Combination tours One of the pioneering mountain bike safari operators is Mountain Bike Namibia (MBN). Most visitors to Namibia want to see Sossusvlei in the south, Swakopmund at the coast, the Damaraland area in the central/north west and wildlife in the Etosha National Park. A round trip of about 3 500 km to visit these destinations (starting and ending in Windhoek) takes about 16 days. The same daily distances covered by a vehicle safari can be completed in a day on a combination bike and safari tour.
With good planning the most spectacular scenic sections are covered on bicycles on dirt roads and tracks. The tours are supported by professional back-up teams and practical bike trailers that make loading and off-loading fast and easy. Providing bikers have a reasonable level of fitness, there is no age limit, with many being over 60 years of age.
MBN also offers shorter tours that focus on specific areas of Namibia. These are the 8-day Southern Desert Tour, the 8-day Damaraland Tour and the 11-day Kaokoland/Etosha Tour. info@mountainbikenamibia.com www.mountainbikenamibia.com www.nit.com.na
Extreme off-road cycling The first 24-hour Desert Logistics–Desert Dash took place on 14 December 2007. Teams had to prepare themselves mentally and physically for this premium endurance race in which riders were pitted against radical weather changes and endless horizons. Heat, wind and cold fog contributed towards the challenge. Being a 24-hour event, it required teams to be equipped for cycling through the night
With an option of three entry categories to choose from, riders committed themselves to completing a minimum of 140 km (teams of four people), 200 km (teams of two people) and a daunting 335 km for solo entrants. The route followed the C26 out of Windhoek, continued along the D1982 down the Us Pass and then crossed to the C28 via D1985 into Swakopmund. http://www.desertdashnamibia.com/
Desert Rhino Cycle As an initiative of South African tour operator, Rhino Africa Safaris’s Challenge4aCause programme, the 330 km Desert Rhino Cycle was launched in July 2009. The route starts at Palmwag, heading south to take in the splendour of the mighty Ugab, past the Doros Crater and finishes at Doro !Nawas seven days later. The main idea behind the cycle challenge is to protect Namibia’s rhino populations. The 2009 expedition raised funds totalling N$300 000 for Namibia’s Save the Rhino Trust. The funds will be used to support the anti-poaching unit for at least one year. The 2009 Desert Rhino challenge was a closed event, but from 2010 the event will be open for public participation. www.desertventure.org
Engen Hochland Mountain Bike Marathon Another regular mountain-bike event is the Engen Hochland Mountain Bike Marathon Championships in the Khomas Hochland west of the Western Bypass, which kicks off at the Engen Hochland Service Station in Hochland Park, Windhoek. The event consists of the marathon championships, mountain-biking and road-cycling fun rides, with prizes totalling N$15 000.
The Marathon Championships event is geared to mountain-biking enthusiasts at all levels, from the novice to the expert, from the occasional to the frequent, from the single rider to the family of riders and from the rider whose interest is the picturesque surroundings to the rider whose sole interest is in the merits of a mountain bike.
Rides vary in degree of difficulty, each offering a different perspective of the beautiful Khomas Hochland area. There are rides for all age groups, from a 26-km MTB fun-ride for all ages to a 61-km MTB championships race for elite ladies and men, junior ladies and men and veteran ladies and men, and for master men. info@mountainbikenamibia.com
The Namibian Model Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Classic The Namibian Model Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Classic was held for the 10th consecutive year in 2009. The event took place on 18 August, from the usual starting point in Olympia. The race offered routes of 20, 30, 65 and 100 kilometres, and over 1 000 cyclists competed. The event serves as the only pre-qualifying race outside South Africa for the premier Argus Cycle Tour in Cape Town. Initiated by the Windhoek Rotary Club, the primary aim of the Cycle Classic is to raise funds for the various community projects that the Windhoek Rotary Club is involved with.
