Offroad-Express

Anyone know the good spots to ride in and around christchurch on a dirt bike?
I'm looking for trial riding tracks.

I went to the waimak and that's pretty good on the north side. Went up about 40km from sh1.

Is there much else up there? How about the south side?

Thanks.

no idea but im keen for a ride at some stage, selwyn river mayb

i go to four main places on my mx bike when not racing

the Waimak, normally just on the dirt bike tracks but can explore round the 4wd tracks. pretty average trail wise, especially now they've blocked most of it off.

best trail riding you'll get close to Christchurch is Mcleans island. theres a massive bike area, you turn right just after the two 90 degree corners on the road(before the big bump) and go down that gravel road for a while where you can turn left into a bike area, if you reach the stock banks you've gone to far. heaps of exploring to do there. at the start there is mainly just little tracks but you just follow the tracks inland and you will eventually get to the forest. where there are trails winding through the forest for k's really good exploring, Ive been there so much that i know all the tracks so not as much fun anymore. you can also go to the stock bank and ride down the 4wd tracks that they have there which get pretty slippery when wet!

if you want to go straight to the forest theres a road where you can drive down, its where the old paint ball entrance use to be(not the new paint ball field), a little harder to find its the corner right before the long straight(good straight for testing top speed on ya road bike) on Mcleans island road and you just follow the gravel road till you get to the end of it, then continue inland through the forest. ive probably traveled a good 20k up through the forest it goes forever, pretty tight tracks tho with trees on either side so take it easy at first, the amount i'v times over overshot those corners racing through the forest and ended up hugging a tree at 40 clicks haha...

Another awesome place to ride is out leftfield beach 10min north of woodend theres a wooden cafe on the right 500m up from a passing lane turn in at the cafe and follow the road that goes behind it unload at beach entrance car park(really loose sand you wanna 4wd to get through the beach entrance so stick 2 the car park for starters) heaps off exploring two do here. if you head north up the beach theres sand dunes for a while then theres a forest which has an awsome track running through it with big burmed corners and hills etc it takes about 5 minutes for me to get through it but thats at full speed. takes most people 10-15min if your tired at the end theres the beach where you can just ride back to entrance. you can also go south when you get in the beach and theres a lagoon back from the beach. at the end of the lagoon theres some sand tracks that eventually lead to a forest these tracks are awesome too, burmed corners and bit wider and more high speed there not ass long as the north end forest tracks though and then theres the beach which is a perfect place to learn to wheelie and drift on! , on the hard pack sand where the tide has been.

one more good place is out rakaia way I'd have to look at a map two remember how to get there but that has good riding too.

wasn't meaning to write that much got carried away but its an awesome thing to get into you just need to know where to ride and just explore these places ive been riding christchurch tracks for 6 years so took me a while to find the good spots good to have someone that knows places take you for the first time. (i can't i have a broken hand.... ) but just ask other riders when you see them where they normally ride, majority of them are friendly fellas! the more riders you get to know the better!

i've finished my babbling now hope that helps some of ya's find some new interesting places to ride!

hey, I know Im pulling this way back from the dead, but I have searched google and it keeps bringing me back to this post.

I want to confirm that the tracks listed in mcleans island are open to motorbikes? as everything on the maps etc of mcleans islaqnd seem to sugest mountain bikers??

or anywhere else? Im more into the trail/forest rides as opposed to the tacks at the waimak

keep going past the mountain bike stuff. Its one of the last entrances down that road. the gate is closed for "logging" but we just chuck out bikes under the gate and your good to go. The contractors never work weekends in there

Thrupp wrote:Anyone know the good spots to ride in and around christchurch on a dirt bike?
I'm looking for trial riding tracks.

I went to the waimak and that's pretty good on the north side. Went up about 40km from sh1.

Is there much else up there? How about the south side?

Thanks.

There's a username from yesteryear! How's it dude?!

Does anyone know of where you can ride in Rakaia?. It was mentioned earlier and have tried to google it with no luck.

Also anyone know anywhere else you can ride in Canterbury?

Thanks in advance

If i were you id keep away from the 4wd tracks ..you dont want to end up being an ornament on someones bullbar ...ive almost had a headon a few times with bikes on the tight tracks.

I know what you mean, I've had a few close calls myself. Just looking for some new places to ride as I'm getting bored of the usual.

Another wicked one is the selwyn, you can almost hit the mountains some wicked fast bits along there. I was tapped out on the XR (my tapped out) and an x speed way rider passed me on his twin shocker 200!!!! I was in disbelief

Some guys were having fun in the Waipara riverbed yesterday. Just drop in near the highway bridge and head downstream. Sooner or latter you'll hit the ocean . Plenty of soft gravel spots.

Thankyou. I think I will give them a try. Where exactly in Selwyn do you mean?