Pressure. We experience it every single day. Dynamic, modern life is laced with responsibilities that simultaneously hype us up and wear us down. Training rides even have time constraints, while traditional mountain bike races are essentially pre-packaged pressure. And that’s why Ride the Karoo is so appealing. There’s no pressure.
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If you’ve ever driven through the Great Karoo, you will know that it’s a vast expanse of semi-arid wilderness where extreme temperatures and low rainfall have helped it retain its natural, but beautiful harshness, with minimal human interference.
Ride the Karoo is a three-day mountain biking experience designed to deliver a feeling of freedom – and absolutely no pressure. You get to drive away from your city grind to the middle of the country, where Dwarsvlei Farm, near Middelburg, offers a combination of simplicity, culture and comfort for three days and two nights of bicycle riding and old-fashioned human bonding.
For something completely different, Stage 1 on Friday is a night ride over 20km with 230m of ascent. There’s no better place in the country to star gaze than the Karoo. Far from any kind of air or light pollution, there are unobscured night-sky vistas.
Stage 2 is over 73km with 660 metres of climbing. It’s not flat, but it’s also not technical, following mostly jeep track through farms in the foothills of the Sneeuwberge mountain range.
The final stage is short and sharp – 48km with 520 metres of ascent. This route has been designed to make the most of the beautiful scenery and there’s a chance you will spot antelope such as Kudu and Gemsbok.
Unlike most stage races, where the focus is firmly on the riders, Ride the Karoo has gone to great lengths to ensure the supporter’s experience is as engaging and memorable as that of the riders. Supporters are welcome to follow the provided map and head out onto the route on Stages 2 and 3 and to the local attractions to create their own Karoo-escape memories.
Accommodation, refreshments and meals are all included in the entry fee and there are options ranging from Standard Tents to Glamping Tents, as well as renovated farm stables to fit all budgets and definitions of an extraordinary escape.
As you’d expect on a Karoo farm, the meals include Karoo lamb chops, Karan Beef steak, baked farm bread and condensed-milk coffee at breakfast. There’s obviously ice-cold draft beer to enjoy as you cross the finish line with sweet koeksisters and savoury snacks to keep you fuelled at the water points on the route.
Daily bike wash (included in the entry fee) and massage packages (additional fee) are also available to reduce any kind of remaining pressure you may experience.
Here are some comments from finishers of the 2022 edition of Ride the Karoo:
‘Best organised event I’ve ever attended. Thanks for a great weekend.’ – Handre Truter
Awesome event and weekend. Best ever! – Sharon Taylor
Thanks for the awesome race and lovely atmosphere. Was an awesome weekend. See you next year. – Andre Delport
Great event, good food, challenging routes, awesome company …overall excellent!! Thank you. – Sandy Moller
They said the Karoo was flat! Day 3 was tough. Awesome route, challenging rocky climbs and switchbacks. Awesome vibe! – Karen Kriel
In order to preserve the exclusive value of the participant and supporter experience, numbers are limited. To make the opportunity available to more, there are two editions each year, a few days apart, but it’s still advisable to secure your entry early. The 2023 dates are 22-24 September and 29 September-1 October.
Click here to find out more and enter online for the 2023 Ride the Karoo 3 Day Stage Race.
All images: Shift Media
