Joy on the Port Hills

It's hard to believe that my first ride up the Port Hills was only six months ago. It's been over 18 years since I returned to Christchurch but, until recently, I’d only ever ventured up the hills for the odd walk, never a bike ride. Yet the Port Hills, which sit on the southern edge of the city, have long been a destination for road cyclists and mountain bikers alike.

My first ride up the Port Hills wasn't entirely planned. I knew I would have to go up as part of my training for the Tour Aotearoa and had been checking out possible routes, but the hills are steep (really steep) and I wasn't looking forward to it.

But I happened to be nearby on my bike one day, thought “why not”, and ended up cycling up St Andrews Hill and across to Mount Pleasant. It wasn't easy and I only went halfway up, but I did it, and I loved the views out over the estuary. So, the next time I went right up to Summit Road and the views were (and still are) fantastic.

Even harder to believe is that it took me another three months to finally get the courage to cycle up Dyers Pass Road. This is a long winding road with lots of traffic so I stuck to the quieter Mount Pleasant route.

But over the Christmas break, Chris and I got up early to beat the traffic and were pleased to find that not only did the ride lead to even better views, it is actually easier than going up Mount Pleasant. The gradient is steep for a start but eases off about halfway up. (Mount Pleasant is steep pretty much the whole way.)

I start my ride with a warm-up cycle across the city (the boring bit) and then it’s about a half-hour climb to the top of Dyers Pass Road (the hard bit). From there, I head east up and along Summit Road to where the best views are. This is the bit that makes it all worthwhile.

Initially, there are views (to the west) over the city, across the plains and to the Southern Alps in the distance. As you cycle further around, the eastern suburbs become visible and there are views of the sea and Pegasus Bay. On the other side of the road, there are various points where you can look down into the bays around Lyttelton Harbour. On both sides of the road, there are connections to walking and mountain bike tracks that will take you back to sea level.

Despite the stunning views, there's little traffic along Summit Road and there's a section in the middle that is closed to vehicles altogether. It’s well-used by cyclists, walkers and runners. The road is best described as undulating with a few more smaller climbs required before gradually winding down again towards Evans Pass Road.

From here, you can head straight back down the hill to Sumner village and cycle back to the city along the estuary. But I prefer to carry on to Godley Head, getting (almost) a bird's-eye view of Sumner and the surfers at Taylor's Mistake (and more views of Lyttelton Harbour) before heading back to Evans Pass Road for the downhill. This is the exhilarating bit.

At first, I didn't enjoy the downhill ride. It's steep, fast, and shared with other traffic. I used to make heavy use of my brakes and I felt quite tense and wobbly-legged by the time I got back to the flat. But since our North Island trip, I've got a lot more confident (and faster) on the descents. On my last ride, I can honestly say that I loved it, and even managed a loud woo-hoo on the way down.

As fun as the downhill can be, I still get the most enjoyment out of cycling uphill. The best views - and the best workout - will always come from the hill climbs. It’s been a real joy discovering it’s something I’m good at (probably due to a combination of low gears on my bike and thighs that were born for cycling). And it’s hard not to feel a little bit smug when you’re cruising uphill past other cyclists and one of them says “oh man, not even an e-bike!”

But I’m still a newbie on the hills. I’ve got a lot more to learn, and a lot more of the Port Hills to discover. There’s a vast network of mountain bike tracks to explore (although I suspect we’ll pass on most of these) and plenty of other sealed and gravel hill roads to practice on. And then I’ve got the rest of Banks Peninsula to conquer.