After more than a year in development, Helderberg Trails will officially open this weekend on Saturday morning with a FREE ride-day that promises to offer an exhilarating experience for all skill and fitness levels. Earlier this week Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, who has helped develop the trail centre together with local farmer Jan van Schalkwyk, to get a taste of the action. – Words and pictures Oli Munnik
1/11
Situated on the R44, just outside Somerset West, the Helderberg Trails are only a skip and a hop from Stellenbosch and a quick 30min drive from Cape Town’s CBD.
Below are the details for Saturday’s launch (more info at facebook.com/helderbergtrails). Be sure to read on for Oli’s impressions of the trails as well as feast on some visual poetry from his and Andrew’s early morning ride.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
2/11
While Helderberg Trails are best known for their gravity tracks, having hosted a few enduros and downhill shuttle days in the past, Jan, Andrew and their team have been hard at work planning, building, grading and marking new XC loops that will appeal to those guys riding shorter travel bikes (and hardtails). Given that the total area is quite small, the guys have done an incredible job in maximising space, and critically, using the gradient to their advantage.
In total, riders can choose from six well-marked and mapped routes that have all been graded according the international IMBA system and mapped by iRide Africa.
Once you get your bearings, there are tons of different ways to join the various routes allowing you to lengthen your ride and maximise the fun factor. The variety of trails also allows you to build confidence by moving higher up the slope as your skill and fitness levels improve … this is a great way to gauge your improvement.
3/11
For beginners and kids, the green and blue routes (and pump track) offer an opportunity to get to grips with the ins and outs of single track with well thought out loops that don’t offer any hidden surprises. A great aspect of the trail layout is the many ‘bail-out’ options where tired riders can easily join the return loop.
4/11
As the green and blue routes turn for home, Andrew and I continued up “Bikini Beach” on the red and black routes, which are joined at this point. The trail begins to climb more intensely but shouldn’t pose a threat to intermediate riders. The trails are well groomed and offer consistent grip.
There are also sections of open farm road for those who need a break from the single track.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
5/11
Something I noticed and enjoyed was the fact that despite the steep gradients on the upper reaches of the red and black routes, the trails snaked their way up the mountainside following the contours, using switchbacks to keep the flow going. This is a massive plus as you aren’t stuck slogging up a super steep road for long sections.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
6/11
After about 45mins of consistent riding we reached the upper sections of the trail network, which offer breathtaking views of False Bay and the surrounding mountains.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
7/11
The “Smooth Runnings” trail head signals the top of the Red Route. From here you can expect an exhilarating descent, with sweeping turns that winds its way back down the hill. As berms are carved on the Red Route, the Black Route continues snaking its way towards a communications tower that signals the highest point. To reach the tower, climbing becomes significantly more difficult but certainly worth the reward with flatter sections giving you a chance to catch your breath.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
8/11
With the climbing conquered, it means one thing only … it’s time to descend! As I followed Andrew down the Black Loop, I noticed lots of forks in the trail offering different routes as we descended. This means you can easily do a few loops, mixing and matching various trails to keep the ride interesting. Another great aspect of the trail network.
It’s important to point out that some trails are more difficult than others and are graded as such according to the IMBA system– green being easy, blue offering intermediate riders a run for their money while a black grading is better suited to expert riders.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
9/11
As we reached the bottom, it was great to see Duran at the controls of a digger on the pump track. Helderberg Trails employ him to keep things in tip-top shape as well as to expand the trails so that riders are kept entertained and refreshed.
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
10/11
Bicycling’s Oli Munnik joined professional downhiller, Andrew Neethling, for a recce of the new Helderberg Trails (launching Saturday 12 December 2015).[hr]
11/11
And finally, what could feel as awesome as flying through the air like Needles does so effortlessly above … I guess it would the fact that permit fees won’t be going up in 2016.
Happy Riding :)