The Timber Trail is a grade 2 / 3 off road trail in the heart of the Pureora Forest (west of Taupo). The trail is generally ridden from Pureora to Ongarue as this offers an easier ride. The attraction of the ride is its remote location, with plentiful native bush and the opportunity to ride over some of the longest cycleway suspension bridges in New Zealand.

Ebike Social Riders Hawkes Bay group rode on various brands of ebikes. Knobbly tyres recommended. 

“A week on from our Timber Trail experience and I still cannot help smiling every time I think of it.
20 members of our e-bike group, 2 days, 85 kilometers! A perfect recipe for adventure!
The trail winds through Pureora Forest Park and climbs to about three quarters of the way up Mt Pureora before descending, on the second day to the carpark at the finishing point.
The moderately challenging ride has some tricky sections and needs some concentration, but the lasting memories are of the stunningly beautiful views of native forest & glimpses of Lake Taupo and surrounding farmland in the distance. The constant soundtrack of native birdsong accompanied by cascading creeks and waterfalls. And the sheer elation of stopping at the end of a hard climb and taking in the breathtaking surroundings.
Highlights also include the overnight accommodation at Timber Trail Lodge…a spectacular self sufficient facility in an amazing setting.
And of course the huge smiles and the constant “Wows” from all of our group.
Having spent half my life overseas, this experience confirms my belief that we have here the most beautiful country in the world.
Would I recommend the trail?
Absolutely, unhesitatingly, definitely YES!” – G.R.

E- Bike Social Riders Hawkes Bay – Timber Trail 21st and 22nd November Review
Timber Trail Pureora to Ongarue
Distance 84 Kms
Number of Riders 20.
Tour Operator Tread Routes Taupo
Accommodation Timber Trail Lodge

The Timber Trail is a grade 2 / 3 off-road trail in the heart of the Pureora Forest. The trail is generally ridden from Pureora to Ongarue as this offers an easier ride. The attraction of the ride is its remote location, with plentiful native bush and the opportunity to ride over some of the longest cycleway suspension bridges in New Zealand.

Planning
Planning for our ride started in May 2019 a full 6 months before the proposed ride dates of the 21st and 22nd November.
There were a number of planning challenges including a cap on the number of riders which was limited to 22 and a sliding price scale which required our group to reach a number target between 18 to 22 to qualify for the best available price.
A significant amount of assessment of the various tour providers was required to ensure that the group could make an informed decision on which provider to use.
In the end we choose Tread Routes of Taupo for the following reasons
• Starting and finishing in Taupo eliminated the requirement to have before and after ride accommodation for the majority of our group. Using a Ongarue based operator would have required before and after accommodation probably in Taumarunui
• The option of two accommodation lodges.
• Extremely good Trip Advisor reviews
• Use of a Personal Locator Beacon.
• Secure parking at the beginning of the trail. (Later removed).
It was initially thought that this ride may have limited appeal and we would need to go outside of the group possibly to other HB cycling groups to achieve the optimum rider numbers. However our Facebook network provided two riders (Brent and Anita) and my Wellington based friend Bill Wilson also tagged onto our group thus providing the required numbers.

Ride Time.
Leading up to the ride the weather forecast was not encouraging however in the days preceding the ride the forecast improved and we were fortunate to be presented with perfect weather with no forecast of rain.
Our group is a diverse group and this ride reflected our diversity in terms of age range 40 something’s to 80. The bikes were also equally diverse from a full blown suspension bike to cruiser step-throughs.
Due to the secure parking arrangement falling through, our group was split into two. With some of the group parking their cars in Taupo and being transported to Pureora in a van and the remainder parking at the DoC car park in Pureora.
After a pre-ride briefing we were on our way.

Day 1 40kms Pureora to the Timber Trail Lodge. (Approx. 4 to 5 hours)
Day 1 is the hardest day and the first few hours are the hardest with a constant climb up Mount Pureora. My Strava recorded a climb height of 320 M.
The ride started with Danny Cairns leading a Karakia which set the tone for the ride.
The group soon became spread out as everyone found their own pace.
The trail surface was not as we expect in Hawkes Bay!
There were a number of tree roots, pot holes, soft areas and ruts.
However the entire group coped well.
The hard work was rewarded with the first swing bridge over Bog Inn Creek (Which I’m sure is the most photographed bridge on the trail!). The views of the bridge and from the trail are truly inspiring.
A few riders suffered slow dismounts but there were no serious injuries.
Whist 40 Kms is not a great distance on the HB trails over this trail a number of riders were surprised when their batteries called “enough” and they had no option but to ride without power or seriously manage their remaining battery capacity.
We had one incapacitating bike breakdown when a drive chain broke. A minor repair which exposed our lack of mountain bike experience. Had we a chain breaker tool and a bit of knowledge the rider would not have been in a position to walk / glide to the Timber Trail Lodge a distance of 10 kms.
Our group has a strictly adhered No Drop Policy to ensure that nobody gets left behind and to provide confidence within that in the event of an incident the riders will be looked after. There is an inconvenience cost to this but unity is part of our group. The rider was accompanied to base.
One of our other riders had power problems and decided to complete Day 2 on a hire bike provided by Tread Routes.

Timber Trail Lodge
The Timber Trail Lodge is a newly built eco lodge in the middle of the trail
They provided a very good evening meal, day 2 breakfast and a packed lunch.
The lodge is licensed and is tolerant of BYO.
There is of course a cost to this, in regards to its remote location. However the rooms, service and ambience ensured we were set up for a good night. We didn’t have exclusive use of the lodge but everyone mingled well all with the common objective to complete the ride.
At meal times our group was spread over two dedicated tables.
Our bikes were stored under the lodge out of any adverse weather.
I received no negative feedback re the Timber Trail Lodge.

Day 2 Timber Trail Lodge to Ongarue 84 Kms. (Approx. 4 to 4.5 hours)
The day 2 ride was a longer but easier ride and in my opinion the most enjoyable day. It included the longest suspension bridge at 141 metres and 53 metres above the stream. It also included the “Spiral”, an over and under section of the trail which included a short tunnel.
With the need to wait for the arrival of a hire bike we organised a group meeting to discuss how to best handle a late start. As we were using two vans there was the opportunity to have an early start group and a late start group providing the group could agree and the early start van could be filled.
The early start option was only available to those that were parked at the DoC Car Park.
After a discussion the group was divided into two groups. This suited some of the groups as they had extensive onward travel (New Plymouth and Wellington).
I was in group 2 so I’m unable to comment on how the group 1 riders went on Day 2.
For us group 2 riders the day was very enjoyable with the leaders of group 2 stopping to allow for regular re-groups.
For me Day 2 was the better day even though my packed lunch went AWOL somewhere on the trail fortunately I was fed by the remainder of group 2. I will be forever grateful.
The weather continued to be fine. The views were outstanding our entire group were humbled.
As the ride wound down we all knew we had been part of something special and the memories would continue for a long time.

Closeout.
This was the fourth group ride, following the Hauraki Rail Tail Oct 2018, Otago Rail Trail Feb 2019 and the Te Awa River Trail March 2019. The common theme is the comradely of our group and this ride was no different.
This ride was in my opinion the toughest of our rides but also provided the most in terms of ride satisfaction.
I’m not going to dish out individual praise because I believe the strength of our group lies within the group and not with individuals. I’m beyond proud of our group and I thank you all for your support.
I’m sure we all gained individual memories and the Facebook photographs provide a record of the beauty of the Timber Trail ride.
Would I recommend this ride? Yes I would.
Is it for everyone? Possibly not but with the support of our group all riders on this ride made it to the end.
Well Done E-Bike Social Riders Hawkes Bay #Number1.
Charlie Davey 24/11/2019