E-Biking made easy: Tips and trails to start on an electric bike

By Sarah Bennett

NZ Herald·

11 Dec, 2024 12:59 AM5 mins to read

Family fun on Ohakune's Old Coach Road. Photo / Mountains to Sea-Plateau Productions

Considering an e-bike trip this summer? We share the best trails to start and tips for beginners.

E-biking has been a growing travel trend for years, making otherwise gruelling trips or trails accessible for travellers of various ages and fitness stages.

In New Zealand, the movement took off during the Covid era, with Kiwis embracing e-bikes like never before. Research into the Great Rides shows a surge in domestic riders, fueled by skyrocketing e-bike imports and an ever-expanding network of trails.

For some enthusiasts, e-biking has been so transformative they don’t miss tropical beaches or European art tours, claiming these are some of the best holidays they’ve ever had. If you’re curious about what all the hype is about, it might be time to give e-biking a go.

Try before you buy

Going for an e-bike ride while on holiday is a great way to give it a whirl. Towns along the 23 Great Rides and other popular trails usually have bike hire or a tour company nearby. They’ll give you the right type of e-bike and show you how to ride it. It’s not that it’s particularly difficult. You just need to get used to how the heavier bike handles before you start gunning it.

Look for a trail graded 1–2, as these will be flat, wide and smooth. Most New Zealand bike trails are now graded according to this universal system (grades 1–5; easy to expert), making it easy to choose one suited to your abilities.

Keep up with your companions

Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be able to keep up with family or friends, providing opportunities for fun, and group biking holidays.

Imagine a family cycling holiday in Hawke's Bay, where 200km of trail links must-see attractions from Westshore to Cape Kidnappers and everything in between. The riding is easy, flat and never far from a hire depot or charging point. An excellent map offers endless options that are well signposted with wayfinding markers and storyboards. There are ice-creams for melt-downs, and wine time to relax. There's something for everyone, and everyone's along for the ride.

Having a good time on the Hawke's Bay Trails. Photo /Hawke's Bay Trails

Short circuits around wine country

Wine-touring is an excellent entry-level option for new e-bikers, notwithstanding the need to apply the brakes at the tasting table.

Fortunately, New Zealand’s wine regions are well into the e-biking buzz. The Hawke’s Bay Trails certainly is, with a bunch of local biking companies ready to launch you onto the dedicated Wineries Ride.

Other pleasurable biking wine tours include the vine-lined Gibbston valley on the Queenstown Trails, home to a clutch of cellar doors and a couple of pubs. Hire a bike from Arrowtown to enjoy the glorious Arrow River Bridges Ride on the way there.

Marlborough has a sizeable cluster of cellar doors around Renwick, better explored by e-bike than by any other transport mode. The hire depot at the Vines Village is a good place to set off.

Natural immersion on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Photo / Jason Blair

Nature, unplugged

The concept of "car-free" travel is catching on fast, and not just for commuting. The world over, travellers have woken up to the fact that seeing the world through the windscreen is literally daylight robbery. The sights, smells and sounds. Sun on your face, wind in your hair, maybe even some ants in your pants.

If the idea of full immersion in the outdoors takes your fancy, make your way to the West Coast Wilderness Trail, 140km of natural goodness. Smell the earth, hug ancient trees, and spy flittering birds hidden in deep, green bush. Hear the crashing ocean and taste the salt-spray. Be refreshed by generous droplets of liquid sunshine dripping down through the rainforest canopy. Pedal. Breathe. Relax. Feel alive.

Then head to a trail town such as Greymouth, Hokitika or Ross to enjoy lashings of good old West Coast hospitality.

Adrian rides along Lake Dunstan shore. Photo / Sarah Bennett

Go the distance

Ever dreamed of doing a long-distance, multi-day ride but don't think you're fit enough? Say hello to an e-biking trip, where success is just a power socket away.

The Otago Central Rail Trail leads charge here. An 150km ride taking 3–4 days, it's really rather leisurely on an e-bike. Longstanding local tour companies and other bike-friendly businesses can sort all the logistics, so you can ride easy and enjoy the cruise through big-sky country.

Just up country, the 300km Alps to Ocean is double the distance with a couple of slightly bigger hills, but it's still achievable by reasonably fit riders with some e-biking under their belt. Again, a bunch of bike-friendly local business can set you up to enjoy this epic journey through amazing landscapes around the Southern Alps, Mackenzie Country and Waitaki Valley.

Sightseeing by ebike around Christchurch Photo / Lee Slater

Spontaneous urban sightseeing

Seeing the city sights by bike is a no-brainer, giving you the freedom to stop for coffee at will, skip the museum, sail past the souvenir shop and head straight to the Merino clothing store. People-watch. Linger. Follow your nose. See the sights at the perfect pace.

Being flat, with lots of flash new urban design, Christchurch is nailing it. Next time you go, hire an e-bike from Chill near the Cathedral and head along Te Ara Ōtākaro Avon River Trail to New Brighton. Then find your way back to town via the Woolston Tannery for boutique shopping and pizza in Cassels beer garden. Then tell me that wasn't better than being beachside in Bali!