South Africa's mountain biking challenges are varied and exciting, with terrain of all types, to suit the requirements of any mountain biking enthusiast.

Mountain biking in South Africa is well established and well supported with every province offering opportunities to satisfy any level of rider, whether it's a man made course for experienced trick riders, or a steep mountain trail, or a gentle meander through the bush.

Mountain biking in Cape Town is one of the favourite destinations with the slopes of Table Mountain providing the ideal backdrop. But there are many other destinations with great mountain ranges like Knysna on the garden route, Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal, Sabie in Mpumalanga and the Magaliesberg in Gauteng. The trails are usually made up of dirt roads, jeep tracks, singletrack foot paths and hiking trails.

There are not many purpose build and dedicated bike trails. The most established formal venue in the country has been Dirtopia Trail Lodge outside Stellenbosch and Clearwater trails in southern KwaZulu Natal.

A recent phenomenon is the creation of mountain bike parks in South Africa. This is an international trend that has proved very successful in providing dedicated maintained mountain biking trails that are safe and easily accessible. The first of these parks was Logwood Bike Park in Muldersdrift Gauteng, and then there is Giba Gorge MTB Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Gauteng
- The Butterfly Pig Mountain Bike Park is a haven for mountain bikers in the Northcliff area of Johannesburg. The trails comprise mainly fresh-cut single track. The trails were built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers. The trails are short but technical.

- Logwood Bike Haven is situated on the western side of Johannesburg offering custom built single track for mountain bikes suited for all ages and all skill levels. All routes are graded, clearly signposted and include, beginner, intermediate and advanced circuits.

- Northern Farm, situated west of Fourways next to the R28, is a multi-user recreational facility is used by Horses, Birders and Hikers and Adventure outings. The Northern Farm MTB Trail Head does offer a selection of rides. The trials are specially designed for different riding experiences, duration and difficulties. Two trails are already permanently marked to prevent you from getting lost.

- The Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria / Tshwane has approximately 20km of market mountain bike trails with some great technical climbs and descents. The reserve has great vegetation and a good selection of game.

Western Cape
The dramatic scenery of the Western Cape makes a wonderful backdrop to biking and there are some superb routes in the Cape Town area; including escorted trails on Table Mountain, a wine-tasting pedal through the Cape Winelands or a day-long tour of Cape Point. And that's just the organised stuff: bring your own bike (or rent one) and there are loads of great self-guided trails in and around the city.

- The De Hoop Nature Reserve, about three hours east of Cape Town, has some scenic trails, and there are more great trails on farms in the Swellendam area. But the Western Cape's most popular cycling routes are all on the famed

- The Swartberg Pass, near the town of Oudtshoorn, offers a great downhill run - there's a tour that takes you up the pass by minibus and leaves you to do the 50km downhill back to the town by bike. It's a great full day trip with visits to the Cango Caves, ostrich farms and other attractions en route. The first 10km, by the way, is a wild, twisty descent that may discourage amateurs.

- The Alexander Forbes Mountain Bike trail in the Ceres area is up to date the top Mountain Bike trial because of its design, amount of single tracks and year round marketing. The track is about 48 km and calls for a high level of fitness and handling skills. Shorter trials are also available.

- Montagu offers the avid mountain biker a huge range of trailing options with guided mountain bike adventures in foothills of the Langeberg Mountains.

- Situated between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, Harkerville forest is the ideal location for recreational mountain-biking. The relatively easy gradients and diversity of the rides offer some of the finest cycling in the Southern Cape.

- Riding options are available in the SAFCOL forests in the Western Cape such as Jonkershoek (Stellenbosch), La Motte (Franschhoek) and at Grabouw, Knysna and George.

- Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve is a striking landscape dominated by the three enormous 500 million year old granite rock triplets, Paarl, Bretagne and Gordon. A diversity of indigenous vegetation and a gradient ideal for a day of leisurely recreational riding and not so leisurely for the more adventurous.

Kwa-Zulu Natal
The Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal have some great jeep tracks for serious cyclists, most notable of which is Sani Pass. The sharp hairpin bends, slippery surfaces and long, steep drops make this a bad choice for beginners and the best choice for living-on-the-edge adrenalin junkies.

Clearwater Trails near Port Edward offer some of the best terrain over farm roads, single tracks and down hills with panoramic views of the coast, gorge and grasslands.

Mpumalanga
- A favourite of many is a relatively new offering from the Kruger National Park - escorted biking trails through "Big 5" country. Though some may balk at the thought of riding a bike through lion-and-leopard-infested bush, there's no better way to enjoy the rich wildlife of the area. Presently the park offers three trail options, varying in length and difficulty, from a full day trail for the fit and experienced to half-day trails for those with less stamina.

And there's no need to rough it; all trails depart from Olifants Camp where you will stay in comfort, only saddling up for
three to four hours at a time.

- Mountain Biking around Sabie is the ideal springboard for both novice and accomplished mountain bikers to practice this sport in a secure environment amidst breathtaking scenery. Sabie offer both the competitive and the casual mountain biker a wide range of expertly guided and well marked self-guided mountain bike trails.

Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape boasts some superb trails, especially in and around Port Elizabeth, including some gorgeous rides through the Van
Stadens Wild Flower Reserve.

The nearby Hogsback Mountains are fun to explore (mainly on forestry roads) and the Wild Coast offers some real adventure biking, which is best done in a big group or (even better) with vehicle backup.

Free State
A great variety of mountain biking trails is found in the Vaal River valley, in the farmlands to the south of Parys, and along the heights of the Dome Bergland. There is something to suit every level of fitness and interest, from pure sport to archaeological explorations and historical battlefield routes.

Contacts
Pedal Power Association
Telephone: 021 689-8420
Fax: 021 689-8490
Email: info@pedalpower.org.za

Dirtopia Trail Centre:
Tel: 021 884 4752
Cell: 083 450 5313
Email: meurant@dirtopia.co.za

MTB Routes
Cell: (083) 444 5369
Tel: (021) 78 22 849
Email: jacques@mtbroutes.co.za