Mountain bike holiday through Rwanda

1000 Hills in Rwanda: The ultimate interval course

Let’s be honest: if you don’t like climbing, Rwanda is a challenge. But for the mountain biker, this country is a paradise. Rwanda isn’t called the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ for nothing. There is hardly a flat metre. You are constantly engaged in a climb or a descent.

This turns cycling into a natural interval training. The hills are often steep but short, although there are also longer stretches that take you to great heights. However, the reward always follows immediately: a spectacular descent with views over valleys full of terraced gardens, misty forests, or glistening lakes. It is working, sweating, and enjoying in one fluid movement.

Variety: Volcanoes and rainforests in Rwanda

The backdrop to your ride changes constantly. In the north, you cycle in the shadow of the mighty Virunga volcanoes. The soil here is fertile and black, and the climbs are long. In the south, you cycle along the edges of Nyungwe Forest, a dense rainforest. Here, the air is humid and you hear the sounds of the jungle.

This variety keeps you sharp. Every day brings a new type of landscape and sometimes a different type of surface too. It turns a mountain bike holiday through Rwanda into a complete adventure where nature and sporting achievement come together.

Best time to travel for a mountain bike holiday in Rwanda

Rwanda has a stable tropical climate, but for mountain bikers, rain is the deciding factor. Mud can make the trails demanding and slippery, whilst dry roads provide grip and speed.

• Long dry season (June – August): This is the dream for every mountain biker. The trails are dry and hard, you have maximum grip, and the bike stays (reasonably) clean. The temperatures are pleasant for sports.

• Short dry season (December – February): Also a prime time. The landscape is green, but the trails are predominantly dry.

• Rainy seasons (March – May & October – November): In these months, the trails are often muddy and slippery. This makes cycling technically much more challenging and physically harder. For the ‘die-hard’ mountain biker who loves slogging through mud, this can be fun, but for most recreational cyclists, the dry months are the best choice for optimal cycling enjoyment.

Slalom through the daily life of Rwanda

Mountain biking in Rwanda is a social activity. The roads you cycle on are the lifeblood of the countryside. You share the road with women carrying baskets on their heads, children walking to school, and men loading up their bicycles with enormous bags of charcoal or bunches of bananas.

You literally cycle through the villages. This means you sometimes have to slalom between people and livestock (goats and cows). As a result, the pace is sometimes lower, but the experience is all the greater. You are greeted everywhere, children run alongside you, and there is laughter. You are not an anonymous passer-by, but part of the hustle and bustle of the day.

Why a good MTB is essential

Given the terrain, a city bike or a simple touring bike is not an option here. You need a bike with wide tyres for grip, good suspension for comfort, and powerful brakes for the steep descents. At CvA Travel, we provide top-tier equipment. We have a fleet of well-maintained Specialized mountain bikes (hardtails) on site.

Do you want the technical challenge of steering and descending, but are dreading the physical strain of climbing? Then the e-mountain bike is a godsend. Our Specialized e-MTBs give you just that little push in the back on the steep sections, so you arrive at the top fresher and have more of an eye for the beautiful surroundings.

Surface and technique of the mountain bike holiday: The ‘African Massage’

The roads in Rwanda are predominantly red in colour. These ‘red dirt roads’ are iconic for East Africa. The quality is generally good, but it remains unpaved terrain. After rain, it can be muddy; in the dry season, dust can billow up, and sometimes there are loose stones.

Our local guides laughingly call the vibration over the washboard roads the ‘African massage’. You feel the surface in your arms and legs. It demands an active posture on the bike. Good braking technique on the descents is essential, as is choosing the right line to avoid the deepest potholes. It is pure mountain biking, back to basics.