Rides for beginners

This reserve park (with playground!) in Pukekohe is a great place to take the kids – with or without the bikes!

A beatiful landmark path connecting East Street with Nelson Street, looping under Karangahape Road and providing some stunning views! A nice place to ride with kids, or as a beginner looking for some easy practice.

Right by the Birkenhead Pool & Leisure Centre, this is a great spot to take the kids for a ride! Works for pre-schoolers on their balance bikes during school times, and older kids who want to go hard the rest of the time!

A gorgeous coastal track, with farm animals and wild birds alike to see. This is a pretty safe place to slowly potter about on a bike – though do take care around the gravel, mud, and strong waters!

An 8km track connecting Henderson and Henderson Valley, suitable for beginners and older kids as a longer bike ride. A couple of road crossings make this not quite suitable for young kids.

Tāmaki Drive is rightly famous, but if you want stunning water views without the crowds, look a little further afield and discover the Tāmaki Path for your next family bike adventure.

Perfect for when you want an urban bike adventure soaked in nature — a magical green gem in the midst of a neighbourhood.

A cruisy bike ride around the park, with a great playground (with flying fox!) and near to a kid-friendly beach, with views of the inner harbour, and a handy cafe nearby.

This is a great place for a relaxed outing, whether you’re all about the biking, or if you want to incorporate some time at a playground, climbing trees, or a picnic!

So many places to explore here by bike! The full shared path is extensive, running through multiple parks, reserves, and domains!

This park has a teensy-tiny ride track for really small riders and scooters. There is also a playground, and a wee free library for parents to browse.

A great place for an easy, flat ride for little riders and beginners alike, with plenty of places to park a car, many toilets, and a selection of cafés as well!

This ride has lots of track you can explore, but you can also just do a short ride as well. The history of the area adds an exciting element to the ride for young and old, and provides lots of interesting spots to stop at.

A faded painted bike track on the concrete top of the reservoir! Flat and safe for kids to pedal around – just watch out for that edge!

A wonderful mountain bike park in the North-Western reaches of Auckland. The kids tracks, a playground, and a toilet make this a great spot for day trip.

A cruisy, winding shared path through a beautiful greenway, running parallel to Oakley Creek. Easy bike ride with the kids!

A foreshore reclamation project, restoring the bay to its pre-motorway state. Nice wide shared path, a great beach for swimming, and nearby amenities.

A few blocks south of Orakei Basin, this park has nice, bikeable tracks for kids and a great playground. There’s also a very long flying fox!

A small park, tucked away in north Glenfield. Has a playground, toilets, and some good sized paths to safely hoon around on a balance bike!

A favourite for families, with plenty of great facilities. The park is huge, and has two playgrounds within view of its learn-to-ride track.

All sorts of options for family bike fun. Has a fantastic bike skills park with working traffic lights, plus a great kid-friendly pump track.

Utterly massive! Lots to do in the lower areas, and a mountain to climb if you’re keen! This guide focuses on the area around the café.

Tucked in behind the Great North Road shops next to the racecourse, this bike park has a lovely urban community feel and a really social vibe!

A massive pump track nestled in an even more massive park! Plenty of amenities handy – well worth a visit with the little’ns.