22

We had such a lovely experience hiring our bikes from TGCC. Owners were super friendly, gave great recommendations on bike routes, were very patient with questions and also really helpful. I could see their passion in their business through the service they provided. Bikes were also in really great condition. We were given all the information we needed and the hire was a just so easy and no fuss. I would highly recommend these guys if you're visiting Nelson, its well worth it!

Frankie Dalglish

03:33 22 Jan 22

Great stuff

01:37 22 Jan 22

A wonderful holiday experience, thanks to Chris and Bernie’s exceptional service and organisation. Nothing was too much trouble for them to arrange for us. With six kids (ages 8 to 13) there was a lot of admin Chris and Bernie did for us including arranging extra pick ups and changing of bikes. Would absolutely recommend the Gentle Cycling Company to families and all travellers alike.

19:25 14 Jan 22

Really lovely family business! We picked a perfect day and were really impressed with the customer service

08:50 13 Jan 22

Really great company, Chris and Bernie are really friendly and full of of some great recommendations. The bikes and equipment is all good and well maintained. Can't recommend these guys enough. We had a fantastic couple of days!

02:03 11 Jan 22

Awesome company. Kind people, great service and price especially for novice cyclists. Recommend 100%

04:21 09 Jan 22

Chris was great. We did the Great Taste Trail on our own bikes. Chris helped us plan our days and shuttled us and our bikes so we could ride back to our own vehicle. He gave us maps and advice and booked us in to a fabulous wine tasting!! I think we'll have to go back some time and do a craft beer tour...

22:14 08 Jan 22

Very friendly and helpful. We got a flat on our trip and they came straight out and replaced the bike, no waiting about.

05:12 07 Jan 22

Excellent customer service. My partner and I hired two bikes for a day cycle on the Great Taste Cycle. Chris and Bernie were super flexible to accommodate our schedule and gave us lots of valuable information. We planned to cycle from Nelson to Motueka and return, but got a bit stuck with time, Chris coincidentally was driving back from Abel Tasman and gave us a ride, dropping us in front of our Airbnb. We were impressed with how they really look after their customers, and how friendly and helpful they are. This was our first visit to Nelson, we loved the experience and expect to be back soon for more adventure and we will definitely contact The Gentle Cycling Company again!!

Julien Dallaire

05:15 06 Jan 22

Welcoming staff, great service, good bikes for a fair price. Good recommendation of itinerary by staff but I would still advise guests to research the area themselves prior to start the day!

04:37 04 Jan 22

01:44 03 Jan 22

We did the return cycle between Nelson and Mapua (and had lunch in Mapua which was lovely). Was beautiful and almost entirely offroad. Was around 50km, but was great with the electric bike. The bikes have 3 settings so you can choose how much effort you want to put in yourself! Would recommend!

22:02 22 Nov 21

We really enjoyed our day long gentle cycle around the vineyards of Nelson. Chris and Bernie were very knowledgeable about the local area and went out of their way to look after us. The bikes were well maintained and very comfortable and our group now want to do a multi-day trip! Highly recommend!

21:15 09 Nov 21

Great staff, super helpful and friendly

06:09 05 Nov 21

What an amazing tour provided by new owners/operators, Chris and Bernie! We commenced our tour with a 1 hour detailed brief of the Tapawera 4/5day loop. From there we took off to Mapua, ferry ticket from Rabbit Island to Mapua Wharf included. Was a lovely 22km, easy riding to our first destination. Spent our first night at the Puffed Peddler B&B and what an amazing place this is. Would of loved to stay at Coralie and Paul's a 2nd night. Our 2nd day took us through Motueka and Riwaka. Recommend a lunch break at the Toad Hall Cafe, (Brisket Toastie and Mushroom Blues Cheese Pie, both to die for!). After lunch, we took to Kaiteriteri where Chris and Bernie added an additional day/night for us. Really recommend a 2nd night there, not only to rest, but to spend some time in the waters. We spent the second day in Kaiteiteri hiring a kayak and paddled to Split Apple rock. Our 3rd official day of cycling took us to Tapawera. Make sure to have a big breakfast at the Ginger Dynamite Go Go Food & Coffee just before leaving Riwaka, its a big day ahead with not many cafes along the way, but such beautiful scenery. Take your time, no rush at all, with plenty of recreational reserves to stop for a breather of 2. Tapawera hotel is a wonderful place to rest your feet after a long day. 4th official day was the last, but this was by far our favorite section of the tour, which lead us through to Spooners Tunnel (torches required). Such wonderful history but the section AFTER the tunnel was even greater. A 5-6km stretch, of a decent which peddling is not required, nice cruise all the way down and through farm land. It was a sad end but will definitely love to do another tour with TGCC again in the future. Not only did Chris and Bernie go above and beyond with assisting in some personal matters, but they definitely nailed the accommodation, cafe/eatery and sight seeing recommendations, all on the head. Best of luck to the upcoming summer season!

Sally and Pete Bridgens

20:48 03 Apr 21

Great service, good bikes.

05:20 10 Mar 21

Very friendly service with helpful advice on local activities! 5 stars!

Andrew Parkinson

21:48 10 Feb 21

Great service

06:00 06 Feb 21

Amazing cycle ride from Tapawera to Stoke on e-bikes. The journey was 61km and definitely worth having an e-bike with the head wind. It's the longest I've cycled in one day! The Gentle Cycling Company was awesome.

Russell Chilton

03:14 21 Jan 21

20:17 11 Jan 21

Had a wonderful time riding around a few Nelson vineyards and food stops. The e-assist bikes were perfect to help make the trip fun and easy. Jude was fantastic in showing us where to go on the map and which places we would like the most. 11/10, will do it again next time!

04:57 10 Jan 21

07:32 08 Jan 21

This is the best company to rent bicycles from ever. Rose and Jude were really friendly with lots of local knowledge. We rented 4 bikes for 4 days they transported us to the start of the great taste tour, stored our bags so that we only had to bring camping gear. We did 2 days on the great taste coastal route and Rose even gave us a route to do for our day in the vineyards! All in all the best experience of the Nelson region!Great bikes, great people and great local knowledge

07:56 01 Jan 21

Great service and friendly staff. The bikes worked perfectly, and the indications were easy to follow. We enjoyed very much the Great Taste Wine. Very recommendable.

truusje matthews

08:00 31 Dec 20

Such great service at this place, we rocked up before 9am after finding other bike hire places in the area were not open and were immediately helped with helmets and bikes. We then got clear instructions on the options for the great taste trail as the sign posting is not fantastic. The bikes were also very comfortable and the prices were lower than we expected at $50 and $15 for full day hire of adult and kids bike respectively. Highly recommend this place.

07:36 31 Dec 20

Great place for bike rentals. Even last minute we were able to rent two e-bikes for the day and cycled to Rabbit Island. Very friendly staff and the bikes were awesome and very new.

03:54 05 Dec 20

Friendly, fast and professional. Thank you to Rose and her team for making our Nelson holiday one to remember. Will definitely be recommending the Spooners bike trail to family and friends and look forward to trying the multi day bike rides in the near future.

09:15 28 Nov 20

Helpful team, made it really easy to go on a quality cycle trip. Would recommend.

Christy Williams

23:31 01 Nov 20

Would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for some day time fun!Choose an e bike if you haven't ridden in a while and you'll get to more places faster 😉

00:18 30 Oct 20

22:07 21 Mar 20

Super helpful and gave detailed advise about the trail and time it takes to reach the vineyards. Middle Earth vineyard was our favourite and the cheese shop is also worth a visit!

16:33 04 Mar 20

03:50 26 Feb 20

Highly recommend this tour. Jude was a great driver & very knowledgeable about Nelson. We had e- bikes which came in so handy when we cycled through the rain. Loved the organic vineyards & cycling was a great way to see Nelson. Special mention to Frank who cycled to McCasshins brewery to guide us back to base.

01:58 18 Feb 20

Rose is absolutely delightful and helped us plan a great route for the day. The bikes are fantastic and we really enjoyed our day out. I’m so glad we found this place to hire bikes from as the whole experience was spot on.

Douglas Rolland

01:59 13 Feb 20

A fantastic 3 days (2 nights) on the Great Taste Trail as the focus for a get together with friends visiting from UK. Rose got the whole trip together with great efficiency and helped us make the little changes we asked for without any trouble at all. Good bikes, good maps and great accommodation in superb weather. An excellent way to explore the Tasman area. Thanks Rose!

10:32 06 Feb 20

I did the multiday tour with the Gentle Cycling Company. I booked from the UK via email and Rose patiently answered all my questions and organised this great little trip for me. Everything about the company is very professional and friendly from the moment they pick you up. The bikes looked brand new and were very comfortable and there were plenty of detailed maps provided. I visited wineries and craft shops and cycled through some fantastic countryside, cycling is a great way to see NZ if you have the time and at the end of the day I finished at some of the best B&Bs out there. Great job and thanks for everything Rose.

05:01 31 Jan 20

Great day out

00:30 19 Jan 20

Great morning out with the tag along bike. Thanks gentle cycling company

03:37 13 Jan 20

Rose is a total legend and we had a gorgeous day on her bikes. Everything was really slick and she set us up with a great intro and good insider knowledge! Thanks Rose, definitely recommend bikes from her for a wonderful day cycling through vineyards!!

01:57 10 Jan 20

Could not do enough for us very pleasant and affable staff probably need to have a more prominent sign on the road entry nearly drove past it

Stephen Godfrey

21:22 01 Jan 20

We had an excellent family biking trip on the Great Taste Trail, and credit goes to The Gentle Cycling Company for organizing, managing and supplying quality bikes for the excursion. We certainly recommend Gentle Cycling to those looking to arrange a biking trip in New Zealand.

09:27 22 Dec 19

We had such a wonderful experience cycling around the family route. Great company, lovely people and awesome experience. Definitely recommend for anyone who wants to explore Nelson on bikes.

06:11 16 Nov 19

What a great day. The Gentle Cycling Company were so efficient in picking us up and making suggestions for our itinerary for the day. Bikes were great and the advice was spot on. Well recommended

06:32 28 Oct 19

Excellent bike hire company. Rose was very welcoming and gave very sound and helpful advice. Very good selection of bikes for hire, along with helmets, locks, tyre puncture repair kits, day-glo jackets, and cycle trail maps. We were very satisfied.

Nikayla Gleeson

03:54 20 Jun 19

19:22 28 Apr 19

Very friendly staff; really good Ebikes; very interesting trail into Nelson CBD.trail has such a great range of scenery and gradients. We loved it. very memorable 2 hours.

Darren Diserens

02:08 02 Apr 19

Extremely personal and ProfessionalWe highly recommend The Gentle Cycling Company. Rumour has it that the 10 year anniversaryis coming up, a big congratulations, this should be celebrated as a very caring and successful business.

09:59 02 Mar 19

Juanita Donnelly

02:39 25 Feb 19

Melanie Moloney

05:05 17 Feb 19

Great experience here today. We turned up mid morning on the off chance of hiring bike. The lady we met was really helpful and explained the different route options when our planned destination of Rabbit Island was closed. We headed to Brightwater instead. A good ride but not too far, nice and flat and cycle track 95%. Nearly all flat. The bikes we got were in good working ordered and we were provides with helmets, maps, a bike lock and a puncture repair kit. The bikes also came with trays attached so for our 1/2 day trip we didn't need to take a bag. Ideal. (1/2 day is 4 hour and normally runs from 9am-1pm) Kindly the lady let us do later today as we didn't arrive until 10:30am and they weren't too busy. I would advise booking at peak times.

07:13 11 Feb 19

We took a couple of e-bikes out on a food and wine tour.. what a great way to see the region.The team were amazing and really looked after us, thanks guys!

Wong Ho Kam Steve

02:52 10 Feb 19

Staff was really helpful. Bike condition was good. We toke the trail to the rabbit island, brought some fresh corn and have a nice smoothie along the trial.

Simon Puklowski

00:10 12 Jan 19

Great bikes

Willem Steen, van der

06:07 11 Jan 19

Awesome company to hire a bike for a casual ride. The service is great, they give you a map and point you in the right direction for your ride. Highly recommended.

04:00 10 Jan 19

Wonderful cycle ride today. Rose told us the best routes & how to make the most of our bikes. I would really recommend the e-bike to make life really easy!

19:09 04 Jan 19

07:06 02 Jan 19

#1 this is a must if you are in or near Nelson. We were keen to see rabbit island and there's no better way than to cycle over and have lunch nearby. They're super friendly and help plan your itinerary in advance based on your preferences. #2, if you do this, go for the electric bikes!

08:28 01 Jan 19

We rented out 12 bikes today and rode around Nelson the whole afternoon. The ebikes were great, seats were easily adjustable, they came with helmets, full battery, a map, lock, basket for handbags and were very comfortable to ride. We made use if the electric boost the whole way. The bike track around Nelson was great, we had 3 kids with us and felt very safe. Rose and the team were so lovely and helpful. It was such a fun day out, I would highly recommend.

08:26 01 Jan 19

We had a group of 12 with an infant, kids and grandparents and this experience was terrific for the whole group all at the same time! Everyone had a lot of fun relaxing and moving at the same time!! We would recommened this to everyone.

Sarah Lee-Johnston

20:37 31 Dec 18

Hired two bikes to go to Rabbit Island. The bikes were in great condition and the staff helped us ensure the bikes were adjusted properly before we left. The staff had a lot of suggestions for nice routes and places to stop for food/snack/drink along the way. They provided a paper map mounted on the handle bars to make it easy to check the map while riding. I would highly recommend the gentle cycling co!

03:40 30 Dec 18

01:19 18 Dec 18

We did a half day tour with two young children. One sat in a trailer and the other was in a child seat. We cycled on part of old railway track and part of coastal track. The track is sealed and easy to ride. Both Jude and Rose are very friendly and knowledgeable.

02:42 14 Nov 18

Was a great day out; Rose and the team were so helpful.Beautiful area and trail.Would recommend an E-Bike; was so chill.

Debbie Wickliffe

23:58 06 Nov 18

04:14 21 Sep 18

Good bikes. Beautiful trail!

09:54 13 Sep 18

02:54 21 Jan 18

07:24 26 Dec 17

We had a very positive experience with the Gentle Cycling Company. We hired bikes and went off on a winery tour, our daughter got a puncture but all we had to do was phone Rose and she came and mended it for us and we were on our way again. Great service! Would definitely recommend. Ten out of ten for customer service.

03:54 28 Oct 17

Offer great cycling brewery tour with choice of bikes. They will pick you up and drop off in Nelson

03:57 28 Sep 17

Tracey Killalea

02:19 02 Apr 17

We did the We love Nelson multi day bike trip as a family group - all adults. It was an excellent trip, accommodation was great and we never had one bad food experience. Even thought the weather gods werent great to us for two half days we still had an amazing trip. At times it challenged us but overall we made it through and it was an experience we will all remember fondly. The organisation of the Trip with Gentle Cycling was hassle free and the one small issue we had to change a bike was dealt with easily. We would highly recommend any cycling trip in and around this area, the scenery was out of this world and the friendly people along the way made it such an enjoyable trip.

04:55 23 Feb 17

The Gentle Cycling Company (TGCC) were just amazing.I was sick one day, so they transported me without any fuss, they provided detailed maps on all the best spots and gave us everything we needed for a stress free ride.The accommodation they arranged for us was great and we're already planning our return trip to do it again!

Luke Counterman

06:21 04 Feb 17

Fábio Martiniano

12:49 31 Jan 17

17:36 12 Jan 17

Beautiful scenery

05:01 31 Dec 16

See all reviews Write a review

Google Rating

The Gentle Cycling Company

Karl Kitchen (Kitch)

07:02 14 Jul 22

Chris & Bernie provide a A++ service. From great condition bikes to Chris's chat, our day was easy, carefree and the kids had a blast on the trail aswell. Cheers again for looking after us while we were in Nelson👍🏽

Adrian Irwin Jerah

08:35 26 Apr 22

Totally recommend this. I had an amazing time riding around Nelson using the rented e-bike. Bernie was willing to accomodate my schedule, so everything is easy as. Special thanks to Bernie for the encouragement for going the extra miles 😊.

02:38 18 Apr 22

Friendly and accommodating family run business. Great communication and efficiency. We’ll see you again next time we’re in Nelson!

22:19 15 Apr 22

Chris & Bernie were incredibly helpful and accomodating, definitely eager to share the best that Nelson has to offer! We had an awesome day out, with easy pick-up and drop-off, can't wait to plan a longer ride for our next trip.

07:16 14 Apr 22

Great bikes and great hire price! Love the basket on back of the bike to put backpack in

22:27 29 Mar 22

TGCC really went above and beyond for customer service! Highly recommend the e-bikes for a fun activity in Nelson.

Charlotte te Riet Scholten-Phillips

20:52 14 Mar 22

Great bikes, and a lovely area. But most importantly such lovely people! No problem to fit out an ebike with a child bike attachment when our small person had a bit of a wobbly about riding her own.

20:56 05 Mar 22

A fantastic way to see the sights of the area, we had such a cool day!! Chris was incredibly helpful with transfers to and from our accommodation and with planning a personalised route so that we were able to visit wineries, cafes and breweries, as well as riding part of the Great Taste Trail along the coast. Well maintained and set up bikes (carry box on each bike for the essentials) . Couldn't recommend this company highly enough. A must do when in the region!!

08:35 05 Mar 22

Brilliant company, the bikes were really comfy and well-maintained and the owners Chris and Bernie couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating for us and our young kids, even offering a pick up service. 5 * service, thanks Gentle Cycling Co

Rachel Richards

02:39 26 Feb 22

Excellent team. Very accomodating to meet us where we wanted, and provide great info.We changed a few elements due to poor weather and they were great.Even considering doing it again with them :-)

23:58 23 Feb 22

Just back from a four day cycle trip with this team. Highly recommended. Both Chris and Bernie go the extra mile to ensure the success and happiness of the tour is maximised. Nothing is a problem to them. Good bikes, good quality stops, interesting country side. Great accommodation, and we visited excellent wineries and wine tastings and restaurants. Put them to the top of your list.

Judith St John Ives

06:20 14 Feb 22

Great experience. Great owners who run a really good operation.Well worth taking the time to use their bikes to go for a ride.

21:07 01 Feb 22

Great company, with amazing people and service. Bikes are perfect for all sizes... e-bike for my pregnant partner was perfect. Easy to get on and off. Very informative before you set off on your journey. 10/10

11:30 24 Jan 22

We had such a lovely experience hiring our bikes from TGCC. Owners were super friendly, gave great recommendations on bike routes, were very patient with questions and also really helpful. I could see their passion in their business through the service they provided. Bikes were also in really great condition. We were given all the information we needed and the hire was a just so easy and no fuss. I would highly recommend these guys if you're visiting Nelson, its well worth it!

Frankie Dalglish

03:33 22 Jan 22

Great stuff

01:37 22 Jan 22

A wonderful holiday experience, thanks to Chris and Bernie’s exceptional service and organisation. Nothing was too much trouble for them to arrange for us. With six kids (ages 8 to 13) there was a lot of admin Chris and Bernie did for us including arranging extra pick ups and changing of bikes. Would absolutely recommend the Gentle Cycling Company to families and all travellers alike.

19:25 14 Jan 22

Really lovely family business! We picked a perfect day and were really impressed with the customer service

08:50 13 Jan 22

Really great company, Chris and Bernie are really friendly and full of of some great recommendations. The bikes and equipment is all good and well maintained. Can't recommend these guys enough. We had a fantastic couple of days!

02:03 11 Jan 22

Awesome company. Kind people, great service and price especially for novice cyclists. Recommend 100%

04:21 09 Jan 22

Chris was great. We did the Great Taste Trail on our own bikes. Chris helped us plan our days and shuttled us and our bikes so we could ride back to our own vehicle. He gave us maps and advice and booked us in to a fabulous wine tasting!! I think we'll have to go back some time and do a craft beer tour...

22:14 08 Jan 22

Very friendly and helpful. We got a flat on our trip and they came straight out and replaced the bike, no waiting about.

05:12 07 Jan 22

Excellent customer service. My partner and I hired two bikes for a day cycle on the Great Taste Cycle. Chris and Bernie were super flexible to accommodate our schedule and gave us lots of valuable information. We planned to cycle from Nelson to Motueka and return, but got a bit stuck with time, Chris coincidentally was driving back from Abel Tasman and gave us a ride, dropping us in front of our Airbnb. We were impressed with how they really look after their customers, and how friendly and helpful they are. This was our first visit to Nelson, we loved the experience and expect to be back soon for more adventure and we will definitely contact The Gentle Cycling Company again!!

Julien Dallaire

05:15 06 Jan 22

Welcoming staff, great service, good bikes for a fair price. Good recommendation of itinerary by staff but I would still advise guests to research the area themselves prior to start the day!

04:37 04 Jan 22

01:44 03 Jan 22

We did the return cycle between Nelson and Mapua (and had lunch in Mapua which was lovely). Was beautiful and almost entirely offroad. Was around 50km, but was great with the electric bike. The bikes have 3 settings so you can choose how much effort you want to put in yourself! Would recommend!

22:02 22 Nov 21

We really enjoyed our day long gentle cycle around the vineyards of Nelson. Chris and Bernie were very knowledgeable about the local area and went out of their way to look after us. The bikes were well maintained and very comfortable and our group now want to do a multi-day trip! Highly recommend!

21:15 09 Nov 21

Great staff, super helpful and friendly

06:09 05 Nov 21

What an amazing tour provided by new owners/operators, Chris and Bernie! We commenced our tour with a 1 hour detailed brief of the Tapawera 4/5day loop. From there we took off to Mapua, ferry ticket from Rabbit Island to Mapua Wharf included. Was a lovely 22km, easy riding to our first destination. Spent our first night at the Puffed Peddler B&B and what an amazing place this is. Would of loved to stay at Coralie and Paul's a 2nd night. Our 2nd day took us through Motueka and Riwaka. Recommend a lunch break at the Toad Hall Cafe, (Brisket Toastie and Mushroom Blues Cheese Pie, both to die for!). After lunch, we took to Kaiteriteri where Chris and Bernie added an additional day/night for us. Really recommend a 2nd night there, not only to rest, but to spend some time in the waters. We spent the second day in Kaiteiteri hiring a kayak and paddled to Split Apple rock. Our 3rd official day of cycling took us to Tapawera. Make sure to have a big breakfast at the Ginger Dynamite Go Go Food & Coffee just before leaving Riwaka, its a big day ahead with not many cafes along the way, but such beautiful scenery. Take your time, no rush at all, with plenty of recreational reserves to stop for a breather of 2. Tapawera hotel is a wonderful place to rest your feet after a long day. 4th official day was the last, but this was by far our favorite section of the tour, which lead us through to Spooners Tunnel (torches required). Such wonderful history but the section AFTER the tunnel was even greater. A 5-6km stretch, of a decent which peddling is not required, nice cruise all the way down and through farm land. It was a sad end but will definitely love to do another tour with TGCC again in the future. Not only did Chris and Bernie go above and beyond with assisting in some personal matters, but they definitely nailed the accommodation, cafe/eatery and sight seeing recommendations, all on the head. Best of luck to the upcoming summer season!

Sally and Pete Bridgens

20:48 03 Apr 21

Great service, good bikes.

05:20 10 Mar 21

Very friendly service with helpful advice on local activities! 5 stars!

Andrew Parkinson

21:48 10 Feb 21

Great service

06:00 06 Feb 21

Amazing cycle ride from Tapawera to Stoke on e-bikes. The journey was 61km and definitely worth having an e-bike with the head wind. It's the longest I've cycled in one day! The Gentle Cycling Company was awesome.

Russell Chilton

03:14 21 Jan 21

20:17 11 Jan 21

Had a wonderful time riding around a few Nelson vineyards and food stops. The e-assist bikes were perfect to help make the trip fun and easy. Jude was fantastic in showing us where to go on the map and which places we would like the most. 11/10, will do it again next time!

04:57 10 Jan 21

07:32 08 Jan 21

This is the best company to rent bicycles from ever. Rose and Jude were really friendly with lots of local knowledge. We rented 4 bikes for 4 days they transported us to the start of the great taste tour, stored our bags so that we only had to bring camping gear. We did 2 days on the great taste coastal route and Rose even gave us a route to do for our day in the vineyards! All in all the best experience of the Nelson region!Great bikes, great people and great local knowledge

07:56 01 Jan 21

Great service and friendly staff. The bikes worked perfectly, and the indications were easy to follow. We enjoyed very much the Great Taste Wine. Very recommendable.

truusje matthews

08:00 31 Dec 20

Such great service at this place, we rocked up before 9am after finding other bike hire places in the area were not open and were immediately helped with helmets and bikes. We then got clear instructions on the options for the great taste trail as the sign posting is not fantastic. The bikes were also very comfortable and the prices were lower than we expected at $50 and $15 for full day hire of adult and kids bike respectively. Highly recommend this place.

07:36 31 Dec 20

Great place for bike rentals. Even last minute we were able to rent two e-bikes for the day and cycled to Rabbit Island. Very friendly staff and the bikes were awesome and very new.

03:54 05 Dec 20

Friendly, fast and professional. Thank you to Rose and her team for making our Nelson holiday one to remember. Will definitely be recommending the Spooners bike trail to family and friends and look forward to trying the multi day bike rides in the near future.

09:15 28 Nov 20

Helpful team, made it really easy to go on a quality cycle trip. Would recommend.

Christy Williams

23:31 01 Nov 20

Would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for some day time fun!Choose an e bike if you haven't ridden in a while and you'll get to more places faster 😉

00:18 30 Oct 20

22:07 21 Mar 20

Super helpful and gave detailed advise about the trail and time it takes to reach the vineyards. Middle Earth vineyard was our favourite and the cheese shop is also worth a visit!

16:33 04 Mar 20

03:50 26 Feb 20

Highly recommend this tour. Jude was a great driver & very knowledgeable about Nelson. We had e- bikes which came in so handy when we cycled through the rain. Loved the organic vineyards & cycling was a great way to see Nelson. Special mention to Frank who cycled to McCasshins brewery to guide us back to base.

01:58 18 Feb 20

Rose is absolutely delightful and helped us plan a great route for the day. The bikes are fantastic and we really enjoyed our day out. I’m so glad we found this place to hire bikes from as the whole experience was spot on.

Douglas Rolland

01:59 13 Feb 20

A fantastic 3 days (2 nights) on the Great Taste Trail as the focus for a get together with friends visiting from UK. Rose got the whole trip together with great efficiency and helped us make the little changes we asked for without any trouble at all. Good bikes, good maps and great accommodation in superb weather. An excellent way to explore the Tasman area. Thanks Rose!

10:32 06 Feb 20

I did the multiday tour with the Gentle Cycling Company. I booked from the UK via email and Rose patiently answered all my questions and organised this great little trip for me. Everything about the company is very professional and friendly from the moment they pick you up. The bikes looked brand new and were very comfortable and there were plenty of detailed maps provided. I visited wineries and craft shops and cycled through some fantastic countryside, cycling is a great way to see NZ if you have the time and at the end of the day I finished at some of the best B&Bs out there. Great job and thanks for everything Rose.

05:01 31 Jan 20

Great day out

00:30 19 Jan 20

Great morning out with the tag along bike. Thanks gentle cycling company

03:37 13 Jan 20

Rose is a total legend and we had a gorgeous day on her bikes. Everything was really slick and she set us up with a great intro and good insider knowledge! Thanks Rose, definitely recommend bikes from her for a wonderful day cycling through vineyards!!

01:57 10 Jan 20

Could not do enough for us very pleasant and affable staff probably need to have a more prominent sign on the road entry nearly drove past it

Stephen Godfrey

21:22 01 Jan 20

We had an excellent family biking trip on the Great Taste Trail, and credit goes to The Gentle Cycling Company for organizing, managing and supplying quality bikes for the excursion. We certainly recommend Gentle Cycling to those looking to arrange a biking trip in New Zealand.

09:27 22 Dec 19

We had such a wonderful experience cycling around the family route. Great company, lovely people and awesome experience. Definitely recommend for anyone who wants to explore Nelson on bikes.

06:11 16 Nov 19

What a great day. The Gentle Cycling Company were so efficient in picking us up and making suggestions for our itinerary for the day. Bikes were great and the advice was spot on. Well recommended

06:32 28 Oct 19

Excellent bike hire company. Rose was very welcoming and gave very sound and helpful advice. Very good selection of bikes for hire, along with helmets, locks, tyre puncture repair kits, day-glo jackets, and cycle trail maps. We were very satisfied.

Nikayla Gleeson

03:54 20 Jun 19

19:22 28 Apr 19

Very friendly staff; really good Ebikes; very interesting trail into Nelson CBD.trail has such a great range of scenery and gradients. We loved it. very memorable 2 hours.

Darren Diserens

02:08 02 Apr 19

Extremely personal and ProfessionalWe highly recommend The Gentle Cycling Company. Rumour has it that the 10 year anniversaryis coming up, a big congratulations, this should be celebrated as a very caring and successful business.

09:59 02 Mar 19

Juanita Donnelly

02:39 25 Feb 19

Melanie Moloney

05:05 17 Feb 19

Great experience here today. We turned up mid morning on the off chance of hiring bike. The lady we met was really helpful and explained the different route options when our planned destination of Rabbit Island was closed. We headed to Brightwater instead. A good ride but not too far, nice and flat and cycle track 95%. Nearly all flat. The bikes we got were in good working ordered and we were provides with helmets, maps, a bike lock and a puncture repair kit. The bikes also came with trays attached so for our 1/2 day trip we didn't need to take a bag. Ideal. (1/2 day is 4 hour and normally runs from 9am-1pm) Kindly the lady let us do later today as we didn't arrive until 10:30am and they weren't too busy. I would advise booking at peak times.

07:13 11 Feb 19

We took a couple of e-bikes out on a food and wine tour.. what a great way to see the region.The team were amazing and really looked after us, thanks guys!

Wong Ho Kam Steve

02:52 10 Feb 19

Staff was really helpful. Bike condition was good. We toke the trail to the rabbit island, brought some fresh corn and have a nice smoothie along the trial.

Simon Puklowski

00:10 12 Jan 19

Great bikes

Willem Steen, van der

06:07 11 Jan 19

Awesome company to hire a bike for a casual ride. The service is great, they give you a map and point you in the right direction for your ride. Highly recommended.

04:00 10 Jan 19

Wonderful cycle ride today. Rose told us the best routes & how to make the most of our bikes. I would really recommend the e-bike to make life really easy!

19:09 04 Jan 19

07:06 02 Jan 19

#1 this is a must if you are in or near Nelson. We were keen to see rabbit island and there's no better way than to cycle over and have lunch nearby. They're super friendly and help plan your itinerary in advance based on your preferences. #2, if you do this, go for the electric bikes!

08:28 01 Jan 19

We rented out 12 bikes today and rode around Nelson the whole afternoon. The ebikes were great, seats were easily adjustable, they came with helmets, full battery, a map, lock, basket for handbags and were very comfortable to ride. We made use if the electric boost the whole way. The bike track around Nelson was great, we had 3 kids with us and felt very safe. Rose and the team were so lovely and helpful. It was such a fun day out, I would highly recommend.

08:26 01 Jan 19

We had a group of 12 with an infant, kids and grandparents and this experience was terrific for the whole group all at the same time! Everyone had a lot of fun relaxing and moving at the same time!! We would recommened this to everyone.

Sarah Lee-Johnston

20:37 31 Dec 18

Hired two bikes to go to Rabbit Island. The bikes were in great condition and the staff helped us ensure the bikes were adjusted properly before we left. The staff had a lot of suggestions for nice routes and places to stop for food/snack/drink along the way. They provided a paper map mounted on the handle bars to make it easy to check the map while riding. I would highly recommend the gentle cycling co!

03:40 30 Dec 18

01:19 18 Dec 18

We did a half day tour with two young children. One sat in a trailer and the other was in a child seat. We cycled on part of old railway track and part of coastal track. The track is sealed and easy to ride. Both Jude and Rose are very friendly and knowledgeable.

02:42 14 Nov 18

Was a great day out; Rose and the team were so helpful.Beautiful area and trail.Would recommend an E-Bike; was so chill.

Debbie Wickliffe

23:58 06 Nov 18

04:14 21 Sep 18

Good bikes. Beautiful trail!

09:54 13 Sep 18

02:54 21 Jan 18

07:24 26 Dec 17

We had a very positive experience with the Gentle Cycling Company. We hired bikes and went off on a winery tour, our daughter got a puncture but all we had to do was phone Rose and she came and mended it for us and we were on our way again. Great service! Would definitely recommend. Ten out of ten for customer service.

03:54 28 Oct 17

Offer great cycling brewery tour with choice of bikes. They will pick you up and drop off in Nelson

03:57 28 Sep 17

Tracey Killalea

02:19 02 Apr 17

We did the We love Nelson multi day bike trip as a family group - all adults. It was an excellent trip, accommodation was great and we never had one bad food experience. Even thought the weather gods werent great to us for two half days we still had an amazing trip. At times it challenged us but overall we made it through and it was an experience we will all remember fondly. The organisation of the Trip with Gentle Cycling was hassle free and the one small issue we had to change a bike was dealt with easily. We would highly recommend any cycling trip in and around this area, the scenery was out of this world and the friendly people along the way made it such an enjoyable trip.

04:55 23 Feb 17

The Gentle Cycling Company (TGCC) were just amazing.I was sick one day, so they transported me without any fuss, they provided detailed maps on all the best spots and gave us everything we needed for a stress free ride.The accommodation they arranged for us was great and we're already planning our return trip to do it again!

Luke Counterman

06:21 04 Feb 17

Fábio Martiniano

12:49 31 Jan 17

17:36 12 Jan 17

Beautiful scenery

05:01 31 Dec 16

See all reviews Write a review

Animation-TC_TCBOTB_2022

Sustainable & Eco-Friendly

Carbon-Positive-logo-300w

We are evolving and adapting to minimise our impact on this wonderful planet we call Te Ao / Earth. 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 other great initiatives to improve the biodiversity and resilience of our natural habitats.

Members of...

Supporters of...

Home | Our Tours | What to Bring | Bike Hire | About Us | Being Carbon Positive | News | Gift Cards | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2022 - Cycles of Life Ltd operating as The Gentle Cycling Company - All Rights Reserved. a slightly different website