About eco-friendly self-guided bicycle touring

Every year more and more people discover the amazing experience of cycling as a means of exploring New Zealand. It is an exceptional way to see the country, with its many quiet roads and varied, magnificent scenery. With its wide diversity of stunning scenery, low population and temperate climate the South Island offers an unparalleled opportunity for cyclists to enjoy a variety of different landscapes, often in the same day.

"Anyone planning a cycle tour of NZ (particularly the South Island) should check out some of the options at www.cyclehire.co.nz"
— Lonely Planet 2006 New Zealand edition

Why a self-guided cycling tour?

New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world to bike in, with a low crime rate, low traffic volumes and friendly culture. This makes New Zealand, and the South Island in particular, ideal for the self-guided cyclist. However, due to the low population density, accommodation can be difficult to arrange. In addition, our self-guided tours are the most eco-friendly way to experience New Zealand.

"Hi Paul am back in Oz having had a wonderful time in NZ. The bike and the service you provided were great and would not hesitate to recommend or use you again when I next visit
-Cheers Deb

With extensive local cycling knowledge and tourism industry contacts, we are able to offer a variety of quality accommodation options at competitive prices. All of the accommodation used on ICTNZ bicycle tours has been personally checked by our team for cleanliness, quality and (most importantly) cycle-friendly hosts. A key difference between ICTNZ and other tour companies is the quality of accommodation and cycling equipment we provide. Another factor that separates us from other tour operators is that we will deliver the bike and gear to your accommodation in Christchurch (or a number of other cities around New Zealand). We come to you (including weekends and after-hours by arrangement), saving you time and hassle in an unfamiliar city .

"...I wanted to thank you and Kim for the good organisation of the tour, which gave me security, which I didn´t have at the beginning of my trip." Oliver more testimonials

We also provide a number of top-quality supported and fully guided tours on our partner website. Other options include campervan hire, minibuses and cycle trailer rental.

What are self-guided cycling tours? 

Guided cycling tours offer the security of knowing everything is organized for you, but within the confines of an often large group, whom you may not have anything in common with, or at worst, not want anything to do with. You take breaks, meals etc. when the group does and run to their schedule, whether that is too easy, or too hard for you. Your socialization is usually within the tour group, and unfortunately you often have little contact with local culture and individuals. Guided trips are great for those who have unlimited finances and who don’t mind being part of a group, running to an often rigid schedule.

Our self guided cycling tours differ from fully guided bike tours, in that you do not have a support vehicle running along side you to carry your equipment. With self-guided cycling ecotours, you are independent; carrying your own equipment and your support vehicle, if required, is public transport. This means that self-guided cycle tours are the most eco-friendly possible way to travel! Your day is your own to do at your pace with the back-up of a comprehensive daily itinerary; put together by cyclists with ten’s of thousand of km’s of local touring knowledge. Suggested sites to visit, local landmarks and amenities are all set out for you, so you can spend your holiday seeing the scenery rather than searching for the train station/ supermarket/ place to stay etc.

The geography and lack of population in New Zealand mean that whilst New Zealand is a great place for cycling, unfortunately, you can not expect to find accommodation every few kilometres. Towns are often 50-100 km apart, making pre-booking essential for those without the back-up of a tent. Having talked to many cyclists, the worst thing is cycling all day only to have to try to find a place to stay at the end of the day. For our tours we have selected quality, clean accommodation with local hosts, who are happy to share their enthusiasm for New Zealand with you. Breakfast is also included, with lunch and evening meals at your own discretion, with the back up of our ideas and your host’s local recommendations.

Included in the cost of your cycling tour is the use of a quality bicycle and equipment, suited to the demands of bike touring in New Zealand. Having the bike, panniers and equipment in New Zealand means that you can avoid the hassles and costs associated with bringing your bike with you; Additionally your aren’t left looking for safe storage for your bike when cycling is done.

Lastly, but for most of us significantly, the cost of a self-guided bike tour is a third to a half of the cost of fully guided group tours. Given that you are seeing the same countryside, on the same roads, staying in equivalent accommodation, it’s easy to see why self-guided cycling tours are becoming the increasingly popular way to bicycle.

What gear is included with your bike tour? 

Our bike rental/tour bikes include:-

Front handlebar bag for lighter luggage
Cycle speedo [for those vital statistics]
Spare tube/puncture repair kit
Tools [including chain breaker/spoke wrench]
Spare spokes and chain links
Front and rear lights
Lock and chain
Rear Ortleib waterproof pannier bags [pair]
Reflective safety vest

Optional equipment available for hire includes:

Yak cycle trailer
Helmets — we have a limited number for hire, but have found that most people prefer to buy their own.

Camping equipment including:

Sleeping bags
Tents
Cookers and cooking equipment/utensils
Inflatable sleeping mats

Why choose us? 

Eight very good reasons...

Eco-friendly tourism

Self-guided cycle tours are the most eco-friendly way to travel. You use pedal power to see this beautiful country, thus minimising your carbon footprint. We strongly believe that ecotourism is an important part of New Zealand's future and are proud to be part of the growth in sustainable green tourism.

Flexibility

to do what you want without being tied to tight schedules and crowded groups that a fully guided bike tour would entail. You see this beautiful country without worrying about minimum numbers and dates that may not suit.

Accommodation

One of the key difference between ICTNZ and other tour companies is the quality of the accommodation and friendliness of the hosts. We carefully check all accommodation to ensure the best possible experience for all our customers. One of the main reasons you should choose to explore New Zealand with us is that you stay in cycle-friendly local accommodation, rather than sterile motel units. We believe that many memorable holiday experiences are made by the friendly local people you meet. The friendliness of the hosts and the high standard of accommodation has frequently been commented on by our customers. Get to know the real New Zealand and real New Zealanders, while experiencing the beauty and majesty of our unique country.

Affordability

Costing around half that of fully-guided bicycle tour; self-guided bicycle tours allow you to spend longer biking and doing the things you want to do; making your New Zealand adventure holiday more affordable. We're inexpensive, but by no means cheap. In fact, we are leading New Zealand when it comes to touring service and price.

Knowledge

ICTNZ has been set up by cycle tourers, for cycle tourers. We have extensive knowledge of bike touring in the South Island of New Zealand, gained through tens-of-thousands of kilometres cycling all the routes we recommend. We have used the knowledge we have gained to put together these self-guided tour routes because we think they offer the best experience of the spectacular scenery and unique culture that the South Island has to offer. Find out a bit more about us.

Equipment

that will get the job done, not leave you sitting on the side of the road. We provide cheap tours, not cheap gear. The bikes are thoroughly checked after every hire, so you can be assured of a well serviced, quality bike for your journey. To undertake a bike tour in New Zealand, you need a bike capable of standing up to the rigours of this diverse countryside. We offer well-serviced bikes with Shimano deore 27 speed componentry as miminum. We believe that anything less is not capable of dealing with the demands of bike touring. Don't accept poor quality 21 or 24 speed lower specification cycles unless you want to risk sitting on the roadside when they break down. High specification Shimano LX and XT componentry cycles offer slightly improved performance and weight reduction on the bike. However, the difference relative to deore is small and the costs are markedly higher. For these reasons we believe shimano deore specification cycles offer the quality and value you will require to get the best out of your cycling experience.

Safety

New Zealand is a safe place to travel in. Due to our relatively low population, particularly in the South Island, our roads are in good order with low traffic flows. You may find it uncannily eerie at times when there are so few vehicles travelling on the routes you will cycle on.

Support

Another factor that separates us from other tour operators is that we will deliver the bike and gear to your accommodation in Christchurch (or a number of other cities around New Zealand). We come to you, saving you time and hassle in an unfamiliar city. If you get stuck or need a day off, all our tours are developed so the routes are covered by a major (New Zealand-wide) shuttle service, which is able to take you and your bike to the next location. On some of our tours we provide a luggage cartage service so that your gear can be waiting for you at the end of each day instead of being carried by you on the bike. This service costs an additional $200 per person (minimum of 2 people) although a discount is available for 3 or more people.

Still not convinced that self-guided is the way to go?

Check out our Guided Tours or our bicycle and equipment hire-only charges. We also hire camping equipment,, tandem cycles and trailers. We have everything you need for an eco-friendly 'kiwi experience'.

We aim to meet the needs of anyone considering New Zealand as a cycling destination. As experienced cyclists, these are the bikes and equipment we would want to use if we were visiting New Zealand, and as New Zealanders we can assure you that these are the best cycling tour routes you will find.

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