The biggest community sports club in the country

The Top of the South is well established as having some of the best mountain biking in the world.

With an estimated 5000 local mountain bikers enjoying the hundreds of kilometres of trails snaking their way throughout the region alongside many more travelling visitors, the region has become a Mecca for the sport.

And the local Nelson Mountain Bike Club is at the forefront of the vanguard, having just broken the 3000-member mark and regaining the title of biggest sports club in the country.

Having peaked at around 4500 members as people found the sport through Covid 19, the club’s membership numbers have bounced back to what is a “more realistic figure,” says club manager Geoff Wright.

With such a significant portion of the local mountain biking scene also club members, he says it’s opened the door to continue growing the sport in the region.

“Obviously, we’re punching above our weight, and we’re pretty proud of that.

“We try to focus on member value, making sure they have the best time and value for members.

“We bring a lot of health and well-being to a lot of people.”

Alongside regularly held events throughout the warmer months, membership to the club also allows access to private land to ride and enjoy, says Geoff.

“Part of the membership is a levy to go into Ngati Koata land. . . to some really special land and really special topography to enjoy.”

And as the club has grown, so has the local scene.

With spaces like the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park and Codgers continuing to grow and expand, there’s an almost unlimited scope for the future.

One of the biggest jewels in the crown is the 860-hectare Gorge MTB Park in the Wairoa Valley, which was previously owned and developed by American billionaire businessman Ken Dart and was closed to the public until 2016.

“There’s $30 million of resources and time put into that single reserve,” says Geoff.

“It’s some of the best hand-built tracks available. . . and probably one of the top five places in the world to ride, and that’s not just personal sentiment.”

Breaking back into the 3000-member mark occurred during a committee meeting, bringing the club back to its top spot as the biggest in the country.

Previous reporting by the New Zealand Herald in July claimed that Western Springs Football Club, with its 2600 members, was the biggest community sports club in the country, but the Nelson Mountain Biking Club has blitzed past that mark while also establishing itself as one of the biggest mountain biking club anywhere in the world.

Geoff says while they did have a small celebration, it’s the members who have made it all possible.

“The important thing is this club is theirs, it’s yours, it’s ours.

“At the end of the day, the 3000 people are the club. . . it’s all for them, and that’s how we’ve had such a sharp increase in the last four months.”