Monday was to be a short day, as we had to be out of our lodgings by 3:00pm and heading to the airport for the return trip to Wellington shortly after that. So the aim was to ride the southern section of the Te Awa River Ride between Hamilton and Cambridge, before returning to Hamilton. Shouldn’t be a problem, as it’s largely flat and a known route – or so we thought.

Having returned the Gepida eMTBs on the way back from Waihi the previous day we had arranged to pick up replacement bikes from Dan at River Riders before departure. The replacement bikes were all rear hub driven Magnum Peak eMTBs. With six assist modes and an electronic throttle for effortless riding these were very different from the centre-drive Gepidas ridden earlier. A detailed briefing from Dan, and three trial runs (in different modes) around the neighbouring Garden Place under his watchful eye and we were off.

A pleasant ride through the Hamilton Gardens

The first part of the ride was alongside the Waikato River, through the green belt on the city side. We then inexplicably (or predictably?) missed the crossing of the river at the Thermal Highway bridge, creating a relaxing side-trip through the gloriously named Peacockes Road Esplanade. Very picturesque but not really making much progress toward Cambridge! Back-tracking to the bridge some wise-guy suggested looking at the map helpfully posted on an information board (must have been going too fast and missed it first time around), and we were back on track, across the bridge and in to the Hamilton Gardens.

Disppointingly the Te Awa River Ride is not well sign-posted in and around the Gardens, and with multiple tracks marked for cycling or shared use it is very easy to make a wrong turn – which we duly did. At least we got a good look through the gardens, which do cater well for recreational cycling.

More great trails in the Hamilton Gardens

Eventually we emerged (at the wrong exit) and with a mixture of self-navigation, good fortune and friendly advice from an amused builder (who kindly followed us to make sure the “Townies” didn’t get lost again!) we managed to find our way back on track. Once again, there is a need for better sign-posting on this section – and this time we were looking out for it! We knew that the trail is incomplete in parts, however a few strategically placed signs, or even painted markers (the northern part of the trail is consistently marked throughout with blue painted marker posts) would be helpful in the interim.

The perfect cycle trail: nearing Cambridge

In other sections the trail comprises a beautiful sealed track separated from the road, making progress in these sections much easier – and safer. It would be great if this approach is used for the whole of the southern section once development is fully completed.

For much of this part of the Ride the trail follows alongside a main highway, and at times runs on the highway. Fortunately the traffic was light and we could all enjoy the benefits of the full range of assist modes provided on the Magnum Peaks.

Eventually we made it to the outskirts of Cambridge, but with time running out, given the need to be back in Hamilton before 3:00pm, we sought advice from a bike tour guide at Podium Lodge. Based on that advice we headed back to Hamilton by the more direct route through Bruntwood and Tamahere, and straight back into Hamilton East.  Not a particularly inspiring route and all on-road, but at least it was flat and largely traffic free. And hot – more than 30 degrees as we passed through Tamahere. It was also much quicker than the ride out to Cambridge and we made our deadline back at the lodge.

Keep an eye on that battery level (lower right)!

There was one significant “learning” (to use the appalling vernacular of modern-day sports people) from this ride: different riding styles on throttle assist hub driven ebikes can have a major impact on battery use. By the time we reached the end of the ride back in Hamilton we had two people on the “last bar” (less than 20 percent left) and nursing the battery carefully, one on two bars (20 – 40 percent) and one on four (60 – 80 percent). These bikes can clearly go the distance on largely flat terrain (they would make ideal commuter bikes, with good trail capability for occasional use), but there are some tricks of the trade to be learnt if battery life is to be maximised. That said, the throttle is very useful for catching up quickly if you drift off the pace, or for easing the climb up hills when tired. Also very handy for a quick take-off at intersections in urban areas, so don’t ignore it completely – it is there to be used, albeit sparingly.

The change of bikes also offered a contrast to the more straight forward options available on the mid-drive bikes ridden earlier, providing a very different experience of the two styles. Objective achieved – as that was one of the primary reasons for hiring ebikes for this trip.

And for future weekends? Those electric bikes are very tempting . . .