Your questions answered
You are a step closer to the ride of your life!
Riding 600k’s across South Africa is hard enough without having to figure everything out logistically or mechanically or logically – the idea is that you switch off from mainstream life for a bit. So if you can’t find the answers here, email us anytime and we will hopefully be able to put your concerns to rest.
go2berg is a full-service 6 and a half day 600km (400mile) point to point mountain bike stage ride / race through two provinces of South Africa. It starts 16okm south of Johannesburg in Frankfort and finishes 6 days later at Champagne Sports Resort in the foothills of the Drakensberg World Heritage Site.
It is not a tour and you will have to earn your medal by riding the full 6 and half days.
If you are fit you will enjoy the ride and if you are fit and fast you can race for some great prizes and recognition.
2023 was the first go2berg however it is a follow on from joberg2c which ran successfully for 11 years.
No it is not a tour!
go2berg is a tough rewarding mountain bike ride across South Africa. Riders must ride each day unless injured or sick. If a rider has to miss a day the event is not responsible for their bike or person transport. They will need to make their own plan. With this in mind riders need to be fit and prepared for the entire journey. You start in Frankfort and you ride to the mountains.
The field size is limited to 300 riders. We have around 150 travelling crew to ensure that we make the go2berg is special.
Please note: costs for flights to and from South Africa and accommodation before and after the ride are not included.
What does your registration fee include:
- Six and a half days of private and public route across South Africa with full medical and Search and Rescue support
- 150km of single track trails over the 600km route
- Five fully supported race villages with tented accommodation (a two-man tent to share or if you are riding solo then a tent to yourself!)
- In addition, you will receive a 10cm comfy mattress. You will need to bring your own single sheet, sleeping bag (-8deg Celsius), pillow and a thin blanket
- Three awesome meals a day plus stacks of snacks in between at some of the finest race villages you will ever experience hosted by local communities – including some of the finest mouth-watering steaks (please let us know if you have a special dietary requirement – we will try to accommodate you)
- Access to all the race facilities i.e. hot proper showers, bike wash facility, free Seattle Coffee etc.
- Extensive medical support is included however you will need travel insurance in case of hospitalisation
- Full logistical support from the Courier Guy who will transport your bag from race village to race village
- Water points / hydration zones – each day you will be treated to 2-3 water points along the route. These are not your average water points. People have been known to put on weight during go2berg because of the great food.
- You will not go hungry. We would however, suggest that you bring your favourite energy bars / drinks along with you
- Awesome private route that you cannot ride any other time through hundreds of farms and rural communities
- Loads of other nice things that we will surprise you with including items of clothing
Does not include:
- Any flights to and from the event
- Accommodation before and after the event
- Any shuttles you may need to and from airports
- Massages and bike mechanic service (see the In the race village section for more information)
- Drinks from our race village bars (all profits go to schools).
Yes for more important information on travelling to South Africa please visit our international travel section.
We highly recommend those speaking to ellen@go2berg.co.za about our international support package to make your visit to South Africa easier.
The route if 95% off-road, with a combination of rural gravel roads, quiet farms roads, and over 150km of single track trails. Visit the route section for more information.
GPS navigation means you will need to use a GPS device to navigate the route. We have done this for 5 years and it is really simple and a special way to follow the route. We have loads of support and back up but it is a great way to take in the country and for us to keep our route clean from marking.
Find out more about GPS navigation.
Please don’t be scared of this it is really fun and easy – talk to us if you are worried.
Your bum needs to be able to cope with 6 and half days and 600km of riding – so it is important to ride lots. You need to be able to make our very reasonable cut offs for safety reasons.
If you want to race go2berg then you need to be fit and fast and you should consider consulting with expert trainers for specific advice.
If you want to enjoy the ride you need to be able to a minimum of two rides in the week and two on the weekend starting as soon as possible in the build-up. It best to find a group of riders who are training for go2berg and you can join them.
For those seasoned joberg2c riders don’t be fooled by the shorter six days of go2berg. You will be tested but it will be fun.
Over the years all shapes and sizes have finished the journey – to have a really good time you don’t want to be on your bike all day – you would like to be in the village by 2 to 3pm each day so you can still enjoy an afternoon beer.
Please see our training section on our website if you want professional advice.
If you are injured or sick you may miss a day and continue riding provided you make your own plans to get to the next race village.
go2berg does not offer a rider or bike shuttle service during the event from village to village.
If you miss a day due to injury or illness you will not be an official finisher. If you miss two consecutive days we will ask you to leave the event.
We have full medical back up through-out the event. We have some of the world’s best hospitals and doctors and you will be in the best care possible. It is your responsibility to have proper medical insurance to cover any hospital expenses.
This is very subjective – there are many riders who ride different bikes.
If you want to race then the best would be a light marathon full suspension bike
If you want to ride to enjoy then a slightly longer travel marathon or light trail bike will be perfect.
If you only have a hard tail and you are quite tough then you will be fine.
We even have some crazy people riding the event on rigid single speed bikes.
We ride the dry run on 29inch marathon bikes capable of being trail bikes.
NB! fast rolling, tubeless tyres, with a strong side wall are essential and possibly more important than what bike you ride. Please don’t try ride without tubeless tyres – this is Africa – we have rocks and thorns!
We love E bikes – We will be making go2berg even more E bike friendly. Naturally, it is not feasible to have an E bike timed category due to variations in E bikes but you will have a GREAT TIME!
International riders cannot fly with E bike batteries. Let us know if can help source batteries here to rent or bikes to rent.
If you are travelling from far away we recommend you arrive in Johannesburg a few days before to acclimatize. See the international support section.
There are many exciting things to after the event if you want to stay on – South Africa is famous for our safari’s and you could also plan a trip to Cape Town. If you want to do more riding in other parts of the country let us know and we can point you in the right direction – email ellen@go2berg.co.za who will put something special in place for you.
We have some great contacts on our website for more info from riders. We will also put you in touch with other riders from your country if they all agree to forming a group.
We are available on email jani@go2berg.co.za for entry information and general information.
Many of our riders choose to ride for a charity. You are welcome to ride for a charity.
If you have more questions please email jani@go2berg.co.za.