Trail Hunt

Turning point: another fork in the trail. Thin footpaths meander into the African countryside. Some seem to lead nowhere in particular while others keep splitting off into sub-trails. This is a mountain biker’s paradise—an endless network of dirt roads carving through some of the most beautiful landscape on the planet. Where to ride? Right, left, or straight? Maybe there’s a village up ahead. Or could we stumble upon a deep scenic valley with a long, winding river?

Charting the Nigerian bush on a mountain bike is a rich experience. In many ways, it can feel like riding through a nature film, full of stunning scenery and exotic culture. It can also be a hell of a workout.

Finding good mountain bike terrain in Nigeria is easy. All it takes is a 10- or 20-minute drive beyond the outskirts of a city or town. Riding along dirt roads quickly reveals plenty of entry points into the bush. Though there is no “right” trail, some make for better biking than others: hard-packed dirt good, sandy path bad; shallow stream crossings good, deep smelly swamps bad. Hunting for ideal terrain is the name of the game.

But there’s much more to mountain biking in the Nigerian bush. It can also be a hugely fascinating cultural ride. Near the capital city of Abuja, it’s typical to run into Fulani women with tattooed faces, nomad herders with what Westerners would consider ultra-effeminate attire and Gwari elders with long robes and pointy goatees.

Here, women walk many kilometres carrying huge loads of firewood to sell in surrounding villages and towns. Herders spend day and night under the sky watching over their emaciated cows and bulls and farmers toil their stubborn land nowhere in particular while others keep splitting off into sub-trails. This is a mountain biker’s paradise—an endless network of dirt roads carving through some of the most beautiful landscape on the planet. Where to ride? Right, left, or straight? Maybe there’s a village up ahead. Or could we stumble upon a deep scenic valley with a long, winding river?

Charting the Nigerian bush on a mountain bike is a rich experience. In many ways, it can feel like riding through a nature film, full of stunning scenery and exotic culture. It can also be a hell of a workout.

Finding good mountain bike terrain in Nigeria is easy. All it takes is a 10- or 20-minute drive beyond the outskirts of a city or town. Riding along dirt roads quickly reveals plenty of entry points into the bush. Though there is no “right” trail, some make for better biking than others: hard-packed dirt good, sandy path bad; shallow stream crossings good, deep smelly swamps bad. Hunting for ideal terrain is the name of the game.

But there’s much more to mountain biking in the Nigerian bush. It can also be a hugely fascinating cultural ride. Near the capital city of Abuja, it’s typical to run into Fulani women with tattooed faces, nomad herders with what Westerners would consider ultra-effeminate attire and Gwari elders with long robes and pointy goatees.

Here, women walk many kilometres carrying huge loads of firewood to sell in surrounding villages and towns. Herders spend day and night under the sky watching over their emaciated cows and bulls and farmers toil their stubborn land for hours under the hot African sun. This is how the majority of rural Nigerians live—as do people in most other places in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the difficult conditions, most of the people living and working in the Nigerian bush are incredibly welcoming. It’s fun to bike through villages and have throngs of barefoot children emerge from every little nook, cheering, shouting “oyibos” (white people) and running alongside our bikes, not unlike when the Tour de France races through the small towns of Europe.

While bikes are not completely foreign to all rural Nigerians—a few do have basic two-wheelers, used primarily for personal transportation or to transport goods—they are not yet widespread. Bikes could have a huge developmental impact, though. Moving a heavy load one kilometre, for example, can take three days using head-lifts, but as little as one hour with a bike and cart. Time saved can be used to generate additional income, to take care of household chores, or to educate children.

But for us it’s the hardcore mountain biking— flying down narrow trails and through hairy fields or forests, taking random turns where the trail splits in heavy uncharted bush—that’s most exhilarating.

Unlike in other parts of Africa, there aren’t many dangerous creatures in the Nigerian bush; sadly, poachers killed off most of them long ago. Cattle are likely the only big beasts you’ll run into, though negotiating through a big herd of bulls and cows can still be rather unnerving. The odd snake may also slither across the trail, but that’s of little concern when biking by at high speed.

And you’ll want to keep that speed up. Hard biking Nigerian-style is a great way to stay in shape, particularly when surviving on pounded yam, goat meat and beer. So, get on a bike, find a trail and have fun. The bush awaits.

Fulani women returning home

Want to know more? Take a look at some tips from Marc-André after the jump!