Mountain Bike Rotorua Spreads Holiday Joy With Share The Ride For Xmas

Rotorua, 20 December 2024 – Mountain Bike Rotorua is continuing its celebrated community initiative, Share the Ride for Xmas, by gifting brand-new Giant mountain bikes to ten local whānau.

The programme invites the community to nominate deserving individuals and families who would benefit greatly from having a brand-new mountain bike.

Over the past few weeks, dozens of heartfelt nominations have been submitted, sharing stories of individuals facing mobility challenges, enduring chronic pain, or dedicating their time to voluntary work for the community. Despite their efforts and contributions, many nominees share a common struggle: the inability to afford their own bicycles.

In response, Mountain Bike Rotorua’s owners—Takurua Mutu, Tuhua Mutu, Jayne Hendrikse, and Janine Kavanagh—have selected ten deserving recipients to receive brand-new Giant bikes this Christmas, with a total value of over $10,000.

Since its inception, Share the Ride has delivered more than 300 bikes to the Rotorua community. The programme continues a legacy of fostering connection, mobility, and joy through cycling.

“We are always both humbled by the stories and excited to be able to support those most in need in our community through ourShare the Ride programmes,” says company director Takurua Mutu.

“We wholeheartedly recognise that there are very few organisations supporting grassroots mountain biking in Rotorua. Our aim is to lower barriers as much as possible and enable those who don’t have the means to become part of the riding community in one of the greatest mountain biking destinations in the world. We are proud to be leaders in this space, and we couldn’t do it without our amazing bike partners, Giant Bicycles New Zealand.”

Giant Bicycles New Zealand has been a steadfast supporter of nearly all the Share the Ride programmes since their beginning in 2015, becoming official partners in 2021 after the loss of co-funding from the local club. Their ongoing contribution has been instrumental in ensuring the initiative’s success. Together with Mountain Bike Rotorua, they have enabled many Rotorua locals to experience the freedom and joy of cycling.

This year’s bike recipients will receive their gifts just in time for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Takurua Mutu, Jayne Hendrikse, and their daughter, Maia Mutu, will personally deliver the bikes to the selected families, ensuring the joy of unwrapping these transformative gifts extends to Christmas morning.

“Mountain Bike Rotorua is proud to continue making a difference in the lives of Rotorua locals through initiatives like Share theRide for Xmas,” says Mutu. “As the year draws to a close, the entire team atMountain Bike Rotorua, along with our wider group of companies including Tohu Experiences and Crankworx, reflects on the power of community and the importance of creating opportunities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors.”

Mountain Bike Rotorua:
Mountain Bike Rotorua is owned by Tohu Experiences, an outdoor company owned and operated by brothers Takurua and Tuhua Mutu along with their partners, Jayne Hendrikse and Janine Kavanagh. Established 30 years ago, and under Mutu ownership for the last 15 years, the business includes:

Tohu Experiences (formerly MDA Experiences): Premium experiences throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

MDA Events: Event management for business, conference, and sports events.

Mountain Bike Rotorua: Providing bike hire, servicing, and retail options at two convenient locations in the Whakarewarewa Forest Mountain Bike Park, along with the Wheelhouse Coffee Shop and satellite operations with e-bikes and café services based at Te Puia.

Mountain Bike Rotorua Shuttles: Public and private charter mountain bike shuttles operating year-round in the Whakarewarewa Forest.

Giant Bicycles New Zealand:
Giant Bicycles is recognised as the world's largest bicycle designer and manufacturer. With regional offices globally, Giant Bicycles is one of the leading bike brands in the New Zealand, with a dedicated local team supporting retailers and regularly contributing to community initiatives like Share the Ride with Whānau, Share the Ride for Xmas, and the charity-owned 2W Gravity Enduro event.

Share the Ride for Xmas:
The festive season is a time for family and giving, but it can also be a challenging time for some.

Share the Ride for Xmas is simple yet impactful. Together with GiantBicycles New Zealand, we identify members of the Rotorua community who would benefit most from receiving a new bike. This year, ten nominees will receive brand-new Giant mountain bikes, delivered on Christmas Eve to ensure a joyful and memorable holiday.

Share the Ride with Whānau:
In 2013, Mountain Bike Rotorua co-owners Takurua Mutu and Jayne Hendrikse took her low-decile intermediate school class mountain biking in the Whakarewarewa Forest, just five minutes from Rotorua’s city centre. For many students, it was their first time experiencing the forest.

That moment sparked the creation of Share theRide with Whānau, a programme providing deserving families with ridings kills, basic bike maintenance knowledge, and familiarity with the forest trails. Upon completing the programme, participants receive brand-new bikes and helmets. Since 2015, the initiative has provided over 100 bikes to more than 50families.

The programme fosters active, outdoor lifestyles while breaking down barriers of cost and access, ensuring more families can enjoy mountain biking recreationally and competitively.

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