Durbanville farm route

[LeoKnight]

No one suggesting a quick up and down at Majik Forrest? 

[Thor Buttox]

Ja Meerendal gets my vote for a beginner over Bloemandal - more distance possible - you can spend a good 15k without going on any singletrack and if you want you can do the easy singletrack sections on the green route. And as Dale says - nice food and drinks afterwards.

 

Lombards is quite technical for a newbie and I remember the B spot scaring the helll out of me when I rode there with Thor for the first time. And also just remembering I left some skin at the top of Lombards on that occasion and came home swearing off mountain biking .... that didn't last, now I'm obsessed.

Bloemendal is definitely more fun than Meerendal for a beginner, but it is slightly more technical - just take it slow for the first time. I remember the Mamil ^^^^ asking me for a plaster cos he got a booboo on his knee, but now he rampages about like the best of them. Or atleast the best of the rest.

 

Edit, edit: I have been told that I actually cut open the wound to remove the rusty barbed wire, and then cauterised it with gunpowder. My memory is clearly blown.

[Mongoose001]

How safe are these places? 

 

Those trails look hectic. On some of the videos on Youtube, the paths seem very narrow, I dont want to cause traffic jams up there lol.

 

I actually cant wait to do this lol. Im gonna break so many bones lol.

[Wannabe]

How safe are these places? 

 

 

Very safe. Not a single "incident" other than people falling, that I can recall.

[Thor Buttox]

How safe are these places?

Seriously, if you are careful they are all perfectly safe. They are all on private land and the only instances that have occurred are on more obscure parts of the trail system at odd hours. Where you will be is normally well attended, and there are easy options around all the scary points. Just take it slow and scout the trail before being more adventurous. Or better, take someone who knows the route with you.

[Bloukrans]

Very safe. Not a single "incident" other than people falling, that I can recall.

This

 

Just get off the single track when die Muishond is coming pass...that if you see him

[Titleist]

A day permit at Bloemendal is R50 pp.

[BMCfan]

A day permit at Bloemendal is R50 pp.

 

That's redicilous!

[Mamil]

That was actually my ribs Thor (if you cared you'd have remembered) and it took me three weeks to breathe normally again.

 

But these days I'm a solid mid packer on a 40k technical route with a recent roadie streak. Off to do Welvanpas on Friday morning though but currently it's 37 degrees and not a breath of wind outside!!

 

Mongoose001 enjoy the trail - Meerendal on a weekend is full of beginner MTB people, very safe and you can make it very easy / easy or medium hard - lots of options.

 

 

Seriously, if you are careful they are all perfectly safe. They are all on private land and the only instances that have occurred are on more obscure parts of the trail system at odd hours. Where you will be is normally well attended, and there are easy options around all the scary points. Just take it slow and scout the trail before being more adventurous. Or better, take someone who knows the route with you.

[Andrew_Smith]

Meerendal has a few coffee and breakfast spots - winner 

And some yummy croissants too

 

Definitely a more varied terrain there too

 

+1 for the croissants!

[Da Vinci]

Meerendal is still the best beginner track in the Tygerberg Stable. Contermanskloofs green route is also not too bad - 1 or 2 hike a bike spots for the not so fit. B-Spot not worth it for a day pass if you are not fit. Bust a lung climbs and Lombards has been teched up a bit of late. My suggestion is join the Tygerberg Mtb club as it makes more financial sense. And also search "SlowCoach" group on FB

 

 

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[joevan]

Meerendal is still the best beginner track in the Tygerberg Stable. Contermanskloofs green route is also not too bad - 1 or 2 hike a bike spots for the not so fit. B-Spot not worth it for a day pass if you are not fit. Bust a lung climbs and Lombards has been teched up a bit of late. My suggestion is join the Tygerberg Mtb club as it makes more financial sense. And also search "SlowCoach" group on FB

 

 

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Good advice this!! Bumped into the Slowcoach crowd last week at Contermans, good crowd and ideal for a beginner look them up on Facebook as suggested.

[Ferro]

No one suggesting a quick up and down at Majik Forrest?

Good idea. Its maybe just not as well marked as some of the other trails but on the flipsife it is free i think.

[joevan]

To clarify the permit costs:

 

Please note that there are day permits available for the following trails:

•  Bloemendal - Biosport is open 8am to 5pm and weekends 8am to 1pm  and at the Bike Park (Sat & Sun 07h30 – 14h00). There is one permit available: R50 for adults, R30 for under 18's. This allows access to the Bloemendal, Nitida corridor, Hillcrest, Bloemendaaler and Majik Forest. Night Ride permits sold at Biosport on the evening for R30. Protea Hotel will now be selling the R30 and R50 permits for Bloemendal. These can be bought from the staff at the reception desk and they are open 24hours / 7 days a week
• Hoogekraal – a payment of R60 by cash in the honesty box or a payment via SnapScan allows access to all the trails at Hoogekraal.
• Contermanskloof – Day permits at R40 are available at The Dairy Shed (07h30 – 17h00 Tues to Fri / 07h00 – 13h00 Sat & Sun ) give access to the Contermanskloof trails.
•  Meerendal – Day permit wristbands at R30 are available on the entrance road just before The Crown restaurant. Alternatively, make use of honesty box if no permit seller is on duty.

These day permits do not give access to the club negotiated corridors between Meerendal and Contermanskloof or the dirt road corridor between Contermanskloof and Hoogekraal.
 
Cycling is strictly prohibited on the concrete road to the Bloemendal Restaurant. 
Except for arranged special events, trail running is not allowed on any of the club maintained single track (Bloemendal, Hillcrest, Bloemendaaler, Hoogekraal).
 

[greg_sa]

If you live in or near Durbanville, I'd definitely get a Tygerberg MTB Club membership. Then you have free access to all the trails mentioned. There are family membership options too.

[Mamil]

Just to clarify thie bloemendal day permit. Does this allow access to hillcrest via the padlocked gate? My understanding is that it does not. Does it allow access to majik forest via the gate at the top?

 

 

 

To clarify the permit costs:

Please note that there are day permits available for the following trails:

• Bloemendal - Biosport is open 8am to 5pm and weekends 8am to 1pm and at the Bike Park (Sat & Sun 07h30 – 14h00). There is one permit available: R50 for adults, R30 for under 18's. This allows access to the Bloemendal, Nitida corridor, Hillcrest, Bloemendaaler and Majik Forest. Night Ride permits sold at Biosport on the evening for R30. Protea Hotel will now be selling the R30 and R50 permits for Bloemendal. These can be bought from the staff at the reception desk and they are open 24hours / 7 days a week
• Hoogekraal – a payment of R60 by cash in the honesty box or a payment via SnapScan allows access to all the trails at Hoogekraal.
• Contermanskloof – Day permits at R40 are available at The Dairy Shed (07h30 – 17h00 Tues to Fri / 07h00 – 13h00 Sat & Sun ) give access to the Contermanskloof trails.
• Meerendal – Day permit wristbands at R30 are available on the entrance road just before The Crown restaurant. Alternatively, make use of honesty box if no permit seller is on duty.

These day permits do not give access to the club negotiated corridors between Meerendal and Contermanskloof or the dirt road corridor between Contermanskloof and Hoogekraal.

 

Cycling is strictly prohibited on the concrete road to the Bloemendal Restaurant.

Except for arranged special events, trail running is not allowed on any of the club maintained single track (Bloemendal, Hillcrest, Bloemendaaler, Hoogekraal).