iRide Africa is hosting a *10 Day South Africa singletrack tour in KwaZulu-Natal(KZN). Dates are tentatively set for end 3rd -11th December but they are not set in stone yet so WHEN you decide that you cannot miss this, contact us and suggest dates that suit you! Download the official itinerary
The South Africa singletrack tour will begin in hot and humid Durban with it’s golden mile of beaches and warm oceans.
International guests can fly into King Shaka international airport or get a connecting flight from Johannesburg. The great thing about our cycling tour being in this area is that this is where all the best wildlife reserves are!
We will meet everyone at Durban Airport, put the bikes together and cruise down the promenade to check that all bikes are in order.
A laze on the beach would not go amiss, or maybe a ride in the crazy rickshaws!
Our first official day of single trail riding will be at Giba Gorge. A really fun South Africa mtb trail centre with a bit of everything to keep everyone happy. Check out our blog of the last time we where there. Expect bright red clay soil with loads of swooping singletrack.
The weather at this time of year in KZN is normally hot and humid (26 max, 16min) with great riding in the morning, and almost guaranteed massive thunder storm in the afternoon (exciting!) and clearing in the afternoon just in time for another ride!
We will spend most of our time in the Midlands which is famous for it’s Midlands Meander route, but more importantly for it’s huge expanse of pine forests and amazing network of single track! Daniel grew up here and knows the trails like the back of his hand (actually better!)
Our map of Howick mtb trails gives you an idea of how much trail there is.
We could happily spend a week mountain biking Howick trails alone and not get enough of it, but we’ll certainly be cycling the Karkloof trails) as well.
We honestly can’t say enough about the single track mountain biking in South Africa. Unfortunately we don’t have many photos to inspire you because the trails are just too fun to ever think about stopping to grab a photo!
You can expect ‘wild riding’ in Howick ie trails specifically built for riding but never ‘dumbed down’ and a very natural feel to all the trails. Of course linking all the trails up are endless, smooth forest roads which are just perfect for anyone wanting to get some miles into their legs!
The Karkloof trails are built with fun, fun, fun in mind ie berms, drops, speed and jumps. Howick and Karkloof trails compliment each other perfectly - there is something for everyone and we will make sure to make use of it all! Of course the area lends itself to all day epic rides as the pine and gum plantations stretch as far as the eye can see and the whole of it is our playground!
Check out a video of Hylton Turvey, the guy who builds at Karkloof and will hopefully be able to join us on a few of the rides.
Between all the riding we will be doing, there are sure to be some tired legs on certain days. There is loads to do if you decide on a day off the bike, from flying through trees to cruising the Midlands Meander. We will be staying on 3&4 star lodges situated close to the trails so just relaxing on the lawns or spending time next to the pool is also a great option!
Howick is only 20 minutes drive from Pietermaritzburg. This is where two Mountain bike World Cup’s (XC, DH and 4X) have already taken place and is the destination for the 2013 MTB World Championships!
On this South Africa singletrack tour we’ll spend a day or two seeing how we measure up on a World Cup course- a great way to improve your technical skills. The XC route has super fun chutes, drops and massive rock gardens and the Downhill course is mostly ridable on a normal bike (bar the huge roads gaps and 20m jumps!). Check out our World Cup Road Trip blog to see what you’re in for and watch this blooper video of us trying out the XC rock garden 2 years ago.
We’ll also be doing some riding in the Drakensberg mountains, South Africa’s biggest mountain range. The riding here is mind blowing in terms of trail and scenery.
Our blog of riding the Joberg2c route) will show what’s in store for you.
The Single Speed World Championships 2012 will have recently taken place here so we can tell you the mad stories that come out that crazy event (In fact, why don’t you join us and take part in it!?).
So to sum it all up;
- Ride the best singletrack in South Africa
- Fully guided rides
- Local knowledge
- No getting lost
- Transfers between airports and trails
- Accommodation at 3/4 star Bed & Breakfast
- Become a better and fitter rider
- Off the beaten track
Riding falls into the intermediate to advanced category and the best bikes to ride our terrain are 4-6 inch all mountain bikes. Hardtails will be almost as much fun!
Price R16 000
Of course, another option is our super popular end of year singletrack tour in Cape Town!
