Style: June 16, 2020

40 STYLE | travel
High above the Clutha River on the track from Wanaka to Luggate.
The return track can be seen on the other side of the river.
ABOVE: Chris on a bridge over the Clutha River. TOP: The cycle
track to Luggate viewed from the opposite side of the river on the
way back to Wanaka.
Pedalling an ordinary bike uphill is tough enough, but
an unpowered electric bike is a different story altogether.
They are heavier than their traditional cousins, thanks to
the grunty battery pack attached to the frame.
We were riding SmartMotion (smartmotionbikes.co.nz)
e-bikes designed by a clever Kiwi called Anthony
Clyde. They were simple to operate for novices and
incredibly zippy.
We spent the day cycling along the banks of the mighty
Clutha River on a gloriously clear autumn day with a fresh
dusting of snow on the mountains.
The loop track took us along the edge of Lake Wanaka
to the outlet where the aqua-turquoise Clutha, one of
the swiftest rivers in the world, begins its 338km journey
to the sea. We followed a narrow, rocky, uppy-downy
path right on the water’s edge for about 25km, crossing
a bridge just before the small township of Luggate. The
return trip on the other side of the river was on a broad,
straight, relatively-smooth track high above the river with
magnificent views of the ancient glacial terraces enclosed
within a necklace of mountains. En route, we stopped
beside the river in the warm sunshine for a picnic lunch.
The ride was quite an adventure. The terrain was
probably too technical for me as a novice rider, but the
experience was hugely exhilarating. The exercise factor
was as strenuous as I wanted it to be and when I was
tired, I relied on the battery to assist my pedalling and just
cruised for a while. I obviously cruised a little too much,
but Chris saved the day.
A former flat-terrain-only cyclist, the e-bike concept has
opened up a vast world of possibilities to me. It’s levelled
the pedalling field for Chris and me, and means we can
enjoy cycling together . . . up and down.
The ride was quite an adventure.
The terrain was probably too
technical for me as a novice
rider, but the experience was
hugely exhilarating.