Robertson gravel routes

[sucramuk]

Hi all

Staying just outside Robertson (Riverton Stud) this weekend, are there any grave routes around there, 50 to 100km. Ideally not on the main road though

 

Ive looked and it looks a it sparse to me

[Tomik]

I did an 80km loop around the small mountain to the SE of town, started off heading East (not on the R62) past the wine farms, then around past the Vrolikheid Nature Reserve to the South (not in it). It was probably 60% tar but the roads were not busy and the gravel section was nice and remote. I really enjoyed the ride even though the last 20km back to town were on the MacGregor road into a headwind.

Sorry, can't find my activity to link to but it's fairly obvious on Strava's heatmap.

Otherwise look at the Gallows route and see if you can do part of that (might be worth driving to MacGregor). 

[Skubarra]

14 hours ago, sucramuk said:

Hi all

Staying just outside Robertson (Riverton Stud) this weekend, are there any grave routes around there, 50 to 100km. Ideally not on the main road though

 

Ive looked and it looks a it sparse to me

There is a gravel road just west of the tar road to McGregor (turn-off shortly after you cross the Breede River), go on through McGregor past Lord's Wines and up the climb to the start of the Galgeberg mast climb - out and back that will give you 70km. 

Alternatively at McGregor turn east for more gravel options towards Bonnievale, and then come back via the R317 (tarred but quiet as Tomnik mentioned)

Finally I get that you would want to avoid the busy R62, but as I recall for most of the stretch between Robertson & Ashton there are gravel / jeeptrack sections right next to the road so most of it you can avoid the main road if you choose to. 

[sucramuk]

Thanks guys I'll have a look at these options

 

[Shebeen]

bit of homework* but this could work.

ride/drive to Van loveren(8km). buy a mtb permit.

do their mtb route on the lower sections.

routes map here

exit it to the farm gravel road near "Goedemoed"

get to the robertson/mcgregor road (langverwachten) and go right on the tar road to the Koningsrivier road here

ride this to mcgregor

stop for  coffee

ride the gravel road south at first all the way to the R317 junction here

return to van loveren, about 65km round trip from VL, last 8km is tar

can make it shorter by doing the Strykhoogte/vrolikheid from McG.

 

the 1:50 000 maps are here, https://htonl.dev.openstreetmap.org/ngi-tiles/#14/-33.9695/19.8650

general rule of thumb is if 3/4 farms are on the same road then it is public. 

 

*i would contact VL first up about the gravel riding option on their farm routes - this is tricky as the person who picks up the phone might think your are nuts and it's easier to just say no. Also check the river as it is currently 60cumecs, and you need to cross their lowlevel bridge.

 

[Anthem24]

Another option is to drive to Rooiberg Winery (at far right of image below) and do a circular loop. I plotted this route a while back from Worcester, but haven't ridden it yet.
I'm familiar with the dirt road along the Breede River from canoeing days and have ridden the dirt road on the other side of the R60 in MTB events starting at Nuy. You could cut up through the Nuy road if you do a short stretch on the R60.

There are some sections of tar, but a lot of gravel. You can go into streetview on Google Earth and check out the roads (gravel and tar). Here's the kmz file -- I do have a gpx too, which shows this entire loop as 82 km. 

Worcester-Eilandia.kmz

[ChrisF]

On 8/14/2025 at 12:31 PM, Anthem24 said:

Another option is to drive to Rooiberg Winery (at far right of image below) and do a circular loop. I plotted this route a while back from Worcester, but haven't ridden it yet.
I'm familiar with the dirt road along the Breede River from canoeing days and have ridden the dirt road on the other side of the R60 in MTB events starting at Nuy. You could cut up through the Nuy road if you do a short stretch on the R60.

There are some sections of tar, but a lot of gravel. You can go into streetview on Google Earth and check out the roads (gravel and tar). Here's the kmz file -- I do have a gpx too, which shows this entire loop as 82 km. 

Worcester-Eilandia.kmz 15.56 kB · 6 downloads

 

Directly opposite Rooiberg is a dirt road that leads into a private farm.  Drive up and up that road, speak to Francois and his wife.  They have MTB trails on their farm, and KNOW all the trails and routes in that valley.

 

Google RoamRooiberg for their contact details.

 

Some Hubbers will know them as family of "Cois" who shared his cancer road with us.

[Shebeen]

On 8/12/2025 at 11:12 PM, sucramuk said:

Hi all

Staying just outside Robertson (Riverton Stud) this weekend, are there any grave routes around there, 50 to 100km. Ideally not on the main road though

 

Ive looked and it looks a it sparse to me

@sucramuk

what happened? where did you go?

[sucramuk]

9 hours ago, Shebeen said:

@sucramuk

what happened? where did you go?

Hi I did this route very nice, a bit washed out approaching Mcgregor but a nice ride.

 

[daveno7]

9 hours ago, Shebeen said:

@sucramuk

what happened? where did you go?

may have found the Saggy Stone Brewery on the way...thats a decent bit of gravel surface