THE zebra and the buck of Wiesenhof nature reserve have been warned. They will share their habitat on the R44 between Klapmuts and Stellenbosch with many mountainbikers this weekend.
Saturday and Sunday bring the 24Hours of Wiesenhof, the endurance mountain biking presented by Dirtopia, to the reserve.
With the start/finish next to the dam, the route circles through the veld where riders will encounter wildlife of all kinds.
These endurance events have become very popular with riders, as mountainbikers enjoy the fun of nightriding and camping with fellow riders and friends.
The sporting part of the 24 hour mountainbike event revolves around a massive relay, where solo riders or teams of four riders compete to ride as many laps as possible in a 24-hour time frame.
The event starts at noon on Saturday and finishes at noon on Sunday.
The Wiesenhof event also has a fun category for teams of up to eight riders.
The official categories for teams are men’s open, women’s open, mixed open (at least one of both genders), Junior (aged between 16 and 18) and solo riders (must be 16 years or older).
There is also a “One Four Zero” category where the collective ages of the four riders must be more than 140 years.
The lap distance will be approximately 7km with 75% wide and flowing singletrack - easy enough for beginners, but challenging enough when you have ridden for a few hours.
The route will never be far from the start/finish, so spectators can walk to other areas on the trail to see more action.
At night the lights are mounted on bikes and helmets and the course will get a different feel.
This fifth instalment of the 24Hours of Wiesenhof is held in support of the African Mountain Bike Association - a non-profit organisation to the benefit of the sport.
Riders can also apply for their CSA licences through AMA, as all riders will need a licence to take part or pay a R30 day licence with their entry.
If you cannot make the full 24hours, join them on the course on Sunday from 09:00 to 12:00 and take part in the 3Hour challenge.
Prices range from R150 to R300 per rider depending on the category. This includes camping also for two support crew per team or solo rider.
To enter go to www.dirtopia.co.za for an entry form, email theteam@dirtopia.co.za or call Fee Kleinert at 021-884-4752.
