We’ve been pretty vocal about the fact that this season is gonna be better than ever (we stand by it), but we’ve kept a few cards close to our chest while we’ve been working over the winter. There’s plenty that’s been going on, including some new trail development for a range of abilities. Basically, we’ve taken your feedback onboard to make the perfect park for you (some of you may have already seen some of the new lines on our trails page). So, what trails are new this year and what other new stuff will be around the park for the 2023.24 season?
Electric Avenue
That view from the backcountry of Bike Glendhu is unreal – if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. That downhill techy gold in the first stretch of Adze Up is dreaaamy, but we know that the climb to the top to see that epic view is definitely a “do the mahi, get the treats” kind of situation – for those who are less inclined to pedal, this is your ticket. Electric Avenue will be the easiest trail in this zone compared to some of our more technical trails around that neck of the woods, meaning it will give waaaay more accessibility for a variety of levels.
Rated a Grade 3 MTB trail, Electric Avenue serves as an epic return to Jack’s Spot from Adze Up (so you can get your valley thrills, without the summit climb). It’s going to have a mix of everything – tech, flow and just a piiinch of climbing – all through brand new terrain with stunning views of End Peak and the Motatapu River. This trail is located on the upper mountain of Bike Glendhu; we’re aiming for you to be rising it before December.
The best part about Electric Avenue? It’s the perfect “catch trail”, meaning that we’ve opened up a whooole heap of options for where we can expand our trail network in the coming seasons – think of this guy as a stepping-stone for the development of more single-track riding off Methane Train, as well as your progression around the bike park. It’s part of the grand plan people!
Flowghan Josh
Out of Shape has gotta be another fan favourite – fast, flowy and fun is what you’ll find there. We wanted to extend this for those who can’t quiteeee clear the jumps on Cajun Spice yet. When we first got started on this trail, we called it Lower Out of Shape, but Tom Hey and his crew (who built this beauty) reckoned it deserved its own name instead – introducing Flowghan Josh.
You might be wondering how on Earth this name was landed. Well, the trail boys at Elevate Trail Building sure do love a Roghan Josh from Ashrafs – it’s one of their favourite parts of visiting Wanaka (if you haven’t tried out Ashrafs, it’s gotta be done). Keeping in line with Cajun Spice, the Spice Zone was launched (don’t worry, we’re only talking mild to medium butter chicken specs for now). For those who aren’t keen on airtime found in Cajun Spice, you can hit Flowghan Josh.
Rated Grade 3, it’s an easier option than Cajun Spice (think less jumps, more flow). It’s best for intermediate flow riders, but all abilities will let out a chahoo or two – you’ll definitely feel the wind in your hair on this one.
This trail will be open for Opening Day (all going to plan, as we’re putting on some finishing touches at the moment). You’ll be able to have a hoon down the northeast trails and then make your way down to the Junction on a very Jairolla-esque track, which we know heaps of us are big fans of. Speed laps are on!
New Black Tech Trail
Remember that hint on our socials about the next track, rhyming with “shmack schmech”? For those wondering “what the heck are you on about,” – it’s a new black tech, baby! This one will be a Grade 5 trail, so it’s perfect for those who live and breathe dirt.
In our feedback, we get asked about putting in another black trail from the top heaps, and boooy have we been wanting to do this for a while now. We needed to establish a wider, balanced trail system first, but we’ve always been veeery excited to dig into this project (pun intended), and it’s finally here!
This trail is going to be about 600m and is being hand-built by Tom Hey and his crew at Elevate Trail Building as we speak. If you’re wondering what this is going to look like, think of the riding as somewhere between Methane Train and Dark Matter, right through that gully that many of you have pointed at and said “I reckon that’s the line”. If you’re keen on a cheeky Can-Am Falcon’s Boost, this will drop you off riiiight where you need to be, meaning you’ll be able to ride Lower Bay Watch aaaand this new one!
What to Expect for Opening Day
We’re in that glorious shoulder season where multisport days are at their peak… however, this means that it can be a little tricky for our trail crew to get up to the Upper Mountain trails to do the necessary maintenance. As always, the Summit won’t be open from day 1, and we have to rely on Mother Nature to play ball and keep the weather balmy for the trail team to continue their work on the Lower Mountain trails too – we want to make sure our trails are pristine for you!
Other New Stuff Happening
What’s new doesn’t stop with our trails – we’ve got a few other changes happening for the season ahead. We’ve switched up our opening hours a little so our beloved locals can get in more laps after work. Starting October 30, Bike Glendhu will have evening riding until 8pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – all the way through until the beginning of March! Coming into March, as we lose daylight, we’ll bring that back to 7pm closes on those same days.
In other news, Bike Glendhu acquired Velo Cafe recently (our café at Base 334), meaning that we’ll have a slightly different-looking menu compared to our prior seasons. The official relaunch of Velo Café & Beer Garden is set for October 21, meaning we’ll be at full steam by then. In the meantime, keep updated on the latest through our social channels.
That’s just the start of what we can tell you right now… There is pleeeeenty of new things happening, including some stuff to build up and round out your skills, as well as a few fun things that we’ll be launching for the kiddies. Get pumped (you bet that we already are) and don’t forget to nab your season pass at Early Bird rates!
