Berg & Bush MTB event revamps midweek ride for 2019

After careful consideration of its three events, and wanting to keep things varied for loyal and new riders alike, the Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush based near Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal is innovating once again.
From 2019, the midweek Berg & Bush will be known as the Berg & Bush Great Midweek, and will start and finish at the same race village on all three days.
The slight change in format makes the popular midweek ride a clover-leaf format for all three days, allowing participants more time in the iconic Em’Seni race village and removing some transport logistics.
Day one of the tweaked Berg & Bush Great Midweek will now feature all-new trails in and around the bushveld and farm areas that riders have come to know and love on days two and three of the Berg & Bush. The first day of riding will also be 70km long, making it more accessible for riders who might be put off by the Descent’s 98km day one.
The change also means that no pre-event accommodation is required, no bag transport or car shuttles are needed; fly-in packages will be less logistically challenging, all-new day one trails will be built, and one race village means every day starts and finishes on the banks of the Tugela River.
“Having seen mountain biking and mountain bike events evolve over our 14 years of Berg & Bush, I’ve certainly noticed riders’ attitudes towards races change,” says Berg & Bush founder Gary Green.
“What I’ve picked up on of late, and what our riders are telling me, is that mountain bikers enjoy a great camp experience and a good night’s sleep. Plus, they simply want to have fun while riding their bikes. We feel the revamped midweek ride is now that exact event.”
Green says to meet that desire, they’ve gone ahead with the changes to their midweek event. “We’ve decided to create a brand new shortened day one of the midweek event, around 70km of brand new unexplored trails, so that riders can start and finish in one race village, enjoy a long but not excessively arduous ride, and then relax all day in our race village.”
Berg & Bush Great Midweek riders will now register at the Em’Seni race village and settle in for three nights and three days of world class riding.
“This gives riders the opportunity to enjoy the Great morning ride and the Great afternoon camp life!” says Green.
Early bird entries open for all three Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush 2019 events on Monday, 5 November 2019. Enter at www.bergandbush.co.za
Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush 2019 dates
Berg & Bush Descent: 4-6 October
Berg & Bush Great Midweek: 8-10 October
Berg & Bush 2 Day: 12 & 13th October
For more information: www.bergandbush.co.za