You need a day pass to cycle through Paarl?

[JohanDiv]

not as if out-of-towners know these roads ...

 

I have been in Paarl with my bike, and gave up trying to figure out which "gravel roads" I may or may not ride ... and asking locals (security at the Taal monument) where I can buy a permit was of no use ....

 

 

So though riding the tar roads may be obvious ... clarity on the other roads would be most handy.  BOTH in terms of which require permits and where these permits can be bought.

 

That's too bad they couldn't point you in the right direction. Give me a shout if you're in the Paarl area again, I'll show you around. Think I might have a few free day passes lying around.

 

I see on their website permits can be bought at the following points:

 

• Frater Square ( melissas Coffee Shop ) Main Road . Paarl
• Paarl Tourism Office : main road , Paarl
• Rhebokskloof Wine Estate : main Road Paarl.
• Ridgeback Wine Estate , main road ,paarl
• Spice Route destination , suid agter paarl road , paarl

But yeah, I get what you're saying, if you are busy riding out on the routes, there's no clear indication where you can head to buy a permit.

General rule of thumb here, if it doesn't have a big black A1 sized Hero Adventure board up clearly saying you need a permit to ride down here, then you're good to go..

Edited May 28, 2019 by JohanDiv

[JohanDiv]

You only pay at Rhebokskloof, and you don't ride Spice route - unless you want to ride *** rat mazes. The rest is free/public roads.

 

Haha I agree!! I like climbing up the reserve to the tower, down with Rheboks black route, around the mountain on the orange trail to spice route.. And at Spice route 95% of the time I just do the top section and turn back before going through the culvert to the "rat race". Then back up to Diamant, the new XCO track section is fun! They are finally using the potential of that forest section.. then back around to Knus.. Depends on the legs if I go home through town or up-and-over Jan Philips.

[ChrisF]

You only pay at Rhebokskloof, and you don't ride Spice route - unless you want to ride *** rat mazes. The rest is free/public roads.

 

Thank you.

 

Actually did do Rhebokskloof a while back    

[tourdeboland]

Former ASG types.

[NicoBoshoff]

JohanDiv  do you know what the situation is now with the Taalmonument trails?  I see Petrus (MRace) has put up signage saying permits are required.  I heard rumors that he has been given the job of maintaining / managing those trails (although I know it's myself and Francois etc who're still doing that).

 

I now see that MRace is partnering with Hero as a skills and training service provider, which is great, but I am just left wondering who is actually in charge of the Taalmonument trails, including those below the road (KOffiedam XC loop and Needles into Courtrai)?  It'd be great if it was actually now in their hands because frankly it's becoming a thankless job of maintaining those trails and I've all but given up.

[NicoBoshoff]

Former ASG types.

Very nuanced comment...

 

For us who live in Paarl though we're incredibly thankful for the explosion of new trails all around our mountain (even though the lower Spice Route trails are a bit, uhm, ja...).

[Skubarra]

JohanDiv  do you know what the situation is now with the Taalmonument trails?  I see Petrus (MRace) has put up signage saying permits are required.  I heard rumors that he has been given the job of maintaining / managing those trails (although I know it's myself and Francois etc who're still doing that).

 

Not that it matters to me but if it is a public area you cannot force people to take out permits or deny access?

 

Like with Majik Forest on the Tygerberg Trails, everyone is allowed on that section of the trails

[JohanDiv]

JohanDiv do you know what the situation is now with the Taalmonument trails? I see Petrus (MRace) has put up signage saying permits are required. I heard rumors that he has been given the job of maintaining / managing those trails (although I know it's myself and Francois etc who're still doing that).

 

I now see that MRace is partnering with Hero as a skills and training service provider, which is great, but I am just left wondering who is actually in charge of the Taalmonument trails, including those below the road (KOffiedam XC loop and Needles into Courtrai)? It'd be great if it was actually now in their hands because frankly it's becoming a thankless job of maintaining those trails and I've all but given up.

Hi Nico,

 

Message from Petrus: