Easy riding in Central North Island
An entrepreneur wants his new website to be the matchmaker of cycling.
Words: thisNZlife staff writer
Finding the right cycle track is a little like falling in love according to Derek Morrison the brains behind the new cycle website www.ridenz.co
“There’s a trail out there for everybody,” says Derek.
“And we’ve worked hard to match [our trails] for anyone – from those new to cycling to more advanced riders looking for adventure. This is like the Tinder of off-road cycling.”
Nadia Coombe and Glenn Cullen explore the Te Ara Ahi – Thermal by Bike trail near Rainbow Mountain during a Rotorua mountain biking trip, Rotorua, New Zealand.
The goal of the website is to simplify the cycling and mountain biking experience. It features a trail selector that matches the track to the cyclist’s ability, a geographical “explore by map” feature and an itinerary builder. The website covers trails in the central North Island region, and there are more than 30 cycle networks to explore.
The idea for RideNZ.co started more than two years ago, says Derek.
“There are so many world-class mountain biking and cycling trails in this region. We wanted to present all the trails in a simple, easy to understand way and make them accessible to everyone,” he says.
RideNZ matches the trail to the rider’s ability.
Derek says riding in the Central North Island was unique to other regions due to it having tracks that cyclists can ride all year round and the variety of terrain.
He hopes the site will help New Zealanders who have never tried mountain biking to give it a go.
“We want someone new to cycling to come away with a grin,” he says.
“If we achieve that, and we get more people out on bikes enjoying our country then we have achieved success.”
