Riding the Heaphy Track with a recumbent trike

My recumbent is not the most suitable vehicle to ride on the track but that is what I had with me and since there were not many people I decided to see how far I can ride. I just did the short loop track and noticed after that the track was too narrow. Having slick tires did not help either! So I had to push with my hands on wheels for additional all wheel driving traction. In 1992 I did the whole track with my mountain bike on two days but now as Heaphy Track is part of Kahurangi National Park, legally you are not allowed to ride a mountain bike on the trail.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• off road

[Reissumies]

OK, this is a bit of a stir to those nitpickers who think the track should be only for walkers.

what about people who can not walk?

If you look closely on the pedals you see the they are not normal setup.

I am a walking paraplegic and don't use a wheelchair anymore.

Instead I ride my tricycle or my kickscooter you can see on my other videos.

Acccording to some doctors, I should not be able to walk or ride a bicycle using my feet but I can so I am happy to ride somewhere without cars.

[montejw]

Dude, why be a dork? Do you really think that trikes are "allowed" on the trail? You know they're not. It's a wording technicality that wouldn't hold up under scrutiny of a court. Don't be a dick.

[Reissumies]

Call me whatever but I am paraplegic and can not walk that far so I make my own rules! There are not many bike tracks where I can ride on a bush and that short loop track is wheelchair accessible.

So if I ride a recumbent trike instead of wheelchair what difference it makes to other track users? I am not bowling anybody over as I go there when there are not many walkers. Take me to the court if you wish.

[bigbluegpr]

"Bicycles aren't allowed on this track...but technically......I'm an asshat because I don't think that rules apply to me!!!"

[Reissumies]

My recumbent is not a bicycle. I am paraplegic so I use a recumbent trike. Because I am walking paraplegic but can not walk far. I will use whatever means to get to the bush and try to experience the same when I did the track on foot.

[benedwarbenedwar]

Do you know riding on this track is illegal. ? It is a designated walking only track.

[Reissumies]

I rode it on my mountainbike when it was not yet a national park. it used to be a paper road and was not illegal. Now it is part of Kahurangi National Park and illegal to ride bicycles. I don't think the rules ban scooters, skateboards, trikes, wheelchairs or prams. the practicality is that it is not easy to push a pram or a wheelchair on other than the short loop track.

There is talk to allow bicycles on the track again and even I can not ride one, I will support that.

[96Boaz]

LOL, that looks like fun!!!

[jfjenofhrenon]

Reissumies - you only live once so it's great to see you are getting out and enjoying some of the beautiful places that New Zealand has to offer. Draft provisions were part of a review of the Kahurangi National Park Management Plan, which guides and directs DOC's management of the national park.The numbers of people walking the Heaphy Track drops considerably in the May to October off-peak winter visitor season when the mountain biking trial on the track is being proposed to run.

[noway180]

i say ride wherever you want. i'm tired of walkers getting all the trails and paths.not everyone can ride a mountain trail so open up all trails to everyone. equall rights for all.

[Reissumies]

Used to be allowed when I did it with my mountain bike.

I have difficulties walking longer distances after an accident so I took the liberty to use my trike. I did not see anybody on the track. Now give me a fine ;)