Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair trying Shweeb racing in New Zealand. She is in a pod ready to race a bicycle hanging under a monorail!

Shweeb Racing in New Zealand: A Brilliantly Unique Experience

17th March 2026 - New Experience Number 12.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

What’s that now? Shweeb racing? Don’t worry, it’s not a typo that I’ve forgotten to check, it’s an actual experience.

As I’m always looking for new things to try, I sometimes come across more unusual experiences. Spotting Shweeb racing during our New Zealand road trip, it soon became one of my 52 new things for the year.

If you’re looking for something a little different to try, then this is definitely worth putting on your list if you’re heading to New Zealand.

I couldn’t take pictures as we were racing. If you want to see the brilliant Shweeb in action take a look at the footage at Velocity Valley

What is Shweeb Racing?

I’d describe it like riding on an exercise bike but flipped upside down and encased in a plastic test tube that hangs under a track that wouldn’t look out of place in a theme park.

The more technical description would be that it’s riding in individual pods as if pedalling a recumbent bicycle. The pods hang underneath two tracks so riders can race each other over three laps.

Looking at the course from behind the barrier, it looks like a very tame track that you might find in the toddler area of a theme park. But hang upside down from it and speed along as fast as your legs can pedal and it might be a lot more adrenaline-fuelled than you first think.

Two pods for Shweeb racing in New Zealand. They are like bicycles in a pod which you ride by lying back whilst it hangs from a monorail.
You can only find the Shweeb in New Zealand

Only in New Zealand

This pedal powered monorail is the only one of its kind and you can find it at Velocity Valley in Rotorua. It’s like a theme park for adrenaline seekers, with rides that will test the nerves of any hardy dare devils.

Despite overthinking it, I went back the next day to try Vertigo, a rather more terrifying experience involving a 43-metre freefall into a net. 

So if you’re visiting the North Island of New Zealand, it is well worth giving it a go, for the fun, the exhilaration, and the bragging rights.

A brightly coloured entrance sign for Velocity Valley
A must-visit destination for adrenaline seekers!

Ready to race

I clambered in, lay back and put my feet on the pedals.

Hands braced on the handlebars. The lights changed to green. The race was on.

The Other Half is far more competitive than I am, so I knew he’d be going for it. All I wanted was to get around and not be embarrassingly far behind him otherwise I’d never hear the end of it.

There was only one direction. Forwards. As fast as I could.

Looking at a pair of legs inside a Shweeb in New Zealand, ready to race around the pedal powered monorail track
In position and ready to race

What Shweeb racing in New Zealand feels like

There was more resistance in those first few pedals than I’d expected. It was like trying to pedal a bike that’s in the wrong gear.

But, once I’d pushed my legs to get going, I was off.

Clattering along the track I felt like a hamster on a wheel. I couldn’t control where I was only going, I could only keep pedalling.

The grass rushed by close beneath me in a blur.

There were twists which I couldn’t anticipate. It was only as my Shweeb sharply tilted outwards to the side that I felt the jolt of the turn.

I’m pretty sure I let out a ‘what the hell is going on’ laugh that echoed in the pod as the first dip caught my breath.

My stomach and brain became a tangled mess. I couldn’t see when the track was going to drop; I could only feel it. That sudden sensation of falling caught me completely off guard.

Of course, what goes down must come up. My legs pumped hard to maintain my speed and momentum..

I couldn’t really tell where the Other Half was, all I knew was that I just had to keep pedalling.

The farmlands flashed by, and before I knew it I was speeding past the start. One lap down.

A pod used in Shweeb Racing. It is a transparent pod with a lying down bike contraption in it.
Racing around the track in one of these is brilliant fun

Keep going

Feeling more confident having completed the course once, I looked forward to the steep corners and undulating track.

Each lap was only about 200 metres and I was giving it everything I’d got. It was a race after all. Apparently those little pods can reach 50km per hour. Despite ferocious pedalling, I don’t think I quite reached the top speed. 

Halfway through that second lap, my thighs started questioning what they had done to be put through their paces.

There’s no free wheeling on the Shweeb, not if you want to win, so it was a constant pounding of the pedals through the resistance. It was like combining a toy with a piece of exercise equipment.

The Finish

I really didn’t have a clue whether the Other Half had already finished, or if I was just behind him, but I determinedly kept pushing on. 

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair standing next to a man.
Feeling proud of my winning time!

With a wave from the staff as I turned in for the final stretch, I gave it one last push letting the Shweeb slow down as I came into the finish.

And clattering just behind me was the Other Half. My mouth dropped in disbelief. I’d beaten him! I couldn’t believe it! He is a regular cyclist so I felt certain that would have given him an advantage.

Muttering all sorts of chunterings about sticking gears and something being wrong with the pod, the Other Half gave me a reluctant well done.

Would I recommend Shweeb racing?

Shweeb racing was absolutely ridiculous, unexpectedly exhilarating and much harder work than it looked. You should definitely try it!

A white wrist with an orange wrist band wrapped around it for Velocity Valley
I'd highly recommend a visit to Velocity Valley

The racing element definitely raises the stakes, particularly when you’re competing against someone who’ll never let you forget it if they win.

It’s also one of those experiences I would probably never have discovered if I hadn’t been actively looking for new things to try.

So, if you’re exploring New Zealand’s North Island and fancy doing something a little different, I’d recommend giving it a go.

Just don’t assume the person who cycles regularly is going to win.

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • If you want to try Shweeb racing, there is only one place in the world where you can currently try it. 
  • You’ll need to visit Velocity Valley which is located in Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand.

Cost Of Experience

  • Velocity Valley works on passes.
  • All rides (apart from Vertigo) cost 1 pass.
  • The more passes you buy, the cheaper it is. 
  • We bought a Velocity 2 pass, perfect for couples. It cost $NZ 115 which roughly converted to £49

Recommendations

  • Book in advance. We were lucky as we went on a quiet day, but if you definitely want to try Shweeb racing it’s worth booking to secure your spot.
  • Pop on your trainers. I’m sure people will have work flip flops to race the Shweebs, but if you’re serious about racing make sure you’ve got some decent footare.
  • Listen to the instructors. Follow their safety briefing and advice and you’ll have a uniquely brilliant experience.
  • Don’t forget your camera. You can’t really get pictures when you are racing, but you can always ask someone else to take some for you.
  • Have fun! Let me know how you get on if you decide to give it a go.

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