Love to ride or want to start? You're in the right place. Palmerston North is a fab city for biking. We're compact and famously flat, with an ever-expanding network of bike lanes, shared pathways, and off-road tracks.
Check out Bike Palmy for resources, inspiration, maps, and more.
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Experience our awa in all its moods along the Manawatū River Pathway. This gentle path is the ultimate family-friendly route. It stretches 10km end to end, with 12 different entrance points. Go for a 10-minute ride or take your time – the choice is yours.
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He Ara Kotahi is Palmy’s newest recreational route. Bike the whole 9km to Linton for a beautiful ride with pine forests, farmland, and river views. If you're after a shorter ride, try the loop between Fitzherbert Bridge and He Ara Kotahi Bridge, which clocks in at 3.7km.
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The Mangaone Stream Pathway winds along the stop banks between Awapuni and Milson. Depending on what type of ride you're looking to do, you could be cruising anywhere from 0.4km to 11km – or keep on going and do the whole city loop.Â
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Thanks to Manawatū Mountain Bike Club, Arapuke Forest Park is fast becoming one of the best places in New Zealand to ride your mountain bike. Over the past 5 years, club members have developed more than 30km of cross-country and downhill tracks! This network has Grade 2 to Grade 6 mountain bike trails and forestry roads.
If you aren't sure you have the adrenaline required or have young kids, try some of the jumps along the river pathway first.
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The Junior Road Safety Park is a place for children aged 2 to 10 to learn how to be safe on the city's streets – without the pressure of real-life road rage. The park, which is in Victoria Esplanade, has been built to scale and looks and feels like local streets. It's designed to be a fun environment for kids to learn about basic road safety while gaining confidence.
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