PLEASE NOTE:
SPRING RTR 2020 WILL NOT PROCEED AS PLANNED DUE TO CORONA VIRUS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING A GUIDED RIDE TO RHODES THEN PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US DIRECTLY AND WE CAN LOOK AT OPTIONS OF A GUIDED RIDE WITHIN RTR IN OCTOBER OR A PERSONALISED GUIDED RIDE OUTSIDE OF EVENT TIME. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
The Spring Ride to Rhodes takes place in late September. It is a 6-day, 480 km, guided mountain bike ride, with fully catered overnight accommodation and vehicle support along the route.
It starts in Pietermaritzburg and follows the route taken by Trappist monks as they headed into the area previously known as No-man's Land and East Griqualand and then across the Maloti Drakensberg Mountains to the village of Rhodes. Travelling along dirt roads and tracks, it contains extensive sections of single track and cattle track and traverses interesting countryside that is rich in history and culture. The route is not marked, so many riders rely on the riding guardian who is familiar with the route but riders may also navigate their own way by using a set of maps and narrative description and GPS devices are permitted for this ride.
- Riders may chose to ride with guide or at their own pace.
- GPS devices are permitted for this ride
- Riders can expect to be out on the trail for 8-12 hours per day including rest breaks etc.
- The support vehicle will carry your overnight bag, riders only need carry their snacks and drinks for 2-4 hours of riding at a time.
DAILY STAGES
Apart from the start and finish venues, there are 5 fully serviced support stations where riders will get a meal to eat and a place to sleep. Between them are interim stops which also provide refreshments along the way (usually soup/coffee/tea). The support stations and interim stops are the following:
| MAPS | SS NO. | SUPPORT STATION / INTERMEDIATE STOP | KM | CUM. KM | ASCENT (M) | CUM. ASCENT (M) |
| 1-4 | S | PIETERMARITZBURG (6AM START) | 61 | 61 | 1400 | 1400 |
| IS1 | BYRNE - THE OAKS | |||||
| 48 | 109 | 1375 | 2775 | |||
| 5-7 | 1 | ALLENDALE | ||||
| 45 | 154 | 910 | 3685 | |||
| IS2 | CENTACOW | |||||
| 48 | 202 | 1570 | 5255 | |||
| 8-11 | 2 | NTSIKENI | ||||
| 43 | 245 | 670 | 5925 | |||
| IS3 | GLEN EDWARD | |||||
| 57 | 302 | 1080 | 7005 | |||
| 12-13 | 3 | MASAKALA (TECH ZONE) |
||||
| 56 | 358 | 860 | 7865 | |||
| 14-16 | 4 | MALEKGOLONYANE | ||||
| 45 | 403 | 820 | 8685 | |||
| IS4 | TINANA | |||||
| 29 | 432 | 670 | 9355 | |||
| 17-18 | 5 | VUVU SCHOOL | ||||
| 49 | 481 | 1390 | 10745 | |||
| F | RHODES - ALPINE SWIFT | |||||
| TOTAL | 481 | 10745 | ||||
| KM (DISTANCE) | M (ALTITUDE) | |||||
2020 ENTRY
The entrance fee for the 2020 Spring Ride to Rhodes is R12 000-00 incl VAT
The entrance fee covers the following:
- pre-ride dinner in Pietermaritzburg
- all meals during the ride
- end of ride dinner in Rhodes
- accommodation for 7 nights including Pietermaritzburg and Rhodes
- riding guardian, refreshments and daily transport of bags
- official ride momento
Terms and conditions
In the case of a withdrawal:
- There is a 10% admin fee payable, 90% of the ride fee is refundable up one month before the start of the ride. Roll-over entries NO longer apply.
- Cancellation / withdrawal within the last month will result in FULL FORFEITURE of the race fee. Roll-over entries NO longer apply.
- Entries close 21 August 2020
