There’s a place that all mountain bikers find themselves. It’s a place where they feel properly challenged; but also a place where they find rhythm and flow. It’s a place where they feel most confined; but also a place where they feel free. It’s a place that threads all mountain bikers together; yet a place that sets them apart. It’s a place of worship for mountain bikers, yet it’s not really a place. It’s singletrack.
Photo: Kelvin Trautman
If a mountain bike event doesn’t spend time and energy developing and nurturing singletrack, then there’s a lack of commitment and an absence of soul. And for many South Africans this is okay. But at the Old Mutual joBerg2c, you can be sure that building and nurturing singletrack is one of the highest priorities.
While some stage races look at ways of increasing profit margins each year, the joBerg2c organisers look at ways of increasing the volume of singletrack. So far they have managed to include 250km of singletrack in their 900km race. That’s almost a third and it’s more singletrack than the entire distance of most three-day stage races. Think about that for a bit…
Photo: Kelvin Trautman
Each year they add more singletrack because each year they want their participants to feel more enriched. Much of this singletrack is only rideable during the joBerg2c and needs to be maintained throughout the year to ensure it’s ready to offer sanctification.
Ask any joBerg2c finisher what they valued most about the event and they’re likely to say the route. The route starts just south of Johannesburg and passes through four South African provinces on its way to the coastal town of Scottburgh. The scenery changes, the overnight stops change, the air changes from thin Highveld to thick sea level. The terrain changes, the gradients – both up and down – change. The surfaces change. But one thing that is consistent from start to finish is the quality of the route.
Photo: Kelvin Trautman
The Old Mutual joBerg2c route is designed and maintained by passionate mountain bikers. People that love to ride singletrack, people that feel most at home on singletrack, people that love to share their sweet, sanctified singletrack.
If singletrack is important to you and you haven’t yet ridden joBerg2c, you’re denying yourself a life-improving experience. Find out more details of the route here: The Route is King
