In an email dated 21 April 2011, Gauteng member VO214 Ryk Nel reported that Dave Davy had given the green light to set up a new challenge in VOG, the idea being to take in as many of the spectacular passes in the Mpumalanga area as possible. According to Ryk, the idea of The Knuckles came about after viewing topographic maps of the region when viewing all the beautiful passes accessible by road bike. This was to provide northern members a similar opportunity as was possible in the Cape-based 12 Apostles Challenge.
This dry run was done by Ryk & Margaret Nel in April/May 2011 and the results of their experience were submitted to Dave Davy for review.
The VOG Knuckles Pilot Run was done by Dave & Kia Davy from 2-5 Jan 2012 & again from 29-30 March 2013, with the “final cut” reported by Dave on the website as follows:
As per David V. Davy (2013):
The challenge tour official Start/End points are Machadodorp (Mpumalanga), and at the Manoutsa Resort (Limpopo) just 2.3 km through and beyond the JG Strijdom Tunnel, just into the Limpopo province. This is where you will take your first or final photo and signed fuel slips depending upon your start or finish preferences.
Machadodorp the southern point lies just 4.8 km south of the Machado Toll Plaza. (As of March 1, 2025, the toll fee at the Machado toll plaza on the N4 is R122.00 for Class 1 vehicles. But if you travel from Pretoria or Johannesburg, you would not have this expense, as you detour before the toll gate and enter the town where the start point is located).
The Northernmost point starts/ends abruptly at the Manoutsa Resort, without any effort to link it anywhere, as this really would take the rider onto long, straight and tedious roads that could not possibly share the quality of the challenge route for pure blacktop riding pleasure!
Please always remember that potholes exist everywhere and whilst our findings did not prove these to be excessive along our challenge route, they do exist and the condition could well improve or deteriorate with the passage of time. So take it easy and slow down, the challenge is not a race and you have two full days to complete the Knuckles. The entire route as given is very rider-friendly indeed.
As said, the challenge may be done from either end, to best suit contenders who are either located in the region or those already engaged in one or more VOG Challenges. One may not enter the Knuckles from any other point. It is a two-day continuous stand-alone challenge and cannot be fragmented or completed in any other format. You get to decide on where you stay over during the trip.
The South to North route is used to document this challenge with 12 compulsory points and passes encountered, but may be reversed:
1. Machadodorp: Fill up and take a pic (incl. rider & pillion if applicable with the bike from the rear - so as to show number plate) at any one of the garages in the town and then leave for Barberton on the R541 passing thru Skurweberg Pass (about halfway) and turning left onto the R38 at the T Junction. (Here you could take a quick break from the challenge route by turning right onto the T38 and visit the Cradle of Life Biopark, just 400 metres from the T Junction, for fuel, a museum and Big Cats Feeding attendances. A worthy stop-off. NOTE: As at 2025, this place is closed).
Back to the challenge: Turning left at the T Junction you will ride the Nelshoogte Pass and Bothasnek Pass, to complete the leg to the R40, onto which you turn right, to enter Barberton. Turn right again into Sheba Street which takes you to the CBD.
2. In Barberton, find Generaal Street and park in front of the municipal offices and take a pic of the Jock of the Bushveld statue
3. Next you will enter one of the two “lateral return rides in the challenge”. It is just over 80 km return. Leave town along Sheba Road again, turning right onto the R40 and follow this route into one of the most beautiful rides on the challenge. The Havelock Iron Ore aerial cableway (said to be the longest in the world) crosses the road in a number of places in this Lebombo mountain range running from Pigg’s Peak to Barberton. Take this route up to Josefdal Border Post, take your pic (with Bike) and return to Barberton. (There are free ranging cattle on this road so be cautious in blind turns).
Arriving back in Barberton again you can now leave on the R40 and ride thru to Nelspruit, a really nice ride going thru Hilltop Pass about halfway there. This pass is best taken from Barberton side than the other way around as it climbs out from this end, but has some very, very tight bends so be very careful, especially if the road is wet.
Arriving in Nelspruit there are no mandatory stops and one can simply continue on the R40 to White River.
4. Leaving White River, take the R537 to Sabie and on arrival take your pic at St. Peter's Church (a most beautiful and quaint historic stone building).
5. Leaving Sabie on the R536, bound for Hazyview district, ride the Bergvliet Pass and the Kiepersol Pass to the R536/R40 T Junction, (take pic) turn left and enter the R40 northbound over the bridge a short distance then left again onto the R535 to Graskop.
6. Take another pic at this R40/R535 turnoff road-sign. Nearing Graskop one arrives at a T Junction with the R533, turn left onto this road where you will encounter the attractive and unique Kowyn Pass, which sports a concrete structured overhead slab, shielding motorists from rock falls from above. (NOTE: As at 2024 - This road has been closed – check beforehand!)
7. At Graskop, we find the second “lateral return ride” in the challenge about 80 km return. Leave Graskop on the R532 (West) for Pilgrims Rest – about 5 km on there is a fork in the road at the R533/ R532 3-way split. Take a photo on the island of the signboard, but be wary of traffic when entering and leaving this position.
8. Take the R533 right fork and ride the enjoyable but bumpy Bonnets Pass, to Pilgrims Rest. (This historic town is a ‘must see’ so go in and have a drink, see the Royal Hotel a few pubs/restaurants). Now by-pass Pilgrims Rest and continue on the R533 which takes you through Robber’s Pass and down to the T Junction with the R36, the 180-degree turn-around station. Do not take the R36 as this will disqualify your challenge attempt. Just take a pic of the intersection and Ohrigstad/Lydenburg sign-board and return to Graskop via Robber’s Pass, Pilgrims Rest and Bonnets Pass.
These two passes are challenging and need caution applied against sand and debris that wash onto the road during heavy rains. Also note (novice riders) that water seepage from recent rains will cross-over the roadway from side to side in many of the bends. You want to be able to come upright ‘out of the lean’ to ride these wet patches with possible algae growth, so to avoid a possible slide don’t get carried away by going in too fast.
9. Finally, entering Graskop a second time, take a pic of the LOCO INN signboard at the junction of Hoof and Louis Trichardt streets.
10. Turn right on Trichardt which becomes Hugenote street, which becomes the R532 (north) taking us past Gods Window, Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls, the Blyde River Canyon and stop at the Bourke’s Luck Potholes main gate, for a bum break and a photograph. Visit the Potholes if you have the time and entrance fee – there are restaurant, shop & toilet facilities available. Plus, the view of the potholes is a really an amazing experience!
11. Continue along with the Blyde River Canyon to your right, all the way to the “T Junction” with the R36. This time we turn right onto the R36, passing the Echo Caves and riding the Abel Erasmus Pass, stopping at the JG Strijdom Tunnel for a photograph.
12. Head through the tunnel to the Manoutsa Resort, the challenge finish point. Refuel slip here and take a final pic. (Eat swim and enjoy, the resort has it all!). DO check before your travel if the resort and filling station are still available.
So ends the challenge. Credits for this proposed cataloguing of the Knuckles Challenge goes to contributors, Ryk Nel, Hendrik Bosman and Andre Badenhorst, members of VOG.
Kia and the writer criss-crossed the area doing 1647 km over 4 days in January 2012 initially picking out and mapping the route and again in March 29th & 30th 2013 another 1164km was covered to re-audit the route to add value for the contender if it was found, cross referencing to Google Earth nominated mountain passes and eliminating non-compliant places and sections so as to ratify from a biker’s point of view, the best twisty roadways, attractions, and items of interest to fulfil the main objective of this challenge, to expose contenders to our beautiful South Africa thru as much continuous and pleasurable safe ride as possible.
The challenge allows for time to explore and take photographs of attractions, of which there are many. The Challenge is not a race and if any rider makes it that, he or she is denying the intended objective in VOG.
Contenders need to be mindful of fuel stops and night-stops, choosing where they best prefer to overnight which is a contender’s choice and not dictated by the challenge. Accommodation is plentiful, whether a contender is using a tent, B&B or plush hotel, the region has it.
Note: At face value it appears there are only 10 official passes on this challenge but one should remember that the entire route is mountainous and in that sense, roads take the contender thru constant changes in landscape, and flora, be it timber lined roads of pine, gum or wattle or crops bearing bananas, macadamia nuts or mangoes and with twisties and altitudes in constant fluctuation providing breath-taking scenery and riding thrill.
We wish all contenders journey mercies and uneventful riding, having eliminated all tedious roads, commuter bus routes and chosen what we consider to be a biker’s rewarding challenge in one of the most mountainous regions of our beautiful South Africa.
Enjoy and blessings to all who partake.
Dave & Kia Davy
NOTE by Derek Meise: Please do research on this challenge as it was established a while ago. Some of the passes may be under construction, as was my recent travel in the area as at 2023. The road between Machadodorp had been subject to landslides, as well as the road from Hazyview to Graskop. Check that the Manoutsa resort is still functional.
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