Riding the Waikato Trails — Share the Road

There is a buzz around biking in the heart of the Waikato region. Share the Road has been working closely with riding groups alongside the Hamilton City Council to deliver cyclist Blindzone Workshops for a wide range of riders. Fonterra have been providing trucks and knowledgeable drivers who are connecting with groups riding the river trails, around the city and out on country roads.

Te Awamutu’s Seriously Social Riders Blind zone workshop with Fonterra 2021

Sean Christian is the Cycling Education Advisor for the Hamilton City Council who coordinates rider training and cycle skills programmes with local groups and schools. He said “there has been a big rise in numbers of recreational riders over the past few years”. Sean and his co-worker Dianne have run Share the Road Cyclist Blindzone workshops with groups including the Flagstaff riding group, the Settlement Centre Waikato and the Seriously Social riding group. The latter are based in Te Awamutu and regularly come to Hamilton to ride the trails. Sean is upbeat about the future of cycling in the region with social riding groups, families and tourists exploring the Waikato to experience the great rides.

The Ngaruawahia section of the Te Awa River Trail

The biggest draw card is the amazing Te Awa River Trail which runs from The Point in Ngaruawahia, through Hamilton and will soon go all the way to Lake Karapiro. At the moment the majority of people are riding from the Hamilton Gardens through to Ngaruawahia and back or from the Avantidrome in Cambridge through to Karapiro and back as there has not been a good connection between the Gardens and Cambridge.

This new section is under construction as a result of a combined effort by Waka Kotahi, Waikato District Council, Waipa District Council and Hamilton City Council. Once complete, the total length of connected pathways will be 70km. The relatively flat 3m wide concrete paths, boardwalks, and on road cycleways will be rideable for all ages and stages.

Betsy Bryant runs the Te Awamutu Seriously Social Group, a large collection of mostly e-bike riders who meet weekly for rides in Te Awamutu and beyond. Kelvin Aris from Share the Road ran a Cyclist Blindzone Workshop for members who were able to sit in the driver’s seat of a Fonterra Tanker. According to Betsy, everyone was amazed at how little the driver could see. The participants appreciated the skill involved in driving a heavy tanker.

Betsy is very aware that sharing the road is a “two way thing”. Seriously Social usually ride on quiet country roads as the trails haven't reached Te Awamutu, yet they still meet many trucks on the way! The ones that give us space get a thank you wave! Betsey said we believe that “all truck drivers should hop on a bike and feel what it’s like being passed”!

Te Awamutu’s Seriously Social rider checking the mirrors for bikes

The group will keep their wheels spinning and love a wave or toot from friendly drivers! Which Betsy tells me, are always reciprocated!

Share the Road will be running Blindzone workshops with Waikato groups in the Spring/Summer of 2021/22, and will be at Hamilton City Council’s Love your Bike Day in February as well as delivering Toolbox Workshops with truck drivers in the region. Book your workshop here. Subscribe to the Share the Road newsletter here.

More info on Te Awa https://www.te-awa.org.nz/