Around Table Mountain

[Fisan]

Hi all,

 

Looking for route ideas around Table Mountain - the less paved road the better. This is for a real MTB, not a gravel bike.

• Is the Missing Link trail open yet? Or do you still have to turn around half-way?
• Safest / best way from Suikerbossie to Constantia nek?
• Best route from Constantia nek to Rhodes mem?

Sorry if has has been convered in another thread before.

 

TIA and happy weekend riding!

[capediver]

Hi all,

 

Looking for route ideas around Table Mountain - the less paved road the better. This is for a real MTB, not a gravel bike.

• Is the Missing Link trail open yet? Or do you still have to turn around half-way?
• Safest / best way from Suikerbossie to Constantia nek?
• Best route from Constantia nek to Rhodes mem?

Sorry if has has been convered in another thread before.

 

TIA and happy weekend riding!

Missing link is open:

Suikerbossie to Constantia Nek:

Not sure there is anything from the top of Suikerbossie but when to get to the first round about after coming off the bottom of the hill, go left and ride Valley Road past World of Birds and join the main road to the Nek further up at Dise River Road. Follow the path up from Hout Bay to the Nek, its just off on the "shoulder" going up on the left side

Nek to Rhodes:

The only route I know is up the path from the Nek along the Newlands trail which drops down to the M3 just past Kirtstenbosch...to Rhodes Memorial....I dunno

This video starts at the top of Southern Cross so you can skip that by coming in direct from the Nek roundabout

[splat]

Hi all,

 

Looking for route ideas around Table Mountain - the less paved road the better. This is for a real MTB, not a gravel bike.

• Is the Missing Link trail open yet? Or do you still have to turn around half-way?
• Safest / best way from Suikerbossie to Constantia nek?
• Best route from Constantia nek to Rhodes mem?

Sorry if has has been covered in another thread before.

 

TIA and happy weekend riding!

 

I don't think that you can exit on the Llandudno end of the missing link trail yet, so the stretch from the Cableway to Llandudno will be on tar

 

If you pop into Ruyterplaats estate, there is a path that you can ride down that exits just above world of birds. Ask the security guys to tell you where to go (I think its the 2nd road to the right and there is a pedestrian gate 1/2 way down.

 

Then you ride valley Rd to end as Cape Diver says and up the Nek on the LHS (newly repaired track) and then up and over Kirstenbosch to exit in Newlands. Ride along the path towards UCT and then its up past Rhodes Mem to Tafelberg Rd (and the Blockhouse).

[babse]

Missing link is actually still missing...

 

Believe a sanparks approval fell through!?

 

As memtioned above, you have to roll via the road on that stretch.

The constantia trail from the nek to rhodes has been Gravelised (all rock, slightly tricky bits have been removed).

Only bit of MTB'n is on table mountain rhodes sides.

 

If you want a longer ride, stay on table mountain block house, tafelberg, deer park then back on lower contour up to the epic single track and down via back of plumb pudding hill down to rhodes gate.

Option to add signal hill and the surrounding single tracks.

[Fisan]

Thanks for all the replies. Pity about Sanparks and Missing Link.

[Kom]

Thanks for all the replies. Pity about Sanparks and Missing Link.

I can highly recommend riding up wa pad-> silvermine->Tokai->constantia green belt up to constantia nek ->bokkemanskloof contour-> Hout Bay->chappies->Noordhoek. Works out to 55km/1100m climbing. Tokai has turned into a trail park, loads of fun. Throw in donkey trail between silvermine and Tokai for extra fun.

[milky4130]

Thanks for all the replies. Pity about Sanparks and Missing Link.

I’ve seen at the turn around point of the Missing Link, some guys just went down the embankment there to the tar road, brings you pretty close to the Top of Suikerbossie.

[capediver]

I’ve seen at the turn around point of the Missing Link, some guys just went down the embankment there to the tar road, brings you pretty close to the Top of Suikerbossie.

And that's probably the reason there's a problem with SANPARKS, there's a sign there asking people nicely to go back but Noooo, we know better....

[MTBeer]

Please dont be a knob and go down the embankment as per milky's post. Do we really even have to explain this.

[Fisan]

Please dont be a knob and go down the embankment as per milky's post. Do we really even have to explain this.

 

Nevermind the going down part - can we even go this far still? Last time I rode the trails it was blocked off about 1 to 2 km's from the initial turn-around point.

[Christie]

Bottom line is that the missing link is stil missing.

The start of thetrail has few rocky uphill stretches that needs a lot of power to maintain enough momentum to ride. My mate with his short travel mtb was very grumpy - climbs are easier on a trail bike here. After climbing you get some nice flowy trails, but we ended in 3 deas ends: 2x blocked and 1x not finished. We bundu bashed down to the tar, did not feel like riding back the way we came.

[Dirt Tracker]

Please dont be a knob and go down the embankment as per milky's post. Do we really even have to explain this.

 

Problem is people have been asking us not to rouge ride Table Mountain on the city side and through Rhodes Mem' but there are alot of people who see themselves as 'pioneers', that the rules are stupid and believe that is the way you get trails discovered and approved out there. 

 

 

[MTBeer]

Nevermind the going down part - can we even go this far still? Last time I rode the trails it was blocked off about 1 to 2 km's from the initial turn-around point.

Not sure. I guess you ride to where it is blocked and then turn around. Simple enough.

[Fisan]

Bottom line is that the missing link is stil missing.

The start of thetrail has few rocky uphill stretches that needs a lot of power to maintain enough momentum to ride. My mate with his short travel mtb was very grumpy - climbs are easier on a trail bike here. After climbing you get some nice flowy trails, but we ended in 3 deas ends: 2x blocked and 1x not finished. We bundu bashed down to the tar, did not feel like riding back the way we came.

 

It has become more tricky lately. A lot more exposed rocks now compared to mid-2020. Still a lot of fun and mad respect to the TMBikers and trail builders.

 

Problem is people have been asking us not to rouge ride Table Mountain on the city side and through Rhodes Mem' but there are alot of people who see themselves as 'pioneers', that the rules are stupid and believe that is the way you get trails discovered and approved out there. 

 

 

 

Yeah I Strava-stalked some okes that did some rogue riding. I saw the guys did the full route recently and its one of the reasons I asked the hub whether its open or not.

[Dirt Tracker]

It has become more tricky lately. A lot more exposed rocks now compared to mid-2020. Still a lot of fun and mad respect to the TMBikers and trail builders.

 

 

Yeah I Strava-stalked some okes that did some rogue riding. I saw the guys did the full route recently and its one of the reasons I asked the hub whether its open or not.

 

There are a lot of illegal trails around the front of TM and there have been some guys doing work up above Rhodes Memorial near The Other Woman and The Wicked Stepmother (both of which featured in Ride Rate Review / BKXC youtube episodes when he was over here). There are also several tracks across the granite slab as well as and under the cable car and on Signal Hill. Pats Track is fun and rough and there are some tracks at the bottom of plumb pudding (you keep going straight at the bottom of PP and don't turn left or right - up and over and down). 

[Yyyy]

There are a lot of illegal trails around the front of TM and there have been some guys doing work up above Rhodes Memorial near The Other Woman and The Wicked Stepmother (both of which featured in Ride Rate Review / BKXC youtube episodes when he was over here). There are also several tracks across the granite slab as well as and under the cable car and on Signal Hill. Pats Track is fun and rough and there are some tracks at the bottom of plumb pudding (you keep going straight at the bottom of PP and don't turn left or right - up and over and down). 

 

Are these sections illegal? Genuinely asking because i know its being used but i am never sure if i should search them out and try as they are not marked.

 

I dont want to ride illegal trails even if they are commonly used

Edited January 25, 2021 by YaseenEnos