A view from the top

• There are excellent single-track routes around Cape Town. Choose between a nice downhill run on Table Mountain, a dirt-road ‘doddle’ through the Constantia winelands and an on-road cycle in the Cape Point section of the Cape Peninsula National Park. Escorted trips are also up for grabs.

• The scenic De Hoop National Park (up the east coast from Cape Town), has a number of not-too-difficult trails as well as a few hard-core trails as one gets closer to the village of Swellendam.

• The Garden Route is mountain bike (MTB) mecca! There are four superb, laid out circular tracks in the Harkerville Forest, ranging from mellow to a rather hectic red route. In nearby Knysna, there are two long, (quite strenuous) linear trails - Homtini and Petrus se Brand.

• Port Elizabeth has a number of dedicated trails, including one traversing a green belt, which cuts right through the middle of the city.

• The annual Imana Wild Ride MTB race on the Wild Coast set a precedent for exploring this fantastic area. Explore cliff-top trails, dusty rural roads and views of the ocean you wont’ find anywhere else.

• KwaZulu-Natal has its share of routes, with many excellent beginner routes in the Drakensberg and the Midlands.

• The Free State has some of the most hectic trails in the country. The province often hosts biking competitions including the notorious Two Mountains Race.

• Johannesburg has a hugely active mountain biking population, so there are a lot of trails in the suburban areas. Try out the Greenhills Estate MTB trail on the East Rand for starters.

• Scenic Mpumalanga, is another superb option for bikers who love the great outdoors. It’s here that you’ll find lots of opportunity to get down and dirty. Take on one of the trails in the Kruger Park… not for the fainthearted.

Links:

• For all the information you need about South Africa’s MTB trails, visit www.mtbroutes.co.za or www.linx.co.za
• For trails in the Kruger Park, visit www.krugerpark.co.za
• Cape Epic MTB race, visit: www.cape-epic.com
• The Imana Wild Ride website will give you an inkling as to why the Wild Coast is such a popular MTB spot. Visit: www.imanawildride.co.za
• If cycling through indigenous forests is your thing then visit www.sabieexperience.co.za and do your homework on the Sabie Experience MTB race.
• Xcape Biking offers a wide variety of biking options in the Western Cape: www.xcapebiking.com

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