PRIORITY #1 - WHERE IS PELOTON?

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LOCATION/ROUTE SCOUTING

We need to do a big search to make sure we get the most scenic, appropriate, easily accessible site for this occasion with facilities to boot. We should tap into our networks to find land/camp/property owners who might be keen to host us. We can do this anywhere in Aotearoa so long as the start location is reasonably easy for everyone to get to, and there is a clear exit strategy from our site.

 

We need a good SITE, a safe ROUTE, an operable HQ near the start of the route and an EXIT STRATEGY.

 

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HQ:

In the days before the festival, we'll need a building or two near the start of the route that can serve as HQ – for collecting gear, preparing food, hosting people, bikes etc. For example, Garrett st in Wellington or a family home/friendly flat in another city. This building will be where people can drop off their heavy stuff for the van to take to site, and also where they can collect this stuff after the festival. It's so much easier when everything is in one place - if need be we can rent an AirBnb or similar, but ideally is someone's place!

 

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THE SITE IDEALLY HAS:

👋Obliging hosts

🚲Accessible via a one or two day ride by a safe cycling route (see below).

🏕️Large, flat space for tents (probably somewhere between 40-70 tents)

🚐Vehicle access (we need to bring audio, instruments and heavy stuff via van)

🍽️A kitchen where we can cook large shared meals

🔒Privacy at night time – ideally we are the sole occupants after dark – we want music going late, so no irritable neighbours or other campers. During the day is fine if we have people wander through! We're family friendly, just noisy at night.

🔌Power on site (not absolutely crucial but it is ideal, it saves a lot of logistics!)

🚰Potable Water

🌳A pretty space we can vibe up with lights, a bar, a couple gazebos, the soundsystem and a dancefloor!

❎An exit strategy (see below).

🏊‍♀️Somewhere safe to swim – or surf! And a beach.

🏠A bunk room or cabin

🚿Showers

 

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THE ROUTE:

We need the site to be safely accessible for a large group of cyclists – which is a relatively tall order in NZ...!

• One or two day ride? If the site is worth it, two days is possible! We'd want a campsite en route that can accommodate us (we'll be quiet!)

• Minimal sections of 100km/h speed limit with no shoulder. These are unfortunately far too common in NZ. Sometimes there are detours we can take to avoid busier sections of road. If this adds a couple kms, that's fine – safety is priority #1.

• NOT super hilly. Some hills are fine, maybe one very large hill, but not an absolute slog of a route – this is for casual cyclists, not athletes.

• Beautiful scenery! This is Peloton Aotearoa, and we may have people travelling a very long way to join us. Do we want their experience to be Hutt Valley Road and industrial Petone? Probably not! Somewhere to stop along the way for lunch and ideally a swim!

• Places to refill water along the way.

• Mostly sealed road or fine cycle route grit. Some country gravel road is fine (e.g. at the end) but large sections of gravel risk more punctures, damage etc.

 

NZ CYCLE TRAIL MAP: https://spatial.nzta.govt.nz/portal/apps/experiencebuilder/experience/?id=f08560df63014613868127771b1e4677

 

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EXIT STRATEGY:

Okay so we've just spent a few days having an amazing party with lovely people but are pretty exhausted and low on serotonin. Time to jump on the bike and ride all the way back to civilisation right? Maybe for some! But what is best is having an easy way to get people, their bikes and belongings back to HQ in town. If the route isn't too brutal, e.g. a short day ride without many hills, then this might not be necessary! Vans will be loaded up with the festival infrastructure and people's heavy gear (e.g. bags, instruments, tents) and taken back to HQ. If the site is close to a train station (e.g. Featherston), people can ride there and train with their bikes back into town. Some sites might be close to a ferry that can also save the journey (e.g. Diamond Harbour - Lyttleton). If not, we might need to arrange a van to collect people and bikes, which makes things way more difficult. Renting a trailer is an option to move bikes back to HQ if there is public transport nearby (e.g. Akaroa - Christchurch bus).

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ALTERNATIVE EXIT - THE CIRCUIT:

We could also ride out somewhere on day one and have a chill night at a campsite, then ride back to a site that is close to where we started, and have the party there. This way we get a good ride in together, and don't have to worry about people being stranded out in the wops with their bikes and low on energy.

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