WE CHART
YOUR COURSE.
Small groups. Expert guides. Extraordinary terrain. From the Cederberg to Catalonia, we handle everything so you just ride.
The Tours
Five signature routes, shaped by the people who have ridden every metre of them. No fixed dates. No fixed groups. No fixed price. Tell us who you are riding with and roughly when, and we will build something around you. Every Mapmaker tour is a conversation before it is a booking.
Stellenbosch, Franschhoek Pass, Helshoogte and the Jonkershoek valley. Premium guesthouse nights, wine farm dinners, full support. The most sociable four days on a bike you will ever have.
Plettenberg Bay to Cape Town. Six stages across the Klein Karoo and the Winelands, finishing on the start line of the Cape Town Cycle Tour. Five legendary passes. Eight nights in exceptional properties. One extraordinary week.
The cycling capital of the world, done the Mapmaker way. Rocacorba, Mare de Déu del Mont, the Costa Brava and the Hincapie Loop. Catalan estate base, custom kit, 804km of world-class road. Guided by Nick Wright and Nic Lamond. A small number of 2026 spots remain.
Three days of curated pre-race riding through the Karoo and Tankwa, then seven days inside the Gravel Burn race camp. Race entry, mechanic, support, premium lodges. Five spots only.
Ancient sandstone, wildflower bloom, and some of the darkest night skies left in the Cape. Raw gravel riding bookended by two days of Cape Town's best.
From the rock art sanctuaries of the Cederberg to the private wellness suites of a private Karoo reserve. Extreme physiological demands met with unyielding luxury.
Your dates, your mates, your fitness level, your budget. Most Mapmaker tours start with a single message. Tell us what you are thinking and we will tell you what is possible. No pressure. Just a conversation.
Built by riders.
Run for riders.
Mapmaker Collective is a Cape Town-based guided cycling company founded by three people who between them have ridden on six continents, led expeditions from Cairo to Cape Town, mapped trails for Google across the Western Cape, and spent years building cycling communities from the ground up.
We do not operate tours. We design experiences. The difference is everything that happens before and after you clip in. The route, the accommodation, the logistics, the nutrition, the pacing, the stories. Every detail handled so you arrive, ride hard, and leave having done something that matters.
Maximum 8 riders per tour. Always guided. Always premium. Always built around you.
best bikes.
No bike? No problem. We run a fleet of the latest Specialized road, gravel, and e-bikes. Every one pre-fitted to you, delivered to your door or your tour start. No bike shop, no faff.
Meet the guides
Interior architect, entrepreneur and lifelong explorer. Former South African triathlon representative. Founder of The Handle Bar, Cape Town. Two and a half years riding through 23 countries. Mapmaker is the continuation of that journey.
Photographer, cyclist, general mountain person. Led Google Maps' first trekking team across the Western Cape. Rode 11,000km solo from Cairo to Cape Town to start the Cape Epic. Finished an IRONMAN the following week. Then raced the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan.
Journalist, athlete manager, competitive cyclist. Nic is the voice that makes guests feel like they are on the ride of their lives, because they are. He brings the narrative to every Mapmaker tour from briefing to final descent.
Riders who've been out there with us
Great guides on an amazing trip through the South African Karoo. The gravel was corrugated at times but mostly champagne gravel. The stars at night, something to be remembered.
The Tanqua was unlike anywhere I’ve ridden before. Huge open landscapes, long gravel roads and almost no traffic. The highlight was the final stretch into camp as the sun was setting. A proper adventure and a side of South Africa I would never have experienced on my own.
I came to South Africa for the riding, but the Tanqua ended up being about much more than the bike. Incredible gravel, big skies, great food and a group that felt like old friends by the end. Sitting around after a long day on the bike, with nothing around us for miles, is the part I’ll remember most.
Mapmaker Shop
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Questions, answered
What does Mapmaker Collective do?
Mapmaker Collective is a Cape Town-based luxury cycling travel company. We design small-group, fully-supported guided road and gravel cycling tours and bespoke cycling holidays, and we arrange premium Specialized road, gravel and e-bike hire through our rental partner.
Where do you run cycling tours?
Our signature routes are in South Africa's Western Cape — the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route and the Cederberg — and we run international departures such as Girona in Catalonia, Spain. Every tour starts from Cape Town.
How big are the groups?
A maximum of eight riders per tour. There is no minimum — come as a pair or as a group of eight. Every trip is private and built around your group, dates, fitness and budget.
Do I need my own bike?
No. Mapmaker runs a fleet of the latest Specialized road, gravel and e-bikes, each pre-fitted to you and delivered to your door or tour start. You can also hire a bike without booking a tour.
How do I book?
Every Mapmaker trip starts with a conversation, not a checkout. Send an enquiry with who you're riding with and roughly when and where, and we come back with a tailored plan, dates and pricing. Start a conversation →
Plan your ride
You send an enquiry, we have a conversation. Tell us who you are riding with, roughly when, and roughly where. We will come back with a plan. Most Mapmaker trips start with a single message.