Most people are, yes. Our shortest ride is about 12 km on an easy, flat stretch of the Hawke’s Bay Trails: Wineries Ride, with no road riding and less than an hour of actual pedalling. If you can ride a bike, you can do this, even if you haven’t been on one in twenty years.
It really is like riding a bike
Most people who ask us this have not ridden since school, or since the kids were small. Five years or twenty-five, it doesn't matter much. Your body remembers. Give it a couple of minutes on the trail and the wobble's gone. There is a reason the saying exists.
What your body might not remember is a whole day in the saddle. So here's what that day could actually look like.
An easy day on the Gimblett Gravels
When someone tells us they're a bit out of practice, we point them to our Gimblett ride. It's our easy-going favourite, and plenty of confident riders choose it too.
| Time | Stop | Distance & Time |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 am | Pick up your bikes at On Yer Bike | 15 min |
| 11:35 am | Radburnd Cellars | 6.1 km, 20 min |
| 12:43 pm | Unison Vineyard (Lunch) | 2.1 km, 8 min |
| 2:21 pm | Trinity Hill | 2 km, 8 min |
| 3:29 pm | Ash Ridge | 2 km, 8 min |
| 4:00 pm | Back at On Yer Bike | 0.2 km, 2 min |
That’s about 12 km all day, all on the Wineries Ride, flat the whole way, right in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle Wine Districts.
Add up the riding and it comes to 46 minutes. The rest of the day is tasting, lunch, and sitting in the sun with a glass.
This ride suits Thursday to Sunday. Check the opening hours before you go, because they change with the season.
Go with an e-bike
Why we'd put you on an e-bike
Knowing how to ride is one thing. Feeling fresh at your last cellar door is another.
An e-bike will give you a gentle boost every time you pedal, so the effort stays easy from the first stop to the last. You ride it just like any other bike: pedal, steer, brake. It simply keeps a bit more in the tank for the afternoon.
You will finish the day grinning, and not gasping. That is how an e-bike can make your day.
Happy on a regular bike? This ride suits those just as well.
Before you set off
We will fit you to the right-sized bike and do a quick refresh of how everything works before you head out. Want a quick lap of the yard first? Go for it. Nobody's watching you.
So, are you fit enough?
Yes. The only real question is red or white first.
Our bottle collection service
And the bottles? Buy as many as you like. Buy before 3pm and leave them at the cellar door. We’ll collect them from the winery and have them ready for you to collect at the end of the day, so there’s nothing to balance on the handlebars. Ash Ridge is your last stop and only 200m from our base, so anything you buy there is an easy carry back.
Quick Q & A
What if I get tired halfway round?
You won’t have far to go. The longest stretch is the first one, at 20 minutes. After that, no leg is more than 8 minutes, and there’s a cellar door and a chair at the end of each one.
I've never ridden an e-bike. Is it tricky?
Not at all. It pedals, steers and brakes like any other bike. The only difference is a gentle boost when you pedal. Just take it easy at first. Things happen faster on an e-bike.
Will the battery last all day?
Easily. This ride is about 12 km, well within a full charge if you are not running around on full assist. Our bikes have a range of 50km on level 1 assist but that does drop significantly the more assist you use. Between level 1 and level 3 is a comfortable day out.
Do we have to ride on the road?
Not on this ride. It’s the Wineries Ride all the way.
What if one of us is fitter than the other?
Mix and match. One on an e-bike and one on a regular bike works well, and it evens things out so nobody's waiting at the top of the driveway. We also have tandems (not electric) if you'd rather ride together.
Can we take it slowly?
That's the whole idea. There's no guide and no schedule. Ride at your own pace, stay as long as you like at each stop, and just have the bikes back by 5pm.
Is there a weight limit?
Yes. The manufacturers have a weight limit of 110kg for all our bicycles.