On a fine still day the Port Hills are magical. To the west is Christchurch city and in the distance the towering snow covered peaks of the Southern Alps. To the east are the blue waters of the Lyttleton Harbour, the crater of this huge ancient volcano. Behind the harbour is the far rim of the crater and the Pacific Ocean.
Summit Road runs along the crest of the Port Hills and is the baseline for several mountain bike tracks which run alongside it. The trails tend to be narrow and concave with rocky patches as they sidle round the hills like sheep tracks without a lot of technical action. They undulate but don't have long climbs and the side exposure is generally not vertiginous. But there is a lot of variation. Here is a brief review - from west to east...
*** Flying Nun Track, 2.3km, advanced, down slope, rock lined berms, swooping curves, jumps, the best...
*** Thomsons shared use track, 1km, intermediate, short, leave it to the walkers and ride up the road...
*** Bowenvale Traverse Track, 3km, easyish, tending level, a few humps, rocks and lava pinches, nice...
*** Mount Vernon Track, 2.4km, intermediate, some rocky, some smooth and flowing, spicy variety...
*** Witch Hill Track, 1km, Intermediate, lava flows, boulders, steep pinch, great views. short and sweet...
*** Castle Rock Track, 1.5km, advanced, some groovy downhill switchbacks, exposure, boulders, great...
*** Mount Pleasant Track 2km, intermediate, up and back for 360 views, flowing, just a few rocky patches...
*** John Britten Track, 1m, easy, short, quite level, pleasant sheep track with some lava, too soon over...
*** Greenwood Park Track, 3km, advanced, some fast and flowing, some rock garden action, wow! ...
*** Godley Head Track, 7km, advanced, steep rocky climb, then great down slope, rock garden action, awesome!...
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Several tracks run up and down the slopes of the hill, linking the Summit Road tracks with the city below. Here they are from west to east....
### Crocodile Track, 2km, intermediate, weaves back and forth across steep pasture, nice switchbacks...
### Kennedys Bush Track, 5km, intermediate, grunt up or bomb down, straight 4x4 track...
### Worsleys Track, 4km, intermediate, steep 4x4 track, rutted and part unrideable near top...
### Old Dyers Pass Track, 2.3km, intermediate, mix of singletrack and 4x4 track, only goes part way down the hill...
### Huntsbury Track, 2.5km, intermediate, stays open, 4x4 gravel track, starts half way up the hill, ho-hum...
### Bowenvale Downhill, 2.8km, intermediate, branches off the Huntsbury, fantastic curvy downhill ride...
### Lava Flow Track, 1.3, advanced, gnarly, steep, drops, rocky...
### Mount Vernon Farm Track, 2.6km, intermediate, steady climb-descent on grassy track ...
### Rapaki Track, 3.5, easy, gracefully climbs-descends 300m, best way up from the city...
### Captain Thompsons Track, 3km, intermediate, ride it down not up, technical sections, exposure...
### Anaconda Track, 2km, intermediate, go down not up, fast, fun, technical, berms, swoops, flowing, the best...
Nice views...best climb in chch
| ThankAirtime
| ThankAnother climb trail that does what it needs to do. A little steeper than rapaki, but gets you to the better trails faster.
| ThankReally fun trail, some techy rock sections in places but maintains good flow and rewards proficient riders. Watch out for some of the bigger rocks, they could make a mess of your wheels...
| ThankDoes what it needs to do - gets you to the top. Not particularly difficult, an easy cruise up.
| Thankit is a great work out 20 min of steep incline but fun going avoid Wednesday great views
| ThankIt's a four wheel track that goes from the city to Summit Road. It's rough and rutted. Very steep in places too.
| ThankKennedys Bush Track is a four wheel drive track over farmland. It has no particular merit as a mountain bike trail but it does provide access between Halswell and the trails along the Summit Road. It joins onto the Crocodile track at the bottom end. The top is not far along Summit Road from the magical Flying Nun Track.
| ThankThe Godley Head Track is one of the best on the Port Hills for skilled riders. There is heaps of variety in pace and technicality. It's up on wide open hills with stunning views - a long way from hell!
| ThankThere is great variety all the way down this formidable trail. There is some easy grassy track, some four wheel drive track, and lots of classy singletrack with interesting technicality. It gets better and better as you go down. It's a shaded valley so does get a bit damp - perhaps best avoided in winter.
| ThankShort and sweet - very sweet singletrack - a feast of fast flowing bends and other tasty stuff.
| ThankIncidentally, I was too lost in the moment to stop and take photos of the best bits. Think about taking your camera to fill in the gaps!!!
The Greenwood Park Track is one of several trails that run along the crest of the Port Hills parallel to Summit Road. They are all great trails and this one is one of the best.
| ThankThe Huntsbury Track is a four wheel drive track that goes up the Port Hills between Christchurch's Huntsbury suburb and the Summit Road. It's an all-weather track and doesn't close during rain. It makes for a good workout on the way up and a fast ride down. It's a non-technical track used for access.
| ThankThe best down slope rides on the Port Hills are Anaconda, Bowenvale Downhill and Crocodile.
| ThankAll the traversing tracks that parallel the Summit Road are great. The best is the amazing Flying Nun. Godley Head and Greenwood Park are also fantastic.
The best ride up is Rapaki.
It's a stunning array of trails with wonderful variety, expansive views, and height - there really is something about looking down on the rest of the world!
I love this trail! It is an intense and exhilarating ride unlike anything else on the Port Hills or anywhere else.
| ThankOn a fine, clear day this trail is food for the soul and endorphins for the body. It's another great link in a chain of awesome trails along the Summit Road.
| ThankThis trail won't strain your muscles and on a fine day you are bound to feel the magic of the Port Hills - the wide open spaces and the expansive views - as your wheels whir along the smooth flowing track.
| ThankI saw bikers going up and down this trail as a fitness ride, but most were going up to Summit Road where the real fun starts on the 40 odd kilometres of great singletrack up there.
| ThankIt's a great workout and fun navigating the switchbacks. Can be tricky in places... strictly for bikers with some experience.
| ThankFun downhill, short but good workout to climb.
| Thank