The Auckland Cycle Touring Association Welcomes You

 

ACTA was founded in 1949. The attraction of cycle touring is that you can travel long distances at modest cost and at a relaxed pace, meeting people along the way whether it be in your city, country or indeed around the world. ACTA has over the years provided its members with lots of opportunities to enjoy all of the challenges and delights of cycle touring.

Our rides are sociable, non-competitive, and always include a coffee stop. They are organized on several levels:

·         In and around Auckland city, we usually run three rides each week. The shortest is a Saturday morning coffee ride (about 35km). On Wednesdays, there is a longer ride (45 – 50km) starting at Kumeu or Papakura which lasts until mid-afternoon. On most Sundays, there will be a 50 – 70km ride in a rural area north or south of the city. 

·         Several times each year we organize longer tours in the North or South Island, of 7 – 15 days duration. Some tours have a support vehicle and others are unsupported.

·         Long-distance adventure cycle tours overseas are an ambition for many of our members. If that is your goal, and you wish to meet like-minded cyclists, then ACTA is the place to do it.

·         In addition to cycling, there are frequent social events, pot luck and Christmas dinners, movie nights etc.

To join us you will need:

·         Some cycling experience. We ride mostly on asphalt, sometimes on gravel, rarely off-road. Where possible we use cycle paths or quiet roads; however, when it is unavoidable we ride alongside fast-moving traffic on busy highways. You will need to be confident in that situation.

·         A reasonable level of fitness. You should be able to maintain an average of 15 km/hr for at least a couple of hours.

·         About half our riders are on e-bikes. However these people have mostly had years of experience with a regular bike, and later in life have made the transition to an e-bike. Our events are not suitable for a novice rider with a newly-purchased e-bike.

To give ACTA a trial, simply turn up at the start of one of our Saturday coffee rides. Introduce yourself to the Trip Leader. You don’t need to join or pay a subscription until you’ve tried a few rides and decided that you want to continue.