Learners tracks in and around Auckland?

[Jay GTI]

My girlfriend has been bitten by the dirt bug after I took her out to the Sandpit, hired their KLX140 and got her a lesson. I kept finding her on the internet afterwards, looking at gear and bikes, so struck a deal where if she bought her own gear, I’d buy her a bike. One CRF150 and a load of Fox gear later and she was good to go…

1st ride on her bike was on Saturday, second ever ride on a bike (dirt or otherwise). She found the CRF a bit harder to ride, but did a load of laps of the learner track and started getting confident. She asked if we could try a proper track, so I scoped out an easy loop for her. Well easy for me didn’t mean easy for her, the sand was soft and deep in some sections, parts of it were pretty whooped out and she didn’t enjoy it at all. She actually did really well, but she struggled and it knocked her confidence a lot. As much as Woodhill is a great riding area and there isn’t anything too challenging for a learner, as summer approaches and the sand gets soft and hard to ride, she will continue to struggle and I really don’t want her put off. But where else can I take her?

I’d like somewhere clay/dirt based, but still easy to ride. Flat and simple is needed, but not too flat or simple… somewhere to get her confidence up, but won’t scare her enough to knock her confidence back… tricky! At the moment Thundercross kids track would be too boring, but the B loop has a few climbs and descents that will frighten her. Kimmy’s is the same, kids track too simple, but the enduro loop is way beyond her. The Dome Valley enduro loop is easy to the point of boring for me, but there’s just enough to make it a real challenge for her. She will get there, but she needs to work up to those places…

I’ll keep an eye open for local (ish) rides with a decent novice loop, but is there anywhere else in the greater Auckland/Rodney/Waikato area that anyone could suggest? I'm stumped...

[Reckless]

Thunder park is the palace mate!

Phone James on 09 233 3117
Highway 22 Niake Tuakau, we usually head west from mercer.

Through the carpark and up the hill to the learners track!
Set up your Gazeabo, camp chairs etc

Spend an hour up there and than take her out on a b loop or two!

Great day :)

Girls might still be free to ????

[Teava]

pretty sure that Harisville has a mini track up to 160cc??

nice and mellow plus you can ride the big track while shes shredding the mini track :-)

open every sat from 1-3pm small window but nice and easy track

[Jay GTI]

Thunder park is the palace mate!

Phone James on 09 233 3117
Highway 22 Niake Tuakau, we usually head west from mercer.

Through the carpark and up the hill to the learners track!
Set up your Gazeabo, camp chairs etc

Spend an hour up there and than take her out on a b loop or two!

Great day :)

Girls might still be free to ????

Yep I've already mentioned Thundercross, I've been there loads of times and she'll definitely struggle on the b loop... although I reckon you're right about the learners loop, she might find it a bit boring, but as she's ridden exactly twice in her life, she can practice some basics (like stopping, still not great on that one! :facepalm:).


pretty sure that Harisville has a mini track up to 160cc??

nice and mellow plus you can ride the big track while shes shredding the mini track :-)

open every sat from 1-3pm small window but nice and easy track

Now that's an idea! The mini track would be perfect, plus I'd have a new place to ride... shame it's only 2 hours, but it looks cool!

Cheers for the replies!

[nzspokes]

Whats thunder park cost? They open sundays? Ok for a complete noob like me?

[BM-GS]

The Waitemata MCC Trail Rides are perfect for that kind of thing (the Muriwai end of Woodhill, where there's still a bit of soil on top of the sand).

Also Powers Maramarua rides if it hasn't been raining too much - from memory this is clay and will be a bit too "interesting" when wet; ditto Waitemata Riverhead evenings. There's no short loop there though, I took #1 son around there in 90 minutes 2 years ago...

[Jay GTI]

Whats thunder park cost? They open sundays? Ok for a complete noob like me?

$25 for the day and as you're a road convert, you'd be fine! I'd stay off the A loop for the time-being, but the B you'd have no problem with.



The Waitemata MCC Trail Rides are perfect for that kind of thing (the Muriwai end of Woodhill, where there's still a bit of soil on top of the sand).

Also Powers Maramarua rides if it hasn't been raining too much - from memory this is clay and will be a bit too "interesting" when wet; ditto Waitemata Riverhead evenings. There's no short loop there though, I took #1 son around there in 90 minutes 2 years ago...

Yeah keeping an eye open for the Waitemata trail rides, they usually have pretty good learner loops. She's definitely not going anywhere near a wet Maramarua ride though, done a few and they aren't beginner friendly. Dry is cool though, should be ok for that.

[nzspokes]

They just had the last WMCC ride last weekend. I did it. twas great.

[Jay GTI]

They just had the last WMCC ride last weekend. I did it. twas great.


Yeah should really have done that ride, but she wanted to go back to where she was comfortable, so hit the Sandpit on Saturday instead.

...and to fully answer your question, yep Thundercross is open on Sundays, just ring first if the weather has been a bit wet, the clay turns into slop pretty quickly out there.

[nzspokes]

Yeah should really have done that ride, but she wanted to go back to where she was comfortable, so hit the Sandpit on Saturday instead.

...and to fully answer your question, yep Thundercross is open on Sundays, just ring first if the weather has been a bit wet, the clay turns into slop pretty quickly out there.

Beginner track was great, easy to ride slow and harder fast. But I was shit and slow. Im still sore. :facepalm:

[Reckless]

Yeah should really have done that ride, but she wanted to go back to where she was comfortable, so hit the Sandpit on Saturday instead.

...and to fully answer your question, yep Thundercross is open on Sundays, just ring first if the weather has been a bit wet, the clay turns into slop pretty quickly out there.

She might not be ready to fall off or the pressure of lots of other bikes and people!
I found take em slow or they just wont do it. Specially your missus they say no faster to you than anyone in the world :yes:

I found the same thing at Thundercross (not ready for a full B loop) so we made our own learners loop. Down the gravel road from the learners, Near the bottom of the hill. There is a gate off to the right (or through the lower part of the MX track) you can do a small section of the B loop until you get back round to where the B loop meets the learners track at the far end, so instead of goin up and over then down the big hill you can cut across the tape marker back onto the learners track. Only about one small valley two up hills but enough for the next step for a learner. The place has prob changed since I was there but i think you get it :)

They can practice standing and getting used to knowing where the brakes and clutch are etc while standing. I found once they could stand and ride then take them on trail rides but before that just let them learn at their own pace and have fun! If you push to hard they'll just take it as pressure and tell you to bugger off.

Dont forget to rip off for an hour and do an A loop yourself they will play on their own and learn heaps at their own pace without you watchin and ADVISING!

Great to see you getting your missus into it have fun buddy!!

[nzspokes]

I find standing really hard. I must have been doing it shit. When i stand I feel like im ripped back off the bike.

[Reckless]

I find standing really hard. I must have been doing it shit. When i stand I feel like im ripped back off the bike.

Standing is the key!! If ya cant stand properly you'll always struggle!


Get Dirt wise by Shane watts (I actually found a torrent) very good on rider position and a few practice skill exercises!
I still do them now :)

[Jay GTI]

She might not be ready to fall off or the pressure of lots of other bikes and people!
I found take em slow or they just wont do it. Specially your missus they say no faster to you than anyone in the world :yes:

I found the same thing at Thundercross (not ready for a full B loop) so we made our own learners loop. Down the gravel road from the learners, Near the bottom of the hill. There is a gate off to the right (or through the lower part of the MX track) you can do a small section of the B loop until you get back round to where the B loop meets the learners track at the far end, so instead of goin up and over then down the big hill you can cut across the tape marker back onto the learners track. Only about one small valley two up hills but enough for the next step for a learner. The place has prob changed since I was there but i think you get it :)

They can practice standing and getting used to knowing where the brakes and clutch are etc while standing. I found once they could stand and ride then take them on trail rides but before that just let them learn at their own pace and have fun! If you push to hard they'll just take it as pressure and tell you to bugger off.

Dont forget to rip off for an hour and do an A loop yourself they will play on their own and learn heaps at their own pace without you watchin and ADVISING!

Great to see you getting your missus into it have fun buddy!!

Very, very good advice and most of it I've put in practice already... the best thing I did was book the lesson with Tony out at the Sandpit, we WOULD have had a massive argument if I'd tried teaching her... he taught her properly too, made sure she understood the importance of standing up and so she's actually really good at that already.

Her main issue is it's still not natural for her yet, so when things get a bit loose, she panics. I've really tried not to pressure her, but it's easy to forget how hard even the basics were when I have over 30 years of on and off experience.

She needs a good crash too, she's dropped it a couple of times but needs to know that an off generally won't hurt, it's just dust yourself off, pick up the bike and off you go again. Didn't help that I had a big off last week and have been walking like a cripple all week....

But yes it is awesome she's so keen, with so little encouragement (pressure) from me, I'm stoked!!



I find standing really hard. I must have been doing it shit. When i stand I feel like im ripped back off the bike.

Probably the way you're standing. Don't try and stand upright, it's a very slight bend at the knees, with your top half bent forward, putting your weight more on the bars. A lot of people make the mistake of bending their knees too much and trying to keep their torso straight up and down. Have a look at pics of the desert racers, they pretty much lock themselves into this position. Then it's just lean forward a bit when accelerating, lean back a bit when braking...

[Reckless]

Very, very good advice and most of it I've put in practice already... the best thing I did was book the lesson with Tony out at the Sandpit, we WOULD have had a massive argument if I'd tried teaching her... he taught her properly too, made sure she understood the importance of standing up and so she's actually really good at that already.

Her main issue is it's still not natural for her yet, so when things get a bit loose, she panics. I've really tried not to pressure her, but it's easy to forget how hard even the basics were when I have over 30 years of on and off experience.

She needs a good crash too, she's dropped it a couple of times but needs to know that an off generally won't hurt, it's just dust yourself off, pick up the bike and off you go again. Didn't help that I had a big off last week and have been walking like a cripple all week....

But yes it is awesome she's so keen, with so little encouragement (pressure) from me, I'm stoked!!..

Sounds like you got it all sussed mate just need seat time now :)

Ha with that will come confidence, then over confidence then a the crash you speak off :yes:
Laugh with her not at her, same with crying and you'll have someone the drive you home when you next fall off :innocent:
There is quite a few couples go up "The Farm" they are great weekends to :yes:

[nzspokes]

You dont have problems if you get in the way of the fast guys at these places?

Not that you would do that on purpose?

[raglanash]

You dont have problems if you get in the way of the fast guys at these places?

Not that you would do that on purpose?

Even the fast guys started somewhere, do your best to give them room and if there is room just stick to your line.
IMO if riding is all about fun, if some wanker gives you grief they are just that, a wanker.
I give prop's to anyone out there riding at whatever speed on any bike with any gear because they are out there riding not sitting around talking about it.
Have fun out there, you will be clipping along in no time.

[Jay GTI]

Sounds like you got it all sussed mate just need seat time now :)

Ha with that will come confidence, then over confidence then a the crash you speak off :yes:
Laugh with her not at her, same with crying and you'll have someone the drive you home when you next fall off :innocent:
There is quite a few couples go up "The Farm" they are great weekends to :yes:

Yep, just seat time and a boyfriend with his patience hat firmly on.

It's funny, she's the one that wants to crash to get it out of the way, but when she came close to getting intimate with a tree on Sat, it was very nearly tears time (and nearly tears again when we were back at the car park and I told her she'd done really well, despite her struggling). She's spent a lot of time riding horses though and fallen off them enough to get the idea of what to expect...

I've wanted to go up to The Farm for ages, thanks for the reminder, might have to head up there over the Xmas break.


You dont have problems if you get in the way of the fast guys at these places?

Not that you would do that on purpose?

At places like Thundercross, most of the trails are open enough for you to easily be passed without holding people up, or if you are, then a clear passing area will just be ahead. As raglanash says, there are some wankers out there, but thankfully they are few and far between, most riders can remember when they were the noobs feeling like they were getting in everyone's way, so treat the slow guys with respect.

The thing is the dirt biking community is actually pretty awesome, most people are really cool and happy to look after someone who's struggling. An excellent example was Sat, I'd flooded the CRF and drained the battery trying to start it, one guy helped me push start and when that didn't work, another guy chucked me his spare battery, which again didn't work, so he got his jumper leads out and we started it off his ute.

[mattnzl]

"The thing is the dirt biking community is actually pretty awesome, most people are really cool and happy to look after someone who's struggling."

Agree 100% - I was totally stuck in a bog on one ride, didn't have a shit show of getting the bike out by myself and the guys I was with were ahead of me & didn't know. This massive dude just propped his bike up by a tree and waded through the muck and lifted my bike out (while I attempted to help, but really didn't do much compared to him!).

Was blown away and couldn't thank him enough - he just said "no worries mate" and rode off. :woohoo: Legend!

[Natedogslayer]

Have you tried the Kimmys mottox track it is simple and you dont have to jump any thing

[Jay GTI]

Dredge alert!!;)

Yeah been up there loads of times, the MX track is not as scary as it used to be (they actually groom it now) but still way beyond the ability of the missus. Actually that's not true, I reckon she'd easily make it around, but she doesn't have the confidence.