The 2025 Gravel and Tar is on -
16th November - mark your diary!

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 EVERY FEBRUARY

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

Every February, individuals, organisations and regions across New Zealand 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 encourages 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!

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 in 2024 was a great success!

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.

It started at Cyclista in George Street Palmerston North, on Sunday morning 21st January 2024 and over 50 cyclists and their supporters had a great day out..

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