I hadn’t ridden a Trans Baviaans since 2018 – I think. It might have been 2019, but I’m not really sure. After a few years have elapsed it doesn’t really make that much difference. As long as its far enough back in your memory to forget how much you suffered going up MAC it’s time [...]
Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning proved that mountain bikes are faster, even in near ideal conditions, than gravel bikes by smashing the Trans Baviaans course record and holding off the drop-bar charge of Rossouw Bekker and Matthys Beukes. The Insect Science team set a new record time of 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 5 [...]
The 2024 Trans Baviaans marks the 20th edition of the country’s favourite single-stage marathon mountain bike event. Over the last two decades the Baviaanskloof has presented challenges as varied as the magnificent nature reserve itself; from sweltering heat to icy cold, torrential flooding to arid droughts. This year’s traverses of the largest wilderness area in [...]
The iconic Trans Baviaans celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2024. Racing from Willowmore, in the Karoo, to Jefferys Bay, on the South African East Coast, through the Baviaanskloof has remained a stern challenge throughout the last two decades; despite advancements in mountain bike technology. Due to the size of the challenge, which least we forget [...]
The 2022 Trans Baviaans Repeat took place in challenging – if not quite as cold as the Race, the weekend before – conditions on Saturday, 20 August. Yet, rain still fell, the wind still blew and riders were subjected to a muddy finale after a wet 24 hours in Jeffreys Bay before their arrival. It [...]
The 2022 Trans Baviaans Race was among the most brutal events in recent memory, due to icy rain and cold temperatures. Every rider who finished, be it on Saturday afternoon or in the late hours of Saturday night and Sunday morning, can thus be very happy with their effort. There are of course those who [...]
The 2022 edition of the Trans Baviaans Race takes place on Saturday, the 13th of August. Starting in Willowmore and finishing in Jefferys Bay, the 230 kilometre traverse of the Baviaanskloof is one of South Africa’s most iconic mountain bike races. Over 1 000 riders, competing in teams of two to four, will take on the [...]
The second event of the 2021 Trans Baviaans is dubbed the Repeat. While the Race attracts a more competitive field the Repeat blends racing with riding for the challenge, the scenery and the pleasure of traversing the Baviaanskloof. It was fitting then that the icy conditions were not repeated for the less serious riders. They [...]
The 2021 Trans Baviaans was held in unusual conditions, imposed by Covid-19 restrictions, and in difficult weather; on Saturday, 28 August. Teams were able to start, in self-seeded start times, from 05h00 in order to beat the 22h00 curfew. The early start and a late winter cold front, lead to sub-zero temperatures, with brief flurries [...]
There are few mountain biking events in South Africa which better encapsulate the nation’s cycling spirit than Trans Baviaans. In a country obsessed with ultra-endurance events Trans Baviaans long ago became the Comrades Marathon or the Midmar Mile of mountain biking. Its 230-kilometre route, through the largest wilderness area in the country, provides a challenge [...]
