Founded in 2003, the Freedom Challenge is an annual event created to celebrate the existence of the Freedom Trail, South Africa's first fully-serviced mountain bike trail. The trail extends from the most Northeastern part of the country to the Southern-most tip, exposing travelers to South Africa's varied landscape and fauna. There are meals and sleeping accommodations every 50 to 80 kilometers (every 30 to 50 miles) along the trail.
For cyclists who like to "give back" while adventuring, the Tour de Wilderness is an annual mountain bike tour and fundraiser for the organization, Children in the Wilderness. Children in the Wilderness, an organization founded by Paul Newman, teaches young children in rural South Africa about environmental conservation. The annual bike tour varies in location each year and there are two trails available to cyclists: the Original Route (80 km per day) and the Explorer Route (50 to 60 km per day). Tour costs include meals and accommodations, support vehicles, bicycle technicians, and entry into national parks.
Live 2 Ride provides a variety of options for cycling enthusiasts. Based in the Cape West Cost, visitors can choose from vacation packages or single-day mountain bike trails. The trails are conveniently organized by experience level, whereas the "MTB Holiday" packages range from four to 14 days in length. Live 2 Ride also provides mountain bike rentals for travelers and has useful and detailed information regarding the natural terrain of the area for visitors to the area.
Run by a woman mountain bike enthusiast, Mountain Biking South Africa is located in Plettenberg Bay on the Western Cape of South Africa. The company supports the efforts of a local organization, the Krotoa Foundation, a community organization founded by women in the area that create and sell hand-made goods to fund programs for underprivileged youth in the area. Mountain Biking South Africa offers six different tours that range in length and skill level.
Active Escapes offers guided mountain biking tours in the Eastern Cape Highlands, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the Transkei Coast, and the foothills of the Maluti. Straightforward with a variety of options for the avid cyclist, Active Escapes offers fully-supported, guided tours, as well as self-guided options. If you do not find what you want, the guides at Active Escapes are also willing to tailor tours to individual visitors.
