Savage Wilderness, an adventure company based in Sagana is getting more attention for its bike tours this year and the timing matches a bigger change in how people want to explore Kenya. Fewer travelers want to see animals from inside a car. More want to feel the dirt under their tires and have some sweat to prove it.

What Makes These Bike Trips Different From a Regular Cycling Trip

Most cycling trips follow a path with maybe a short detour to a nice view. These bike trips do the opposite. Cyclists travel through the Rift Valley cliff the fields of the Maasai Mara and the highlands of Mount Kenya sometimes with zebra or wildebeest nearby. Trained guides are with every group and the paths are flexible enough to fit a beginner or someone looking for a challenge.

Daily Rides Designed Around the Cyclist Not a Set Plan

Groups can ride 40 kilometers a day. Go past 120 for those who want a real workout. This choice is more important than it seems. A family with a twelve-year-old and a group of cyclists training for a race have different needs but both can join the same trip and be happy because the schedule changes to fit the people who come.

The Maasai Mara Route Is the Popular Biking Adventure

When most returning customers are asked which trip they remember the most the Maasai Mara route is the first to come up. It goes through areas next to the reserve home to the Big Five and depending on when its done, the end or beginning of the Great Wildebeest Migration. Cyclists can choose between a camping trip that sleeps under the sky or a trip that moves from lodge to lodge with beds and hot showers at the end of each day. Either way a support vehicle follows the group carrying bags, extra gear and snacks so no one has to carry a weeks worth of supplies on their bike.

Why the Conservancy Routes Feel Different Than the Main Reserve

Riding through the conservancies of the main reserve changes the speed of the trip. There is traffic, fewer cars around a view and guides who know the best places to watch the sunrise over the cliff. These details don’t appear in a brochure. They make a big difference once you are out there.

A Helicopter Ride That No One Else in Kenya Offers

Savage Wilderness is the company offering a helicopter-assisted mountain bike descent on Mount Kenya and it’s worth explaining because the idea sounds almost impossible until you imagine it. Cyclists fly up by helicopter see glaciers and rocks that most people never get close to and then are dropped at 4,200 meters to ride down to 1,800. The land changes constantly on the way. Alpine highlands turn into forests and forests turn into farmland at the bottom. This can be one day or the start of a trip that continues into the wildlife areas of Laikipia.

Training With Kenyas Top Gravel Racing Team

On some trips members of Team Amani, a Kenyan gravel racing group join as guides. This is not something for anyone who takes cycling seriously. These are cyclists who race all over the world and having them discuss route plans or training tips during the ride adds something most tour companies can’t offer since most don’t have a connection with a national-level racing team.

Equipment and Logistics Handled So Cyclists Can Focus on the Road

mountain bikes and helmets are available for anyone who doesn’t want to bring their own gear and each bike is matched to the riders height and style before the trip. A support vehicle carries tools, extra tubes and a full repair kit during the trip, which takes one worry away when the trail gets tough. Cyclists who want their seat or pedals can let the team know ahead of time and they will adjust.

When to Book Based on the Time of Year

The dry season, which runs from June through October and again from January to March usually has the best trails and the clearest views, with animals gathering near water and easier to see along the way. The wildebeest migration is at its highest in the Mara between July and October which makes that specific trip more popular during those months. Green season trips are also available and honestly the greener landscape and fewer people make a case for booking outside the usual time.

A Company That Started With One River and Expanded From There

Savage Wilderness didn’t start as a cycling company. It began in 1990 when founder Mark Savage, who was flying as a bush pilot at the time saw rafting potential on the Athi River from the sky and bought his raft that same year. The company has grown beyond rafting and bike tours now are part of a larger collection that includes kayaking, climbing and business adventure programs all managed today by his son James Savage.

Where the Bike Tours Program Will Go Next

With the Maasai Mara route the Rift Valley rides and the Heli Bike descent all happening at the time Savage Wilderness has created a bike tours program that serves more types of riders than most other companies. Whether this leads to another season may depend on how well people talk about the Team Amani partnership and the helicopter descent two things that are truly unique, in Kenya’s cycling scene right now.

For more details visit our website— https://www.savagewilderness.org/

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Phone: +254 (0)737 835 963

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]