Bridge to Bridge

Bridge to Bridge - Mountain Bike Ride
Sunday 1st December 2024

The original Bridge to Bridge is a mountain bike ride from The Waimakariri Gorge Bridge to State Highway One Bridge, on the South Bank of the river.

There are now 4 mountain bike rides held that day, the traditional 58km ride from the Gorge, a 30km ride from The Willows a 12km Recreational Ride from Haul Road. In 2018 the Enduro of 115km going up the North Bank of the River and back down the South Bank was introduced.

All races finish at Whites Crossing by the Motorway Bridge (Hence the name Bridge to Bridge).

The 12km, 30km and 58km races start at 9:00am, with Race Briefing 8:45am.

The Enduro 115km starts at 6:45am, with Race Briefing at 6:30am

Mountain Bike Ride cut offs for all rides:
Waimakariri Gorge - 9:35am
The Willows - 11:05am
Haul Road - 12:20pm
Finish - 1:00pm

The Start:
115km Ride:
The Bridge Enduro Mountain Bike 115km will start at Whites Crossing and utilize the clip-on on the motorway bridge.

The 115km race will start at 6:45am. Starting at Whites Crossing and riders will go up onto the Motorway clip-on on the Motorway Bridge, cross the river then travel up the Stop Bank and follow this all the way to Harrs Road where they will ride the riverbed road all the way up to the Intake at Browns Rock Road. They will then exit up to Thongcaster Road turn left on the tar seal road to the Waimakariri Golf Course to State Highway 6 and left towards the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge where you will cross the might Waimakariri River, after crossing the bridge you will ride down into the Gorge. Hopefully you've arrived before or at the same time as the 58km riders are starting to get a drafted ride back down the river and a bit of company.

Your ride home will be the 58km course. In the first 9km you will come to 6 closed gates on the stop bank, you will need to throw your bike over these gates. This race will be a fast and exciting ride for everyone with the challenge to get to the gorge before the 58km riders start and hold them out to the finish. You will be basically doing both Bridge to Bridge races in one day.

58km Ride:
Bridge to Bridge Mountain Bike 58km starts at the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge. The 58km ride will start at 9:00am at the heart of the Waimakariri Gorge River Bridge. Starting beneath the gorge bridge you will travel via 4 wheel drive tracks all the way to the Waimakariri northern motorway bridge finishing in the car park area. Throughout the ride you will be tested by the amazing tracks and scenery of the river bed, stop bank and tracks through the trees and milled forestry.

30km Ride: The 30km ride will start at 9.00am at the Willows off Thompsons Road, car parking is at the Willows

12km Ride: The 12km Recreational Ride is for everyone 7years of age and up, this starts 9:00am at Haul Road behind the shingle pit, this is achievable by everyone and we're allowing 7-year old and up to do this ride, preferably with an adult for the young ones.

The Finish
Bridge to Bridge finishes at the State Highway One Bridge that crosses the Waimakariri River.

The finish will be in the car park area just before the Northern Motorway Bridge.

You will come out of a tree lined track into the open area and feel amazed that you’ve finished. One thing the ride does, it never tells you that you’re close to the finish, other than the one km markers throughout the track. At times you truly doubt that these are accurate as you can never see the finish until is just appears.

All distances will all finish at Whites Crossing. Turn at the Belfast Tavern (Peg Tavern), down Dickeys Road, the right onto Coutts Island Road.