Preparation

One of the most fantastic things about Uganda is that in general the temperature stays around 25-29 degrees the whole year round. It can be a bit colder in higher areas such as the Rwenzori Mountains, Bwindi and Kisoro in the West and Mt Elgon in the East. Uganda has two wet seasons: from March to May and from September to November. Short showers take place mostly in the morning and evening, but it can rain the whole day through. In these periods, temperature is generally cooler and obviously there are more clouds and mud: excellent conditions for the mountain bikers under us. The hottest months are from December to February.

One of the first things that you will notice is that Uganda is very green. Annual rainfall of 1000-1500mm (apart from the Northern area) makes that literally everything grows. There are even two and sometimes three harvests in Uganda. Landlocked Uganda lies between the eastern and western sections of Africa’s Great Rift Valley.

The country borders South Sudan, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. The capital city Kampala lies on the shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and second largest freshwater body in the world. Jinja is considered the source of the Nile. The ever-changing scenery includes tropical rainforest, a semi-desert area in the northeast, the vast savannahs in several national parks, tea plantations, terraced hills and fertile banana plantations in the West.

Experience the cultural richness all squeezed in one little country! Did you know that Uganda is the most ethnic diverse country on this planet according to Harvard University’s Institute for Economic Research? Uganda is home to more than 40 different indigenous ethnic groups, including the Baganda, Iteso, Basoga and Banyankore - all of which have their own beautiful languages, cultures and customs. So, when you travel through Uganda it’s like traveling through multiple countries in one trip.

Although English is the most inter-tribal used language, especially in rural areas people’s vocabulary doesn’t go much further than “How are you?” and “Bye”. Uganda is very different from the Western world, with its own religion, culture and habits. Make sure you do your research about the country before you travel. This will be convenient for you and for the locals.

When traveling through poorer regions, you may encounter begging children. Do not give them anything. This will increase the harassment of foreigners. If you want to help the locals, donate to a recognized NGO.

Tarmacked roads in Uganda are mostly found in the larger cities and towns. However some of the roads are more pothole than tarmac and it might be a challenge for inexperienced drivers to use them. In the last few years the road network has been given an enormous boost. Especially roads connecting major cities are of good quality and only a few years old, if not brand new. Traveling with our support vehicle is therefore quite comfortable and transfers can be done without wasting much time. The good thing is that there is a massive network of small single tracks and wider dirt roads spread all over the country. A dream for every mountain biker.

You need to have a valid visa to be able to visit Uganda. Visas need to be applied for online. Depending on your length of stay and the countries you want to visit you can apply for a regular tourist visa (single entry to Uganda for 30 days, USD 50) or an East Africa visa (multiple entry to Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for 90 days, USD 100).

The application process is not difficult, but can be a bit cumbersome at times. For example, you will have to upload several documents in a specific format and size. After you have completed the application process online you will receive a registration number. Don’t forget to note this down. When your application has been validated and approved, make sure to bring copies of all submitted documents, received emails and proof of payment.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months upon arrival. It is always wise to keep a copy of your passport for emergencies.

Being vaccinated for yellow fever is a requirement in order to visit Uganda. You need to bring proof of your yellow vaccination, usually in the form of a yellow book. Your vaccination has to be at least 10 days old.

In most cases your point of entry to Uganda will be Entebbe international airport. You might need to fill in an arrival card which will be provided already in the airplane or else in the airport.

Second thing will be a check for your yellow fever vaccination. Sometimes customs are required to measure your body temperature with infrared thermometers. After all this you need to stand in the E-visa queue and provide all your documents for your E-visa application. If it’s busy this can take more than an hour.

When having obtained your visa, you are allowed to proceed to the baggage belt where you can collect your luggage. Bike boxes are sometimes put on the conveyor belt, but are also sometimes just placed somewhere near the belt. You need to X-ray your luggage if you want to exit the airport. Before exiting through the sliding doors there is the opportunity to withdraw money at a Barclay ATM. After the sliding doors you can find small booths where you can organize a local simcard.

It’s relatively easy to purchase a local simcard. Calling with local rates is significantly more affordable than calling with your own provider. We have good experience with MTN and Airtel. In the rural areas bandwidth may be limited.

To obtain a local simcard you will have to register at a telecom agent (the easiest one can be found upon arrival at Entebbe airport). They will need to take your picture and you will be charged a small fee (not more than UGX 5,000). It’s very easy to buy airtime or data anywhere in Uganda.

Flying with your bike can be a bit of a hassle. Bike Radar has written a nice article with more details on how to fly with your bike. We use 4 golden rules:

• Book ahead to make sure your bike can go on board. Some air travel companies have a maximum number of bikes they take on board
• Make sure to check with your flight company what the exact requirements are for taking a bike on board. Maximum weight, packing materials, level of disassembly and tube pressure are important things to watch out for.
• When packing your bike, take into account that during aircraft transport, if there is a risk of breaking some component it probably will. Especially rear derailleurs, shifters and brake levers are usual victims.
• Bring spares! Ugandan bike repair shops are often not accustomed to western bikes.

Safety and security is key. That’s why we have a few but important riding guidelines in place which would be wise to follow:
1. We don’t think that riding with earplugs or other ear covering products is a good idea
2. Stick to the normal traffic laws and regulations whenever other road users are using the same road
3. Always cycle with a first aid kit
4. Always wear a helmet. No exceptions!

To be able to optimally enjoy your cycling trip you need to be fit. This means that you have to prepare for your trip by doing weekly rides already months prior to departure. You can compare distances and climbing meters of your exercise rides with the ones of your Ugandan adventure.

However a lot of our participants state that the difference in weather (high temperature and cycling in the sun), the altitude (we start cycling at 1400m above sea level and go up to 2100m) and the consecutive days of cycling (your body doesn’t have much time to recover) have a big impact on their performance.

That’s why we advise to train for distances that are 25%-30% longer and have more climbing meters. If you don’t know how, please look at our training schedules section below.

We are not qualified cycling trainers, but our experience might help you a bit. You would need at least 12 weeks of training prior to your departure time. Every week should include at least 3 sessions. Generally ride steady and don’t overdo it.

No need to get injuries! From week 12 to 8 try to do two sessions of 1 hour and 1 longer session of 2 hours. Week 7 to 4, increase the duration of your shorter rides to 1-2 hours and your longer ride to 2-3 hours. With only 3 to 2 weeks to go keep your training duration the same, but try to increase intensity by for example introducing intervals.

The last week before your departure you should ease up and only do a very easy comfortable ride. For official training schedules check out the links below.

• Cycling Weekly
• Active
• Rei
• Singletracks

Basic mechanical skills
You don’t need to have any technical developed skills for joining our cycling adventures. In every village there will be mechanics around to fix your bicycle but we recommend that you carry out basic mechanical works, must your bike require it. Most common maintenance during the trails are:
• fixing a puncture tyre
• replacing brake pads
• replacing broken gear cables
• cleaning and lubing the chain and gears.

Check singletracks or youtube for some tips and tricks.

Best quality hospitals can be found in major cities and towns. Many of the cycling adventures generally take place in desolate places at a certain distance from larger cities and towns.

This means that in order to receive good treatment you might have to travel for a couple of hours. Please bear this in mind when you think of hopping off a big rock or down hilling at ultraspeed. The general rule for cycling in Uganda: if you hesitate, don’t do it.

- Minimum of two sets of cycling clothes
- Raincoat for cycling
- Sun cream
- Cycling helmet
- Cycling shoes
- Cycling socks
- Cell phone
- One set of warm clothes
- Sunglasses
- Toiletries
- Power bank
- Camelbak or drinking bottle
- Camera
- Underwear
- Swimwear
- Passport with visa
- Copy of important documents
- Insurance papers
- Flight ticket
- Small backpack
- Mosquito repellent

If you bring your own bike:
- One tyre
-Two tubes
- Rear derailleur hanger
- Three spokes
- Two sets of brake pads
- One gear cable

Nice to bring
- First aid kit
- Gopro
- Extra phone for local sim
- Tools for bike fixing
- Tyre repair set
- Extra battery and memory card
- GPS or bicycle computer
- Elektrolyte tablets / solution
- Energy bars

Contact the guest house ahead of your arrival and inform them that you'll have diner. Food may need to be purchased. Order lunch packages at the guest house as restaurants on the road are scarce.