Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Gear I Wish I Had Before Cycling the Otago Rail Trail
26
items Planning your first multi-day ride on the Central Otago Rail Trail and overwhelmed by what to pack? I showed up with the wrong shoes, a garbage rain jacket, and zero chamois cream. By day two my knees hurt, my hands were numb, and I was chafing in pl...
Sections
5
Cycling Clothing That Survives Four Days of Gravel and Wind
Bike Setup and Accessories for Gravel Trail Riding
Hydration and Nutrition for Remote Stretches
Recovery and Comfort After Long Days on the Trail
Trail Town Stops and Experiences Worth Planning Around
Cycling Clothing That Survives Four Days of Gravel and Wind
Central Otago weather flips from scorching sun to sideways rain in twenty minutes. I packed cotton the first time and spent three days soggy and miserable. These are the layers that actually held up.
Toss this in your handlebar bag for when the wind rips through the Poolburn Gorge. Sleeves zip off so you're not roasting ten minutes later when the sun returns. Saved me from a very cold, very grumpy afternoon on day three.
PEARL iZUMi Quest Barrier Convertible Cycling Jacket
Toss this in your handlebar bag for when the wind rips through the Poolburn Gorge. Sleeves zip off so you're not roasting ten minutes later when the sun returns. Saved me from a very cold, very grumpy afternoon on day three.
Pearl Izumi Quest Barrier Convertible jacket review
Wear these if you're spending five-plus hours on a saddle over crushed gravel. The pockets hold snacks without bouncing, and the chamois stayed comfortable through the Wedderburn to Ranfurly stretch where there's nowhere to stop.
Men's Core Cargo Bib Shorts
Bring at least two pairs. My feet got soaked crossing a stream near Chatto Creek and these dried out by the next morning hanging off my pack. Cotton socks would've been a blistered disaster.
Darn Tough Vermont
Use this as a neck gaiter when the Central Otago sun is frying your neck, then pull it up as a dust shield on the windier gravel sections. Weighs nothing, packs flat, and I stopped getting sunburned ears.
Adults' Buff Coolnet UV Plus Multifunctional Headwear
Grab the merino blend version if you can find it. Doesn't stink after two days, which matters when you're sharing a tiny lodge room in Omakau with three other cyclists who can definitely smell you.
Giro Chrono Sport Sublimated Short Sleeve Jersey Black
Bike Setup and Accessories for Gravel Trail Riding
The Rail Trail is packed gravel, not pavement. I watched someone on skinny road tires wash out on a corner near Auripo and scrape up both palms. Getting your bike dialed before you start saves a lot of pain.
Switch to these before your trip. I flatted twice on my first ride using 28c tires because the trail has sharp schist gravel everywhere. These are heavier but I haven't had a puncture since, and the rolling resistance on packed gravel is totally fine...
Schwalbe Marathon 700 x 38C Clincher Tire
Get these if your hands go numb after an hour of riding. The bar ends give you a second hand position for the long flat stretches between Lauder and Omakau. My pinky numbness disappeared completely after swapping.
Ergon GP3 Comfort Grips
Keep your tube, tire levers, and multi-tool in here so they're not rattling around in your panniers. Fits snugly, doesn't bounce on rough sections, and I could grab my spare tube without stopping to dig through bags.
topeak saddle bag aero wedge large pack
Carry this instead of a tiny hand pump. Standing on it and using both arms means you actually get enough pressure back in your tire to finish the day. Learned this the hard way outside Wedderburn with a mini pump and burning shoulders.
Micro Floor Drive HP
Bring a proper light even though you think you'll only ride in daylight. The old tunnels on the trail are pitch black and longer than you expect. I walked my bike through the first one like a fool before clipping this on.
Cateye Volt 800 front light
Hydration and Nutrition for Remote Stretches
There are sections where the next town is 30km away with zero water or food. I bonked hard between Lauder and Auripo because I thought there'd be a cafe somewhere. There wasn't.
Pair two of these with your frame cages. The insulation kept my water from turning into warm soup under the Central Otago sun, which hits different when there's no shade for 15km straight.
CamelBak Podium Chill Water Bottle 21oz, Black
Toss a few packets in your bag for the long hauls. Plain water wasn't cutting it by day three when my legs started cramping on the climb out of Clyde. This actually tastes decent, not like drinking a melted popsicle.
Skratch Labs Hydration Sports Drink Mix
Stash three or four of these for the Wedderburn to Ranfurly section. Real food texture instead of sticky goo, and they don't melt into a blob even when it's hot. Ate one every hour and never bonked again.
Clif Energy Bars-Nut Butter Filled
Use this to keep your snacks and phone dry when it rains. Shoved everything in here during a surprise downpour near Poolburn and while my jersey was soaked, my trail mix and electronics survived.
Sea to Summit Lightweight 3-Piece Dry Sack Set
Keep this as backup water in your pannier for the remote stretches. Fill up at every tap you see. I ran out of water once between Oturehua and Wedderburn and it was a genuinely stressful two hours of dry mouth and regret.
Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle
Recovery and Comfort After Long Days on the Trail
Nobody warns you about the post-ride soreness when you're doing 50km a day on gravel for four days straight. My first trip, I could barely walk to dinner by day two. These made every evening survivable.
Apply this every single morning before you get on the bike. Skip it once and you'll know by lunch. I ignored this advice on day one and spent the rest of the trip walking like a cowboy. Don't be me.
Chamois Butt'r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
Grab the travel version and roll out your quads every night at the lodge. Takes five minutes and my legs felt dramatically better by morning. The full-size one won't fit in your bag, but this one slides right in.
TriggerPoint Grid Travel Foam Roller for Exercise
Rub this on your knees before bed if they start aching from the repetitive pedaling. By day three my right knee was talking to me on every pedal stroke. Two nights of this and it quieted down enough to finish strong.
Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel Diclofenac Cream
Wear these instead of slathering sunscreen every two hours. Central Otago UV is brutal and I got scorched through SPF 50 on my forearms. These stayed cool, dried fast, and I stopped looking like a lobster.
Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Sleeves
Bring your own pillow for the lodges and B&Bs along the trail. Some of them have pillows that feel like sleeping on a folded towel. This packs down tiny and I actually slept well, which matters when you're riding again at 8am.
Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow | REI Co-op
Trail Town Stops and Experiences Worth Planning Around
Half the joy of the Rail Trail is the tiny towns along the way. I blew past a few spots my first time because I was focused on distance. Huge mistake. These are worth building your schedule around.
Stop here for coffee and a pie before crossing the Daniel O'Connell Bridge. The stone buildings in Ophir feel like stepping back 150 years, and the flat white was genuinely better than what I got in Queenstown. Don't rush through this town.
Pitches Store
Pull over here for lunch on the northern end of the trail. Homemade food, cold drinks, and a garden where you can stretch your legs. I almost skipped it because it looked closed from the trail and I'm still glad I didn't.
Muddy Creek Café at Old Salem
Book a night here if you want the full backcountry experience. Middle of nowhere, incredible star viewing at night because there's zero light pollution, and the hosts cook dinner for you. Felt like staying at a friend's ranch.
Peter's Farm Lodge
Grab dinner and a cold beer at this pub after the ride from Lauder. The portions are huge and you'll need every calorie. Sat next to a table of locals who told us stories about the trail's gold mining history for an hour.
Omakau Commercial Hotel: 2026 Deals & Reviews
Spend an hour walking through this old workshop museum. It's full of hand-built machines from the 1800s that still work, and the volunteer guides are passionate and funny. I expected to stay fifteen minutes and couldn't leave.
Hayes' Engineering Works