Ride the Otago Central Rail Trail Overview

The following pages aim to give you a flavour of what it's like to ride the Otago Central Rail Trail for that day, and a taste of the activities and the accommodation available around that day's riding. Please note that our guide details the trail over four days. A four day ride is by far the most popular way that people experience the trail.

Once you've looked at each days riding other factors to consider include what time of the year should I ride, how fit do I need to be, what type of bike should I ride, what type of gear should I carry, what type of accommodation is available, which way should I ride the trail, how do I get back to my starting point, can I get my excess gear carried, etc. Don't worry !, all these questions and more are answered in our Important Information page.

The Otago Central Rail Trail is a year-round recreational facility, designed for bike riding and walking. It is a public reserve and can be ridden or walked in either direction.

Trail Journeys actively promotes the trail being ridden from the Clyde end. The prevailing winds in Central Otago are Norwesterly and although you are affected to some degree by this from the Clyde end you do receive some protection from the surrounding hills. The trail goes slightly downhill from Clyde to Alexandra with the norwesterly directly behind you and then climbs to Wedderburn, which is halfway to Middlemarch. The altitude is then lost from Wedderburn to Middlemarch.

 

How many days should we take?

The trail is 150km long and people with average fitness can certainly do this in 3 days and two nights accommodation, but time may not allow too many deviations. Taking 4 or 5 days can allow a much more relaxed approach. Time to visit all the small pubs and talk to the locals. Also there are many other places of interest close by the rail-trail that are worth a visit. Also with a 4 to 5 day trip it allows you an easy day to freshen up.

 

What is the best time to do the trail?

The trail can be ridden at any time of the year.

Weather
What will the weather be like?: [Typical Day Time Temps]

Spring(September-November): [12-25 ^oC]
Spring weather with some wind from the north west, the majority of time you will be riding with the wind (If you're riding from the Clyde end). The early mornings can still be very cold.

Summer (December-February): [18-30 ^oC]
Hot summers typified by long days (daylight from 6am until 10pm) with the hottest part of the day in the late afternoon (if you don't like the heat start riding earlier in the day).

Autumn (March-May): [10-26 ^oC]
Autumn days are mostly warm and settled with cool nights. The weather is generally more settled and without the extremes in temperature that you get in the other seasons. The late autumn colours are just fantastic and are best seen in mid to late April. Bear in mind that this is the busiest time on the trail, so be prepared for bigger crowds.

Winter (June-August): [-1 -10 ^oC]
Can often be cold with frost, but on clear windless days (the majority of days over Winter !) the riding and views can be spectacular. The temperatures can dip below -0 degrees, but the days can be absolutely magnificent. Note that daylight hrs are typically 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

Sunshine hours (annual average): [1,980]

Humidity (annual average): [82.8%]

 

What is the best direction to ride the trail?

Should I Start In Clyde or Middlemarch?
Our recommendation is that you start your ride at the Clyde Railhead, but the other direction can provide benefits as well.

Reasons for this?

• Starting from Clyde allows for more accommodation options on the first day, so it can be a shorter day to ease you into the rythym of cycling.
• Finishing at Middlemarch can give you the option of completing your last day with a spectacular train trip through the Taieri Gorge to Dunedin.
• Wind direction is always a gamble and we cannot guarantee we get it right all the time, but the perception is the prevailing winds of SW to NW are more likely to be behind you the majority of the way when starting in Clyde. This would be more likely to happen during spring and early summer but of course with weather it is very hard to predict and the wind can be there at any time of the year. As we say in Central Otago, if the weather is bad here, it is always worse everywhere else.
• Our business is now situated in Clyde and Middlemarch, so for our customers it’s does not create any issues if your start from either end. We can now make sure that your cycle is a perfect fit for you at both Clyde and Middlemarch
• If your itinerary means you have to start in Middlemarch we now have a full depot at this end with showers, internet, shop and bike hire, we just need to know your height to work out the size of bike you will require.

 

What bike should I ride?

We have found our most popular model is the hybrid bike that we hire. In Giant, the bike manufactors words, " Blending all of the features of a comfort bike with the ruggedness of a mountain bike, the Sedona 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. For details on our hire bikes please visit our bike rentals page.
On any bike saddle height is very important. To set this sit in the normal cycling position & with your heel positioned on the pedal at the very bottom of its cycle your leg should be almost straight. If you're hiring one of our bikes we will make sure that you're fitted out to your requirements.
Cycling shorts are also recommended, as they avoid chaffing, even if you wear them under a pair of loose fitting shorts. We also sell Gel seat covers to provide more comfort again.
Most importantly if you are not a regular cyclist make an effort 2 or 3 times a week to do an hour or so of cycling in the weeks leading up to your rail-trail adventure. This will certainly make your journey more enjoyable.

 

What gear do I need to ride the trail?

Over the Summer / Autumn months most people travel light with maybe a change of clothes, but always make sure that you carry a good wind & rainproof jacket with you.
Winter trips can be quite cold so you will need to have extra gear such as long johns and waterproof over trousers along with an extra warm top to wear. You should also take a pair of good long fingered winter gloves and a balaclava to make sure that you'll be comfortable.

The following is a comprehensive list of gear to wear / take out on the trail (apart from your bike and helmet!):

• Lightweight waterproof/breathable jacket
• Walking / running shoes or biking shoes and socks
• Lightweight leggings (lycra, merino or polypropylene)
• Sunscreen and a peaked hat
• Merino or fleece jacket
• Long sleeved merino or micro-fleece top
• Lightweight superfine merino T-shirts for fine weather
• Cycle gloves
• Cycle shorts
• Gel seat cover
• Plenty of water and some food
• Camera for recording your adventure for posterities sake!
• Toilet paper for use in the trail eco-toilets
• Small head torch for use in the tunnels

 

Accommodation and food on the Trail.

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. Prices for these places are available upon application (please visit our Contact Us page). Note that by staying in these places 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.

Food and drinks are readily available between Clyde & Ranfurly. The biggest gap without eating establishments is the 23km between Lauder & Oturehua so you will only need to carry snacks on this section. From Ranfurly through to Hyde there is only the pub at Waipiata for morning tea or lunch. From there you have 25 km to bike to the Hyde pub (great snacks, food, coffee and drinks provided by Ngaire and her team). From Hyde to your final destination of Middlemarch (the Middlemarch Hotel and Kissing Kates Cafe provide a good range of food and drinks) is another 27km of riding with no food or drink available.