[Event] Arabella Challenge Mountain Bike Race

[Events Bot]

Event Name: Arabella Challenge Mountain Bike Race
When: 26 April 2014 - 27 April 2014
Where: Arabella Country Estate, Western Cape
Category: MTB

The countdown has begun for the third Arabella Challenge, that pits trail runners and mountain-bikers against some of the most breath-taking and rugged countryside in the UNESCO-registered Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve near Hermanus in the Western Cape.

 

The two-day event, hosted by the Arabella Hotel & Spa, takes place on the long weekend of April 26 and 27 and is a great event for novices and experienced athletes alike. The event comprises of two mountain bike events, a 2 day stage event where participants will ride 52 kms on day 1 and 47 kms on day 2. A 1 day mountain bike event has been added this year where participants will ride the 47 km day 2 route on Sunday, 27 April 2014.

 

Trail runners get to test their fitness over 11km or 18km on the Sunday. Between January 27 and February 10 there’s an early bird discount of 15% on Challenge entries, which are:

• 1 day mountain bike: R475
• 2 day mountain bike: R950
• Trail Run (advanced): R275
• Trail Run (Novice): R200

For more information or to enter visit the entries website or contact the hotel on 028 284 0000.

 

 

Go to Event Page

[Gazzan]

Anyone done this race? Looks like fun.

 

 

[nonky]

Is anyone doing this?

 

 

 

I am keen but R1,000 for 2 days / 99k's is a little steep for me...unless I am missing something

 

 

[CleatsnCleavage]

Anyone doing this race? Got a free entry to the 2-day mountain bike event but as I also have Houw Hoek tour the next weekend Im looking to share transport costs to the Arabella race from Cape Town. PM me.

 

 

[CleatsnCleavage]

Anyone doing this race and driving from Cape Town? Got a free entry but already staying in Grabouw the following weekend for Houw Hoek tour so would prefer to not stay over. Looking for someone to share driving with (for Arabella)

 

 

[Capcha]

Wondering what R500 a day gets you?

 

 

[leona]

me too... want to do it but thats silly. i paid 1800 for origins of trails but id only just arrived in sa and thats my excuse.

[Wikkelspies]

Really looking forward to this event this coming weekend.

 

Some great trails out there, awesome hospitality, and off course.. Some luxury staying in the hotel as well.

 

Who else is going?

[Kranky]

Ridiculous pricing. What's the pull factor? Does this include accommodation?

Edited April 22, 2014 by Nick.

[Skubarra]

Ridiculous pricing. What's the pull factor? Does this include a stay ?

Definitely a market for this type of stage race. Staying in luxury & shortish distances that's not gonna hurt too much. If you bitch about value for money you're probably not included in the target audience...

[flymango]

Definitely a market for this type of stage race. Staying in luxury & shortish distances that's not gonna hurt too much. If you bitch about value for money you're probably not included in the target audience...

 

Indeed. Target market as a subset of the whole market.

[Kranky]

Definitely a market for this type of stage race. Staying in luxury & shortish distances that's not gonna hurt too much. If you bitch about value for money you're probably not included in the target audience...

 

Yes, I'd enjoy doing this kind of event and would appreciate the luxury. That being said, I don't believe that luxury should imply lack of value. That is why I asked if the high entry fee includes anything that might justify the price.

 

I asked what was included because I am genuinely interested in the event. But I see no reason to enrich some else's pockets for no good reason. I'm probably just going to ride Hemel en Aarde twice that weekend (or even one of the Grabouw/ Elgin trails on my way past). Luckily, there are these options or Arabella it may have been.

 

Those that are doing the event, enjoy it! And let me know if it was good, maybe next year I'll stop being so tight

Edited April 22, 2014 by Nick.

[Stevief]

Yes, I'd enjoy doing this kind of event and would appreciate the luxury. That being said, I don't believe that luxury should imply lack of value. That is why I asked if the high entry fee includes anything that might justify the price.

 

I asked what was included because I am genuinely interested in the event. But I see no reason to enrich some else's pockets for no good reason. I'm probably just going to ride Hemel en Aarde twice that weekend (or even one of the Grabouw/ Elgin trails on my way past). Luckily, there are these options or Arabella it may have been.

 

Those that are doing the event, enjoy it! And let me know if it was good, maybe next year I'll stop being so tight

I did it last year and it was a very lekker ride. I treated my family to a weekend of it and when you combine the room for 4 of us with dinner and breakies included and 2 days riding for approx R4k it was a superb value. If you just look at it from a riding perspective at R450 a day perhaps you are correct in saying its overvauled.

 

My take was it s a nice weekend away in a luxury hotel and i got to ride 2 days of trails i had never ridden before. Wife hit the spa. kids ran around the estate and dad got muddy and dirty, perfect weekend for all.

[Skubarra]

Yes, I'd enjoy doing this kind of event and would appreciate the luxury. That being said, I don't believe that luxury should imply lack of value. That is why I asked if the high entry fee includes anything that might justify the price.

 

 

Not my type of event at all, but I can appreciate that some like Stevie above don't measure the value they get from these events by Rands / kilometers, but more in line with a quality family weekend away which also happens to include mtb'ing

[Firemeister]

Done it twice. Awesome trails, with proper mtbing routes.

 

The pull factor is staying in the hotel for the weekend with the wife and kids, otherwise not really worth the cost and effort, of doing the two stages on its own..

[flymango]

Have to agree with the last few posts. My wife and I did the first one two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the luxury of staying in the hotel. A great weekend and worth the money spent. Would I do it again? No. Better value to be had elsewhere.