Custom Bike Tours

Tailored for you

We're happy to work with you to design a bespoke tour to suit your needs and interests.

Go it alone, equipped with our maps and trip notes or enjoy our fully guided option with a support van and trailer to provide flexibility to your tour. Just you, a friend or a big group, we have arranged a wide variety of novel elements to tours including a bhuddhist centre retreat, private wine tasting, hop farm tour and have the ability to change plans to suit energy levels, weather events and whims.

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Quick Details:

DURATION: You choose
DISTANCE COVERED: You choose
PRICE: Dependent on final itinerary
INCLUDES: A tailored experience. Can include; art, wine, beer, historical sights, nature, waka paddling, kayaking and much more

*Discount applies when booking for 4 or more adults.

Group Trips

Multi-Day or Single / Half Day

Multi-Day Group Trips

For multi day group trips on the Great Taste Trail, we can customise any of our standard itineraries or have one completely tailored to your needs.

Booking early is highly recommended, as accommodation is limited in some villages. Accommodation ranges from self-contained cabins in holiday parks; bed and breakfasts; motels; tranquil lodges and an Eco Resort in Kaiteriteri. We will try our very best to help you with any particular accommodation requests.

Our detailed maps and trip notes will provide you with recommendations for cafes, restaurants, wineries and breweries (advanced bookings for may be required).

We can book you an adventure in the Abel Tasman National Park as part of your cycling itinerary. Wilsons Abel Tasman trips can be either single day or multi day – walking or/and kayaking. A multi day park trip is a unique way to immerse yourself in the beauty, landscape and history of this treasured area. Staying at Kaiteriteri the night before an Abel Tasman Park Day trip is recommended. Multi day trips, guests stay in the Wilson’s family beachfront lodges within the park, walking or kayaking between the two lodges during the trip. Prices include all meals and transfers. We will arrange your door-to-door transport back to Nelson after the trip. We can provide excess luggage storage and vehicle storage for no extra charge.

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Single or Half Day Group Trips

For single of half day group trips, we can help you organise a ride on the Great Taste Trail to suit your needs. By browsing the map on this page, you will see the location of the tasty venues on the trail. Pic’s Peanut Butter factory, the World of Wearablearts and McCashins Brewery are all on the trail and are within 20 minutes of our base. The closest winery, Te Mania, is approximately 25 minutes cycling from our base. Some on-road cycling is required when visiting wineries. Many wineries are not open 7 days.

When you arrive at your base on the day of your ride, we will brief the group before you leave and provide a detailed route map. Our bikes have tote boxes on the back suitable for carrying small bags and coats. An optional shuttle transfer from Nelson to our base is also available.

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Interactive Map

Explore the Plains and Coast ride with the interactive map below. Use the + and – to enlarge and reduce. Click on the orange symbols and the coloured route lines for more information.

What our adventurers say

Had a beautiful day! Bicycles were excellent - all information provided was great including comprehensive maps

Sophie Carson

Great family owned business! The owner is such a lovely and kind person. Highly recommend!

Paula Buchholz

Chris was very thorough explaining our cycling options and we had a grand adventure planned for the day. We had a mishap part way into our ride and lost our wallet and car rental key. With the help of Cris and a kind person, all our possessions were recovered. Chris went above and beyond helping us!

michele sutliff

Great service, great communication friendly staff

Barbara Collett

Had an amazing day on the bikes with a family of 9😍 Berny was very helpful and friendly. Amazing route with good recommend stops.Thankyouuu! Dankjewel en groetjes uit Hollandia

Eli v Rooijen

Don’t bother trying anyone else! Chris could not have been more helpful and the electric bikes we hired for the day were new. Good selection of bikes for tall, short and every one in between.

Chris Underwood

Even do I didn't ride with them, GCC shuttle me after a long overseas flight from the airport to my hotel. Bernie was on top of my flights and always checking on me all the time.Always nice to be picked up on time in a new country, when your hands are tight up with a big bike bag and luggage. Thanks

Jaime Barajas

We had a great 2 day experience on the Great Taste Tour.We had to cancel our planned booking at the last minute, and Bernie organized a replacement tour for us at a very busy time of the year.Although it was short notice, the accommodation and communication was excellent, and we enjoyed a 2 day ride from Motueka to Nelson.Thank you Bernie and Chris for your professional yet friendly attention to detail.

Geoff

What an incredible day! Chris was very prompt for our morning collection. He shared very insightful thoughts and information about the tour and the region as we drove. He gave great instruction on how the day would go and then introduced us to our guides for the morning paddle. Our waka paddle tour guides Thomas and Harold did an excellent job of introducing the activity and generously inviting us into their culture and traditions. They encouraged us to join in as much or as little as we felt comfortable. They also did a great job closing the activity and sending us off for the rest of our day.The cycle adventure was absolutely beautiful and the amount of challenge was perfect for us. Chris’s instructions were thorough enough that we never got lost even though there were many opportunities to do so. His suggestion of stopping at Toad Hall was also very welcome and we are glad we did. Thank you Chris and Bernie for an amazing day of adventure!

Christine Clock

Our recent experience with The Gentle Cycling Co. exceeded our expectations; from the initial planning communications and accommodation bookings with Bernie and then advice and options as we set off. We highly recommend The Great Taste Trail for a mix of scenic riding and incredible choices around hospitality and galleries showcasing NZ's art! Chris shared local knowledge of the region as we returned to base. Thanks so much for making our holiday memorable!

Hendrikus Tromp

Gentle Cycling did a phenomenal job helping us set up a one week bike trip on the ‘Great Taste Trail’ out of Nelson NZ. We are based in Boston (USA) and found Gentle Cycling through Roar Adventures, a booking agency. Gentle Cycling created a bike trip was customized specifically for us. There is a standard Great Taste Trail trip, but we made requests about distances, accomodations, extra day trips along the way and other things, and Gentle Cycling came through in every respect. Between the beautiful rides, the wine tastings, the amazing Abel Tasman national park, and the great accomodations it was a spectacular trip. We’d love to do it again!

Edward Black

Fantastic service Available for advice at all times Great company.

Janet Holmes

Family of 8 and we had the best time! Chris gave us amazing tour map and we had such a great day, we rented the E-Bikes which were definitely worth it and enjoyed the beautiful vineyards. There was something for everyone and was so easy to communicate with Chris pick up and drop off points. We will definitely be back for another tour next time we are in Nelson! Loved it!

Sunday

Chris & Bernie were very helpful. We took their e-bikes and shuttle to Spooner's Tunnel. We had an amazing time!

Cristina Bernal

Fantastic company to deal with! Both Bernie and Chris made the whole process so easy....I was booking for a group of 21 and they assisted with picking a route that was suitable for all of us, and were even on call on the day to pick up the bikes from our destination whenever it suited us. Nothing was too much trouble. Awesome comfortabke bikes too! Would definately use again and would recommend them 100%.

Karen Stead

Great fun. Track is pretty easy, some slightly tougher off road bits. We didn't get eBikes but assume it would have been a breeze if we did.Seifried was lovely, we ate there as well.We had a quick dip at the beach at Rabbit Island. Beautiful warm water.On our day (busy, summer, great weather) the ferry to Mapua went more often than once an hour. Mapua is so nice.Pick up at 4.30 from Chris was bang on time and we were dropped back at our hotel.One of my favourite things I did on the whole trip to NZ.

tbanger10

Wir haben am Abend kurzfristig beschlossen, am nächsten Morgen mit Fahrrädern die Stadt Nelson zu entdecken (2 Bikes inkl. Kindersitz). Es hat alles wunderbar geklappt und war wohl einer der besten Services, den wir bis jetzt in Neuseeland hatten: die Bikes wurden auf unseren Campingplatz geliefert, 4 Helme, Fahrradschloss, super Einführung inkl. Routentipps usw. wirklich Klasse!!!Vielen Dank für den grossartigen Service!

Rahel Jobin

Chris is awesome and the service is fab. A bit of a workout without E-bikes but worth it. Super smooth logistics, thanks!

Beth Ashman

Had such a great experience with the Gentle Cycling Company! All of the equipment was well maintained and they gave a great explanation on using the e-bikes before sending us off. Everyone was incredibly friendly, responsive and helpful. We had a fantastic time on our winery bike tour and would recommend!

Katie Kiyokawa

We decided to rent a bike at 10am in the morning and an hour later we were already on bikes exploring the Nelson region. Chris is a very friendly and proud owner of thi family company. The bikes were in great shape, we got helmets and locks for Free and even a gel foam Seat if you like. Chris also recommended some family friendly routes.In all a great day out for me and my 3 children are 6,8 And 11.

Annelies Gerits

Amazing personalised service - accomodating my specific needs. Highly recommend this organisation

Colleen Sullivan

Great and friendly service. We thoroughly enjoyed biking the Great Taste Trail with our e-bikes.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Great service and bikes, would strongly recommend to explore the beautiful network of trails nearby

Amrith Eldridge

We felt so lucky to find Chris & Bernie and their fleet of e-bikes. Their e-bikes are easy to use and come with side packs or carrying box and locks.They provided maps and detailed directions and helped us find somewhere fabulous to eat on a holiday. If you think you don’t need an e-bike, think again, they make the trip so much more pleasant for a family with differing skill levels. We can highly recommend Gentle Bikes! Thanks for a great day!

Kristen Roath

Highly recommend Gentle Cycling! Bernie provided door to door transportation for our Biking and Brews day. She gave us great suggestions, supplied us with comprehensive directions and maps as well! We had a wonderful day!

Keith Timm

Bernie provided concierge service from the start to end of our ride - Thanks!

Mark Anderson

Amazing experience! My wife and I are on our honeymoon. Chris setup an e-bike for my wife, picked us up and brought us to the coastal access point of the Great Taste trail. We cycled all day. Chris then picked us up once we’d gone as far as we could go on the trail and brought us back. One of the best experiences ever on a bike from someone that rides nearly every day of the year back in the states. 10 / 10 recommend

Gregory Charte

An amazing and hassle-free experience from start to finish.Our group of five varied in age from 2 to 70 years old. Before our ride Bernie advised the parts of the great taste trail that could best suit our group which was a huge help as we didn’t want to do the full 60kms and weren’t familiar with the trail.On the day of our ride the weather started off a bit rough so Chris tailored our day even further to account for the bad weather and having met the group and assessing our abilities. He drove us further up the trail to skip the more hilly and exposed parts. We stopped at the Jester House Cafe, where Chris was kind enough to have booked us a table ahead of time.Our family had a wonderful day, enjoyed Chris’s company and made lifelong memories! Thanks so much for an amazing experience! We highly recommend The Gentle Cycling Company!

Ruth Edwards

Great customer service. Very easy to deal with A+++

Brantley Porter

Nice folks, pretty good bikes, all good.

George Stevens

Bernie and Chris were really helpful and provided a fantastic service

Alex Black-Roberts

Bernie was so helpful to us on our self guided cycle of the great tast trail last weekend (Nov 3-6th 2023).We hadn’t booked anything through the Gentle Cycle Co but needed a shuttle for 4 of us + bikes from Nelson to Tapawerea as the weather was awful on our first day. Bernie turned up in 10 mins and took us all out to Tapawera in no time at all and was really friendly and informative on the area and trails.She checked in on us via text the next day and then picked us up on the last day and delivered us in time for our flight on Monday midday.We cant recommend Bernie & the Gentle Cycle Company enough, really super helpful & responsive and with all the shuttle equipment and knowledge about the trail, the people and the area!Thanks so much for helping us out Bernie, we’ll be back down for more!

kathryn Edwards

Amazing, very friendly and flexible team who has gone beyond the extra mile to make our cycling experience the best possible.Chris and Bernie and genuine and very experienced people with great quality bikes both electric and push bikes.They also had a good selection of quality kid seats for multiple ages, sizes including trailers etc.Shuttle was on time and entertaining .Thank you Team!! We will be back!

Gabor Flamis

Fantastic company who went above & beyond to ensure we had a great day out cycling. Great communication, super helpful, very friendly & awesome bikes. I highly recommend to anyone looking to hire a bike while in the Nelson region. Thanks so much Bernie & Chris for everything, you guys rock.

Haley Gray

Chris and Bernie were so lovely and very helpful and checked in on us during our trip to make sure everything was going well. I’d definitely recommend booking a cycling trip with them!

Rachel Healy

Chris and Bernie were great hosts so friendly…helping us with planning our cycle tour along the track from Kōhatu through the Spooners tunnel to Tāhunanui Great advice for some good stops bakery and beer 👍They organised everything great bikes ,lights ,detailed maps even gel seats!!Thank you for a great day I would highly recommend this family company

Margaret Van Wees

Rented a bike for 2 days. Chris explained all the Interesting areas, the route, explained the ferry timeline on Mapua, major land marks, gave me a couple of paper maps, and and ensured I had everything I needed for the bike ride. He was kind enough to let me ride along with his family to Mapua the next day. The bikes were in excellent condition and have a basket or saddle. I would highly recommend and rent bikes from them again without a second thought.

Brian Desrosiers

We just finished the Great Taste Trail and that was an awesome experience. We chose to do the trail carrying our own food and gear (tent, sleeping bags). Bernie told us so many tips along the road, which was very kind. At the end, Chris advised us lots of places to go to carry on our holidays 👍5 stars to the Gentle Cycling company for their warm welcome. Moreover, bicycles are good 😊🚴

Matthieu Demonchaux

Helped me out with a bike at very short notice. Friendly and helpful service. Bike was solid and well equipped.

Timothée Duhamel

I highly recommend The Gentle Cycling company! I recently took the “Coastal Classic” trip and worked closely with Bernie, the co-owner, to plan and book everything. Bernie was exceptionally kind and communicative and was willing to tailor the experience to fit my budget and make the most of the experience within the time frame I had. As a young solo female traveler, I really appreciated the lengths Bernie went to to make sure I felt safe and cared for: she checked in at the end of each day to make sure I had reached my destination and thoughtfully picked out my lodging. The accommodation was comfortable and in convenient locations. Also, the bike was comfortable and well-maintained. The points of interest Bernie suggested were also very worthwhile. You can really tell that there is a lot of care put into this family business.

Reese K

Rented e-bikes off of Chris and Bernie yesterday. From start to finish they could not have been more helpful, super friendly and welcoming. They gave us handy maps, loads of advice on where to go/ what to do and were so so nice. The ride through the trails to the winery was beautiful. Would highly recommend. 🤩🤩

Judy Collins

Accommodated some whingey kids to a great family day out, thanks team

J Wetere

die tour war perfekt vorbereitet und geplant, man fühlt sich sicher und sehr persönlich betreut. die unterkünfte sind sehr einfach aber sauber und die tour ist sehr abwächslungsreich.

moritz

Great bike hire company. Lisa was really helpful sorting out the right ebikes for us, advice on routes to take and tips on places to visit. My wife and I hadn't cycled for several years but managed a 40K+ trip to Rabbit Island. Thanks Lisa

Tony Marron

What a fantastic few days doing the Great Taste Trail. Bernie organised the whole trip and provided us with a great itinerary. She went the extra mile collecting us from the airport and kept in touch each day. We had awesome accommodation in Mapua and Kaiteriteri. 2 of us used e-bikes and 2 standard bikes. Panniers and handle bar bags were provided. The mountain bike track on the last day was so much fun as none of us have done this before. I would highly recommend The Gentle Cycling Company for bike hire and organising Cycling trips.

Ange I am

We had an excellent experience with The Gentle Cycling Company. Bernie and Chris, the owners, went out of their way to help us construct the exact biking itinerary we wanted and were both lovely and friendly and efficient at all times.Our group of three chose to ride from their location in Stoke up to Mapua. We had intended to bike further but we simply enjoyed the ride, stopped too often, and had a leisurely lunch in Mapua. Chris came and picked us up, along with the bikes, and brought us back to our car.The bikes were new, or really close to it, as were the helmets and panniers. We had no issue with any of the equipment.This is truly a family-owned and operated business and it shows in all the best ways. I strongly recommend them if you're planning on biking any part of (or all) of Great Taste Trail in Nelson.

John Thomason

Such a great day. We couldn’t believe how far we cycled as well as managing to cram in a great coffee stop, two wine tastings, loads of photo ops etc. Excellent e bikes and instruction from Chris and Bernie who really take time to make you comfortable with the route etc. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you!

Spencer Berwin

Chris and Bernie were fantastic to deal with super helpful super friendly and provided great support turning up to fix flat tyres doing special pick up and drop off nothing was too much trouble and their recommendations on what to see and where to eat were spot on. If you want to do a supported self guided stress free cycling trip let the Gentle Cycling Co wrap their arms around you!

Fiona Evans

Great experience cycling and renting bikes! Bernie took great care of us, so helpful providing us with info and maps before we went! Would definitely recommend!

Roisin Parahoo

We hired two touring bikes to cycle around Nelson and enjoy some of the craft beer breweries. It was a fantastic experience, the cycleways in Nelson are amazing where you can cycle mainly the entire way off the road.Chris was very helpful getting us setup on our bikes and giving us some tips for the day.The bikes were in excellent condition and well maintained.Would highly recommend.

Hayden White

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Our tours are perfect for groups too...

Hi Bernie and Chris,

When it comes to customer service and communication l can’t thank you enough for ALL of your support and l can say we had nothing but fun in the sun.
From your preparation and very interactive care factor on day 1 we felt well looked after.
Contacting us daily and ensuring we knew what we were doing came as a blessing because my dad, 78 years old and I’m certainly not the most in shape cyclist, we certainly had a well-rounded, organised and fun filled ride with each other thanks to you and your Team.

Memories that will last a lifetime.

Accommodation and scenery on our journey was well and truly past my expectations.We both cannot thank you enough and still talk about how well we were treated.
Bernie, if only l had 30 more staff members of your passion and commitment in my business. Truly inspiring and such a pleasure to have met you.

Epic!!! Such a life changing experience to have done this with my father but could not thank you enough for your efforts.Chur/Thanks

Aaron and Doug

The highlight for the Mt. Pirongia Papier Mache Club’s long weekend in Nelson, was the bike tour. Superbly hosted and organised by The Gentle Cycling Company, we enjoyed the hospitality of the different venues, and the scenery offered by the great bike trails. We give thanks.

Steve

We have just finished our 5 day guided Cycle Tour with Chris & Bernie from Gentle Cycling. There were 16 in our Group & we have had the most amazing time with Chris as our guide. Once introduced to Chris & Bernie they never forgot a name & everything was 100% perfect!! Our accommodation was all split up due to the size of our group & we were all thrilled with our accommodation!! We would thoroughly recommend Gentle Cycling!!

Jaine