The riding is the point. Road options include a Cape Town to Blouberg stretch of 30km of bikepath, then tar and gravel through Wellington, Bainskloof and the Slanghoek Valley, or a second route out to Stellenbosch, Kogel Bay and Kleinmond with a gravel section over the Highlands road and an optional stop at a penguin colony. These are point-to-point routes, not loops, so transfers are arranged from the finish back to Cape Town.

Mountain bike camps use the Western Cape's winter race terrain: mostly gravel roads in poor to very poor condition, some jeep track and singletrack, and rider skills are necessary. The operation is clear that a mountain bike in good order is strongly advised. Gravel travel sits in between, on gravel in good to moderate condition plus tar, suitable for cyclocross or mountain bikes.

Support levels are stated plainly. Fully supported means a vehicle follows the group, carries spares, refreshments and luggage, and acts as a safety presence on the road. Semi-supported is used where a vehicle cannot follow riders and luggage is moved to the overnight stops. Unsupported tours use panniers, with a bike guide available.

Groups are matched to routes by fitness. A Fun Rider trains or rides at least once a week and can ride three hours a day. A Sport Rider trains two to three times a week and can ride 100km continuously. An Elite Rider has four or more years' experience, has done multi-day races, averages 28km/h or more over 100km and trains four or more times a week; on a mountain bike they ride black and red routes comfortably.

Weekend camps are aimed at riders coming from upcountry who are short on time. They can include a Friday afternoon or Monday morning ride, and you do not need to hire a car or arrange bike transport. Airport or hotel transfers, full catering and a dedicated backup vehicle are part of the package, as they are on the longer tours.

What's included

- Accommodation as part of the package - Food and full catering - Airport or hotel transfers - Dedicated backup vehicle - Transport and logistics for race packages - Electronic GPS routes or paper maps - 24/7 emergency availability - Luggage transfer to overnight stops on semi-supported trips

What's not included

- Flights to and from South Africa - Bike hire (not stated as included) - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Race entry fees (not stated as included) - Transfers from the end point back to Cape Town on unsupported point-to-point routes (arranged separately)