Vertogo bike Tours NZ - Who's done it?

I'm heading there from Nov 7th to 14th.
I'm planning on doing the gondola ride with the vertigo guys (i'm hoping it's still available, I did hear that there was some talk of stopping bikes from going in the gondola).

I'll probably forget to get back to you, so pm me after November 14 and I'll let you know how it was.

Hugh.
 
JaRedy said:
I'm going to Queenstown at the end of the year, and I'm considering spending a day doing the "Gondola Downhill Run".

http://www.vertigobikes.co.nz/gondola-downhill-mountain-bike-tour/

I'd like to get some feedback from people that have done it before. I'm curious as to what it was like only getting two runs of the track (2.5 Hours out there). Did you feel that was enough for $150?

Any feedback would be sweet.
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I looked into it when i was there a year and a half ago but choose not to due to the price and the fact that the price didn't drop if you have your own bike!
I think they can only use it for MTB in the early morn before the foot tourists arrive. But i belive they do other heli tours aswell.
Cheers, Isaac.
 
We hired some XC bikes from them a couple of years ago, and found they were great for that. Drove us to where we wanted to start from and went from there.

I think they also do stuff out to Coronet Peak might be an alternative to the Gondola, but not through trees like the gondola run is ( had to walk it a couple of times thanks to a fitness mad wife).

In the end we found them friendly and helpful so reccomend them.
 
I never did the Gondola run, but I think it was Vertigo with whom I did a Helibike tour of the Remarkables. That was pretty awesome and worth the money - they fly you up to the top of the Remarkables in a heli, set you down, and then with a guide you do this sweet ~18km (I think that was the distance) descent down the back of the remarkables, then they pick you up a few K out of Queenstown and drive you home.
 
leitch said:
I never did the Gondola run, but I think it was Vertigo with whom I did a Helibike tour of the Remarkables. That was pretty awesome and worth the money - they fly you up to the top of the Remarkables in a heli, set you down, and then with a guide you do this sweet ~18km (I think that was the distance) descent down the back of the remarkables, then they pick you up a few K out of Queenstown and drive you home.
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I did that ride as well, We started in the snow. I saw the best face plant ever, over the handle bars and into the sharps rocks. Air Ambo out of there. She said she knew how to ride. When I did it in 2005 We rode Gaint AC's. When i go back i will be doing it again for sure.
 
hey mate,
have been riding in that area very recently, and if you have your own transport the best way to go is hire a bike fomr ELEMENT sports shop at the remarkable shopping plaza. they will rent you a commencal supreme with 2010 boxxers, sunline kit, and codes, fully pimped, for NZ$65 a day! and they'll tell you where to go. My favourite were the Remarks DH track (head up on the road to the Remarkables Ski area, track starts on the right at the first cattle grid. easy shuttle, lots of fun!) and the Wynyard express DH (ask for direction when you get there, it's hard to describe). anyway, amazing tracks, great prices! if the Dream track park is open when you're there, it's right alongside Wynyard Express!

Ben
 
As far as price goes thats pretty standard as most adventure type activity is a tad pricey in queenstown.
I've ridden several of the tracks on the hill (there's more than 1), but i pushed up which was time consuming.
I'm not sure i'd fork out $150 for 2 runs? using the gondola, as there is actually a service road which i walked/pushed up, not sure if they do a shuttle option, but look into it as it may be better value for money.
 
what do ppl think about taking your own bike vs renting, i wouldn't be sure what to do. As while taking your bike would be nice, I'm sure you'd get lots of broken parts and fees in shipping. Renting would be convenient but i wonder if anyones had problems with damage to the rental bike and being caught with a large fee (or is everything covered by insurance?)
 
When i went in febuary, we managed to take our own bikes over there with virgin. I dont think i would have liked to rent. With breakages, the bike shops in christchurch are not overpriced compared to over here at all, didnt have a look in queenstown though.

As for the gondola track, we didnt think it was worth $150 for two runs. There was a downhill event on the gondola track one evening while we stayed in queenstown which was great fun, so we did that instead, but the pushup nearly killed me. :p
Wynard Freeride park is a great place to jump, ride northshore and chill out for a day; locals seemed pretty friendly. I would reccomend coronet peak for some good rough downhill ( and super brake fade thanks juicy 5's), and there's an insane dirt jump park on georges road but im not sure if you can jump them on a dually:confused:.
 
willipa said:
Wynard Freeride park is a great place to jump, ride northshore and chill out for a day; locals seemed pretty friendly. I would reccomend coronet peak for some good rough downhill ( and super brake fade thanks juicy 5's), and there's an insane dirt jump park on georges road but im not sure if you can jump them on a dually:confused:.
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Does Wynard Freeride park and Coronet peak have lifts? Did you note is there was bike hire?

For the record - I dont have my own bike transport.
 
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Check with Vertigo, but I think they aren't allowed to use the Gondola anymore. Have been looking into it seriously lately as I was planning on heading over in Feb - although now I'm sporting a broken wrist so that might have turned to shit. Maybe they might provide shuttles up the road as an alternative now instead.
Also Coronet have pulled bikes from their mountain.
 
JaRedy said:
Does Wynard Freeride park and Coronet peak have lifts? Did you note is there was bike hire?

For the record - I dont have my own bike transport.
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wynyard park has no lifts, and coronet peak has a lift but in not opening in the summer for mountianbiking anymore.
 
kynan77 said:
wynyard park has no lifts, and coronet peak has a lift but in not opening in the summer for mountianbiking anymore.
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Gah, that's a big disapointment.

backdoor said:
Check with Vertigo, but I think they aren't allowed to use the Gondola anymore.
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I sent them an email, seems thay have a deal with the Gondala company that they are allowed bikes on it in the morning for 2 tour runs only. They don't want riders on the Gondala en masse as it's purpose is not bike related...
After that the track has to be shuttled. So it makes sense that they only do 2 runs...However the tour only varies from one to six riders per session, so why they dont just shuttle the track is another story...

I think I will do it anyway. even if it feels a bit pricey, I suppose the price can be justified for them though as they only have limited use of the Gondala and can't have many riders at one time, and therfore can't make as much money, thus higher price.

My parents are paying for it anyway so I have got to stop being so stingy!(They were originaly going to let me do the Heli Tour!, but I diddn't wanna leech their money.)
 
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I walked some of the tracks they had running down the gondola when I was there at the start of the year. Mind blowing, super steep tech stuff, awesomely built and long with tonnes of elevation. The gondola itself is an experience as it literally goes straight up, the mountain is quite steep. Though as you said the gondola isn't built for mountain bikes so I'm unsure of how that would work. I did have a good chat with the guys at Vertigo however and they were all very friendly, knowledgeable guys, even had a talk with Seb Kemp on the mountain (writing of 'Whistler Diaries' column in Dirtmag, who works in the Vertigo bikeshop)
 
If your looking for a fun ride, not quite DH but little jumps that you can go flying down, stuff you don't normally get. Rent a bike from Element Bike store like the other bloke said. Then head on out to the 7 Mile Reserve. Lots of XC, however there's a few runs with constant NS running beside them (Like hundred's of metre's), skills parks, "Kachoong" line has a lot of nice little jumps to cruise down, a few medium ones and one or 2 big ones. If you ask the guys at Element, they'll tell you what tracks you want, and what tracks are shut for maintenance etc. I left it till I got there, like called up the morning I wanted the bikes, and was riding within an hour. I was so happy, I wanna go back there for schoolies.
 
orfeo said:
what do ppl think about taking your own bike vs renting,)
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I did Skippers canyon on a full sus with a tour company (can't remember the name) and the problem I had was the bike was way oversprung. It was like riding a rigid. I still had a blast but next time will take my own bike. Check out the current issue of Mountain Biking Australia for a list of Queenstown trails.
 
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