OVERVIEW
So, here’s the deal on Thaba Trails Bike Park … For those in the know, this riding spot of note is located within the 450ha Klipriviersburg Nature Reserve, just about in the centre of the bustling suburb of Mulbarton. The reserve boasts a cranking 30km of trail with over 650m of ascent, and we guarantee you there will be impala, zebra, wildebeest and springbok all over the place.
It is such a pleasure to have well-marked trails – colour-coded in yellow, green, blue and black – indicating the expected difficulty and skills level. Choose the 6km Yellow Trail if you’re a rookie or just not that fit, and synch into a gentle, non-technical ride, mostly on jeep-track with a taste of single-track. The 15km Green Trail is a bit more technical and aimed at intermediate riders; this is an anti-clockwise ride, also non-technical, but with two challenging hills. The trail is mostly on single-track, but sans technical obstacles. (The fire station track has a few little bumps) …
You could combine the Green and Blue Trail for a bumper 30km ride. The Blue Trail sections are very technical and there suited to experienced riders, so venture forth at your own risk. This is ‘next level’ on the rating scale, with some fabulous technical single-track, jaw-clenching descents and a few stretches of jeep track. Add rock gardens, tight twisty off-camber corners and some lung busting climbs to the mix, and you know you’re in for a tough day at the office.
While riding the Green Route, you can choose to add on the Blue sections. These are loops off the Green, but occasionally returning to the Green for a ‘rest’. The first encounter with the technical Blue section will be Loop A. You enter ‘Prince’, an awesome piece of single-track starting mildly through the bush with a challenging downhill followed by a sharp right turn. After some ups-and-downs and twists-and-turns you get spat out onto some jeep track 1.2km later, only to re-enter the 600m Kudu loop. After another 50m jeep track link, you enter ‘Amon’, a challenging downhill.
You can potentially repeat A-Loop or turn onto the start of B-Loop here … This is not quite as challenging, but the climb up ‘Heartbreak Hill’ will keep you humble. You can choose to ride the original Blue climb or take the split up ‘Dion’, which is the hill used for the National XCO Challenge, a solid 10min climb! At the top, you will turn into ‘Abraham’ with its trademark two little drop-offs, and then once again exit the bush to meet up with the Green Trail. If all else fails, check the map or the Thaba Trails Trailforks.com.
After your ride, come and enjoy a cup of Illy coffee and a slice of cake or a muffin. Enjoy the scenery, wildlife and escape from the city.
GPS: 26° 18′ 03.6″ South / 28° 02′ 55.9″ East
Thaba Trails Mountain Bike Park on Trailforks.com
