Cape Town’s mountainous landscapes and winelands provide the perfect terrain for mountain biking, from Cape Town to Tygerberg, there’s a trail for everyone. Here’s a guide to some community oriented mountain-biking clubs in and around Cape Town and what they offer in terms of trails, group rides and training sessions.
1. Table Mountain Bikers
Table Mountain Bikers is a community of mountain bikers that’s passionate about Table Mountain and its surrounding trails. The Table Mountain Bikers club opened both the Kirstenbosch trail and the Constantia Greenbelts trail and believe that the trails are there to be shared by users of all kind, whether on foot or two wheels.
This club is big on community and giving back to the environment that makes up their various trails. “We ride together, we have fun together and we make voluntary contribution to trail maintenance”. Memberships cost R475 and run for a year from the sign up date.
2. Trail Angels
Trail Angels isa women’s only mountain biking club. This lively group of cyclists celebrates all fitness and skill levels, from beginners to advanced riders and welcomes all women who are keen to join in on the action.
The Trail Angels pride themselves on inspiring and encouraging newcomers to the sport. The Angels have an impressive website and offer a wide range of sessions that cater to riders at different stages of their mountain biking journey.
Sessions include Slookie and Rookie rides for newcomers with at least six months of experience, Interim rides (between 1 and 2 years of experience and for fitter and faster riders), as well as other awesome sessions like bootcamps and online strength, balance and mobility workouts.
DEAL: A choice of spa treatments with lunch and a wine tasting from Wellness in the Winelands
The Trail Angels have created a safe space for women to enter into what can be a considerably daunting sporting hobby. The club offers monthly plans that range from R300 to R600.
3. Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club
Established in the mid 1990’s, Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club is one of the oldest and largest in the country, establishing six trails in the area that have a route suitable for any level of cyclist. Club members reap the benefits of full access to all the available trails. Day permits are available for Meerendal, Contermanskloof, and Hoogekraal for non-members, too.
DEAL: A 2 hour pamper session at your choice of stunning location with Wellness in the Winelands
See the map below for trail routes. Please note that all of the areas on the map in Orange are members only and are not open to the general public.
Click here to view a latest pdf version of the map and full details on the trails.
Trail access and day permits:
- Bloemendal: R30 for children under 18 and R50 for adults. Permits grant access to Bloemendal, Nitida, Hillcrest and upper Bloemendal (Bloemendaaler). Day Permits available from Biosport (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
- Contermanskloof: Day permits at R40 are available at The Dairy Shed (7.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday / 7am to 1pm, Saturday and Sunday).
- Meerendal: Day permit wristbands at R30 are available on the entrance road just before The Crown restaurant. Alternatively, make use of honesty box at the Deli if no permit seller is on duty.
- Hillcrest Trail: Members access or day permits to ride here can be bought from Bloemendal Wine farm for R50.00 which allows you access into Nitida, Hillcrest and Bloemendal.
- Hoogekraal: R60 permit for non Tygerberg MTB members can be bought on the farm. No permit, no ride policy is in place. Please pay before your ride and not after. This permit also gives you access into Welvergenoegd trails. Honesty box or a payment via SnapScan.
- Green Corridor: These are Mountain Bike Trails linking one riding area with another by crossing land that does not offer trails. These are only open to club members.
- Majik Forest: Public open space. No permit is required to ride here.
The club also offers group and social rides like the Bloemendal night ride which takes place every Thursday evening at 7pm at Lower Bloemendal outside of Biosport.
Also read:
Picture: Unsplash
