The Chronicle talks to Calvin Avison who developed and ran the Raglan 500 bike event held at Labour weekend. This 500km self supported ride starting and finishing in Raglan is set to become an annual event.
The course includes non technical gravel and sealed roads including some state highways.
Why did you develop the event?
I used to cycle to work while living overseas, but that’s a bit hard now working from home in Raglan. These days, I enjoy the gravel roads here most mornings.
I initially developed the course as a training ride for some upcoming events, based on a 500km race I rode in Canberra. I put some feelers out to see if anyone else was interested, and from there it took off.
Can you describe the event held over Labour weekend and what was involved?
It’s a bikepacking gravel loop, with the main course covering 500km and a shorter option of 265km. The rules are simple—you need to follow the course and be self-supported, meaning you carry everything you need and rely on what’s available to everyone for food and shelter.
Both courses started in Raglan, heading to Port Waikato along the coast before looping back to Ngaruawahia. From there, the half course returned to Raglan over Old Mountain Rd, while the full course continued to Te Awamutu, then Oparau, and back to Raglan.
Who was the event suited to?
The event caters to most levels of riders. Some participants, like Jason Gestro from Wellington, raced the course and finished in under 36 hours without sleep, while others took over four days. It’s a ‘ride your own ride’ event. There was also a good turnout of female riders, which was great to see.
A group of locals joined in. What was their feedback?
They seemed to have a fun trip, and the feedback was positive. Christopher Robin, more of a runner than a cyclist, joined in with a backpack and an old mountain bike, just giving it a go. It was awesome to see them out there.
Will it be an ongoing event for riders to look forward to?
Yes, there’s already interest for next year. I’ll be reversing the course.
How can people find out more?
The best place for updates is the Raglan 500 Facebook page. I’ll also keep Dirk at Raglan Cyclery in the loop with any plans.
