Knysna route - MTB safety concerns

[Zawillow]

Hi All, 

 

I'll be in Knysna for a portion of the Christmas holidays and I'm looking to get some longer MTB gravel rides in. While I'm comfortable to ride Kom se Pad alone, I'm going to get bored with that route quickly. 

 

I've planned a route that heads up past the Knysna dump, up the R339 and then back down to the N2 and Harkerville on the Petrus se Brand trail. I then intend using forestry roads back to Knysna from there (I'm not comfortable to take the N2 at that time of year). The route is made up of different parts of routes found on the Garden route trail pass site, so I'm assuming they are reasonably well ridden routes. 

 

The question I have is whether it is safe to ride this route alone. While I have done a fair amount of riding in Knysna, I've not ridden up past the Knysna dump and know it as a sketchy area. I also don't know how safe the forestry roads are back into Knysna from Harkerville? 

 

Hoping some locals can give me some advice.