Mountain bike trails
Cape Epic enthusiast, Brett Smith’s
favourite recreational routes
I am living proof that with the right kind of training, a reasonable cyclist can finish the Epic, but if you find yourself trying to remember why you started mountain biking in the first place, throw your bike in the car and head for Stellenbosch, and the Jonkershoek valley in particular. After a short while it will all come back to you, yes mountain biking is meant to be fun!
Jonkershoek has something for everybody, whether you are a die-hard mountain goat, a single-track junkie or even a complete novice looking for a tame section of dirt road. Maps are available at the gate, but it really helps to ride with someone who knows the trails well.
For beginners, or those who want a flat, fast warm-up before hitting the climbs, there is a 10 km circular dirt road with little gradient. If it’s a scorching summer day, you can take a dip in the stream just after the bridge at the halfway point. The real appeal of Jonkershoek is to be found in the forests on the left-hand side of the valley.
If you’re raring to go, turn left just after you’ve gone through the entrance gate, and start climbing. You can climb for a long way, with each climb taking you to a higher contour road and awesome views of the valley as you climb higher and higher.
As mountain bikers, the only reason we climb is because we love the downhills, and the best way to descend in Jonkershoek is on single track. There are a number of these scattered through the forest, so keep an eye out for where they cross the contoured roads. Some can be ridden both up and down and are perfect for honing those technical skills, but some are best ridden in one direction: down! You can spend hours in the forest and not ride the same route twice, but some sections of the single track are worth riding more than once.
By the time you’re ready to leave Jonkershoek, you may have ridden all the single tracks, up and down, climbed until your lungs burst and ridden yourself into exhaustion, but you’ll have a big grin plastered on your face and a renewed enthusiasm for mountain biking!
Cyclist Heidi Hamilton’s training tips for the big day
Climbing is the focus of my training for the Epic. And with Tokai forest right on my doorstep, there are no excuses. Climbing the Mast (928m) and Noordhoek Peak (700m) twice covers about 2 500m over a distance of about 75 km.
Begin at the Arboretum heading up the main road past the level three turn-off to Silvermine. Keep right on the flat section before you hit a loose climb up to the beginning of the tar road. The gradient kicks up here. Engage little ring and keep the wheels turning. The views over Hout Bay, Muizenberg and the Constantia mountains as well as wonderful wildlife (reptiles included) will take your mind off your aching legs.
It is part of the ritual to touch the gate at the top. It’s just what you do! Take a breather to put on your wind jacket and enjoy the view before the fast downhill. Be very careful, especially if it is windy. Once you hit the flat dirt section, continue back to the fork and head right along level three where a gradual climb (keeping right) takes you on to a flatter, faster and shaded section of about 3 km before a short, sharp and very technical rocky climb. Power through this as your heart rate spikes.
Take a right at the Silvermine gate and head up the tar road towards the reservoir. About 500m up the road is a parking lot. Turn right into the parking lot, on to a dirt road to a T-junction where you turn left, heading up towards Noordhoek Peak. The surface can be tricky and is even more challenging as it becomes steeper with short power climbs contouring to the infamous rumble strips! While these constitute less than one minute of actual ride time, it seems an eternity. Your legs scream for mercy while you attempt to find that elusive extra gear. Good news is that the gradient evens out a little from here and it’s all worthwhile when you get to Noordhoek.
Finally, head round the peak on a treacherous downhill stretch bringing you to the reservoir to cool your feet. A short, sandy single track takes you back up to the tar road leading down towards the Silvermine gate. Head back and repeat the route, unless your legs rebel.
This is my best training as it includes upward slogs as well as technical rocky sections, covering most of the Epic terrain you will encounter on your bike. For off-your-bike training (also required), push your bike up the single track sections!