Trail Journeys Services:

Trail Journeys provide many services associated with the trail. We have provided information in the following page that will be valuable in planning your trail ride.

Accommodation: Most of the accommodation available along the trail at present is either in hotels, motels, or B&B's. These places  range in price from $30 to $85 per person per twin share. There is also some exclusive upmarket accommodation available for which prices are available upon application. Note that by staying in accommodation you do not need to carry extra sleeping gear such as sleeping bags & tents. As most of the Trail accommodation providers only cater for small numbers it is recommended you pre book or use our itinerary service.

Since the inception of the Otago Central Rail Trail and the increase in popularity of mountain-biking, Trail Journeys have extended our fleet of rental bikes each year. We now have around 500 bikes of all sizes to cater for all possible requirements.

No matter what your age or size, if you're riding the Railtrail we have a bike for you. We hire front suspended mountain bikes, front suspended comfort bikes (setup with a more upright riding position and nice wide seats), tandem bikes, smaller 20" & 24" bikes for children from 5-11 years, half bikes (towed behind an adult bike) for children between 4-7 years and baby seats for your wee ones (two types are available, one is a top tube mount where the child sits in front of the adult and is for up to 15kg, the other fits on the back of the bike and is for up to 3 years). Added to our fleet are the childs trailers which are towed behind the adullts bikes and we have a single and double available. We also hire pannier bags to store your kit on your comfort hire bike as well as bike racks which are towbar mounted so that you can carry up to either 2 or 4 bikes on your car.

The bikes we have for rental are very suitable for all the types of tracks we have to offer. For our customers who want that little bit more comfort we have the range of hybrid (or comfort) bikes. In  " Blending all of the features of a comfort bike with the ruggedness of a mountain bike, the  hybrid bike is at home on the bike path, but equally comfortable on unsealed country roads and rail trails". These have an upright riding position, taking the pressure off your neck and wrists. Combine these features with front suspension, a velo comfort saddle with cut out and a suspension seat post and you have probably the most comfortable bike available today. These styles are the main bike that we hire out for the Otago Central Rail Trail.

Our policy of updating bikes each year has our customers riding the most up to date bikes available. When you rent a bike from Trail Journeys, you can be assured that your bike will be well maintained and of good quality. Trail Journeys are developing a new bike specifically for the trail and from our 10 years experience on the trail we have identified areas that are important to our customer and our service department. These include puncture proof tyres, good quality bearings, comfortable riding position with high rake stems for maximum comfort, comfort saddles and many other features identified by our staff. (Back to top)

Its not just about the Rail Trail!
The local area lends itself to serious off road riding along with plenty of passive tracks suitable for families and the not so adventurous amongst us. Most of the tracks are within 5 minutes of the centre of Alexandra or Clyde on a bike.

With an increasing number of tourists visiting our area, mountain-biking offers them a great way to see our diverse and beautiful landscape.

Bike Hire Terms

Please note that we require a credit card to hire a bike and for hires of 1 or 2 hours we will charge your card for one day and then refund you the balance upon your return. Please be aware that for hiring a bike by the hour the hire period begins when you take your hire bike away from our Clyde Trailhead location.

Also note that when you are hiring our bikes for one day or more that you can pick your bike up between 4pm and 5pm the day before this time can vary during the Railtrail peak season from March 1st - April 31st. We  service all of our bikes between hires and during peak periods the servicing times can be extended. (Back to top)

.Bike Hire Rates                              

Tandem Bikes

• $80 per day

• $40 per hour ($80 after 2 hours)

Rail Trail Comfort Bikes (Giant Sedonas with front suspension)

• $40 per day

• $20per hour ($40 after 2 hours)

Mountain Bikes (Giant Yukons & Rincons with front suspension)

• $40 per day

• $20 per hour ($40 after 2 hours)

24" Mountain Bikes

• $30 per day

• $15 per hour ($30 after 2 hours)

20" MTB Bikes

• $20 per day (No half day rates)

Half Bike (these are towed behind an adult bike)

• $25 per day (No half day rates)

Kiddy's Trailers (these are towed behind adults bike)

• $40 per day (no half day rates)

Baby Seat Hire (these attach to the back of an adult bike)

• $10 per day (no half day rates)

Pannier Hire (these fit to the comfort bikes only, note these DON'T fit our mountain bikes)

• $5 per day per set of 2. (Capacity 32, 38 or 40 litres in total)

2 or 4 Bike Car Towbar Rack $15 per day (no half day rates) (Back to top) .

                                                          

Car storage, return transport and baggage transfer:

To make sure that you can ride the trail in comfort and return with no hassles to your starting point there are three services that Trail Journeys offer.

Car Storage: Firstly secure, undercover and alarmed car storage is available from Trail Journeys at the start of the trail (Clyde or Middlemarch). Note that we are able to store larger vehicles such as camper vans as well. Cost of car storage is $12 per day at Clyde and $6 per day at Middlemarch depot and this gives you "peace of mind" while you are away riding the trail. Vans and buses will be priced dependent on size.
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Luggage Transfer: Secondly if you have more gear than you can comfortably carry on your bike we will move your baggage each day to your next stop-off along the trail by using our own shuttle-buses equipped with bike & gear carrying trailers. Or if you are staying off the trail (for example in Naseby, St Bathans or Macraes) we can book you into existing scheduled services. Our price for our Baggage Transfer service is $10 per day per bag. Please note that the maximum bag weight is 10kg. The main reason for this weight limit is so that we don't overwork our fantastic bus drivers. Try shifting more than a few bags at 10kg each and you'll find out what we mean!

Please be aware that when the Railtrail is really busy (normally in the months of March & April) we may occasionally be outside the times listed below. Please rest assured that we will be doing our best to deliver your bags to your next stop as quickly and as efficiently as we can.

Your bags will be delivered to your accommodation daily and will generally be delivered prior to your arrival if you are riding from Clyde to Middlemarch. If you are travelling the other way expect the bags later in the day. Generally your bags will still be at your accommodation prior to your arrival. This will be discussed with you prior to your trip departure.

We will also move any larger pieces of luggage that you may have directly to your final destination on the Railtrail. The cost for this is $15 per bag. (Back to top) .

Transport: Finally Trail Journeys offers a full transport service known as "The RAILTRAIL EXPRESS". The service picks up and delivers customers baggage to their accommodation, transfers passengers on the trail and transports their bikes. The Railtrail Express runs the main thoroughfare from Clyde to Middlemarch.

Our late model buses, vans and trailers are on the Railtrail daily over the season and can transport you in comfort to the beginning of the trail at Clyde either before you start or after you have finished the trail. CLICK HERE to enquire with our office staff. Please provide name, email and phone contact details, departure and arrival locations and date of travel.

Transport Booking Agents: Trail Journeys can also arrange any other transport requirements either before of after your cycle trip. We are agents for all the transport operators into and out of Central Otago as well as the Taieri Gorge Train. To book these services with us will cost you no more than if you had to go through the process yourself. (save the hassle)   (Back to top) .

Main Season:

October 1st - April 30th

Off Season:

May 1st - September 30th

The Railtrail Express provides a service between Clyde and Middlemarch each day over the main season. Where possible our staff will try and schedule the service which best suits your needs, but this is dependent on ours and other clients requirements on the day. As an indication we attempt to have our service leaving Middlemarch by 3pm each day, but this time can vary between 1 pm and 5 pm depending on the time of the season, other passengers needs and the extra services we may need to provide.

Please note that during the off-season we run our the Railtrail Express service according to demand.

One of the main reasons for the Railtrail's popularity is the very safe environment that the activity takes place in. You are riding away from traffic and with no steep hills. As with everything we do there is still the possibility of accidents occurring. People should be aware of the fact that this is an area of very low population and isolation is a factor to consider.

Safety concerns / issues - please read:
Cell phone coverage has been upgraded over the last couple of years. Note that there are still a number of blank spots on the trail but you should be no more than 30 minutes ride from access to coverage. There are doctors at Ranfurly, Alexandra and Clyde and hospitals at Clyde and Ranfurly. First aid kits should be carried to deal with minor cuts, scratches etc.

There is good access to the road highways along most of the trail.

Summers can be very hot and sun block is an essential item. Winters are the opposite and good clothing should be carried or worn.

Once you leave Alexandra there are no cycle repair shops along the trail so repair kits and spares should be carried, if hiring our bikes these are provided.

Please make sure that you carry an adequate supply of drinking water on all the trail. Central Otago is the driest area in New Zealand. (Back to top) .

Central Otago has the lowest rainfall in all of New Zealand. Most of the rural areas do not have treated water supplies. Water may be from springs, roof tanks or wells. Be aware that this water may upset the stomach of people used to drinking treated water from city processing plants.

Drinking Water:
Extremely low rainfall along most of the Railtrail means drinking water is not as freely available as in other parts of New Zealand.

Be prepared by taking plenty of water when you are venturing on to the trail. if you do run short many businesses stock and sell bottled drinking water. Or if requesting water bottles to be re-filled, please expect to pay a small fee.  (Back to top)