Stay tuned for more information on the 2025 Gravel and Tar Events!

GRAVEL & TAR CLASSIC

The Gravel and Tar Classic race is a 155 km elite men’s cycling race. In 2025, it will be held on the 16th November. To discover the challenge of this race on the gravel and tar roads of the beautiful Manawatu region of NZ, view the official race 2023 results, here. And Cycling New Zealand’s race report can be found here.

February Cycling Month

Join the Aotearoa Bike Challenge

Get back on a bike and rediscover the joys and benefits of riding a bike! 

This February individuals and organisations across New Zealand will compete to see who can get the most people riding a bike. This is a fun and free challenge open to everyone! It doesn’t matter if you ride every day or haven’t been on a bike years, you can ride anywhere anytime in February to take part. 

There are prizes to win for riding and encouraging your friends and colleagues to ride too! 

Here in the Manawatu, the Greasy Chain Charitable Trust is encouraging people from businesses, professions, schools, social groups, families, to have a friendly competition for the month of Feb. Jump on the Love To Ride website and register your intention and please let us know.

Happy cycling!

A bridge too far? Not likely – biking made easy!

So, maybe you’re not into cycling? There are plenty of good reasons to cycle - for example, fitness, better for the environment, getting some fresh air, saving cost of petrol, getting to school or work – we could go on and on about the benefits. But ultimately, it’s up to you to decide that you’ll have a go (or get back into it). And your reasons are your reasons, not ours.

Quite often when we have a reservation about doing something we’ve not done before, or taking on where we left off a long time ago, it’s how to take that first step (or in this case, pedal). Sport Manawatu, together with the Greasy Chain Charitable Trust, are making it easy to take that first pedal – we can even provide a bike, or get you a free check up of that old dusty bike in the garage.

And we’re not talking about long distances here – we plan for a short (just 3.5km – that’s something everyone can do) ride along the Manawatū River Shared Pathway from the He Ara Kotahi bridge to the Fitzherbert bridge – flat all the way!

The “Bridge to Bridge” (sounds impressive already when you tell your friends that “I’ve just done the Bridge to Bridge – on a bike!”) will be on Thursday 23rd Feb starting at 6:00PM.  There’ll be a short intro to cycle safety and you can even get your bike checked free by an expert from Evo Cycles (normally $35.00), so that’s already a bonus.

There’s no need to register for the ride, just turn up on the day by 6:00PM at the He Ara Kotahi bridge and we’ll get you started. If you’re in need of a loan bike, please contact Nigel Fitzpatrick at Sport Manawatu via nigelf@sportmanawatu.org.nz no later than Wednesday 22nd Feb. If you’d like a free bike check from Evo Cycles, just drop into their store at Ferguson and Oxford Streets and quote “Bridge to Bridge” and one of their expert mechanics will look after you – no need for an appointment (and remember, that’s a free check-up thanks to the good folk at Evo). There’s also the opportunity to get your bike checked on the day from 4PM at the Evo Cycles tent at He Ara Kotahi bridge – however, there are only 10 spots available for this, so be there early.

The Greasy Chain Charitable Trust and Sport Manawatu look forward to seeing you at He Ara Kotahi bridge on Thursday 23rd Feb.

GRAVEL & TAR LA FEMME

Recognised as one of the toughest race on the women’s road calendar, this year it will be 91km with 23.1 km’s of gravel. As one of the first cycling events in the world to pay equal prize money, we’re proud to bring this event once more for elite women cyclists to the mighty Manawatu!

The Retro Ride is back, by popular demand - Sunday 21st Jan 2024!

The retro ride is a friendly event to get people moving and have fun. The ride is for anyone who owns a retro bike or simply likes dressing up in retro gear. Join the team for a celebration ride of old-school bikes, starting at Cyclista in George Street Palmerston North, on Sunday morning (21st January 2024) at 10am for the standard 7.5 km ride (or a bit longer if you’re feeling like it)

No registrations required - just turn up in your best retro gear and on your bets retro bike on Sunday 22nd Jan at 10AM.

George Street will be closed for the day, so there will be entertainment, good food and the best company.

SLICKS & STONES Gravel Assault

The Slicks and Stones Gravel Assault is for the hard-core sport and weekend cyclist keen on riding a bit of gravel. With plenty of gravel sectors it’s a great way to experience the back roads of the Manawatu like the elite riders in the Gravel and Tar races. Stay tuned for more information in the 2025 event!

tour aotearoa - cape reinga to bluff - do it at your own pace

One of the world’s greatest bike packing trips can be found right here in New Zealand – a 3000-kilometre odyssey stretching the length of the country.

An adventurous journey between Cape Reinga to Bluff, Tour Aotearoa takes in many of New Zealand’s top trails – including nine Great Rides and 11 Heartland Rides – linked up by other notable cycle routes, both on and off road.

The route was originally conceived by Jonathan Kennett for a ‘brevet’, a non-competitive, non-commercial event in which entrants ride a set course – unsupported – in no less than 10 days and no more than 30. The thing was, once the inaugural field of 300-odd riders got a taste of the Tour Aotearoa back in 2016, word soon spread that not only could it be done, it was a must-do