Riding Tokai on a Gravel bike

[wapad]

Are guys riding gravel bikes in tokai, I rode up to the boom at the top but it was quite a rough ride, if any comments please let me know. Assume you can rough it up on the jeep tracks although pretty bumpy. 

what sort of tyre pressure on a 42mm tyre?

[capediver]

Yup....2 bar on 50mm Panaracer GK's

and at the end of...

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by capediver

[Jbr]

It’s a pretty *** ride, I thought it was a good idea until I did it, ended the day with blisters all over my hands and parkinsons. Definitely nicer and faster on the mtb unless you’re looking for a kom on the tar section 😜

[splat]

I have done the mast twice on a GG, but didn't enjoy the descent once you get down to the dirt roads. They are very rough and I was very concerned about my wheels.
We came up the Wa Pad on another ride, but bailed and went down OKW as it was just too hectic on the downhill sections towards the boom. We just couldn't face level 5 and the whole descent to the car park.

There are people tougher than my mates and I who do this regularly as well as the Blockhouse and Kirstenbosch loop. 

We feel that these rides are best done on the MTB for maximum enjoyment. But if you are looking for a challenge, or you only have a GG then go for it.

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should 🤣
 

[Yyyy]

Unless you trying for PR's up to the mast i dont see the point of a gravel bike at Tokai.

Just the wrong tool for the job.

[Jbr]

6 hours ago, Yyyy said:

Unless you trying for PR's up to the mast i dont see the point of a gravel bike at Tokai.

Just the wrong tool for the job.

I realised that when a MTB overtook me effortlessly on a flat piece of fire road

https://www.strava.com/activities/8284962843

Newlands forest was already rocky AF, the way up to the tar section was not too bad bud couldn't really go as hard as I wanted to as it was still bumby enough to lose bottles 😅

The way down was terrible, so was the way up to silvermine. Arrived at the top I decided not to do silvermine loop and just go down on the road as I couldn't take anymore vibrations 😭

[Headshot]

14 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I realised that when a MTB overtook me effortlessly on a flat piece of fire road

https://www.strava.com/activities/8284962843

Newlands forest was already rocky AF, the way up to the tar section was not too bad bud couldn't really go as hard as I wanted to as it was still bumby enough to lose bottles 😅

The way down was terrible, so was the way up to silvermine. Arrived at the top I decided not to do silvermine loop and just go down on the road as I couldn't take anymore vibrations 😭

Guys, this is why MTB and suspension were invented. Keep the gravel bikes for the roads 🙂 

[Jbr]

2 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Guys, this is why MTB and suspension were invented. Keep the gravel bikes for the roads 🙂 

I only realised how usefull my dualsus was on these trails when I didn't have it 🤣

A couple of days later I didn't the same-ish route on the MTB and thought WTF was I thinking 😅

[Headshot]

Bottom line is that with SANP doing little to no jeep track maintenance, some of the MTB routes which would have suited gravel bikes are now enduro tracks in places. 

[Chingy182]

Can vouch that riding Tokai on a Gravel bike is not a fun experience.

Coming down from Mast at speed is already quite hairy that you will probably need new brakepads the next day.

I also hit a ditch pretty hard on a rocky descent which instantly gave me a pressure puncture, which I needed to replace.

Pretty expensive day out for me

[Jewbacca]

As a certified idiot, perennial under biker, lover of making things more difficult for myself etc, I can confirm that Tokai on a gravel bike is junk.

Well, it is and it isn't.

The snakes and XC vasbyt are pretty fun in a 'oh goodness what am I doing' sort of way, especially the jumps and the little drop at the bottom of Mamba.

The jeep tracks, the general gradients and the condition of the place just do not lean towards a well rounded, fun experience

[wapad]

Thanks for all the replies which confirms that a certain type of insanity to ride on a gravel bike in Tokai, my experience was extreme and that was only going uphill

[cadenceblur]

Where are the suitable gravel bike routes in southern suburbs?

[guidodg]

27 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Where are the suitable gravel bike routes in southern suburbs?

green belt in Constantia...that's it

[Jewbacca]

25 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Where are the suitable gravel bike routes in southern suburbs?

Greenbelts, ou wapad and silvermine loop, the up/down path on Constantia Nek and then probably some 'sneakies' that link tar sections like the Ruyteplaat byway and a few other little gravel or park bits that happen to be part of a larger tar/mixed terrain loop

[cadenceblur]

Thanks , Strava routes to share?