Mountain Biking in Sabie
If you are looking for South Africa’s ‘mecca of mountain biking’ look no further than the picturesque town of Sabie.
Situated in the heart of Mpumalanga, the small town of Sabie has it all – rugged mountains harbouring breath-taking views of the valleys below, the beautiful Sabie River with its spectacular waterfalls, magnificent forestry plantations and indigenous riparian ecosystems with their abundant wildlife.
It is this varied terrain that has provided Sabie with a wide range of cycling opportunities, catering for ardent cyclists and novice tourists alike. Starting and finishing at the gate of the Municipal Castle Rock Caravan Park, the following six marked trails differ in their distance, technical difficulty and climbs. Allowing the Sabie cycling packages to accommodate all level of cyclists, and with parking, permits and route maps all available at Merry Pebbles, (GPS S 25 05’ 40.50” and E 30 46’ 00.53”), accessing these routes couldn’t be simpler.
The Yellow Route: This very easy 6km route is ideal for beginners and children. The flat jeep track is the perfect surface for those starting out in the sport and single tracks along the river provide beautiful views. Care should be taken when using the route when wet as it is rocky in places and can be slippery. However with less than 100m of climbing, this 15-45 minute ride is the perfect route for those starting out in the sport.
The Blue Route: A 25km route ideal for intermediates and beginners looking for a challenge. It includes some great single track, a tar road loop and a minor technical section. There are a number of short steep climbs as the route ascends 350m in total. But the spectacular sights including Lone Creek Fall and Bridal Veil Fall, together with the caves on the Lone Creek Road, makes all the hard work worthwhile. Again care should be taken as the surfaces while generally good, can be slippery. Depending on your cycling experience give yourself anywhere between 1.5 – 3 hours.
Purple Route: The newest of the 6 routes, this 16km route basically follows the blue route but omits the challenging climb to Bridal Veil Waterfall. The combination of jeep track and single tracks makes it ideal for the beginner or riders who are stepping up their fitness and not yet ready for steep climbs. You can expect to spend 45 minutes to 1.5 hours enjoying this easy ride.
Green Route: This is the perfect route for the intermediate rider. The 16km loop has around 450m of climbs, providing some spectacular views of the Ceylon Valley and the famed Bridal Veil Falls. The great single track is a pleasure to ride, although you need to be prepared for a long climb, a couple of steep, technical sections and a few bridge crossings. Like all the routes, this one can be slippery when wet or excessively dry. Depending on your fitness level and cycling experience give yourself between 1 and 2 hours to complete the route.
Black Route: One of the most technically challenging routes, this 13km ride is for advanced riders or confident intermediates looking for a challenge. The 420m climb and steep downhill technical sections provide an intense training opportunity and requires riders with a good level of fitness and cycling experience. While the single tracks provide a great surface for the steep climbs, caution should be taken as the route does get slippery when very dry or after rain. Depending on your fitness level and cycling experience, this route will take anything between 50 minutes and 2 hours.
Red Route: This 28km hair raising route is for only the most experienced intermediate and advanced riders. The legendary ‘Ulusaba Longdrop’ near the end of the route is bound to get your heart pumping. While the steep, technical descents, long climbing section and the short, sharp climbs will test the rider’s fitness! This is the perfect training ride even for advanced riders, with a total ascent of 650m. Rewarding those willing to attempt it are fabulous views of the Bridal Veil Waterfall and Ceylon Valley. An additional 1.5km ‘chicken run’ can be added for riders unwilling to take on the daunting ‘Ulusaba Longdrop’. Depending on your fitness level this route has a riding time of 2 to 4 hours.
For more information about the six Sabie bike routes please contact Joy from the Sabie Chamber of Commerce who maintain the routes on 082 493 3814 or Leon Comley from Merry Pebbles on 082 401 4066.
For those looking for more of a challenge, how about joining the Lowveld Chaingang Mountain Bike Club?
The club meets on weekends and public holidays and does a variety of longer more challenging unmarked 40-80km routes. These social rides are open to visitors and also depart from Merry Pebbles. Contact Dennis Lawrie of Forest Ventures to find out more about the planned social rides on 078 102 1680 or dlawrie@forestventures.co.za . Fully serviced training camps and guided bike tours can be booked over a weekend or a long weekend through Forest Ventures.
Finally for the serious mountain bike enthusiast, the Sabie Classic in February, Cross-Country Lap Race in April/May, My Spar Sabie Experience Stage Race in April and the Noon to Moon 10 hour Endurance Relay in November are sure to get your heart pumping! For more information about any of these please contact Brett on 082 774 5821, Sandy on 013 764 3500 or Dennis on the details above.
