Good roads near Auckland CBD

[SPORK]

I live right in the middle of town, and frankly I'm sick of the boring straight road riding that's seemingly necessary in order to get anywhere interesting to ride. Are there any hidden gems near the city that I'm missing out on?

[EJK]

Generally most motorway on-ramps.

[gijoe1313]

Do the good ol'Hornet Swarm ride route ... the St Heliers GP (done at legal speed! Is still fun!) and the dingle dell christmas bell route! Heck you should just join the swarm ride! (usually on Monday evenings)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/85963-Hornet-Swarm-Night-City?highlight=night+city

[release_the_bees]

Here (http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/nz/auckland/380126864555818557) is part of my regular Friday night ride, which has a decent amount of curves (especially Riddell Road) that are still interesting to ride at the 50 km/h speed limit. I'd also recommend Beach road on the Shore as a road that I enjoy riding.

[PirateJafa]

Here (http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/nz/auckland/380126864555818557) is part of my regular Friday night ride, which has a decent amount of curves (especially Riddell Road) that are still interesting to ride at the 50 km/h speed limit. I'd also recommend Beach road on the Shore as a road that I enjoy riding.

Oh god, please don't tell me you're one of those people like the Hornet Swarmers who rip around the "St Heliers GP". There are better places to speed than 50km/h residential zones.

We've had to trailer away bikes of KBers along that very route after they've gone through there acting like right twats. They forget that people are still legally and morally entitled to pull in and out of their own driveways, walk around and generally enjoy their homes without having to worry about getting taken out by a inept learner plowing them down.

[SPORK]

Do the good ol'Hornet Swarm ride route ... the St Heliers GP (done at legal speed! Is still fun!) and the dingle dell christmas bell route! Heck you should just join the swarm ride! (usually on Monday evenings)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/85963-Hornet-Swarm-Night-City?highlight=night+city

Am I that forgettable!? Absolutely terrible. I'm the dude on the white Bandit 250 that's turned up a couple of times!

[SPORK]

And yeah - I'd prefer to stay away from residential areas, they don't really do it for me...

[Thaeos]

And yeah - I'd prefer to stay away from residential areas, they don't really do it for me...

Yea... too many residents.

[EJK]

Try this place. Mt Eden Summit. Well it's not exactly a ride but I had fun. One way up, one way down. Takes about 1 and a half min to do a full loop.

I did that alot for fun. It's like a roller coaster but I don't gurantee you'll have fun due to it's shortness.

[release_the_bees]

Oh god, please don't tell me you're one of those people like the Hornet Swarmers who rip around the "St Heliers GP". There are better places to speed than 50km/h residential zones.

We've had to trailer away bikes of KBers along that very route after they've gone through there acting like right twats. They forget that people are still legally and morally entitled to pull in and out of their own driveways, walk around and generally enjoy their homes without having to worry about getting taken out by a inept learner plowing them down.

I think you're aiming this at the wrong person. First off I only ride alone and secondly I ride at the speed limit at most. Did you not notice that I mentioned this ride is fun at road legal speeds?

[Crisis management]

And yeah - I'd prefer to stay away from residential areas, they don't really do it for me...

I suggest then that somewhere outside of Auckland is the answer............

North Western motorway, turn left after Westgate and then any side road.

[R6_kid]

You could try "lovers lane" in the Domain. Take it easy if it's wet as it can be a bit slippery. It's fun at 50kmh, not sure what the speed limit through there is though, maybe 30kmh?

Queen Street on a Friday night isn't as fun as it once was :(

[gijoe1313]

"Oh god, please don't tell me you're one of those people like the Hornet Swarmers who rip around the "St Heliers GP". There are better places to speed than 50km/h residential zones."


As to the negative comment about hornet swarmers ripping it up, I am perfectly aware that local people would not appreciate hoons through it, so always ride it at the speed and respect it deserves. St Heliers GP is firmly tongue-in-cheek ... but then, I guess that humour can be lost on some.

@OP - its my old age and faulty memory :msn-wink:

[SpankMe]

Riddell Rd at the end of Tamaki Dr is a short piece of nice twisties.
Beach Rd on the shore is a good one to do at 2-3am on a weekday morning. :D

[avgas]

Piha loop.
Take Scenic road from Titirangi around to the back of swanson.
My Fav - I do it most weekends. Best to be late in the afternoon or early in the morning. Otherwise you hit traffic.
You could probably do the whole loop in about 1.5 hours from CBD

[PirateJafa]

"Oh god, please don't tell me you're one of those people like the Hornet Swarmers who rip around the "St Heliers GP". There are better places to speed than 50km/h residential zones."

As to the negative comment about hornet swarmers ripping it up, I am perfectly aware that local people would not appreciate hoons through it, so always ride it at the speed and respect it deserves. St Heliers GP is firmly tongue-in-cheek ... but then, I guess that humour can be lost on some.

After attending the first half-dozen "swarms" that were run, I stopped attending solely because of the thoughtless manner in which a number of the other bikers were riding. I prefer to keep my own skin and my own shiny bikey things intact. The maturity of the attendees may have changed since, I don't know. But I didn't feel it was worth the risk of finding out.

Spork, the Kawakawa Bay/Kaiaua/Hunua roads are good, but you do have to squeeze through east Auckland to get to them.

[EJK]

Piha loop.
Take Scenic road from Titirangi around to the back of swanson.
My Fav - I do it most weekends. Best to be late in the afternoon or early in the morning. Otherwise you hit traffic.
You could probably do the whole loop in about 1.5 hours from CBD

Scenic Drive then Huia ain't bad either. :-)

Oh, and how can I forget Riverhead -> Coatesville. That's outside of CBD however.

[SPORK]

Piha loop.
Take Scenic road from Titirangi around to the back of swanson.
My Fav - I do it most weekends. Best to be late in the afternoon or early in the morning. Otherwise you hit traffic.
You could probably do the whole loop in about 1.5 hours from CBD

Yeah, it's my go-to road these days - up Scenic Drive and Piha Road.

Doesn't hurt that the girl I'm seeing lives right on Scenic drive about 1km past Titirangi.

PirateJafa - on the two Hornet Swarms I've attended I have never seen any hoon-like riding, maybe things have changed?

And for clarification - I'm not looking for good roads inside the CBD, just those that don't require an hour of boring motorway riding to get to them.

[EJK]

And for clarification - I'm not looking for good roads inside the CBD, just those that don't require an hour of boring motorway riding to get to them.

Yep, then the Scenic Drive (incl. bits and pieces of nice roads inside) is the place to go :-)

[R6_kid]

And for clarification - I'm not looking for good roads inside the CBD, just those that don't require an hour of boring motorway riding to get to them.

There is pretty much sweet fuck all. There are a few interesting roads, but I don't think you'd go out of your way to find them. By interesting I mean insanely steep (like City Road), there are also a couple of very bumpy roads where if you were keen you can get your bike airborne.

[Duc]

I live right in the middle of town, and frankly I'm sick of the boring straight road riding that's seemingly necessary in order to get anywhere interesting to ride. Are there any hidden gems near the city that I'm missing out on?

Get on your bike and ride the f*ckin thing somewhere thats interesting. If you dont want to ride it anywhere you aint a rider ... you will never find the great rides that we have ..near Auckland ...and in the rest of New Zealand.

Auckland is brilliant in a global sense for what we have on our doorstep. Allow yourself 3 to 8+ hours for a ride and you may understand and become a "rider". (Take a fortnight and be in rider heaven.)

BTW: riding my scooter in the CBD is a buzz as well. Its what you make of it.

[meteor]

The loop around Howick, Whitford, Maraetai and back over Twilight then West Road and back is kinda nice for an hour or so. Around town... Ngapipi Road, Riddel Road, Shore Road by the water but they're all in the city with lots of other traffic and peds. The westies have the best twisties.

[spacemonkey]

You could try "lovers lane" in the Domain. Take it easy if it's wet as it can be a bit slippery. It's fun at 50kmh, not sure what the speed limit through there is though, maybe 30kmh?

Queen Street on a Friday night isn't as fun as it once was :(

Is that the one that goes from by the tennis center up thru the trees towards the duckpond? fun bit of road that one. :yes:

[meteor]

You could try "lovers lane" in the Domain. Take it easy if it's wet as it can be a bit slippery. :(

I must have read this wrong but it did make me laugh........ I'd sure hate to slide into the mud if it was really wet and slippery!!!!!!

[racefactory]

It's short but you can down from Auckland uni Symonds st to the museum where the whole thing is just small bends with some pretty good banks on them too. Pretty cool with the trees and greenery around you. Be careful when it's wet though as there are a lot of tar snakes.

[mattian]

Try this place. Mt Eden Summit. Well it's not exactly a ride but I had fun. One way up, one way down. Takes about 1 and a half min to do a full loop.

I did that alot for fun. It's like a roller coaster but I don't gurantee you'll have fun due to it's shortness.

Agreed! and also those winding roads from the city into Mt Eden township are magic! there are some quite long flowing corners up through there some of them rise and then dip on the way back...... its a beautiful run even at the speed limit.