This is good news for the thousands of mountain-bikers out there who, for too many years, have been struggling to get access to new trails in the Western Cape.

And what better way to explore our newly-declared World Heritage Site — the Cape Floristic Region — than across the handlebars of a bicycle? Crank it up down a swooping forest single-track, set off on a leisurely cruise along a pristine coastline or go head to head with gravity up a switch-bitch gravel pass.

And that’s the beauty of mountain-biking; you decide where you want to ride, then choose a trail which suits your level of fitness, skill and riding ability. All you really need is a no-nonsense bike suited to the type of trail you’re planning to ride and a helmet to protect your noggin. The rest of the kit basically fits into the ‘nice to have’ category, although some items could ultimately make or break your ride.

Padded cycling pants ensure a more comfortable ride, clip-in shoes will help you pedal more efficiently, a hydration pack lets you drink on the move and gloves will protect your hands when you take a tumble. Sunscreen, a spare tube and a toolkit in your tubby bag go without saying!

How hardcore are you?
So now you’re all togged up and ready to ride, but how do you decide on an actual trail? Easy enough; usually trails are graded according to their level of difficulty — green means ‘easy’, blue ‘moderate’, red ‘difficult’ and black ‘extreme’.

Although there is no official system as yet, trail owners and riders look at the duration of the ride, accumulated climb, total distance and terrain when grading a route. If, however, a trail is not graded, chat to the local fat track tribe to get the low-down on the ride.

A few words of caution before you hit the trail: ride with respect, not only for other trail users, but for the environment as a whole. Avoid hard braking and skidding as this causes erosion; always ensure your bike is under control and slow down when you see hikers or animals; make sure you have arranged access and paid for permits; always stick to the trail and leave no trace in the form of litter or damage to the environment.

Read about our top five routes on Page 2...